Excavators, information processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a technique that can more simply suppress a shovel from overturning on a sloping land.SOLUTION: A shovel 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a lower traveling body 1; an upper rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 1; and an attachment AT attached to the upper rotating body 3 and including a boom 4, an arm 5, and a bucket 6, wherein on a sloping land, a safety function is activated to suppress overturning of the shovel 100 in a downward direction when the upper rotating body 3 rotates so that the gravity center of a rotating body rotating integrally with the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the upper rotating body 3 including the attachment AT is moved in a downward direction of a slope on the sloping land.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to excavators and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known a technique for preventing a shovel working on a slope from tipping over (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating the tipping moment of an excavator and determining the possibility of tipping, thereby outputting a warning regarding tipping of the excavator on a slope. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-017451 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the above technology, for example, the load of calculation processing for the overturning moment and the like becomes relatively high, and in some cases, there is a possibility that the control processing related to the actual operation of the shovel may be affected.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can more easily prevent an excavator from tipping over on a slope. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a lower running body; an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body; a working device attached to the upper rotating body and including a boom, an arm, and an end attachment; On a slope, when the upper rotating body rotates, the center of gravity of the rotating part that rotates integrally with the upper rotating body including the upper rotating body and the working device moves in the downward direction of the slope. The rear of the upper rotating body is on a slope Downward direction Excavator tipping over Activate the safety feature that prevents the vehicle from tipping over. Shovels will be provided.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device that communicates with a shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, a working device that includes a boom, an arm, and an end attachment, and an imaging device that images the surrounding area; a display device that displays the state of the shovel's surroundings based on image information based on the output of the imaging device, which is received from the shovel by the communication device; and a control device that controls the operation of the shovel by transmitting a control signal to the shovel through the communication device, The control device, based on information received from the shovel by the communication device, controls the rotation of the upper rotating body so that the center of gravity of a rotating section that rotates integrally with the rotation of the upper rotating body including the upper rotating body and the working device moves in a downward direction of the slope when the upper rotating body rotates, while the shovel is on a slope. The rear of the upper rotating body is on a slope Downward direction The shovel in a state of tipping over Activate the safety feature that prevents the vehicle from tipping over. An information processing device is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to more easily prevent the excavator from tipping over on a slope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an excavator management system. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an excavator management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the excavator management system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the position of the center of gravity of a swivel part of a shovel on a horizontal plane. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the position of the center of gravity of a swivel part of a shovel on an inclined surface. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a change in the position of the center of gravity of a rotating part when the shovel is rotating on an inclined surface. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a change in the position of the center of gravity of the rotating part when the shovel is rotating on an inclined surface. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart schematically showing a first example of fall prevention control. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a second example of fall prevention control. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a third example of fall prevention control. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a third example of fall prevention control. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a fourth example of fall prevention control. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a fifth example of fall prevention control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [Outline of the excavator management system] First, with reference to FIG. 1, an outline of the excavator management system SYS according to this embodiment will be described.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an excavator management system SYS according to this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the shovel management system SYS includes an shovel 100 and a management device 200.

[0015] The excavator management system SYS may include one or more excavators 100. Similarly, the excavator management system SYS may include multiple management devices 200. That is, the multiple management devices 200 may execute processing related to the excavator management system SYS in a distributed manner. For example, each of the multiple management devices 200 may communicate with some of the excavators 100 that it is responsible for out of all the excavators 100 included in the excavator management system SYS, and execute processing targeted at some of the excavators 100.

[0016] The excavator management system SYS, for example, in the management device 200, collects information from the excavator 100 and monitors various states of the excavator 100 (for example, whether or not there is an abnormality in various devices mounted on the excavator 100, etc.).

[0017] Furthermore, the shovel management system SYS may support remote operation of the shovel 100 in the management device 200, for example.

[0018] Furthermore, as will be described later, when the shovel 100 performs work by fully automatic operation, the shovel management system SYS may, for example, in the management device 200, support remote monitoring of the work performed by the shovel 100 by fully automatic operation.

[0019] <Outline of the excavator> As shown in Fig. 1, an excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes a lower traveling body 1, an upper rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 1 via a rotating mechanism 2, an attachment AT for performing various tasks, and a cabin 10. Hereinafter, the front of the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3) corresponds to the direction in which the attachment AT extends relative to the upper rotating body 3 when the excavator 100 is viewed in a plan view (top view) from directly above along the rotation axis of the upper rotating body 3. Furthermore, the left and right sides of the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3) correspond to the left and right sides, respectively, as viewed from an operator seated in a driver's seat in the cabin 10.

[0020] It should be noted that if the excavator 100 is remotely controlled or operates in a fully automatic manner, the cabin 10 may be omitted.

[0021] The lower traveling body 1 includes, for example, a pair of left and right crawlers 1C. The lower traveling body 1 allows the excavator 100 to travel by hydraulically driving each of the crawlers 1C by a left traveling hydraulic motor 1ML and a right traveling hydraulic motor 1MR (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0022] The upper rotating body 3 rotates relative to the lower traveling body 1 as a result of the rotating mechanism 2 being hydraulically driven by the rotating hydraulic motor 2A.

[0023] The attachment AT (an example of a working device) includes a boom 4 , an arm 5 , and a bucket 6 .

[0024] The boom 4 is attached to the front center of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be able to tilt up and down, and an arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4 so as to be able to rotate up and down, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 so as to be able to rotate up and down.

[0025] The bucket 6 is an example of an end attachment. The bucket 6 is used, for example, for excavation work. Alternatively, another end attachment may be attached to the tip of the arm 5 instead of the bucket 6, depending on the type of work. The other end attachment may be, for example, another type of bucket, such as a large bucket, a slope bucket, or a dredging bucket. The other end attachment may also be a type of end attachment other than a bucket, such as an agitator, a breaker, or a grapple.

[0026] 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, which serve as hydraulic actuators, respectively.

[0027] The cabin 10 is a control room where an operator sits, and is mounted on the front left side of the upper rotating body 3.

[0028] The shovel 100 is equipped with a communication device 60 and can communicate with the management device 200 via a predetermined communication line NW. This allows the shovel 100 to transmit (upload) various types of information to the management device 200 and receive various types of signals (for example, information signals and control signals) from the management device 200.

[0029] The communication line NW includes, for example, a wide area network (WAN). The wide area network may include, for example, a mobile communication network terminated at a base station. The wide area network may also include, for example, a satellite communication network that uses a communication satellite above the shovel 100. The wide area network may also include, for example, the Internet network. The communication line NW may also include, for example, a local area network (LAN) of a facility or the like in which the management device 200 is installed. The local network may be a wireless line, a wired line, or a line that includes both. The communication line NW may also include, for example, a short-range communication line based on a predetermined wireless communication method such as WiFi or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0030] The excavator 100 operates actuators (e.g., hydraulic actuators) in response to operations by an operator in the cabin 10, and drives operating elements (hereinafter referred to as "driven elements") such as the lower running body 1, upper rotating body 3, boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6.

[0031] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to being configured to be operable by an operator in the cabin 10, the shovel 100 may be configured to be remotely operable from outside the shovel 100. When the shovel 100 is remotely operated, the inside of the cabin 10 may be unmanned. The following description will be given on the assumption that the operation by the operator includes at least one of operation of the operating device 26 by the operator in the cabin 10 and remote operation by an external operator.

[0032] Remote control includes, for example, a mode in which the shovel 100 is operated by input from a user (operator) related to the actuator of the shovel 100, which is performed in a predetermined external device (for example, the management device 200). In this case, the shovel 100 transmits image information of the surroundings of the shovel 100 (hereinafter, "surrounding image") based on the output of an imaging device S6 described below to the external device, and the image information may be displayed on a display device (hereinafter, "display device for remote control") provided in the external device. Furthermore, various information images (information screens) displayed on the output device 50 in the cabin 10 of the shovel 100 may also be displayed on the remote control display device of the external device. This allows the operator of the external device to remotely control the shovel 100 while checking the display contents, such as a surrounding image showing the state of the surroundings of the shovel 100 and various information images, displayed on the display device for remote control. The excavator 100 may then operate the actuators in response to a remote control signal received from an external device, which indicates the content of the remote control, and drive driven elements such as the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6.

[0033] Furthermore, remote control may include, for example, a mode in which the shovel 100 is operated by an external voice input or gesture input to the shovel 100 by a person (e.g., a worker) around the shovel 100. Specifically, the shovel 100 recognizes voices uttered by surrounding workers and gestures made by the workers through a voice input device (e.g., a microphone) or an imaging device mounted on the shovel 100 (its own machine). Then, the shovel 100 may operate actuators in accordance with the content of the recognized voices, gestures, etc., to drive driven elements such as the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6.

[0034] The excavator 100 may also automatically operate the actuators regardless of the operation by the operator. This allows the excavator 100 to realize a function of automatically operating at least some of the driven elements such as the lower traveling structure 1, the upper rotating structure 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6, i.e., a so-called "automatic driving function" or "machine control (MC) function."

[0035] The automatic driving function may include a function that automatically operates driven elements (actuators) other than the driven element (actuator) to be operated in response to an operator's operation of the control device 26 or remote operation, i.e., a so-called "semi-automatic driving function" or "operation-assisted MC function." The automatic driving function may also include a function that automatically operates at least some of the multiple driven elements (hydraulic actuators) without the operator's operation of the control device 26 or remote operation, i.e., a so-called "fully automatic driving function" or "fully automatic MC function." In the excavator 100, when the fully automatic driving function is enabled, the inside of the cabin 10 may be unmanned. The semi-automatic driving function, fully automatic driving function, etc. may also include a mode in which the operation content of the driven element (actuator) to be operated automatically is determined according to predetermined rules. In addition, the semi-automatic driving function and the fully automatic driving function may include a mode in which the excavator 100 autonomously makes various decisions and, based on the results of those decisions, autonomously determines the operation content of the driven element (hydraulic actuator) that is the subject of automatic driving (so-called "autonomous driving function").

[0036] <Overview of the management device> The management device 200 performs management related to the shovel 100, such as management (monitoring) of the state of the shovel 100 and management (monitoring) of the work of the shovel 100, for example.

[0037] The management device 200 may be, for example, an on-premise server or a cloud server installed in a management center or the like outside the work site where the shovel 100 performs work. The management device 200 may also be, for example, an edge server installed within the work site where the shovel 100 performs work, or in a location relatively close to the work site (for example, a telecommunications carrier's central office or base station). The management device 200 may also be a stationary terminal device or a portable terminal device (mobile terminal) installed in a management office or the like within the work site of the shovel 100. The stationary terminal device may include, for example, a desktop computer terminal. The portable terminal device may include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer terminal, etc.

[0038] The management device 200 has, for example, a communication device 220 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and as described above, communicates with the shovel 100 via the communication line NW. This allows the management device 200 to receive various types of information uploaded from the shovel 100 and transmit various signals to the shovel 100. Therefore, a user of the management device 200 can check various types of information related to the shovel 100 via the output device 240 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Furthermore, the management device 200 can, for example, transmit information signals to the shovel 100 to provide information necessary for work, or transmit control signals to control the shovel 100. Users of the management device 200 may include, for example, the owner of the shovel 100, a manager of the shovel 100, an engineer from the manufacturer of the shovel 100, an operator of the shovel 100, a manager, supervisor, worker, etc. of the work site of the shovel 100.

[0039] Furthermore, the management device 200 may be configured to be able to assist in remote operation of the shovel 100. For example, the management device 200 may have an input device (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as a "remote operation device") for an operator to perform remote operation, and a remote operation display device that displays image information (surrounding images) and the like around the shovel 100. A signal input from the remote operation device is transmitted to the shovel 100 as a remote operation signal. This allows the user (operator) of the management device 200 to remotely operate the shovel 100 using the remote operation device while checking the state of the surroundings of the shovel 100 on the remote operation display device.

[0040] The management device 200 may also be configured to support remote monitoring of the shovel 100 performing work in a fully automated manner. For example, the management device 200 may have a display device (hereinafter referred to as a "monitoring display device") that displays image information (surrounding images) and the like around the shovel 100. This allows a user (monitoring person) of the management device 200 to monitor the state of work by the shovel 100 on the monitoring display device. Furthermore, for example, the management device 200 may have an input device (hereinafter referred to as an "intervention operation device" for convenience) for performing an intervention operation on the operation performed by the automatic operation function of the shovel 100. The intervention operation device may include, for example, an input device for performing an emergency stop of the shovel 100. The intervention operation device may also include the above-mentioned remote operation device. This allows a user (monitoring person) of the management device 200 to perform an emergency stop of the shovel 100 or to perform remote operation to cause the shovel 100 to perform an appropriate operation when an abnormality occurs in the shovel 100 or when the operation of the shovel 100 is inappropriate.

[0041] 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing an example and another example of the configuration of the excavator management system SYS according to this embodiment. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, paths through which mechanical power is transmitted are indicated by double lines, paths through which high-pressure hydraulic oil that drives hydraulic actuators flows are indicated by solid lines, paths through which pilot pressure is transmitted are indicated by dashed lines, and paths through which electrical signals are transmitted are indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 differ from each other only in the configuration of the excavator 100 out of the excavator 100 and the management device 200.

[0042] <Excavator configuration> The shovel 100 includes various components, such as a hydraulic drive system for hydraulically driving the driven elements, an operation system for operating the driven elements, a user interface system for exchanging information with the user, a communication system for communicating with the outside world, and a control system for various controls.

[0043] <<Hydraulic drive system>> 2 and 3 , the hydraulic drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes hydraulic actuators that hydraulically drive each of the driven elements, such as the lower traveling body 1 (left and right crawlers 1C), upper rotating body 3, boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6, as described above. The hydraulic actuators include traveling hydraulic motors 1ML, 1MR, swing hydraulic motor 2A, boom cylinder 7, arm cylinder 8, and bucket cylinder 9. The hydraulic drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment also includes an engine 11, a regulator 13, a main pump 14, and a control valve 17.

[0044] The engine 11 is a prime mover and the main power source in the hydraulic drive system. The engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine that uses light oil as fuel. The engine 11 is mounted, for example, on the rear of the upper rotating body 3. The engine 11 rotates at a constant speed at a preset target speed under direct or indirect control by a controller 30 (described later), and drives the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15.

[0045] The regulator 13 controls (adjusts) the discharge amount of the main pump 14 under the control of the controller 30. For example, the regulator 13 adjusts the angle of the swash plate of the main pump 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "tilting angle") in response to a control command from the controller 30.

[0046] The main pump 14 supplies hydraulic oil to the control valve 17 through a high-pressure hydraulic line. The main pump 14 is mounted, for example, on the rear of the upper rotating body 3, similar to the engine 11. As described above, the main pump 14 is driven by the engine 11. The main pump 14 is, for example, a variable displacement hydraulic pump, and as described above, under the control of the controller 30, the tilt angle of the swash plate is adjusted by the regulator 13, thereby adjusting the stroke length of the piston and controlling the discharge flow rate (discharge pressure).

[0047] The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic actuators in response to an operator's operation of the operating device 26, the details of remote operation, or operation commands related to the automatic operation function output from the controller 30. The control valve 17 is mounted, for example, in the center of the upper rotating body 3. As described above, the control valve 17 is connected to the main pump 14 via a high-pressure hydraulic line, and selectively supplies hydraulic oil supplied from the main pump 14 to each hydraulic actuator in response to an operator's operation or an operation command output from the controller 30. Specifically, the control valve 17 includes multiple control valves (also referred to as "directional control valves") 17A to 17F that control the flow rate and flow direction of hydraulic oil supplied from the main pump 14 to each hydraulic actuator. Hereinafter, the control valves 17A to 17F may be collectively referred to as "control valve 17X," or any one of the control valves 17A to 17F may be individually referred to as "control valve 17X."

[0048] The control valve 17A is configured to supply hydraulic oil to the traveling hydraulic motor 1ML and to discharge the hydraulic oil from the traveling hydraulic motor 1ML and return it to the tank. As a result, the control valve 17B can drive the traveling hydraulic motor 1ML using pilot pressure supplied from the operating device 26 or the hydraulic control valve 31.

[0049] The control valve 17B is configured to supply hydraulic oil to the traveling hydraulic motor 1MR and to discharge the hydraulic oil from the traveling hydraulic motor 1MR and return it to the tank. This allows the control valve 17B to drive the traveling hydraulic motor 1MR using pilot pressure supplied from the operating device 26 or the hydraulic control valve 31.

[0050] The control valve 17C is configured to supply hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 2A and to discharge the hydraulic oil from the swing hydraulic motor 2A and return it to the tank. This allows the control valve 17C to drive the swing hydraulic motor 2A using pilot pressure supplied from the operating device 26 or the hydraulic control valve 31.

[0051] Control valve 17D is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to boom cylinder 7 and to discharge hydraulic oil from boom cylinder 7 and return it to the tank. This allows control valve 17D to drive boom cylinder 7 in accordance with pilot pressure supplied from operating device 26 or hydraulic control valve 31.

[0052] The control valve 17E is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to the arm cylinder 8 and to discharge the hydraulic oil from the arm cylinder 8 and return it to the tank. This allows the control valve 17E to drive the arm cylinder 8 by pilot pressure supplied from the operating device 26 or the hydraulic control valve 31.

[0053] The control valve 17F is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to the bucket cylinder 9 and to discharge the hydraulic oil from the bucket cylinder 9 and return it to the tank. This allows the control valve 17F to drive the bucket cylinder 9 in accordance with the pilot pressure supplied from the operating device 26 or the hydraulic control valve 31.

[0054] The control valve 17X is, for example, a spool valve having two ports to which pilot pressure is supplied. The control valve 17X has a built-in spool that is movable in the axial direction, and the spool is biased toward the opposite end by spring members provided at both ends of the spool so as to balance at a predetermined neutral position.

[0055] When hydraulic oil is supplied to one port of the control valve 17X, the pressure (pilot pressure) acts on one axial end of the spool, causing the spool to move axially toward the other end from the neutral position. As a result, as the spool moves, the control valve 17X opens a path that supplies hydraulic oil to one of the two hydraulic oil supply and discharge ports of the hydraulic actuator and discharges hydraulic oil from the other, thereby driving the hydraulic actuator in one direction.

[0056] On the other hand, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the other port of control valve 17X, the pressure (pilot pressure) acts on the other axial end of the spool, causing the spool to move axially toward one end from the neutral position. As a result, as the spool moves, control valve 17X opens a path that supplies hydraulic oil to the other of the two hydraulic oil supply and discharge ports of the hydraulic actuator and discharges hydraulic oil from one of the ports, thereby driving the hydraulic actuator in the other direction.

[0057] <<Operation system>> 2 and 3, the operating system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment includes a pilot pump 15, an operating device 26, and a hydraulic control valve 31. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the operating system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment includes a shuttle valve 32 and a hydraulic control valve 33 when the operating device 26 is of a hydraulic pilot type.

[0058] The pilot pump 15 supplies pilot pressure to various hydraulic devices via a pilot line 25. The pilot pump 15 is mounted, for example, on the rear of the upper rotating body 3, similar to the engine 11. The pilot pump 15 is, for example, a fixed displacement hydraulic pump, and is driven by the engine 11 as described above.

[0059] The operation device 26 is provided near the operator's seat in the cabin 10 and is used by the operator to operate the various driven elements (undercarriage 1, upper revolving body 3, boom 4, arm 5, bucket 6, etc.). In other words, the operation device 26 is used by the operator to operate the hydraulic actuators that drive the respective driven elements (i.e., travel hydraulic motors 1ML, 1MR, swing hydraulic motor 2A, boom cylinder 7, arm cylinder 8, bucket cylinder 9, etc.). The operation device 26 includes, for example, lever devices that operate each of the boom 4 (boom cylinder 7), arm 5 (arm cylinder 8), bucket 6 (bucket cylinder 9), and upper revolving body 3 (swing hydraulic motor 2A). The operation device 26 also includes, for example, pedal devices or lever devices that operate each of the left and right crawlers (travel hydraulic motors 1ML, 1MR) of the undercarriage 1.

[0060] For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the operating device 26 is of a hydraulic pilot type. Specifically, the operating device 26 uses hydraulic oil supplied from the pilot pump 15 through a pilot line 25 and a pilot line 25A branching from the pilot line 25, and outputs a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation to a secondary pilot line 27A. The pilot line 27A is connected to one inlet port of a shuttle valve 32, and is connected to the control valve 17 via a pilot line 27 connected to an outlet port of the shuttle valve 32. This allows pilot pressure corresponding to the operation of various driven elements (hydraulic actuators) in the operating device 26 to be input to the control valve 17 via the shuttle valve 32. Therefore, the control valve 17 can drive each hydraulic actuator according to the operation of the operating device 26 by an operator or the like.

[0061] 3, the operating device 26 is electrically operated. Specifically, the operating device 26 outputs an electric signal (hereinafter referred to as an "operation signal") corresponding to the operation content, and the operation signal is input to the controller 30. The controller 30 then outputs a control command corresponding to the operation signal, that is, a control signal corresponding to the operation content of the operating device 26, to the hydraulic control valve 31. As a result, a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content of the operating device 26 is input from the hydraulic control valve 31 to the control valve 17, and the control valve 17 can drive each hydraulic actuator according to the operation content of the operating device 26.

[0062] Furthermore, the control valves 17X (directional control valves) that are built into the control valve 17 and drive the hydraulic actuators may be of an electromagnetic solenoid type. In this case, an operation signal output from the operating device 26 may be input directly to the control valve 17, i.e., the electromagnetic solenoid type control valve 17X.

[0063] A hydraulic control valve 31 is provided for each driven element (hydraulic actuator) to be operated by the operating device 26. That is, a hydraulic control valve 31 is provided for each of, for example, the left crawler (travel hydraulic motor 1ML), the right crawler (travel hydraulic motor 1MR), the upper swing body 3 (swing hydraulic motor 2A), the boom 4 (boom cylinder 7), the arm 5 (arm cylinder 8), and the bucket 6 (bucket cylinder 9). The hydraulic control valve 31 may be provided, for example, in the pilot line 25B between the pilot pump 15 and the control valve 17, and may be configured to change its flow path area (i.e., the cross-sectional area through which hydraulic oil can flow). This allows the hydraulic control valve 31 to output a predetermined pilot pressure to the secondary pilot line 27B using the hydraulic oil from the pilot pump 15 supplied through the pilot line 25B. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the hydraulic control valve 31 can indirectly apply a predetermined pilot pressure to the control valve 17 in response to a control signal from the controller 30 via a shuttle valve 32 between the pilot line 27B and the pilot line 27B. 3, the hydraulic control valve 31 can apply a predetermined pilot pressure corresponding to a control signal from the controller 30 directly to the control valve 17 through the pilot line 27B and the pilot line 27. Therefore, the controller 30 can supply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation of the electric operating device 26 from the hydraulic control valve 31 to the control valve 17, thereby realizing the operation of the excavator 100 based on the operation of the operator.

[0064] Furthermore, the controller 30 may, for example, control the hydraulic control valve 31 to realize an automatic driving function. Specifically, the controller 30 outputs a control signal corresponding to an operation command related to the automatic driving function to the hydraulic control valve 31, regardless of whether the operating device 26 is operated or not. As a result, the controller 30 causes the hydraulic control valve 31 to supply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation command related to the automatic driving function to the control valve 17, thereby realizing the operation of the excavator 100 based on the automatic driving function.

[0065] Furthermore, the controller 30 may, for example, control the hydraulic control valve 31 to realize remote operation of the shovel 100. Specifically, the controller 30 outputs a control signal corresponding to the content of the remote operation specified in the remote operation signal received from the management device 200 to the hydraulic control valve 31 via the communication device 60. As a result, the controller 30 causes the hydraulic control valve 31 to supply a pilot pressure corresponding to the content of the remote operation to the control valve 17, thereby realizing the operation of the shovel 100 based on the remote operation by the operator.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 2 , the shuttle valve 32 has two inlet ports and one outlet port, and outputs hydraulic oil having a higher pilot pressure of the two pilot pressures input to the two inlet ports to the outlet port. A shuttle valve 32 is provided for each driven element (hydraulic actuator) to be operated by the operating device 26. That is, a shuttle valve 32 is provided for each of the left crawler (travel hydraulic motor 1ML), the right crawler (travel hydraulic motor 1MR), the upper rotating body 3 (swing hydraulic motor 2A), the boom 4 (boom cylinder 7), the arm 5 (arm cylinder 8), and the bucket 6 (bucket cylinder 9). One of the two inlet ports of the shuttle valve 32 is connected to a secondary pilot line 27A of the operating device 26 (specifically, the lever device or pedal device included in the operating device 26), and the other is connected to a secondary pilot line 27B of the hydraulic control valve 31. The outlet port of the shuttle valve 32 is connected to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve of the control valve 17 via the pilot line 27. The corresponding control valves are control valves that drive hydraulic actuators that are operated by the lever devices or pedal devices connected to one inlet port of the shuttle valves 32. Therefore, each of these shuttle valves 32 can apply the higher of the pilot pressure in the pilot line 27A on the secondary side of the operating device 26 and the pilot pressure in the pilot line 27B on the secondary side of the hydraulic control valve 31 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve. In other words, the controller 30 can control the corresponding control valve regardless of the operator's operation of the operating device 26 by causing the hydraulic control valve 31 to output a pilot pressure that is higher than the pilot pressure on the secondary side of the operating device 26. Therefore, the controller 30 can control the operation of the driven elements (undercarriage 1, upper revolving body 3, and attachment AT) regardless of the operating state of the operating device 26 by the operator, thereby achieving an automatic driving function.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 2 , the hydraulic control valve 33 is provided in a pilot line 27A connecting the operating device 26 and the shuttle valve 32. The hydraulic control valve 33 is configured to be able to change its flow path area, for example. The hydraulic control valve 33 operates in response to a control signal input from the controller 30. As a result, the controller 30 can forcibly reduce the pilot pressure output from the operating device 26 when the operating device 26 is operated by an operator. Therefore, even when the operating device 26 is being operated, the controller 30 can forcibly suppress or stop the operation of the hydraulic actuator corresponding to the operation of the operating device 26. Furthermore, for example, even when the operating device 26 is being operated, the controller 30 can reduce the pilot pressure output from the operating device 26 to make it lower than the pilot pressure output from the hydraulic control valve 31. Therefore, by controlling the hydraulic control valves 31 and 33, the controller 30 can reliably apply a desired pilot pressure to the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve 17, for example, regardless of the operation of the operating device 26. Therefore, the controller 30 can more appropriately realize the automatic operation function and remote control function of the excavator 100 by controlling the hydraulic control valve 33 in addition to the hydraulic control valve 31, for example.

[0068] <<User Interface>> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the user interface system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment includes an operation device 26, an output device 50, and an input device 52.

[0069] The output device 50 outputs various types of information to a user (operator) of the excavator 100 inside the cabin 10.

[0070] For example, the output device 50 is provided in a location that is easily visible to an operator seated in the cabin 10, and includes indoor lighting equipment, display devices, etc. that output various information visually. The lighting equipment is, for example, a warning light, etc. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display.

[0071] Furthermore, the output device 50 may include, for example, a sound output device that outputs various types of information auditorily, such as a buzzer or a speaker.

[0072] Furthermore, for example, the output device 50 includes a device that outputs various information by a tactile method such as vibration of the cockpit.

[0073] The input device 52 is provided in the cabin 10 within a range close to the seated operator, and receives various inputs from the operator. Signals corresponding to the received inputs are taken into the controller 30.

[0074] For example, the input device 52 is an operation input device that accepts operation inputs. The operation input device may include a touch panel mounted on the display device, a touch pad installed around the display device, a button switch, a lever, a toggle, a knob switch provided on the operation device 26 (lever device), and the like.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, the input device 52 may be a voice input device that accepts voice input from an operator. The voice input device includes, for example, a microphone.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, the input device 52 may be a gesture input device that accepts gesture input from an operator. The gesture input device includes, for example, an imaging device (indoor camera) installed in the cabin 10.

[0077] <<Communications>> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication device 60.

[0078] The communication device 60 is connected to a communication line NW and communicates with a device (for example, the management device 200) provided separately from the shovel 100. The device provided separately from the shovel 100 may include a device external to the shovel 100 as well as a portable terminal device brought into the cabin 10 by the user of the shovel 100. The communication device 60 may be, for example, a 4G (4 th Generation) and 5G (5 th The communication device 60 may include a mobile communication module that complies with standards such as the IEEE 802.11 Generation. The communication device 60 may also include, for example, a satellite communication module. The communication device 60 may also include, for example, a Wi-Fi communication module or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication module.

[0079] <<Control System>> 2 and 3, the control system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment includes a controller 30. The control system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment also includes a boom angle sensor S1, an arm angle sensor S2, a bucket angle sensor S3, a machine body inclination sensor S4, a turning state sensor S5, and an imaging device S6. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the control system of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment also includes an operating pressure sensor 29 when the operating device 26 is of a hydraulic pilot type.

[0080] The controller 30 performs various controls related to the shovel 100. The functions of the controller 30 may be realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. For example, the controller 30 is configured mainly with a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory device such as RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and various interface devices for input and output. The controller 30 realizes various functions by, for example, loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing the program on the CPU.

[0081] The controller 30 controls the operation of a hydraulic actuator (driven element) of the excavator 100, for example, with the hydraulic control valve 31 as the control target.

[0082] Specifically, the controller 30 may control the operation of the hydraulic actuator (driven element) of the excavator 100 based on the operation of the operating device 26, with the hydraulic control valve 31 as the control target.

[0083] Furthermore, the controller 30 may perform control related to remote operation of the hydraulic actuator (driven element) of the shovel 100, with the hydraulic control valve 31 as the control target. That is, the operation of the hydraulic actuator (driven element) of the shovel 100 may include remote operation of the hydraulic actuator from outside the shovel 100.

[0084] Furthermore, the controller 30 may control the automatic operation function of the shovel 100 by controlling the hydraulic control valve 31. That is, the operation of the hydraulic actuator of the shovel 100 may include an operation command for the hydraulic actuator of the shovel 100 that is output based on the automatic operation function.

[0085] Furthermore, the controller 30 performs control to ensure the safety of the shovel 100 on slopes, for example. The controller 30 includes, as functional units related to control to ensure the safety of the shovel 100 on slopes, an incline determination unit 301, a traveling body orientation determination unit 302, a rotating body orientation determination unit 303, a rotation operation determination unit 304, and a safety control unit 306.

[0086] Note that some of the functions of the controller 30 may be realized by another controller (control device). That is, the functions of the controller 30 may be realized in a distributed manner by a plurality of controllers.

[0087] 2, the operating pressure sensor 29 detects the pilot pressure on the secondary side (pilot line 27A) of the hydraulic pilot type operating device 26, that is, the pilot pressure corresponding to the operating state of each driven element (hydraulic actuator) in the operating device 26. A detection signal of the pilot pressure by the operating pressure sensor 29 corresponding to the operating state of the undercarriage 1, upper rotating body 3, boom 4, arm 5, bucket 6, etc. in the operating device 26 is input to the controller 30.

[0088] The boom angle sensor S1 acquires detection information related to the attitude angle of the boom 4 (hereinafter referred to as "boom angle") relative to a predetermined reference (for example, a horizontal plane or a state at either end of the movable angle range of the boom 4). The boom angle sensor S1 may include, for example, a rotary encoder, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a six-axis sensor, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), etc. The boom angle sensor S1 may also include a cylinder sensor capable of detecting the extension / retraction position of the boom cylinder 7.

[0089] The arm angle sensor S2 acquires detection information relating to the attitude angle of the arm 5 (hereinafter referred to as "arm angle") relative to a predetermined reference (for example, a straight line connecting the connection points at both ends of the boom 4 or a state at either end of the movable angle range of the arm 5). The arm angle sensor S2 may include, for example, a rotary encoder, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a six-axis sensor, an IMU, etc. The arm angle sensor S2 may also include a cylinder sensor capable of detecting the extension / retraction position of the arm cylinder 8.

[0090] The bucket angle sensor S3 acquires detection information related to the attitude angle of the bucket 6 (hereinafter referred to as "bucket angle") relative to a predetermined reference (for example, a straight line connecting the connection points at both ends of the arm 5 or a state at either end of the movable angle range of the bucket 6). The bucket angle sensor S3 may include, for example, a rotary encoder, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a six-axis sensor, an IMU, etc. The bucket angle sensor S3 may also include a cylinder sensor capable of detecting the extension / retraction position of the bucket cylinder 9.

[0091] The vehicle tilt sensor S4 acquires detection information relating to the tilt state of the vehicle, including the undercarriage 1 and the upper rotating body 3. The vehicle tilt sensor S4 is mounted, for example, on the upper rotating body 3, and acquires detection information relating to the tilt angles in the fore-aft and lateral directions (hereinafter referred to as "fore-aft tilt angle" and "lateral tilt angle") of the upper rotating body 3. The vehicle tilt sensor S4 may include, for example, an acceleration sensor (tilt sensor), an angular velocity sensor, a six-axis sensor, an IMU, etc.

[0092] The turning state sensor S5 acquires detection information relating to the turning state of the upper turning body 3. The turning state sensor S5 acquires detection information relating to the turning angle of the upper turning body 3 with respect to a predetermined reference (for example, a state in which the forward direction of the lower traveling body 1 and the front of the upper turning body 3 are aligned). The turning state sensor S5 includes, for example, a potentiometer, a rotary encoder, a resolver, etc.

[0093] Furthermore, if the components of the aircraft tilt sensor S4 (e.g., a six-axis sensor, an IMU, etc.) can acquire detection information regarding the attitude state of the upper rotating body 3, including not only the tilt angle of the upper rotating body 3 but also the rotation angle, the rotation state sensor S5 may be omitted.

[0094] Furthermore, for example, the shovel 100 may further be equipped with a positioning device capable of measuring the absolute position of the shovel itself. The positioning device is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor. This can improve the accuracy of estimating the attitude state of the shovel 100.

[0095] Also, sensors S1 to S5 may be omitted. For example, information about the surroundings of the shovel 100 acquired by the imaging device S6 or a distance sensor described below may include information about the position and shape of surrounding objects and the attachment AT as seen from the machine body (upper rotating body 3). In this case, for example, the controller 30 may be able to estimate the posture state of the shovel 100 from that information depending on the required accuracy.

[0096] The imaging device S6 (an example of an acquisition device) captures and outputs the captured image of the periphery of the shovel 100. The captured image output from the imaging device S6 is taken into the controller 30.

[0097] The imaging device S6 includes, for example, a monocular camera, a stereo camera, a depth camera, etc. Furthermore, the imaging device S6 may acquire three-dimensional data (for example, point cloud data or surface data) representing the positions and shapes of objects around the shovel 100 within a predetermined imaging range (angle of view) based on the captured image.

[0098] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the imaging device S6, a distance sensor (an example of an acquisition device) such as a LIDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging), a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or a distance image sensor may be mounted on the shovel 100. The distance sensor may acquire three-dimensional data (for example, point cloud data) that represents the positions and shapes of objects around the shovel 100 within a predetermined detection range.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging device S6 is attached, for example, to the front end of the top surface of the cabin 10, and acquires captured images of the area in front of the upper rotating structure 3, including the working range of the end attachment (bucket 6). This allows the controller 30 to recognize the situation in front of the shovel 100 based on the output of the imaging device S6. The controller 30 can also recognize the position of the shovel 100 and the rotation state of the upper rotating structure 3, based on changes in the positions and appearances of objects around the shovel 100 recognized from the output (captured images) of the imaging device S6. The imaging range of the imaging device S6 includes the boom 4, the arm 5, and the end attachment (bucket 6), i.e., the attachment AT. This allows the controller 30 to recognize the attitude state of the attachment AT (for example, the attitude angle of at least one of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6) based on the output of the imaging device S6. Therefore, when the shovel 100 is remotely operated, the controller 30 transmits information relating to the surrounding image and the recognition result based on the imaging device S6 to the management device 200, etc., and can provide an external operator with information relating to the shovel 100 (own machine) and its surrounding conditions. Furthermore, when the shovel 100 operates with the fully automatic operation function, a control device (for example, the controller 30) relating to the fully automatic operation function can output operation commands relating to the hydraulic actuator while grasping the surrounding conditions of the shovel 100 and the attitude state of the shovel 100, etc. Furthermore, when the shovel 100 operates with the fully automatic operation function, the controller 30 transmits information relating to the surrounding image and the recognition result based on the imaging device S6 to the management device 200, etc., and can provide a user (monitor) who monitors the work from outside with information relating to the shovel 100 (own machine) and its surrounding conditions.

[0100] Furthermore, the imaging device S6 may be further configured to be able to acquire captured images of at least one of the left, right, and rear of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the imaging device S6 may include at least one of a camera capable of capturing images to the left of the upper rotating body 3, a camera capable of capturing images to the right, and a camera capable of capturing images to the rear, in addition to a camera capable of capturing images in front of the upper rotating body 3. This allows the controller 30 to recognize the situation not only in front of the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3), but also to the left, right, and rear of the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3).

[0101] The inclination determination unit 301 determines whether or not the shovel 100 is located on a slope based on the output of the machine body inclination sensor S4. For example, the inclination determination unit 301 determines that the shovel 100 is located on a slope when the inclination of the machine body of the shovel 100, which is recognized (detected) based on the output of the machine body inclination sensor S4, exceeds a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is set to a value smaller than the upper limit of the angle range of slopes on which work by the shovel 100 is permitted.

[0102] When the excavator 100 is on a slope, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302 determines the orientation of the undercarriage 1 relative to the direction of the slope of the slope based on the output of the machine body inclination sensor S4, the output of the turning state sensor S5, etc. For example, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302 determines whether the amount of deviation of the longitudinal axis of the undercarriage 1 relative to the direction of the slope of the slope is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The longitudinal axis of the undercarriage 1 refers to the longitudinal axis along which the undercarriage 1 can travel. The predetermined threshold is set, for example, to a value less than 90 degrees and greater than 45 degrees.

[0103] The rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 with respect to the inclination direction of the slope when the excavator 100 is on a slope, based on the output of the machine body inclination sensor S4, the output of the rotation state sensor S5, etc. The inclination direction of the slope means the direction in which the inclination angle is greatest on the slope when it is assumed that the slope on which the excavator 100 is located is flat, and includes an upslope direction in which the upward inclination angle is greatest and a downslope direction in which the downward inclination angle is greatest. The orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 means the forward direction as seen from the upper rotating structure 3, i.e., the direction in which the attachment AT extends from the upper rotating structure 3 when viewed from above the excavator 100. For example, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines whether the deviation (difference) between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0104] The swing operation determination unit 304 makes a determination regarding the swing operation of the upper rotating body 3. As described above, the swing operation may include a swing operation using the operation device 26, a swing operation by remote control, and an operation command regarding the upper rotating body 3 (swing hydraulic motor 2A) corresponding to an automatic driving function. For example, the swing operation determination unit 304 determines whether or not a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 in a predetermined direction has been performed. Furthermore, for example, the swing operation determination unit 304 may determine whether or not there is a sign that the upper rotating body 3 will be rotated. Specifically, the swing operation determination unit 304 may determine whether or not there is a sign of a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 based on image information from an imaging device (indoor camera) that can capture images of the inside of the cabin 10. Furthermore, the swing operation determination unit 304 may determine whether or not there is a sign of a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 based on the most recent movement pattern (operation pattern) of the excavator 100, etc.

[0105] The object detection unit 305 detects an object to be monitored (hereinafter simply referred to as a "monitored object") within a monitoring area close to the shovel 100, based on the output of the imaging device S6 and the distance sensor. The monitored object includes, for example, people such as workers working around the shovel 100 and work site supervisors. The monitored object may also include any obstacle other than a person, 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.

[0106] The object detection unit 305 detects a monitoring target in a monitoring area around the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3) based on, for example, the output of the imaging device S6, that is, the captured image captured by the imaging device S6.

[0107] The object detection unit 305 may detect a monitoring target in a monitoring area extending in the horizontal direction as seen from the shovel 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "horizontal direction"), that is, in a direction along the plane (hereinafter referred to as the "work plane") on which the shovel 100 is working (the lower traveling structure 1 is on the ground). Specifically, the object detection unit 305 may detect a monitoring target in a monitoring area where the horizontal distance D from the shovel 100 (upper rotating structure 3) is within a predetermined distance Dth (for example, 5 meters).

[0108] For example, the object detection unit 305 recognizes the monitoring target in the captured image by arbitrarily applying various known image processing methods or a machine learning-based classifier including artificial intelligence (AI).

[0109] In addition, the object detection unit 305 determines (estimates) the position (e.g., the position of a person's feet) (hereinafter referred to as the "actual position") of the recognized surveillance target that appears in the image captured by the monocular imaging device S6 by applying various known methods.

[0110] For example, the object detection unit 305 estimates the horizontal distance (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal distance") of the recognized monitoring target as seen from the shovel 100 based on its size in the captured image (e.g., size in the height direction in the captured image). This is because there is a correlation in which the size of the recognized monitoring target in the captured image becomes smaller as the monitoring target becomes farther away from the shovel 100. Specifically, since there is a range of expected sizes for monitoring targets (e.g., a range of expected human heights), the correlation between the horizontal distance of the monitoring target included in the expected size range as seen from the shovel 100 and its size in the captured image can be specified in advance. Therefore, the object detection unit 305 can estimate the horizontal distance of the monitoring target from the shovel 100 based on, for example, a map or a conversion formula that indicates the correlation between the size of the monitoring target in the captured image and the horizontal distance 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. Furthermore, the object detection unit 305 can estimate the direction in which the monitoring target exists as seen from the shovel 100 (camera S6) according to the position in the lateral direction (left and right direction) on the captured image.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, on the premise that the monitored object exists on the same plane as the shovel 100 (specifically, the lower traveling body 1), the object detection unit 305 can estimate the actual position (for example, the 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.

[0112] The safety control unit 306 performs control to ensure the safety of the shovel 100 when the shovel 100 is on a slope. For example, the safety control unit 306 performs control (hereinafter referred to as "fall-over prevention control") to activate a safety function (hereinafter simply referred to as "safety function") that prevents the shovel 100 from falling down a slope. Details will be described later.

[0113] <Configuration of management device> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the management device 200 includes a control device 210, a communication device 220, an input device 230, and an output device 240.

[0114] The control device 210 performs various controls related to the management device 200. The functions of the control device 210 are realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The control device 210 is configured around a computer including, for example, a CPU, a memory device such as RAM, a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as ROM, and various input / output interface devices. The control device 210 realizes various functions by, for example, executing a program installed in the auxiliary storage device on the CPU.

[0115] For example, the control device 210 may acquire information received from the shovel 100 via the communication device 220, and perform processing such as constructing a database or performing predetermined processing to generate processed information.

[0116] Furthermore, for example, the control device 210 performs control related to the remote operation of the shovel 100. The control device 210 may take in an input signal related to the remote operation of the shovel 100 received by the remote operation device, and use the communication device 220 to transmit to the shovel 100 the content of the operation input, i.e., a remote operation signal representing the content of the remote operation of the shovel 100.

[0117] The communication device 220 is connected to the communication line NW and communicates with an external device (for example, the excavator 100) outside the management device 200.

[0118] The input device 230 receives input from an administrator or an operator of the management device 200, and outputs a signal representing the content of the input (for example, operation input, voice input, gesture input, etc.). The signal representing the content of the input is taken into the control device 210.

[0119] The input device 230 may include, for example, a remote control device, which allows the worker (operator) of the management device 200 to remotely control the shovel 100 using the remote control device.

[0120] The output device 240 outputs various types of information to the user of the management device 200.

[0121] The output device 240 includes, for example, a lighting device or a display device that visually outputs various types of information to the user of the management device 200. The lighting device includes, for example, a warning lamp. The display device includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The output device 240 also includes a sound output device that auditorily outputs various types of information to the user of the management device 200. The sound output device includes, for example, a buzzer or a speaker.

[0122] The display device displays various information images related to the management device 200. The display device may include, for example, a remote operation display device or a monitoring display device, and the remote operation display device or the monitoring display device may display image information (surrounding images) of the surroundings of the shovel 100 uploaded from the shovel 100 under the control of the control device 210. This allows the user (operator) of the management device 200 to remotely operate the shovel 100 while checking the image information of the surroundings of the shovel 100 displayed on the remote operation display device. Furthermore, the user (monitor) of the management device 200 can monitor the work status of the shovel 100 while checking the image information of the surroundings of the fully automatically operated shovel 100 displayed on the monitoring display device.

[0123] [Effect of tilt of working plane on static stability of excavator] Next, the influence of the tilt of the work plane on the posture stability of the shovel 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0124] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing examples of the center of gravity position of the swivel part of the shovel 100 on a horizontal plane and an inclined plane, respectively.

[0125] The rotating part of the shovel 100 refers to a part that rotates integrally in accordance with the rotation of the upper rotating body 3. The rotating part of the shovel 100 includes not only the upper rotating body 3 but also various components mounted on the upper rotating body 3, such as the attachment AT.

[0126] 4 and 5, the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 is located rearward of the rotation center TC of the upper rotating body 3. Therefore, if a situation arises in which the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 of the upper rotating body 3 is located rearward in the horizontal direction of the tipping fulcrum FL on the rear side of the shovel 100, the weight of the rotating part of the shovel 100 may cause the shovel 100 to tip backward. The tipping fulcrum FL refers to the location of the crawler 1C that serves as a fulcrum when the shovel 100 tips over.

[0127] For example, the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 changes depending on the posture of the attachment AT. Specifically, the further the tip (bucket 6) of the attachment AT is from the upper rotating body 3 in the horizontal direction, the more forward it moves, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the closer it is to the upper rotating body 3, the more rearward it moves. Therefore, the closer the tip (bucket 6) of the attachment AT is to the upper rotating body 3 in the horizontal direction, the more likely it is that the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 of the upper rotating body 3 will be located horizontally rearward of the tipping fulcrum FL on the rear side of the shovel 100.

[0128] Furthermore, for example, as shown in Figure 4, when the shovel 100 is on a horizontal plane, even taking into consideration the posture of the attachment AT and the direction of the lower running body 1 described above, it is relatively unlikely that the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 will be located horizontally rearward of the rear tipping fulcrum FL.

[0129] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5, when the shovel 100 is on an inclined surface, the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 is likely to be located rearward in the horizontal direction from the rear tipping fulcrum FL. This is because, due to the influence of the inclination, the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 moves rearward with respect to the rear tipping fulcrum FL compared to when the shovel 100 is on a horizontal surface.

[0130] Thus, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the static stability of the shovel 100 decreases, and there is a possibility that the shovel 100 may tip over in a downward direction due to the weight of the rotating part of the shovel 100. This is particularly noticeable when the position of the tip of the attachment AT is relatively close to the upper rotating body 3 in the horizontal direction, when the orientation of the lower running body 1 deviates relatively greatly from the inclination direction of the slope, and when the amount of deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 and the upward inclination direction is relatively small.

[0131] [Fall prevention control overview] Next, an overview of the fall prevention control (safety function) will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0132] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the position of the center of gravity when the shovel 100 swings on a slope. Specifically, Fig. 6 includes a side view 6A and a top view 6B of the shovel 100 on a slope. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a change in the position of the center of gravity of the swinging part when the shovel 100 swings on a slope. Specifically, Fig. 7 includes a side view 7A and a top view 7B of the shovel 100 on a slope.

[0133] <First example of a safety function> 6, when the upper rotating body 3 turns right from a state in which its orientation is offset by approximately 90 degrees from the direction of inclination, the position of the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 moves downward on the slope (indicated by the thick arrow in the figure). Therefore, when the upper rotating body 3 turns to an extent that its orientation approximately matches the upward inclination direction, as described above, the center of gravity CG of the rotating part of the shovel 100 shifts to a state in which it is located rearward in the horizontal direction of the rear tipping fulcrum FL (indicated by the dotted line in the figure), and there is a possibility that the shovel will tip downward.

[0134] Therefore, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the safety control unit 306 may activate a safety function (hereinafter, "notification function") (an example of a first function) that notifies a user of the rotation state of the upper rotating body 3 that suppresses or contributes to the tipping over of the shovel 100. This allows the user (operator) to recognize the rotation state of the upper rotating body 3 that suppresses the tipping over of the shovel 100 and perform a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 to achieve that rotation state. Furthermore, the user (operator) can recognize the rotation state of the upper rotating body 3 that contributes to the tipping over of the shovel 100 and perform a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 to avoid that rotation state. Furthermore, the user (observer) can recognize the rotation state of the upper rotating body 3 that suppresses or contributes to the tipping over of the shovel 100 and monitor the work of the shovel 100 while comparing that rotation state with the rotation operation of the fully automatically operated shovel 100. Therefore, when the swinging motion of the shovel 100 significantly shifts in a direction that may contribute to the tipping over of the shovel 100, the user (monitor) can bring the shovel 100 to an emergency stop or perform an intervening operation on the shovel 100. Therefore, the shovel 100 can be prevented from tipping over downward when it is on a slope.

[0135] Specifically, when the shovel 100 is operated through the operating device 26, the safety control section 306 may activate a notification function through the output device 50 (a display device or a sound output device).

[0136] Furthermore, when the shovel 100 is remotely operated or operates in a fully automatic manner, the safety control unit 306 may activate a notification function through the output device 240 (a display device for remote operation, a display device for monitoring, a sound output device, etc.) of the management device 200. More specifically, the safety control unit 306 may control the output device 240 by transmitting a control signal for activating the notification function to the management device 200 through the communication device 60, thereby realizing the notification function for the user of the management device 200.

[0137] The notification function includes, for example, a notification function that notifies (instructs) a rotation direction that encourages the shovel 100 to tip down on a slope (increases the likelihood of tipping), or a rotation direction that prevents tipping (decreases the likelihood of tipping). A rotation direction that encourages the shovel 100 to tip down on a slope is a rotation direction in which the position of the center of gravity of the rotating part of the shovel 100 moves downward. A rotation direction that prevents the shovel 100 from tipping down on a slope is a rotation direction in which the position of the center of gravity of the rotating part of the shovel 100 moves upward on a slope.

[0138] <Second example of safety function> When the shovel 100 is on a slope, the safety control unit 306 may activate a safety function (hereinafter referred to as the "center of gravity shifting function") that shifts the tip of the attachment AT horizontally away from the upper rotating body 3 in accordance with the situation around the shovel 100 based on the output of the imaging device S6 and the distance sensor. For example, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the safety control unit 306 may activate the center of gravity shifting function when the object detection unit 305 does not detect a monitored object within the monitoring area around the shovel 100, or when the distance to the detected monitored object is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, for example, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the safety control unit 306 may activate the center of gravity shifting function when the upper rotating body 3 is rotated or when there are signs of the upper rotating body 3 being rotated. This shifts the position of the center of gravity CG of the attachment AT to the front of the upper rotating body 3. 7, for example, even when the upper rotating body 3 of the excavator 100 rotates and the position of the center of gravity CG of the rotating part moves downward on a slope (indicated by the thick arrow in the figure), the excavator 100 can maintain a state in front of the rear tipping fulcrum FL in the horizontal direction (indicated by the dotted line in the figure). Therefore, the excavator 100 can be prevented from tipping downward when on a slope.

[0139] Specifically, the safety control unit 306 may realize the center of gravity shifting function by controlling the hydraulic control valve 31 and causing the attachment AT to perform at least one of the lowering operation of the boom 4 and the opening operation of the arm 5.

[0140] <Third example of safety function> When the shovel 100 is on a slope, the safety control unit 306 may activate a safety function (hereinafter referred to as the "motion limiting function") that limits the movement of the upper rotating body 3 in a rotation direction that would encourage the shovel 100 to tip over down the slope. For example, when the upper rotating body 3 is operated to rotate in a direction that would encourage the shovel 100 to tip over down the slope, the safety control unit 306 decelerates the rotation speed relative to the rotation operation to be relatively low. This makes it difficult for the position of the center of gravity CG of the rotating unit of the shovel 100 to move downward. Therefore, the shovel 100 can be prevented from tipping over down the slope when it is on a slope.

[0141] Specifically, the safety control unit 306 may control the hydraulic control valve 31 to reduce the rotation speed of the upper rotating body 3 relative to the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3, thereby realizing the operation restriction function.

[0142] [Fall prevention control details] Next, details of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0143] <First example of fall prevention control> FIG. 8 is a flowchart that schematically shows a first example of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30.

[0144] This flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined control intervals, for example, from the start of the shovel 100 (for example, when the key switch is turned ON) to the stop of the shovel 100 (for example, when the key switch is turned OFF). The same may be true for the flowcharts in Figs. 9 to 13 below.

[0145] 8, the inclination determination unit 301 determines whether or not the shovel 100 is on a slope. If the shovel 100 is on a slope, the inclination determination unit 301 proceeds to step S104, and if the shovel 100 is not on a slope, the inclination determination unit 301 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0146] In step S104, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines whether the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the uphill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S106. On the other hand, if the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the downhill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S108.

[0147] In step S106, the safety control unit 306 activates the notification function to notify the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping over of the shovel 100. As a result, when the center of gravity of the rotating body of the shovel 100 is on the relatively uphill side of the slope, the shovel 100 can urge the user (operator) not to perform a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 in a direction that will contribute to the tipping over of the shovel 100. Furthermore, when the center of gravity of the rotating body of the shovel 100 is on the relatively uphill side of the slope, the shovel 100 can urge the user (supervisor) to monitor for the presence or absence of a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 in a direction that will contribute to the tipping over of the shovel 100.

[0148] When the process of step S106 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0149] On the other hand, in step S108, the safety control unit 306 activates the notification function to notify the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that will suppress tipping of the shovel 100. As a result, when the center of gravity of the rotating body of the shovel 100 is on the relatively downhill side of the slope, the shovel 100 can urge the user (operator) to perform a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 in a direction that will suppress tipping of the shovel 100. Also, when the center of gravity of the rotating body of the shovel 100 is on the relatively downhill side of the slope, the shovel 100 can urge the user (supervisor) to monitor whether or not the upper rotating body 3 is rotating in a direction that will suppress tipping of the shovel 100.

[0150] When the process of step S108 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0151] In this way, in this example, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the controller 30 activates a safety function that prevents the shovel 100 from tipping downward due to the rotation of the upper rotating body 3, so that the center of gravity of the rotating part of the shovel 100 moves downward on the slope.

[0152] This allows the controller 30 to activate the safety function in accordance with, for example, the swing state of the shovel 100. Therefore, the controller 30 does not need to calculate, for example, the static stability of the shovel 100 in order to activate the safety function, thereby reducing the processing load. Therefore, the shovel 100 can more easily prevent the shovel 100 from tipping over on slopes.

[0153] In this example, the controller 30 also activates an alarm function as a safety function.

[0154] This allows the shovel 100 to prompt the user (operator) to perform a swing operation that will prevent the shovel 100 from tipping downward. Furthermore, the shovel 100 allows the user (supervisor) to distinguish between a swing operation of the upper swing body 3 that contributes to the tipping of the fully automatically operated shovel 100 and a swing operation that will prevent the shovel 100 from tipping. Therefore, the shovel 100 can prompt the user (supervisor) to more appropriately monitor the fully automatically operated shovel 100.

[0155] In this example, in step S106, the safety control section 306 may activate the operation restriction function instead of or in addition to the notification function. The same may be true for step S208 in Fig. 9, step S418 in Fig. 12, and step S510 in Fig. 13, which will be described later.

[0156] <Second example of fall prevention control> FIG. 9 is a flowchart that schematically shows a second example of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30.

[0157] 9, in step S202, the inclination determination unit 301 determines whether or not the shovel 100 is on a slope. If the shovel 100 is on a slope, the inclination determination unit 301 proceeds to step S204, and if the shovel 100 is not on a slope, the processing of this flowchart is terminated.

[0158] In step S204, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302 determines whether the deviation between the front-rear axis of the lower traveling body 1 (crawler 1C) and the inclination direction of the slope is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the deviation between the front-rear axis of the crawler 1C and the inclination direction of the slope is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302 determines that the situation is such that the excavator 100 is likely to tip down the slope, and proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if the deviation between the front-rear axis of the crawler 1C and the inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302 determines that the situation is such that the excavator 100 is unlikely to tip down the slope, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0159] Steps S206, S208, and S210 are the same as steps S104, S106, and S108 in FIG. 8, and therefore their explanation will be omitted.

[0160] In this way, in this example, the controller 30 activates the safety function (alert function) when the deviation between the front and rear axes of the lower traveling structure 1 and the inclination direction of the slope is relatively large.

[0161] This allows the controller 30 to activate the safety function (alert function) only when the shovel 100 is likely to tip over downward on a slope. Therefore, the shovel 100 can prevent inconvenience to the user and a decrease in work efficiency while ensuring effectiveness in preventing the shovel 100 from tipping over downward on a slope.

[0162] Note that the same processing as step S204 in this example may be added between steps S306 and S308, between steps S314 and S316, and between steps S314 and S328 in the flowcharts of a third example (FIGS. 10 and 11) described below. Similarly, the same processing as step S204 in this example may be added between steps S402 and S404 and between steps S502 and S504 in the flowcharts of a fourth example (FIG. 12) and a fifth example (FIG. 13) described below.

[0163] <Third example of fall prevention control> 10 and 11 are flowcharts that schematically show a third example of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30. In FIG.

[0164] In this example, flags F1 and F2 are used. The initial values ​​of flags F1 and F2 are both "0".

[0165] The flag F1 indicates whether or not a function for notifying the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that may contribute to tipping over of the excavator 100 is activated. Specifically, when the flag F1 is "0," it indicates that the notification function is not activated, and when the flag F1 is "1," it indicates that the notification function is activated.

[0166] The flag F2 indicates whether or not a function for notifying the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3, which prevents the excavator 100 from tipping over, is activated. Specifically, when the flag F2 is "0," it indicates that the notification function is not activated, and when the flag F2 is "1," it indicates that the notification function is activated.

[0167] 10, in step S302, the inclination determination unit 301 determines whether or not the shovel 100 is on a slope. If the shovel 100 is not on a slope, the inclination determination unit 301 proceeds to step S304, and if the shovel 100 is on a slope, the inclination determination unit 301 proceeds to step S306.

[0168] In step S304, the controller 30 stops the safety function (alert function) or maintains the stopped state, and sets both flags F1 and F2 to "0."

[0169] When the process of step S304 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0170] Meanwhile, in step S306, the controller 30 determines whether or not both flags F1 and F2 are 0. If both flags F1 and F2 are 0, the controller 30 determines that the notification function is not activated, and proceeds to step S308; otherwise, that is, if either flag F1 or F2 is 1, the controller 30 determines that the notification function is activated, and proceeds to step S314.

[0171] In step S308, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines whether the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the uphill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S310. On the other hand, if the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the downhill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S312.

[0172] In step S310, the safety control unit 306 activates a notification function that notifies the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping over of the excavator 100. Specifically, the safety control unit 306 starts notification by display on the display devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200, and also issues notification by audio via the sound output devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200 a predetermined number N1 (an integer equal to or greater than 1) times. In other words, the safety control unit 306 constantly activates the notification function by display, and activates the notification function by audio on a time-limited basis.

[0173] When the process of step S310 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S311.

[0174] In step S311, the controller 30 sets the flag F1 to "1."

[0175] When the process of step S311 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0176] Meanwhile, in step S312, the safety control unit 306 activates a notification function that notifies the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that prevents the excavator 100 from tipping over. Specifically, the safety control unit 306 starts notification by display on the display devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200, and also performs notification by audio through the sound output devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200 a predetermined number N2 (an integer equal to or greater than 1) times. In other words, the safety control unit 306 constantly activates the notification function by display, and activates the notification function by audio on a time-limited basis.

[0177] The predetermined values ​​N1 and N2 may be the same or different.

[0178] When the process of step S312 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S313.

[0179] In step S313, the controller 30 sets the flag F2 to "1."

[0180] When the process of step S313 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0181] Meanwhile, in step S314, the controller 30 determines whether or not the flag F1 is "1." If the flag F1 is "1," the controller 30 determines that the notification function for notifying the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that promotes tipping of the shovel 100 is in operation, and proceeds to step S316. On the other hand, if the flag F1 is not "1," the controller 30 determines that the notification function for notifying the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that suppresses tipping of the shovel 100 is in operation, and proceeds to step S328 (see FIG. 11).

[0182] In step S316, the revolving unit orientation determination unit 303 determines whether the deviation between the orientation of the upper revolving unit 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the deviation between the orientation of the upper revolving unit 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the revolving unit orientation determination unit 303 determines that the state in which the center of gravity of the revolving unit of the excavator 100 is relatively located on the uphill side of the slope continues, and the process proceeds to step S318. On the other hand, if the deviation between the orientation of the upper revolving unit 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the revolving unit orientation determination unit 303 determines that the state in which the center of gravity of the revolving unit of the excavator 100 is relatively located on the downhill side of the slope has transitioned, and the process proceeds to step S324.

[0183] In step S318, the safety control unit 306 continues to notify the turning direction that encourages the vehicle to fall by displaying the direction.

[0184] When the process of step S318 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S320.

[0185] In step S320, the safety control unit 306 determines whether a predetermined time T1 (>0) has elapsed since the previous activation of the turning direction warning function that uses audio to encourage tipping. If the predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the safety control unit 306 proceeds to step S322, and if the predetermined time T1 has not elapsed, the safety control unit 306 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0186] In step S322, the safety control unit 306 issues a notification of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3, which encourages the excavator 100 to tip over, by sound through the sound output device of the cabin 10 or the management device 200, a predetermined number N1 times.

[0187] When the process of step S322 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0188] On the other hand, in step S324, the safety control unit 306 activates a notification function that notifies the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that prevents the excavator 100 from tipping over. Specifically, the safety control unit 306 starts notification by display on the display devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200, and also issues notification by voice through the sound output devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200 a predetermined number N2 times.

[0189] When the process of step S324 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S326.

[0190] In step S326, flag F1 is set to "0" and flag F2 is set to "1".

[0191] When the process of step S326 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0192] Meanwhile, in step S328, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines whether the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating structure 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating structure orientation determination unit 303 determines that the state in which the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is relatively located on the uphill side of the slope has continued, and the process proceeds to step S334.

[0193] In step S330, the safety control unit 306 activates a notification function that notifies the user of the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping over of the excavator 100. Specifically, the safety control unit 306 starts the notification by display on the display device of the cabin 10 or the management device 200, and also issues the notification by sound through the sound output device of the cabin 10 or the management device 200 a predetermined number N1 times.

[0194] When the process of step S330 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S332.

[0195] In step S332, the controller 30 sets the flag F1 to "1" and the flag F2 to "0."

[0196] When the process of step S332 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0197] On the other hand, in step S334, the safety control unit 306 continues to notify the turning direction that prevents the vehicle from tipping over by display.

[0198] When the process of step S334 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S336.

[0199] In step S336, the safety control unit 306 determines whether a predetermined time T2 (>0) has elapsed since the previous activation of the turning direction warning function that uses audio to prevent tipping. If the predetermined time T2 has elapsed, the safety control unit 306 proceeds to step S338, and if the predetermined time T2 has not elapsed, the safety control unit 306 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0200] The predetermined times T1 and T2 may be the same or different.

[0201] In step S338, the safety control unit 306 notifies the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 3, which prevents the excavator 100 from tipping over, by sound through the sound output devices of the cabin 10 and the management device 200, a predetermined number N2 times.

[0202] When the process of step S338 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0203] Thus, in this example, when the shovel 100 is on a slope, the controller 30 activates the visual notification function and also activates the auditory notification function less frequently than the visual notification function.

[0204] This allows the shovel 100 to continuously maintain its effectiveness in preventing the shovel 100 from tipping over downhill on a slope, while reducing the annoyance to the user caused by the activation of the auditory notification function.

[0205] In this example, in steps S310, S318, and S338, the safety control section 306 may activate an operation restriction function in addition to the notification function.

[0206] <Fourth example of fall prevention control> FIG. 12 is a flowchart that schematically shows a fourth example of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30.

[0207] As shown in FIG. 12, steps S402 and S404 are the same as steps S102 and S204 in FIG. 8, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0208] If the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the rotating body orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the downhill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S406. On the other hand, if the deviation between the orientation of the upper rotating body 3 and the upward inclination direction of the slope is not equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the rotating body orientation determination unit 303 determines that the center of gravity of the rotating unit of the excavator 100 is located relatively on the uphill side of the slope, and proceeds to step S408.

[0209] Step S406 is the same as the processing in step S108 in FIG. 8, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0210] When the process of step S406 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0211] On the other hand, in step S408, the rotation operation determination unit 304 determines whether or not there is a sign of a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3. If there is a sign of a rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3, the rotation operation determination unit 304 proceeds to step S410, and if there is no sign, the processing of this flowchart is terminated.

[0212] Step S410 is the same as the process in step S106 in FIG. 8, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0213] When the process of step S410 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0214] In this way, in this example, the controller 30 activates the safety function when the excavator 100 is on a slope and there is a possibility that the upper rotating body 3 will be operated to rotate.

[0215] This allows the controller 30 to activate the safety function in accordance with, for example, the operator's operation to rotate the upper rotating body 3. Therefore, the excavator 100 can suppress inconvenience to the user and a decrease in work efficiency while ensuring the effectiveness of preventing the excavator 100 from tipping over downward on sloped ground.

[0216] In this example, in step S410, the safety control section 306 may activate a center of gravity shifting function instead of or in addition to the notification function.

[0217] <Fifth example of fall prevention control> FIG. 13 is a flowchart that schematically shows a fifth example of the overturn prevention control by the controller 30.

[0218] As shown in FIG. 13, steps S502, S504, S506, S508, and S510 are the same as steps S402, S404, S406, S408, and S410 in FIG. 12, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0219] When the process of step S506 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S516.

[0220] Furthermore, when the process of step S510 is completed, the controller 30 proceeds to step S512.

[0221] In step S512, the swing operation determination unit 304 determines whether or not a swing operation has been performed in a direction that would encourage the shovel 100 to tip down the slope. If a swing operation has not been performed in a direction that would encourage the shovel 100 to tip down the slope, the swing operation determination unit 304 proceeds to step S514, and if a swing operation has been performed in a direction that would encourage the shovel 100 to tip down the slope, the swing operation determination unit 304 proceeds to step S516.

[0222] In step S514, the controller 30 determines whether or not a predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the notification in step S510. If the predetermined time T3 has not elapsed, the controller 30 returns to step S512, and if the predetermined time T3 has elapsed, the controller 30 determines that no swing operation has been performed in a direction that would promote tipping of the excavator 100 down the slope, and ends the processing of this flow chart.

[0223] Meanwhile, in step S516, the object detection unit 305 determines whether or not a monitored object is present within the monitoring area around the shovel 100. If the object detection unit 305 has not detected a monitored object within the monitoring area around the shovel 100, it determines that it is possible to operate the attachment AT, and proceeds to step S518. On the other hand, if the object detection unit 305 has detected a monitored object within the monitoring area around the shovel 100, it determines that it is impossible to operate the attachment AT from a safety standpoint, and ends this flow chart.

[0224] In step S518, the safety control section 306 activates the center of gravity shifting function, and moves the tip end (bucket 6) of the attachment AT in the horizontal direction away from the upper rotating body 3.

[0225] When the process of step S518 is completed, the controller 30 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0226] Thus, in this example, when there is a sign of a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3, the controller 30 activates a notification function that notifies of the swing direction of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping of the excavator 100. Then, when a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping of the excavator 100 is actually performed, the controller 30 activates a center of gravity shift function that moves the tip of the attachment AT (the bucket 6) horizontally away from the upper rotating body 3. In other words, the controller 30 activates the notification function and the center of gravity shift function in stages in accordance with the signs of a swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 and the flow of the actual swing operation of the upper rotating body 3 that will contribute to the tipping of the excavator 100.

[0227] As a result, the shovel 100 can prevent the user from being inconvenienced and the work efficiency from decreasing, while ensuring the effectiveness of preventing the shovel 100 from tipping over downward on sloped ground.

[0228] [Transformation / Change] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist described in the claims.

[0229] Also, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the function of the safety control unit 306 may be transferred to the management device 200 (an example of an information processing device). Furthermore, in addition to the function of the safety control unit 306, at least some of the functions of the tilt determination unit 301, the traveling body orientation determination unit 302, the rotating body orientation determination unit 303, the swing operation determination unit 304, and the object detection unit 305 may be transferred to the management device 200 (control device 210). In this case, the control device 210 of the management device 200 may determine a trigger for activating a safety function by receiving an information signal including various information from the shovel 100 via the communication device 220. Furthermore, the control device 210 may realize activation of an alarm function, a center of gravity shift function, or an operation restriction function on the shovel 100 side by transmitting a control signal to the shovel 100 via the communication device 220.

[0230] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiments, the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15 may be driven by another prime mover (for example, an electric motor) instead of or in addition to the engine 11. That is, the excavator 100 may be a hybrid excavator, an electric excavator, or the like in which the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15 are driven by an electric motor.

[0231] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the shovel 100 may be configured such that some of the driven elements, such as the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6, are electrically driven. That is, the shovel 100 may be a hybrid shovel, an electric shovel, or the like, in which some of the driven elements are driven by electric actuators.

[0232] 1 Undercarriage 1ML, 1MR Travel Hydraulic Motor 2A hydraulic swing motor 3 Upper rotating body 4. Boom 5 Arm 6 Bucket (end attachment) 7 Boom cylinder 8 Arm Cylinder 9 Bucket cylinder 10 Cabins 11 Engine 13 Regulator 14 Main pump 15 Pilot pump 17 Control valve 25 Pilot Line 26 Operating device 30 Controllers 50 Output Device 52 Input Device 100 Shovel 200 Management device (information processing device) 301 Inclination determination section 302 Traveling object direction determination unit 303 Rotating body direction determination unit 304 Turning operation determination unit 305 Object detection unit 306 Safety Control Section AT attachment (working equipment) S1 Boom Angle Sensor S2 Arm Angle Sensor S3 Bucket Angle Sensor S4 aircraft tilt sensor S5 Turning status sensor S6 imaging device

Claims

1. a lower running body; an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body; a working device attached to the upper rotating body and including a boom, an arm, and an end attachment; On a slope, a safety function is activated to suppress tipping of the excavator in a manner in which the rear part of the upper rotating body tips down the slope when the upper rotating body rotates so that the center of gravity of a rotating part that rotates integrally with the upper rotating body including the upper rotating body and the working device moves down the slope. Shovel.

2. activating the safety function when the excavator is on a slope and there is a possibility that the upper rotating body will be rotated; The shovel according to claim 1.

3. The safety functions include a first function of notifying a user of a first rotation direction of the upper rotating body in which the center of gravity of the rotating unit moves downhill on a slope as a rotation direction that encourages tipping of the excavator, or a second rotation direction of the upper rotating body in which the center of gravity of the rotating unit moves uphill on a slope as a rotation direction that prevents tipping of the excavator. The shovel according to claim 1 or 2.

4. activating the first function via a visual method and activating the first function via an auditory method less frequently than the first function via a visual method when the shovel is on a slope; The shovel according to claim 3.

5. an acquisition device that acquires data about objects around the shovel; The safety functions include a second function of operating the work device so that its tip moves away from the upper rotating body in accordance with the situation around the shovel based on the output of the acquisition device when the upper rotating body rotates on a slope so that the center of gravity of the rotating section moves in a downward direction of the slope. A shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The safety functions include a third function of limiting the rotational movement of the upper rotating body on a slope, which causes the center of gravity of the rotating section to move downward on a slope. A shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. activating the safety function when a deviation amount of the traveling direction of the lower traveling body with respect to the inclination direction of the slope is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard; A shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. a communication device that communicates with a shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, a working device that includes a boom, an arm, and an end attachment, and an imaging device that images the surrounding area; a display device that displays the state of the shovel's surroundings based on image information based on the output of the imaging device, which is received from the shovel by the communication device; and a control device that controls the operation of the shovel by transmitting a control signal to the shovel through the communication device, and based on information received from the shovel by the communication device, the control device activates a safety function that, when the shovel is on a slope, suppresses tipping of the shovel in a manner that causes a rear part of the upper rotating body to tip down the slope when the upper rotating body rotates, so that the center of gravity of a rotating part that rotates integrally with the upper rotating body including the upper rotating body and the working device moves down the slope. Information processing device.

Images