Asphalt finisher and asphalt finisher construction support system

Abstract

An asphalt finisher comprising a tractor, a hopper mounted to the front side of the tractor, a conveyor that conveys paving material within the hopper to the rear side of the tractor, a screw that lays and spreads, in a vehicle width direction, the paving material that has been conveyed by the conveyor and dispersed on a road surface, and a screed device that lays and levels, on the rear side of the screw, the paving material that has been laid and spread by the screw, wherein operation of a transportation vehicle is synchronized so as to correspond with operation of the asphalt finisher.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an asphalt finisher and a construction support system for an asphalt finisher. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an asphalt finisher that includes a tractor, a hopper installed in front of the tractor to receive paving material, a conveyor that feeds the paving material in the hopper to the rear of the tractor, a screw that spreads the paving material fed by the conveyor behind the tractor, and a screed that evens out the paving material spread by the screw behind the screw.

[0003] When the asphalt finisher performs construction, there is a transport vehicle (e.g., a dump truck) in front of the asphalt finisher that transports the paving material. The paving material is supplied to the asphalt finisher from the transport vehicle. The asphalt finisher needs to continue construction. Therefore, after the transport vehicle reaches a position where it can supply the paving material to the asphalt finisher, it needs to move forward together with the asphalt finisher to allow the asphalt finisher to continue construction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 010541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Usually, the operator of the asphalt paver sounds the horn to inform the driver of the transport vehicle of the timing of starting the asphalt paver, etc. The driver of the transport vehicle listens to the horn and checks the movement of the asphalt paver while controlling the starting and stopping of the transport vehicle.

[0006] If the load of the transport vehicle on the asphalt finisher (the load on the asphalt finisher when the transport vehicle in contact with the front end of the asphalt finisher is pushed forward) fluctuates while the asphalt finisher is working, the quality of the road surface that has already been worked on may deteriorate. For this reason, it is preferable to control the transport vehicle so that the asphalt finisher and the transport vehicle do not come into contact with each other.

[0007] In view of the above, it is desirable to provide an asphalt paver that can appropriately control a transport vehicle depending on the situation of the asphalt paver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An asphalt finisher according to one aspect of the present invention includes a tractor, a hopper installed in front of the tractor, a conveyor that transports paving material in the hopper to the rear of the tractor, a screw that spreads the paving material transported by the conveyor and scattered on a road surface in the vehicle width direction, a screed device that spreads the paving material spread by the screw behind the screw, and a communication device. An asphalt finisher comprising: From the image information captured by the imaging device, the parts constituting the transport vehicle are identified. Asphalt finisher and a distance between the vehicle and the parts constituting the vehicle. Asphalt finisher In order to synchronize the operation of the transport vehicle to correspond to the above, a control command for accelerating or decelerating the transport vehicle is generated based on the identified distance, and the generated control command is transmitted to the transport vehicle using the communication device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, an asphalt finisher can reduce deterioration in the quality of the pavement surface by synchronizing the operation of a transport vehicle to correspond to the operation of the asphalt finisher. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a left side view showing an asphalt finisher and a dump truck, which are an example of a road machine according to a first embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a top view showing an asphalt finisher and a dump truck, which are examples of road machines according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the asphalt finisher and the dump truck according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing procedure performed in the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of a construction site showing a first movement path and a second movement path generated by a path generating unit for constructing a curved portion of a road. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a case where the distance between each of the vehicle parts between the rear wheels of the dump truck and the rollers of the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment is "0". [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a case where the distance between the respective vehicle parts between the rear wheels of the dump truck and the rollers of the asphalt finisher is a predetermined distance "A" according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a conceptual diagram illustrating a case where the distance between each of the vehicle parts between the rear wheels of the dump truck and the rollers of the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment is a reference distance "A / 2." DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0012] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an asphalt finisher 100 and a dump truck 200, which are an example of a road machine according to the first embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 1A is a left side view, and Fig. 1B is a top view. Fig. 1 shows an example in which the dump truck 200 approaches the asphalt finisher 100 while moving backward.

[0013] The asphalt finisher 100 is mainly composed of a tractor 1, a hopper 2, and a screed device 3.

[0014] The screed device 3 is a mechanism for spreading and leveling the paving material. In this embodiment, the screed device 3 is a floating screed device towed by the tractor 1, and is connected to the tractor 1 via a leveling arm 3a.

[0015] The hopper 2 is provided at the front of the tractor 1 as a mechanism for receiving paving material. The hopper 2 of this embodiment has a mechanism that can be opened and closed in the vehicle width direction by the hopper cylinder 2a, with movable mechanism parts 81a and 81b as axes. When the paving material (e.g., asphalt mixture) in the hopper 2 is about to run out, the asphalt finisher 100 opens the hopper 2 fully to allow the paving material (e.g., asphalt mixture) to be received from the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200, which serves as a paving material transport vehicle. Then, with the dump truck 200 in contact with the asphalt finisher 100, the paving material is supplied from the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 to the hopper 2.

[0016] Also, while receiving paving material from the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200, the asphalt finisher 100 continues traveling (construction) while moving forward together with the dump truck 200 in the forward direction. Specifically, the conveyor transports the paving material received in the hopper 2 to the rear side of the tractor 1. The screw spreads the paving material transported by the conveyor and scattered on the road surface in the vehicle width direction. The screed device 3 evenly spreads the paving material spread by the screw behind the screw.

[0017] After receiving the paving material from the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200, the operator of the asphalt finisher 100 gradually closes the hopper 2, thereby allowing the paving material supplied to the hopper 2 to be placed on the conveyor. Thereafter, the paving material supplied to the hopper 2 is transported rearward, and when there is almost no paving material left in the hopper 2, the operator opens the hopper 2. Then, when the hopper 2 is fully open again, the hopper 2 is able to receive paving material from the dump truck 200. For this reason, it is preferable for the driver of the dump truck 200 to check that the hopper 2 is fully open before moving the dump truck 200 close to the asphalt finisher 100.

[0018] Furthermore, the asphalt finisher 100 is equipped with a roller 2b. The roller 2b is installed forward of the hopper 2. The roller 2b is configured to be able to come into contact with the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200, and is able to rotate together with the rear wheels 202 when the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 are in contact with the roller 2b.

[0019] The tractor 1 is a mechanism for propelling the asphalt finisher 100. In this embodiment, the tractor 1 rotates the front and rear wheels using a hydraulic motor for traveling to move the asphalt finisher 100. The hydraulic motor for traveling rotates by receiving a supply of hydraulic oil from a hydraulic source. The tractor 1 may be equipped with crawlers instead of wheels.

[0020] The tractor 1 is also equipped with a controller 30, a wireless communication device 40, a GPS module 50, a main monitor 60, a driver's seat 61, an imaging device 62, and an audio output device 63. Specifically, a cab including the main monitor 60 and the driver's seat 61 is installed on the top surface of the tractor 1. The imaging device 62 and the audio output device 63 are installed in the center of the front end of the top surface of the tractor 1.

[0021] The wireless communication device 40 directly performs short-distance wireless communication with devices present around the asphalt finisher 100, such as the dump truck 200. In this embodiment, it is considered that, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used as the wireless communication standard of the wireless communication device 40. Note that the wireless communication in this embodiment is not limited to a method using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like may also be used.

[0022] The GPS module 50 is an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module, and receives position information indicating the result of two-dimensional positioning by a GPS (Global Positioning System). The position information includes information expressing the position of the asphalt finisher 100 in latitude and longitude. Note that, in this embodiment, an example in which GPS is used as a method for acquiring position information will be described, but the method for acquiring position information is not limited thereto, and other well-known methods may be used.

[0023] The main monitor 60 is a device that displays various information to the operator of the asphalt finisher 100. In this embodiment, the main monitor 60 is a liquid crystal display, and is capable of displaying various information in response to commands from the controller 30. The main monitor 60 also includes an input device 60a that receives operational input from the operator of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0024] The imaging device 62 is a device that captures an image of the space in front of the asphalt finisher 100. In this embodiment, the imaging device 62 is a camera, and outputs the captured image to the controller 30. The imaging device 62 may be a distance imaging camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, or the like. In this embodiment, an example in which the imaging device 62 is used as an example of a device capable of recognizing space will be described. However, this embodiment does not limit the spatial recognition device to the imaging device 62. In other words, any spatial recognition device capable of recognizing space based on the asphalt finisher 100 may be used, and for example, a laser sensor or the like may be used.

[0025] The imaging device 62 (an example of a detection device) according to this embodiment captures an image of a space within an imaging area RA1 (an example of a detection range) shown by a dashed line in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, which exists in front of the asphalt finisher 100. Then, the imaging device 62 outputs image information (an example of detection information) related to the captured image to the controller 30. In the example shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, the imaging device 62 can capture an image of a dump truck 200 existing within the imaging area RA1.

[0026] The audio output device 63 is a device that outputs audio toward the periphery of the asphalt finisher 100. In this embodiment, the audio output device 63 is a speaker that outputs audio toward the front of the asphalt finisher 100, and is capable of outputting an alarm in response to a command from the controller 30. The audio output device 63 may also output an audio message.

[0027] The controller 30 is a control device that controls the asphalt finisher 100. The controller 30 is configured, for example, as a computer, and has a CPU, an internal memory, a storage medium, etc. The controller 30 performs various controls by causing the CPU to execute a program stored in the storage medium.

[0028] The controller 30 can assist the driving operation of the asphalt finisher 100 by means of an ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems) based on the image information received from the imaging device 62 and the detection signals received from various detection sensors (not shown). The driving operation assistance system used by the controller 30 according to this embodiment is not limited to a driving operation system using an ADAS, and may be another driving operation assistance system. For example, the controller 30 may use AD (Autonomous Driving). Furthermore, the controller 30 may use any system as long as it is a system capable of controlling the movement of the asphalt finisher 100 according to a movement route generated in advance.

[0029] The dump truck 200 is composed of a loading platform 201, a hoist cylinder (not shown), a first imaging device 261, a second imaging device 262, a controller 230, and a wireless communication device 240. The loading platform 201 is capable of carrying paving material to be supplied to the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100. The hoist cylinder is a mechanism for tilting the loading platform 201 backward, and expands and contracts in response to commands from the controller 230 to switch between a tilted state in which the loading platform 201 is tilted backward and a horizontal state in which the loading platform 201 is horizontal.

[0030] The first imaging device 261 is, for example, a device provided near the emblem of the dump truck 200, and is a device that acquires an image of the space in front of the dump truck 200. The second imaging device 262 is a device that acquires an image of the space behind the dump truck 200. The first imaging device 261 and the second imaging device 262 according to this embodiment are cameras, and output the acquired images to the controller 230. Note that the first imaging device 261 and the second imaging device 262 may be a distance image camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, or the like. In this embodiment, an example using the first imaging device 261 and the second imaging device 262 as an example of a device capable of recognizing a space will be described. However, this embodiment does not limit the spatial recognition device to the first imaging device 261 and the second imaging device 262. In other words, any spatial recognition device capable of recognizing a space based on the dump truck 200 may be used, and for example, a laser sensor or the like may be used.

[0031] The first imaging device 261 according to this embodiment captures an image of a space within an imaging region RT1 indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, which exists in front of the dump truck 200. The first imaging device 261 outputs image information related to the captured image to the controller 230.

[0032] The second imaging device 262 according to the present embodiment captures an image of a space within an imaging region RT2 indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, which exists behind the dump truck 200. The second imaging device 262 outputs image information relating to the captured image to the controller 230.

[0033] The wireless communication device 240 performs wireless communication with devices present around the dump truck 200, such as the wireless communication device 40 of the asphalt finisher 100. In this embodiment, it is considered that, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used as the wireless communication standard of the wireless communication device 240. Note that the wireless communication in this embodiment is not limited to a method using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like may be used.

[0034] The controller 230 is a control device that controls the dump truck 200. The controller 230 is configured, for example, by a computer, and has a CPU, an internal memory, a storage medium, etc. The controller 230 performs various controls by causing the CPU to execute a program stored in the storage medium.

[0035] The controller 230 according to this embodiment can assist the driving operation of the dump truck 200 by the ADAS based on the image information received from the first imaging device 261, the image information received from the second imaging device 262, and the detection signals received from various detection sensors (not shown). The driving operation assistance system used by the controller 230 according to this embodiment is not limited to the driving operation system by the ADAS, and may be another driving operation assistance system. For example, the controller 230 may use an AD. Furthermore, the controller 230 may use any system as long as it is a system capable of controlling movement according to a movement route and various control commands. The control command of this embodiment is information expressing an instruction for controlling the movement of a vehicle (for example, the asphalt finisher 100 or the dump truck 200).

[0036] For example, the controller 230 according to this embodiment realizes control to stop the dump truck 200 near the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 by parking assistance of the ADAS. At that time, the controller 230 according to this embodiment may receive a control command from the asphalt finisher 100 via the wireless communication device 240, and perform drive control of the dump truck 200 based on the received control command.

[0037] When the dump truck 200 is positioned near the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100, the asphalt finisher 100 is usually in the middle of construction. Therefore, after the dump truck 200 is positioned near the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100, the dump truck 200 needs to travel together with the asphalt finisher 100 while the dump truck 200 is supplying paving material from the loading platform 201 to the hopper 2.

[0038] Therefore, the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 according to this embodiment performs control to synchronize the operation of the dump truck 200 with the operation of the asphalt finisher 100 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 generates a first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 to move the asphalt finisher 100 so as to pave the area to be worked on, based on the work plan drawing. Then, the controller 30 controls the asphalt finisher 100 to follow the first movement path.

[0040] The construction plan drawing that can be stored in the storage medium of the controller 30 includes information that indicates the area that is the target of construction by the asphalt finisher 100 in the reference coordinate system.

[0041] The reference coordinate system used in the construction plan is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the Earth, the X-axis passing through the origin and the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator as the latitude (X-axis), the Y-axis passing through the origin and the intersection of the 90° east meridian and the equator as the longitude (Y-axis), and the Z-axis passing through the North Pole and the origin. In other words, the construction plan contains information showing the area to be constructed in a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system (World Geodetic System).

[0042] The construction plan drawing may also include various information related to the area to be constructed. For example, the construction plan drawing may include information indicating the positions of obstacles present in the area to be constructed. An example of the obstacle is information about steps present on the road surface. An example of the step information is information about manholes present on the road surface.

[0043] The asphalt finisher 100 acquires location information, which indicates the location of the asphalt finisher 100 by latitude and longitude, via the GPS module 50. Therefore, the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 can identify the location indicated by the location information acquired by the GPS module 50 on the construction plan drawing.

[0044] The controller 30 generates a second movement path for the dump truck 200 based on the construction plan so that the dump truck 200 travels while maintaining an overlapping state between the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 and the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 (in other words, in a synchronized state). Then, the controller 30 generates a control command instructing the steering angle, speed, and the like of the dump truck 200 so that the dump truck 200 travels along the second movement path. Then, the controller 30 transmits the generated control command to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 40. As a result, the controller 30 synchronizes the operation of the dump truck 200 to correspond to the operation of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0045] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the dump truck 200 includes a first imaging device 261, a second imaging device 262, an input device 263, a controller 230, a wireless communication device 240, and a drive system controller 250. That is, this embodiment is an example in which, in a construction support system for an asphalt finisher including the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200, the controller 30 controls the operation of the dump truck 200 to synchronize with the operation of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0046] The controller 230 generates a control command related to drive control based on image information from a first imaging device 261 (for example, provided near an emblem on the front of the dump truck 200), image information from a second imaging device 262 (for example, provided at the rear end of the dump truck 200), and a control signal from a detection sensor (not shown). Then, the controller 230 outputs the generated control command to the drive system controller 250. In this way, the controller 230 realizes assistance for driving operation by the ADAS. The drive system controller 250 controls the drive system, engine, etc. of the dump truck 200 according to the control command.

[0047] Furthermore, the controller 230 receives operations from the driver via the input device 263 and performs various controls.

[0048] When the controller 230 receives a control command from the asphalt finisher 100 via the wireless communication device 240, the controller 230 outputs the received control command to the drive system controller 250. In this way, the dump truck 200 realizes the assistance of driving operation by the ADAS in response to a request from the asphalt finisher 100.

[0049] Furthermore, the controller 230 may transmit image information captured by the first imaging device 261 and image information captured by the second imaging device 262 to the asphalt finisher 100 via the wireless communication device 240.

[0050] The asphalt finisher 100 includes an imaging device 62, an input device 60a, a controller 30, a drive system controller 55, and a wireless communication device 40. The drive system controller 55 controls the tractor 1 according to a control command.

[0051] The controller 30 according to this embodiment enables the assistance of driving operation by ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems) based on image information received from the imaging device 62 and detection signals received from various detection sensors (not shown). Note that the controller 30 according to this embodiment is not limited to the assistance of driving operation by ADAS, and may utilize other driving operation assistance. For example, the controller 30 may use AD (Autonomous Driving).

[0052] The controller 30 of this embodiment accepts an input of a construction plan drawing via a connection I / F (not shown) or a wireless communication device 40.

[0053] The controller 30 performs various controls based on the construction plan drawings and the like so that the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 move through the area to be subjected to construction.

[0054] Each functional block of the controller 30 shown in FIG. 2 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. All or a part of each functional block may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed by each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 30 includes a dump truck identification information storage unit 31, an acquisition unit 32, a route generation unit 33, a detection unit 34, a determination unit 35, a command generation unit 36, and a communication control unit 37.

[0055] The dump truck identification information storage unit 31 is provided on a storage medium in the controller 30. The dump truck identification information storage unit 31 stores information for the asphalt finisher 100 to identify the dump truck 200 with which the communication is to be performed. For example, the dump truck identification information storage unit 31 stores the license plate information of the dump truck 200 and the identification information (e.g., SSID) of the wireless communication device 240 mounted on the dump truck 200 in association with each other. This allows the controller 30 to identify the wireless communication device 240 with which the communication is to be performed based on the license plate that is captured when the rear part of the dump truck 200 is photographed by the imaging device 62.

[0056] The acquisition unit 32 acquires image information captured by the imaging device 62. The acquisition unit 32 also acquires operation information from the operator via the input device 60a.

[0057] The acquisition unit 32 also acquires a construction plan drawing. For example, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire the construction plan drawing from a non-volatile storage medium connected via a connection I / F (e.g., USB I / F) not shown. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire the construction plan drawing received by the communication control unit 37 from an external device via the wireless communication device 40.

[0058] The path generating unit 33 generates a movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 based on the construction plan drawing acquired by the acquiring unit 32. In this embodiment, the movement path is generated after the construction plan drawing is acquired and before construction by the asphalt finisher 100 is started. This allows the path generating unit 33 to generate a movement path that includes the start position of construction by the asphalt finisher 100.

[0059] The path generating unit 33 of this embodiment generates a first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 so that the entire area to be worked on, which is shown in the work plan drawing, can be worked on. Furthermore, the path generating unit 33 generates a second movement path for the dump truck 200 when the dump truck 200 travels in a state of contact with the asphalt finisher 100 traveling along the first movement path.

[0060] If the area to be constructed shown in the construction plan drawing includes an area with steps such as manholes, the path generating unit 33 generates a first movement path and a second movement path so that the wheels of the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 do not pass through the area with steps.

[0061] After the asphalt finisher 100 starts construction, the detection unit 34 detects a transport vehicle such as a dump truck 200 present in the space in front of the asphalt finisher 100 based on image information acquired from the imaging device 62. Any technology, including known image processing technology, may be used to detect a transport vehicle such as a dump truck 200 from an image shown by image information. The detection unit 34 may detect other objects when detecting a transport vehicle from an image. The other objects may include, for example, road cones, people (workers, etc.), and small machines (rammers, tampers, etc.). The determination unit 35 may be configured to recognize (detect) objects present around the asphalt finisher 100 (an example of a work machine) based on image information (output value) from the imaging device 62, which is a type of spatial recognition device. The objects to be recognized are, for example, the dump truck 200, a terrain shape (slope, hole, etc.), an electric wire, a utility pole, a person, an animal, a vehicle, a construction machine, a building, a wall, a helmet, a safety vest, work clothes, or a predetermined mark on a helmet. In this way, the determination unit 35 may be configured to be able to identify at least one of the type, position, shape, etc. of an object. For example, the determination unit 35 may be configured to be able to distinguish between the dump truck 200 and an object other than a dump truck.

[0062] The determination unit 35 performs various determinations based on image information (an example of detection information) from an imaging device 62 (an example of a detection device).

[0063] For example, the determination unit 35 determines the license plate information of the dump truck 200 present in front of the asphalt finisher 100 based on the image information from the imaging device 62. This allows the determination unit 35 to identify the license plate information of the dump truck 200 to be controlled.

[0064] Furthermore, the determination unit 35 may determine the distance between the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100. The determination unit 35 according to this embodiment has a correspondence relationship between the size of the dump truck 200 shown in the image and the distance between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100. This allows the determination unit 35 to specify the distance between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 32.

[0065] For example, after detecting the dump truck 200 from the image captured by the imaging device 62, the determination unit 35 determines whether or not it is possible to position the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 at the designated position. The designated position is a position of the loading platform 201 suitable for transferring the paving material in the loading platform 201 into the hopper 2, and is a position that partially overlaps with the position of the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 in the vertical direction. In addition, the designated position is a position to which the asphalt finisher 100 moves as it moves. Information on the designated position is typically stored in advance in a storage medium of the controller 30. In this embodiment, the information on the designated position is information on a rectangular area having approximately the same size (area) as the loading platform 201 in a top view. In other words, the information on the designated position is information on a rectangular parallelepiped space having approximately the same size (volume) as the loading platform 201. Therefore, "positioning the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 at the designated position" means, for example, matching a rectangular area corresponding to the actual loading platform 201 with a rectangular area corresponding to the designated position. The rectangular area ZN indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1B is an example of a rectangular area corresponding to the designated position.

[0066] The command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command for running the asphalt finisher 100 along the first movement path. Specifically, the command generating unit 36 ​​of this embodiment generates an acceleration command or deceleration command for the asphalt finisher 100 to continue construction. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command related to steering for moving along the first movement path based on the first movement path, the acceleration command or deceleration command, and the position information of the asphalt finisher 100 received from the GPS module 50. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​may generate a control command for braking or the like as necessary. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​outputs the generated control command to the drive system controller 55.

[0067] The command generating unit 36 ​​of this embodiment generates a control command for the asphalt finisher 100 so as to synchronize the operation of the dump truck 200 and the operation of the asphalt finisher 100. Specifically, a control command is generated so as to travel at a constant speed along the first movement path. This makes it easy to synchronize the operation of the dump truck 200 with the operation of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0068] The control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​in this embodiment includes, for example, a control command for steering the bed 201 of the dump truck 200 to position the bed 201 at a specified position. Other control commands include, for example, a control command for instructing the dump truck 200 to move backward or stop in order to stop the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 near the rollers 2b.

[0069] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command for causing the transport vehicle (e.g., the dump truck 200) to travel along the second movement path after steering the dump truck 200 to position the loading platform 201 at the specified position. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​outputs the generated control command to the communication control unit 37. The control command for causing the transport vehicle to travel along the second movement path is, for example, a steering command to the right or left, a command to achieve a predetermined speed, an acceleration command, a deceleration command, or a braking command.

[0070] Specifically, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to steer the dump truck 200 so as to position the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 at a specified position, and then causes the dump truck 200 to travel at a speed determined based on the speed of the asphalt finisher 100. The speed determined based on the speed of the asphalt finisher 100 may be, for example, substantially the same speed as the speed of the asphalt finisher 100. In other words, by causing the dump truck 200 to travel at substantially the same speed as the asphalt finisher 100, the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 can be maintained in a state where they overlap in the vertical direction. However, even when an instruction to travel at substantially the same speed is given, the command generating unit 36 ​​may cause a positional deviation due to a difference between the path followed by the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the path followed by the dump truck 200, a deviation in speed, or the like.

[0071] Therefore, the command generating unit 36 ​​of this embodiment generates a control command for accelerating or decelerating the dump truck 200 so as to maintain a state in which the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0072] The command generating unit 36 ​​in this embodiment performs control based on the relative positional relationship between the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 in order to maintain a state in which the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 are overlapped vertically.

[0073] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to control the hoist cylinder to dump up the bed 201 of the dump truck 200. The command generating unit 36 ​​generates the control command to dump up after the bed 201 of the dump truck 200 is positioned at a designated position. In this embodiment, the determining unit 35 may determine whether or not the bed 201 of the dump truck 200 is positioned at a designated position based on image information. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates the control command to dump up according to the determination result. Furthermore, when an operation to dump up is received from the operator of the asphalt finisher 100 via the input device 60a, the command generating unit 36 ​​may generate a control command to dump up.

[0074] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to control the hoist cylinder to dump down the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200. In this embodiment, after the supply of the paving material loaded on the loading platform 201 to the hopper 2 is completed, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to dump down the loading platform 201. In this embodiment, the determining unit 35 may determine whether the paving material loaded on the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 is empty, in other words, whether the supply of the paving material is completed, based on the image information. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to dump down the loading platform 201 according to the determination result. Furthermore, when an operation to dump down is received from the operator of the asphalt finisher 100 via the input device 60a, the command generating unit 36 ​​may generate a control command to dump down the loading platform 201.

[0075] The determination unit 35 identifies the distance between the components of each vehicle, which is the distance between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100, from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 32. Then, the command generation unit 36 ​​of this embodiment generates a control command for accelerating or decelerating the dump truck 200 so that the distance between the components of each vehicle falls within a range from distance "0" to a predetermined distance "A". The predetermined distance "A" is set to the distance between the rear wheels 202 and the roller 2b in a situation where the rear end of the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 and the tip of the hopper 2 overlap in the vertical direction.

[0076] In other words, if the controller 30 can control the speed or acceleration of the dump truck 200 so that the distance specified by the determination unit 35 falls within a range from the distance "0" to the predetermined distance "A", the state in which the hopper 2 and the loading platform 201 overlap in the vertical direction can be maintained. A specific control method will be described later.

[0077] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the distance between the parts of each vehicle is controlled to be within a range from the distance "0" to a predetermined distance "A", but the control method used in this embodiment is not limited to this control method. In other words, as long as the command generation unit 36 ​​can generate a control command to control the speed or acceleration of the dump truck 200 based on the distance between the parts of each vehicle and can maintain a state in which the hopper 2 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlap in the vertical direction, the controller 30 may use any control method.

[0078] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command related to steering for moving along the second moving path based on the second moving path, the acceleration command or deceleration command for the dump truck 200, and the position information of the dump truck 200. The position information of the dump truck 200 is calculated by the command generating unit 36 ​​from the position information of the asphalt finisher 100 acquired from the GPS module 50 and the relative positional relationship between the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200. The relative positional relationship is obtained from image information captured by the imaging device 62. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​may generate a control command for braking the dump truck 200 as necessary. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​outputs the generated control command for the dump truck 200 to the wireless communication device 40.

[0079] In addition, this embodiment is configured to calculate the position information of the dump truck 200 from the position information of the asphalt finisher 100 acquired from the GPS module 50 and the relative positional relationship between the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200. However, this embodiment does not limit the method of acquiring the position information of the dump truck 200 to the above method. For example, the dump truck 200 may be equipped with a GPS module. And, the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 may acquire the position information acquired from the GPS module provided in the dump truck 200 by wireless communication between the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200.

[0080] The control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​is not limited to the above-mentioned command, and may be various other control commands. For example, the control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​may be a command that can be executed by the ADAS of the asphalt finisher 100, such as turning on / off the headlights of the asphalt finisher 100 or issuing a warning to the operator of the asphalt finisher 100. Similarly, the control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​may include a command that can be executed by the ADAS of the dump truck 200, such as turning on / off the headlights of the dump truck 200 or issuing a warning to the driver of the dump truck 200.

[0081] The communication control unit 37 controls communication with a transport vehicle such as the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 240. For example, the communication control unit 37 controls communication with the wireless communication device 240 indicated by the identification information associated with the license plate information determined by the command generation unit 36. This enables the controller 30 to transmit a control command generated for the dump truck 200 to the dump truck 200. For example, the communication control unit 37 transmits a control command to the wireless communication device 240 to move the dump truck 200 according to the second movement route generated by the command generation unit 36.

[0082] Furthermore, the communication control unit 37 receives image information regarding the image captured by the first imaging device 261 of the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 240.

[0083] It is difficult for the operator of the asphalt finisher 100 to visually confirm the traveling direction when the dump truck 200 is present ahead. Therefore, the communication control unit 37 according to this embodiment receives image information relating to an image showing the front of the dump truck 200, captured by the first imaging device 261 of the dump truck 200. The communication control unit 37 outputs the received image information to the main monitor 60. This allows the operator of the asphalt finisher 100 to grasp the situation ahead of the dump truck 200.

[0084] Then, the determination unit 35 determines whether or not an obstacle exists on the movement path of the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100 based on the received image information. The obstacle to be determined may be any object. For example, the obstacle to be determined may be a shovel, a pylon, or the like.

[0085] Then, when the determination unit 35 determines that an obstacle exists, the audio output device 63 outputs warning information indicating the existence of an obstacle in accordance with an instruction from the determination unit 35. This allows the operator to recognize the presence or absence of an obstacle on the travel route. Furthermore, the operator can recognize the situation of the travel route by visually checking the image information.

[0086] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a processing procedure performed by the asphalt finisher 100 according to this embodiment. Among the processing procedures shown in Fig. 3, S301 and S302 are typically executed before the asphalt finisher 100 performs construction. The dump truck 200 may be driven by a driver, or may be automatically steered by an ADAS or the like.

[0087] The acquisition unit 32 acquires a construction plan drawing (S301).

[0088] The path generating unit 33 generates a first movement path of the asphalt finisher 100 and a second movement path of the dump truck 200 based on the construction plan drawing acquired by the acquiring unit 32 (S302).

[0089] Then, the controller 30 starts controlling the movement of the asphalt finisher 100 along the first movement path (S303).

[0090] The acquisition unit 32 acquires image information indicating the image captured by the imaging device 62 (S304).

[0091] Then, the detection unit 34 determines whether or not the dump truck 200 is present ahead of the asphalt finisher 100 based on the image information (S305). If the detection unit 34 determines that the dump truck 200 is not present (S305: No), the controller 30 executes the process of S305 again after a predetermined time.

[0092] When the detection unit 34 determines that the dump truck 200 is present (S305: Yes), the communication control unit 37 identifies the identification information of the wireless communication device 240 from the license plate information of the dump truck 200. Then, the communication control unit 37 starts communication with the dump truck 200 equipped with the wireless communication device 240 indicated by the identified identification information (S306). As a result, the controller 30 starts automatic control of the dump truck 200.

[0093] The communication control unit 37 transmits the control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 in order to steer the dump truck 200 so as to position the bed 201 of the dump truck 200 at the specified position (S307). As a result, the dump truck 200 moves to a position where the bed 201 of the dump truck 200 overlaps with the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 in the vertical direction. Thereafter, the dump truck 200 becomes able to move together with the asphalt finisher 100.

[0094] The command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command for the speed of the dump truck 200 based on the speed of the asphalt finisher 100 (S308). The speed of the dump truck 200 may be, for example, the same as the speed of the asphalt finisher 100. In other words, the controller 30 controls the dump truck 200 so that the speed of the dump truck 200 and the speed of the asphalt finisher 100 match, thereby making it possible for the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100 to travel at the same speed even if a change in distance occurs.

[0095] The communication control unit 37 transmits a speed control command to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 (S309).

[0096] The acquisition unit 32 acquires image information indicating the image captured by the imaging device 62 (S310). The acquisition unit 32 identifies relative position information between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the rollers 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 from the image information acquired in S310.

[0097] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 32 acquires position information from the GPS module 50 (S311). As a result, the controller 30 recognizes position information (for example, in the world geodetic system) of the asphalt finisher 100. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 32 recognizes position information (for example, in the world geodetic system) of the dump truck 200 from the position information (for example, in the world geodetic system) of the asphalt finisher 100 and relative position information between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the rollers 2b of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0098] The command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command related to the speed of the dump truck 200 to maintain an overlapping state between the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100 (a state in which the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlaps the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 in the vertical direction) based on the relative position information (S312). The control command related to the speed is, for example, a control command for causing the dump truck 200 to accelerate, decelerate, or maintain a speed. The control command related to the speed in this embodiment will be described later.

[0099] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a steering control command for the dump truck 200 to move along the second movement path based on the position information of the dump truck 200, the second movement path of the dump truck 200, the current speed of the dump truck 200, and control commands related to acceleration or deceleration of the dump truck 200, etc. (S313).

[0100] Then, the communication control unit 37 transmits a steering control command and a speed-related control command to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 40 (S314).

[0101] The command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command for steering the asphalt finisher 100 to move the asphalt finisher 100 along the first movement path, based on the first movement path and the position information of the asphalt finisher 100. Then, the drive system controller 55 performs steering control according to the control command (S315).

[0102] Next, the control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​will be described. Fig. 4 is a top view of a construction site showing a first movement path and a second movement path generated by the path generating unit 33 to construct a curved section (left curved section) of a road. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the asphalt finisher 100 paves the area between the left boundary line LP and the right boundary line RP with asphalt mixture. For this reason, the asphalt finisher 100 extends the screed device 3 until it reaches each of the left boundary line LP and the right boundary line RP.

[0103] The path generating unit 33 generates the first movement path AFL so that the asphalt finisher 100 can lay the asphalt mixture in the area between the left boundary line LP and the right boundary line RP. In other words, the first movement path AFL indicates a movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 to pave the area to be worked with the asphalt mixture in accordance with the work plan drawing.

[0104] In this embodiment, the path generating unit 33 generates the second movement path DTL based on the first movement path AFL of the asphalt finisher 100. The second movement path DTL is a movement path of the dump truck 200. The dump truck 200 moves according to the second movement path DTL, so that the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 and the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 are maintained in a vertically overlapping state while the asphalt finisher 100 moves according to the first movement path AFL. Therefore, the dump truck 200 can realize a stable supply of paving material from the dump truck 200 to the asphalt finisher 100. Thus, in this embodiment, a part of the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100 overlap, so that the distance between the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100 disappears.

[0105] The second movement route DTL is a movement route used for control after the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 is positioned at the designated position. In other words, the controller 30 performs automatic control according to the second movement route DTL after controlling the dump truck 200 to position the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 at the designated position.

[0106] Then, after the supply of paving material from the dump truck 200 to the asphalt finisher 100 is completed, the controller 30 ends the control of the dump truck 200 according to the second movement route DTL. Thereafter, the dump truck 200 travels according to the control on the dump truck 200 side (for example, the operation control by the driver, or the driving assistance control by the ADAS on the dump truck 200 side). In this way, the controller 30 of this embodiment controls the dump truck 200 according to the second movement route DTL only while the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 is positioned at the designated position. This allows the controller 30 to control a plurality of dump trucks 200 according to the second movement route DTL.

[0107] The first moving path AFL and the second moving path DTL are expressed using a reference coordinate system. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The reference coordinate system is not limited to the World Geodetic System, and may be any coordinate system as long as it can express the correspondence between the position information received by the asphalt finisher 100 and the position information included in the construction plan.

[0108] Point AP1 indicates the position of the front end of the asphalt finisher 100 at a first time point, which is the start of construction. Point AP2 indicates the position of the front end of the asphalt finisher 100 at a second time point after a predetermined time has passed from the first time point along the first movement path AFL. Point AP3 indicates the position of the front end of the asphalt finisher 100 at a third time point after a predetermined time has passed from the second time point along the first movement path AFL.

[0109] The command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to operate the asphalt finisher 100 so that the actual position coordinates indicated by the position of the front end of the asphalt finisher 100 (e.g., point AP1, point AP2, or point AP3) coincide with one of the position coordinates that constitute the first movement path AFL.

[0110] Specifically, the command generating unit 36 ​​calculates position information indicating the position of the front end of the asphalt finisher 100 (e.g., point AP1, point AP2, point AP3) based on the position information from the GPS module 50. Then, when the calculated position information indicates that steering to the right or left is necessary to follow the first movement path AFL, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to steer to the right or left. In addition, the command generating unit 36 ​​calculates a steering angle for following the first movement path AFL according to the current speed, acceleration, or deceleration of the asphalt finisher 100. The calculated steering angle is included in the control command.

[0111] Point DP1 indicates the position of the front end of the dump truck 200 at a first time point, which is the start of construction. Point DP2 indicates the position of the front end of the dump truck 200 at a second time point after moving a predetermined time from the first time point along the second movement path DTL. Point DP3 indicates the position of the front end of the dump truck 200 at a third time point after moving a predetermined time from the second time point along the second movement path DTL.

[0112] The command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to operate the dump truck 200 so that the actual position coordinates indicated by the position of the front end of the dump truck 200 (for example, point DP1, point DP2, or point DP3) coincide with one of the position coordinates constituting the second movement path DTL. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to maintain a state in which the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlap in the vertical direction.

[0113] Specifically, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command related to the speed of the dump truck 200 based on the speed, acceleration, or deceleration of the asphalt finisher 100. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​calculates position information indicating the position of the front end of the dump truck 200 (for example, point DP1, point DP2, point DP3) based on the position information from the GPS module 50. Then, when the calculated position information indicates that steering to the right or left is necessary to follow the second movement path, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to steer to the right or left. Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​calculates a steering angle for following the second movement path according to the current speed of the dump truck 200 and the acceleration or deceleration indicated by the control command related to the speed. The calculated steering angle is included in the control command. Then, the communication control unit 37 transmits a control command for the dump truck 200 to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 40.

[0114] Returning to Fig. 3, the controller 30 determines whether or not the supply of paving material from the dump truck 200 has ended (S316). Any method may be used to determine whether or not the supply of paving material has ended, and may be, for example, a notification from the dump truck 200. If it is determined that the supply of paving material has not ended (S316: No), the controller 30 executes the processes from S310 onwards.

[0115] If the controller 30 determines that the supply of paving material has been completed (S315: No), the communication control unit 37 transmits a control command generated by the command generating unit 36 ​​to the wireless communication device 240 of the dump truck 200 in order to move the dump truck 200 away from the asphalt finisher 100 (S316).

[0116] After that, the controller 30 determines whether or not the construction along the first movement path is completed (S317). If it is determined that the construction is not completed (S317: No), the controller 30 executes the processes from S305 onwards again.

[0117] On the other hand, if it is determined that the construction is completed (S317: No), the controller 30 ends the process.

[0118] The asphalt finisher 100 of this embodiment can pave the target area with asphalt mixture by carrying out the above-mentioned processes.

[0119] The controller 30 of the above-described embodiment generates a second movement path of a transport vehicle such as a dump truck 200 so that an overlapping state can be maintained when the asphalt finisher 100 travels along the first movement path. This allows the controller 30 to synchronize the steering of the asphalt finisher 100 with the steering of the dump truck 200. The determination unit 35 of the controller 30 according to this embodiment can determine whether the hopper 2 maintains an overlapping state with the loading platform 201 based on the positional relationship between the rear wheels of the dump truck 20 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 (the positional relationship between the parts of each vehicle). However, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to use the rear wheels of the dump truck 20 or the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 to determine whether the overlapping state is maintained. For example, it may be determined whether the hopper 2 maintains an overlapping state with the loading platform 201 based on the positional relationship between the front end of the hopper 2 and the rear end of the loading platform 201. In other words, the controller 30 according to this embodiment may perform control so as to maintain the overlapping state based on the positional relationship between the front end of the hopper 2 and the rear end of the loading platform 201.

[0120] Next, the generation of the control command for the speed in the command generating unit 36 ​​in S311 will be specifically described. In this embodiment, the determining unit 35 specifies the distance between the parts of each vehicle between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 from the image information acquired by the acquiring unit 32. Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​in this embodiment generates a control command for accelerating or decelerating the dump truck 200 so that the distance between the parts of each vehicle falls within a range from distance "0" to a predetermined distance "A". In this way, the speed of the dump truck 200 is controlled so that the distance between the parts constituting the dump truck 200 and the parts constituting the asphalt finisher 100 falls within a predetermined range.

[0121] Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the positional relationship between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the rollers 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5A is a diagram showing a case where the distance between the respective vehicle parts between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the rollers 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 is distance "0".

[0122] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a case where the distance between the parts of the vehicle between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 is a predetermined distance "A". In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the rear end of the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 and the front end of the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 overlap in the vertical direction. In other words, when the distance between the parts of the vehicle between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 exceeds the predetermined distance "A", the hopper 2 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 do not overlap in the vertical direction. In this case, when dumping up is performed, the paving material may not be supplied from the loading platform 201 to the hopper 2 and may fall onto the road surface or the like.

[0123] The command generating unit 36 ​​of the controller 30 in this embodiment generates a control command related to the speed so that the distance between the rear wheels 202 (an example of a part of the dump truck 200) of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b (an example of a part of the asphalt finisher 100) of the asphalt finisher 100 of each vehicle falls within a predetermined range ("0" ≦ the distance between the parts of each vehicle ≦ "A"). In this embodiment, the control is switched depending on whether the distance between the parts of each vehicle is shorter than a reference distance. The reference distance according to this embodiment is defined as a distance "A / 2" that is intermediate between the distance "0" which is the distance between the parts of each vehicle in FIG. 5A and the predetermined distance "A" which is the distance between the parts of each vehicle in FIG. 5B. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the distance between the rear wheels 202, which are parts of the dump truck 200, and the roller 20b, which are parts of the asphalt finisher 100, is used as a judgment criterion. However, in this embodiment, the parts used as the criteria for determining the distance are not limited to the rear wheel 202 and the roller 20b, and may be other parts.

[0124] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a case where the distance between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 of each vehicle is a reference distance "A / 2". Then, the controller 30 switches the control (e.g., acceleration, deceleration, etc.) related to the speed of the dump truck 200 depending on whether the distance between the parts of each vehicle is shorter than the reference distance "A / 2". The acceleration and deceleration for the dump truck 200 are set in advance. Also, the acceleration and deceleration for the dump truck 200 may be changed depending on the distance between the parts of each vehicle. Next, a specific process of S311 in FIG. 3 in the controller 30 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0125] Specifically, in S310, after recognizing the position information of the asphalt finisher 100 and the position information of the dump truck 200, the judgment unit 35 judges whether the distance between each vehicle part between the rear wheel 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 is shorter than the reference distance "A / 2".

[0126] When the determination unit 35 determines that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is shorter than the reference distance "A / 2", the command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command to accelerate the dump truck 200. The acceleration represented by the control command increases, for example, as the distance between the parts of each vehicle becomes shorter than the reference distance "A / 2".

[0127] On the other hand, if the determination unit 35 determines that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is not shorter than the reference distance "A / 2", the command generation unit 36 ​​determines whether the distance between the parts of each vehicle is longer than the reference distance "A / 2". If the determination unit 35 determines that the distance is longer, the command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command to decelerate the dump truck 200. The deceleration represented by the control command increases, for example, as the distance between the parts of each vehicle becomes longer than the reference distance "A / 2".

[0128] On the other hand, when the determination unit 35 determines that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is not longer than the reference distance "A / 2", in other words, that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is equal to the reference distance "A / 2", the command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command to maintain the current speed of the dump truck 200. In this manner, the controller 30 performs control to increase or decrease the speed of the dump truck 200 relative to the asphalt finisher 100.

[0129] The command generating unit 36 ​​of the present embodiment generates the above-mentioned control command for accelerating, decelerating, or maintaining the speed as a control command related to the speed. After the command generating unit 36 ​​generates these control commands, the processing from S312 onward is performed.

[0130] In this way, the controller 30 of this embodiment generates a control command related to the speed of the dump truck 200 in accordance with the positional relationship between the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100. This allows the controller 30 to synchronize the speed of the asphalt finisher 100 and the speed of the dump truck 200.

[0131] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, a method of switching speed-related control depending on the distance between the rear wheels 202 of the dump truck 200 and the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher 100 was adopted as a method of generating a control command related to the speed of the dump truck 200. However, the above-mentioned embodiment is not limited to a method of switching the generation of a control command related to the speed of the dump truck 200 by the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 depending on the distance between the parts of the vehicle. Therefore, hereinafter, a second embodiment in which a control command related to the speed is generated by a method different from that of the first embodiment will be described. Note that the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200 of the second embodiment have the same configuration as those of the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] In S312, the controller 30 of the second embodiment calculates the difference between the speed of the control command transmitted in S309 and the actual speed of the dump truck 200, and controls the speed of the dump truck 200 based on the calculated deviation. When the dump truck 200 travels at the speed represented by the control command transmitted in S309, the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 can be maintained in a state where they overlap in the vertical direction.

[0133] However, in reality, a deviation occurs between the speed of the control command and the actual speed due to air resistance of the dump truck 200, losses due to mechanical control, etc. When such a deviation occurs, it becomes difficult to maintain a state in which the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 and the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlap in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the controller 30 performs feedback control of the speed of the dump truck 200.

[0134] Specifically, the acquisition unit 32 acquires information on the actual speed of the dump truck 200. As an acquisition method, for example, the acquisition unit 32 may acquire the information on the actual speed received from the dump truck 200 via the communication control unit 37. As another example, the acquisition unit 32 may estimate the actual speed of the dump truck 200 based on an image of the dump truck 200 shown in image information captured by the imaging device 62.

[0135] Then, the determination unit 35 calculates the difference between the speed indicated in the control command transmitted to the dump truck 200 in S309 and the actual speed of the dump truck 200.

[0136] Then, the command generating unit 36 ​​generates a control command to perform feedback control for traveling at the speed represented by the speed control command, based on the difference between the speed represented by the control command and the actual speed of the dump truck 200. As a feedback control method, a well-known method such as PID control may be used.

[0137] In the second embodiment, the command generating unit 36 ​​sets the control command based on the feedback control as a control command related to the speed. After the command generating unit 36 ​​generates the control command, the communication control unit 37 transmits the control command to the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 40. In this manner, the controller 30 executes the process from S312 onward in FIG. 3. That is, when the controller 230 of the dump truck 200 receives the control command, the controller 230 performs feedback control to reduce the difference between the speed indicated in the control command transmitted in S309 and the actual speed of the dump truck 200. As a result, the controller 230 can bring the actual speed of the dump truck 200 closer to the speed indicated in the speed control command.

[0138] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​of the second embodiment may generate a control command for accelerating, decelerating, or maintaining the speed of the dump truck 200 based on the distance between the components of each vehicle, as in the first embodiment.

[0139] Furthermore, the command generating unit 36 ​​of the second embodiment may generate a speed control command depending on whether the distance between each vehicle part between the roller 2b of the asphalt finisher and the rear wheel 202 of the dump truck 200 is shorter than the reference distance "A / 2".

[0140] For example, if the determination unit 35 determines that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is shorter than the reference distance "A / 2", the command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command to run at a speed faster than the current speed of the asphalt finisher. As another example, if the determination unit 35 determines that the distance between the parts of each vehicle is longer than the reference distance "A / 2", the command generation unit 36 ​​generates a control command to run at a speed slower than the current speed of the asphalt finisher.

[0141] Furthermore, when there is a disturbance (e.g., a slope of the road surface or an obstacle) ahead of the dump truck 200, the command generating unit 36 ​​may generate a control command to suppress the effect of the disturbance before it affects the asphalt finisher 100 and the dump truck 200.

[0142] For example, the communication control unit 37 of the asphalt finisher 100 may receive image information captured by the first imaging device 261 of the dump truck 200 via the wireless communication device 40, and the command generating unit 36 ​​may correct the control command regarding the speed based on the situation represented by the image information. For example, when the determining unit 35 determines that the traveling direction of the dump truck 200 is uphill based on the image information, the command generating unit 36 ​​performs feedforward control to increase the acceleration rate in advance for the control command to be generated. Note that the command generating unit 36 ​​of the second embodiment may generate a control command based on a control that combines the feedforward control and the above-mentioned feedback control.

[0143] In the second embodiment, the controller 30 performs the above-mentioned control to synchronize the speed of the dump truck 200 and the speed of the asphalt finisher 100. As a result, the controller 30 of the second embodiment maintains a constant distance between the parts of the respective vehicles between the dump truck 200 and the asphalt finisher 100, and maintains a state in which the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 overlaps the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100 in the vertical direction.

[0144] The controller 30 of the second embodiment generates a control command based on feedback control regarding the speed of the dump truck 200 in accordance with the difference between the speed indicated by the control command of the dump truck 200 and the actual speed. This allows the controller 30 to synchronize the speed of the asphalt finisher 100 and the speed of the dump truck 200, similar to the first embodiment.

[0145] The controller 30 of the above-described embodiment uses the above-described control to synchronize the operation of a transport vehicle such as the dump truck 200 with the operation of the asphalt finisher 100. Note that the operations to be synchronized are not limited to steering and speed, and may be turning on / off headlights or blinkers, output of warning information, etc.

[0146] In the above example, the case where the imaging device 62 captures an image of the space in front of the asphalt finisher 100 has been described. Then, when the dump truck 200 is detected in front of the asphalt finisher 100, the controller 30 controls the dump truck 200. However, this embodiment is not limited to the case where the transport vehicle to be controlled is in front of the asphalt finisher 100. The controller 30 may control a transport vehicle present around the asphalt finisher 100. For example, when the asphalt finisher 100 further includes an imaging device capable of capturing images in the left and right directions, the controller 30 may control a dump truck detected by the imaging device. In this case, for example, the controller 30 of the asphalt finisher 100 transmits a control command to the detected dump truck to move forward and then move backward. The subsequent control is similar to the above embodiment. In this way, the detection device such as the imaging device may have a detection range as long as it is around the asphalt finisher 100. The controller 30 may then control the transport vehicle that is detected within the detection range.

[0147] In the above example, the case where the imaging device 62 detects a transport vehicle such as the dump truck 200 has been described. However, in this embodiment, the detection device that detects the transport vehicle is not limited to the imaging device. The detection device may be a sensor or the like that can detect the position of the dump truck 200. For example, the detection device may be a distance sensor such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) or millimeter wave radar.

[0148] The steering information that the asphalt finisher 100 transmits to the dump truck 200 to steer the dump truck 200 is not limited to a steering control command, and may be any information necessary to steer the dump truck 200. For example, if the dump truck 200 is capable of steering according to the second movement route when it receives the second movement route, the asphalt finisher 100 may transmit the second movement route as the steering information.

[0149] In the above-described embodiment, the asphalt finisher 100, with the above-described configuration, can synchronize the operation of the asphalt finisher 100 with the operation of the dump truck 200, thereby reducing the burden on the driver of the dump truck 200 associated with manual steering.

[0150] Furthermore, by synchronizing the steering of the asphalt finisher 100 with the steering of the dump truck 200, the asphalt finisher 100 can suppress deviation in the positional relationship between the loading platform 201 of the dump truck 200 and the hopper 2 of the asphalt finisher 100, thereby stabilizing the supply of paving material from the dump truck 200 to the asphalt finisher 100. As a result, the asphalt finisher 100 can suppress deterioration in the quality of the asphalt pavement surface after construction.

[0151] (Modification) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the asphalt finisher 100 generates a first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and a second movement path for the dump truck 200. However, the above-described embodiment is not limited to the case in which the first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and the second movement path for the dump truck 200 are generated by the asphalt finisher 100. Therefore, in a modified example, the movement path is generated by an external information processing device. That is, in this modified example, in an asphalt finisher construction support system including the asphalt finisher 100, the dump truck 200, and an information processing device, the information processing device generates a first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and a second movement path for the dump truck 200 in order to synchronize the operation of the dump truck 200 and the operation of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0152] The externally provided information processing device inputs and processes the construction plan drawing, and then generates a first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and a second movement path for the dump truck 200.

[0153] Then, the information processing device transmits the first movement path for the asphalt finisher 100 and the second movement path for the dump truck 200 to the wireless communication device 40 of the asphalt finisher 100. The subsequent processing is the same as in the above-described embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. As in this modified example, if the device is included in the construction support system for the asphalt finisher, it may execute control for synchronizing the operation of the dump truck 200 and the operation of the asphalt finisher 100.

[0154] In the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the transport vehicle and asphalt finisher are automatically controlled to follow the area of ​​the work target at the road paving site, improving safety regarding road paving. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the operator of the asphalt finisher can check the surrounding situation based on image information captured in front of the transport vehicle, improving safety of the operator and surrounding workers.

[0155] Although the embodiments and modifications of the asphalt finisher, the dump truck (an example of a transport vehicle), and the construction support system for the asphalt finisher have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. Naturally, these also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0156] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-056023, filed on March 29, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 100... Asphalt finisher 30... Controller 31... Dump truck identification information storage unit 32... Acquisition unit 33... Path generation unit 34... Detection unit 35... Determination unit 36... Command generation unit 37... Communication control unit 62... Imaging device

Claims

1. A tractor, A hopper installed in front of the tractor; a conveyor for conveying the paving material in the hopper to the rear side of the tractor; A screw that spreads the paving material transported by the conveyor and scattered on the road surface in a vehicle width direction; An asphalt finisher comprising a screed device that spreads the paving material spread by the screw on the rear side of the screw, and a communication device, Identifying a distance between a component constituting the transport vehicle and a component constituting the asphalt finisher from image information captured by an imaging device; generating a control command for instructing the transport vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on the identified distance in order to synchronize the operation of the transport vehicle to correspond to the operation of the asphalt finisher, and transmitting the generated control command to the transport vehicle using the communication device; Asphalt finisher.

2. generating control commands for the asphalt finisher to synchronize operation of the haul vehicle and operation of the asphalt finisher; An asphalt finisher as claimed in claim 1.

3. generating the control command based on the specified distance so that the platform of the transport vehicle and the hopper are within a range in which they are kept overlapped in the vertical direction; An asphalt finisher as claimed in claim 1.

4. Generate a speed control command indicating the speed of the transport vehicle based on the speed of the asphalt finisher. An asphalt finisher as claimed in claim 1.

5. After transmitting the speed control command, obtain an actual speed of the transport vehicle; generating a control command for performing a feedback control so that the transport vehicle travels at the speed indicated by the speed control command based on a difference between the actual speed of the transport vehicle and the speed indicated by the speed control command; An asphalt finisher as claimed in claim 4.

6. An asphalt finisher construction support system for use in an asphalt finisher including a tractor, a hopper installed in front of the tractor, a conveyor that transports paving material in the hopper to the rear of the tractor, a screw that spreads the paving material transported by the conveyor and scattered on a road surface in the vehicle width direction, a screed device that spreads the paving material spread by the screw behind the screw, and a communication device, Identifying a distance between a component constituting the transport vehicle and a component constituting the asphalt finisher from image information captured by an imaging device; and a control device configured to generate control commands to accelerate or decelerate the transport vehicle based on the determined distance to synchronize operation of the transport vehicle to correspond to operation of the asphalt finisher; The communication device transmits the generated control command to the transport vehicle. Construction support system for asphalt finishers.

7. The control device is configured to generate control commands for the asphalt finisher to synchronize operation of the transport vehicle and operation of the asphalt finisher. An asphalt finisher construction support system according to claim 6.

8. The control device is configured to generate a speed control command indicating the speed of the transport vehicle based on the speed of the asphalt finisher. An asphalt finisher construction support system according to claim 6.

Images