Workplace discrimination system and workplace image processing system

Abstract

To provide a work site discrimination system capable of recognizing the site. [Solution] A work site discrimination system according to an embodiment of the present invention discriminates a work site where an excavator is present, the excavator having a lower traveling body 1, an upper rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 1, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body 3. The work site discrimination system includes a positioning device that acquires the position of the excavator, and a controller 30 that discriminates a work site where the excavator is present based on stored geographic information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work site discrimination system and a work site image processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a control device for a construction machine that has a plurality of work modes and controls the engine speed and the like based on the selected work mode (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-324511 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The workload of an excavator, which is a type of construction machinery, varies depending on the type of work. For example, even if the work is the same loading task, the workload varies depending on the object being loaded. Operators do not always select the optimal working mode depending on the task.

[0005] For this reason, engine speed and hydraulic pump settings based on the work mode selected by the operator may be mismatched depending on the type of work, resulting in unnecessarily increasing engine speed, worsening fuel efficiency, or failing to obtain the output horsepower required for the work.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a work site discrimination system that is capable of recognizing a work site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A work site discrimination system according to one aspect of the present invention is a work site discrimination system that discriminates a work site where a shovel is present, the shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, the work site discrimination system including a positioning device that acquires the position of the shovel, and a work site where the shovel is present that is determined to be a work site where a first end attachment is attached based on the positioning result by the positioning device and stored geographic information. The work was carried out by the excavator. R 1st A second end attachment different from the first end attachment is attached to the work site. The work was carried out by the excavator. R Second and a controller that determines whether the location is a work site. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a work site discrimination system capable of recognizing a site is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a shovel according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating a shovel according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hydraulic system mounted on a shovel according to an embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image at a crushing work site. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image at a scrap material handling work site. [Figure 4C] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image taken at a logging work site in forestry. [Figure 4D] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image at an urban civil engineering work site. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a hydraulic actuator control process. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hydraulic drive circuit including a swing hydraulic motor and a boom cylinder. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a time chart of the lever operation amount and the hydraulic oil flow rate to the hydraulic actuator. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between pump pressure and pump flow rate in the main pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating an example of a shovel according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view illustrating an example of a shovel according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 shows the connection relationship between a camera, a machine guidance device, and a display device.

[0012] An upper rotating body 3 is rotatably mounted on a lower traveling body 1 of the excavator via a rotating mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment.

[0013] The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment as an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6.

[0014] The boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4. In this embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to the horizontal plane and detects the rotation angle of the boom 4 with respect to the upper rotating structure 3.

[0015] The arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5. In this embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to the horizontal plane to detect the rotation angle of the arm 5 with respect to the boom 4.

[0016] The bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In this embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor that detects the tilt with respect to the horizontal plane to detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6 with respect to the arm 5.

[0017] The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 may be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, or the like.

[0018] The upper rotating body 3 is provided with a cabin 10 and is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11. A left side camera S4, a right side camera S5 (not shown in FIG. 1), and a rear camera S6 are attached to the upper rotating body 3. A communication device S7 and a positioning device S8 are attached to the upper rotating body 3. A machine body tilt sensor that detects the tilt angle with respect to the horizontal plane, a turning angular velocity sensor that detects the turning angular velocity, etc. may be attached to the upper rotating body 3.

[0019] The left side camera S4 is an imaging device attached to the left side of the upper rotating body 3 as seen by the operator sitting in the driver's seat, and captures images of the area around the left side of the excavator. The right side camera S5 is attached to the right side of the upper rotating body 3 as seen by the operator sitting in the driver's seat, and captures images of the area around the right side of the excavator. The rear camera S6 is an imaging device attached to the rear of the upper rotating body 3, and captures images of the area behind the excavator.

[0020] The communication device S7 is a device that controls communication between the shovel and the outside. In this embodiment, the communication device S7 controls wireless communication between a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) surveying system and the shovel. Specifically, the communication device S7 acquires topographical information of the work site when the shovel starts work, for example, once a day. The GNSS surveying system employs, for example, a network-type RTK-GNSS positioning method.

[0021] The positioning device S8 is a device that measures the position and orientation of the shovel. In this embodiment, the positioning device S8 is a GNSS receiver with an integrated electronic compass, and measures the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the location of the shovel, and also measures the orientation of the shovel. The positioning device S8 may acquire current position information of the shovel using, for example, a GPS or the like.

[0022] In the cabin 10, an input device D1, an audio output device D2, a display device D3, a storage device D4, a gate lock lever D5, a controller 30, and a machine guidance device 50 are installed.

[0023] The controller 30 functions as a main control unit that controls the drive of the shovel. In this embodiment, the controller 30 is configured with an arithmetic processing unit including a CPU and an internal memory. The various functions of the controller 30 are realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the internal memory.

[0024] The machine guidance device 50 guides the operation of the shovel. The machine guidance device 50 guides the operator in operating the shovel by, for example, visually and audibly notifying the operator of the vertical distance between a target construction surface set by the operator and the position of the tip (toe) of the bucket 6. The machine guidance device 50 may only inform the operator of the distance visually or only audibly.

[0025] The machine guidance device 50, like the controller 30, is composed of a processing unit including a CPU and an internal memory. Various functions of the machine guidance device 50 are realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the internal memory. The machine guidance device 50 may be provided separately from the controller 30, or may be incorporated into the controller 30.

[0026] The input device D1 is a device that allows the operator of the excavator to input various pieces of information to the machine guidance device 50. In this embodiment, the input device D1 is a membrane switch that is attached to the periphery of the display device D3. A touch panel or the like may also be used as the input device D1.

[0027] The audio output device D2 outputs various types of audio information in response to an audio output command from the machine guidance device 50. In this embodiment, an in-vehicle speaker connected to the machine guidance device 50 is used as the audio output device D2. An alarm such as a buzzer may also be used as the audio output device D2.

[0028] The display device D3 outputs various types of image information in response to commands from the machine guidance device 50. In this embodiment, an in-vehicle liquid crystal display connected to the machine guidance device 50 is used as the display device D3.

[0029] The storage device D4 is a device for storing various types of information. In this embodiment, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory is used as the storage device D4. The storage device D4 stores various types of information output by the machine guidance device 50 and the like.

[0030] The gate lock lever D5 is a mechanism that prevents the excavator from being operated by mistake. In this embodiment, the gate lock lever D5 is disposed between the door of the cabin 10 and the driver's seat. When the gate lock lever D5 is pulled up to prevent the operator from exiting the cabin 10, the various operating devices become operable. On the other hand, when the gate lock lever D5 is pushed down to allow the operator to exit the cabin 10, the various operating devices become inoperable.

[0031] 2, the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6 are connected to a machine guidance device 50 installed in the cabin 10 via a transmission medium CB1. The machine guidance device 50 is connected to a display device D3 attached to a right diagonal pillar in the cabin 10 via a transmission medium CB2.

[0032] The transmission medium CB1 is arranged along the inner wall of the housing of the upper rotating body 3. The transmission medium CB2 is arranged along the inner wall of the cabin 10. The transmission media CB1 and CB2 are each formed of any cable such as a coaxial cable.

[0033] The left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, the rear camera S6, the machine guidance device 50, and the display device D3 are connected to the storage battery 70 via power cables PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, and PC5, respectively.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hydraulic system mounted on a shovel according to an embodiment. In Fig. 3, a mechanical power system is indicated by double lines, high-pressure hydraulic lines by solid lines, pilot lines by dashed lines, and an electric drive and control system by dotted lines.

[0035] The excavator is provided with hydraulic actuators, including a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, a traveling hydraulic motor 20L (for the left), a traveling hydraulic motor 20R (for the right), and a swing hydraulic motor 21. The hydraulic system selectively supplies hydraulic oil discharged from main pumps 12L and 12R to one or more hydraulic actuators.

[0036] The hydraulic system circulates hydraulic oil from two main pumps 12L, 12R driven by the engine 11 through center bypass lines 40L, 40R to a hydraulic oil tank. The center bypass line 40L is a high-pressure hydraulic line that connects flow control valves 151, 153, 155, 157, and 159 arranged in the control valve. The center bypass line 40R is a high-pressure hydraulic line that connects flow control valves 150, 152, 154, 156, and 158 arranged in the control valve.

[0037] The flow control valves 153, 154 are spool valves that switch the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 12L, 12R to the boom cylinder 7 and to discharge the hydraulic oil in the boom cylinder 7 to the hydraulic oil tank. The flow control valve 154 operates when the boom operation lever 16A is operated. The flow control valve 153 operates only when the boom operation lever 16A is operated by a predetermined operation amount or more.

[0038] The flow control valves 155, 156 are spool valves that switch the flow of hydraulic oil to supply the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 12L, 12R to the arm cylinders 8 and to discharge the hydraulic oil in the arm cylinders to the hydraulic oil tank. The flow control valve 155 operates when an arm operation lever (not shown) is operated. The flow control valve 156 operates only when the arm operation lever is operated by a predetermined operation amount or more.

[0039] The flow control valve 157 is a spool valve that switches the flow of hydraulic oil so that the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 12L is circulated through the hydraulic motor 21 for rotation.

[0040] The flow rate control valve 158 is a spool valve for supplying the hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 12R to the bucket cylinder 9 and discharging the hydraulic oil in the bucket cylinder 9 to a hydraulic oil tank.

[0041] The flow control valve 159 is a spool valve for supplying hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 12L to an external device and discharging hydraulic oil from the external device to a hydraulic oil tank. The external device is, for example, a harvester attached to the tip of the arm.

[0042] The regulators 13L, 13R adjust the tilting angles of the swash plates of the main pumps 12L, 12R to control the discharge rates of the main pumps 12L, 12R. The regulators 13L, 13R adjust the tilting angles of the swash plates to increase or decrease the discharge rates, based on control signals sent from the controller 30 (control unit 31), thereby controlling the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R.

[0043] The boom control lever 16A is an operating device for operating the boom 4, and uses hydraulic oil discharged from the control pump to introduce a control pressure according to the lever operation amount into either the left or right pilot port of the flow control valve 154. When the lever operation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined operation amount, hydraulic oil is also introduced into either the left or right pilot port of the flow control valve 153.

[0044] The pressure sensor 17A detects the operation of the boom operation lever 16A by the operator (the lever operation direction and lever operation amount (lever operation angle)) as a pilot pressure, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

[0045] In addition to the boom operation lever 16A, the excavator according to this embodiment is provided with operation devices such as left and right travel levers (or pedals), an arm operation lever, a bucket operation lever, and a swing operation lever. The left and right travel levers are operation devices for operating the travel of the lower traveling body 1. The arm operation lever is an operation device for operating the opening and closing of the arm 5. The bucket operation lever is an operation device for operating the opening and closing of the bucket 6.

[0046] Similar to the boom control lever 16A, these control devices use hydraulic oil discharged from a control pump to introduce a control pressure corresponding to the lever operation amount (or pedal operation amount) into either the left or right pilot port of the flow control valve corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. The operation of each of these control devices by the operator (lever operation direction and lever operation amount) is detected as pressure by the corresponding pressure sensor, similar to the pressure sensor 17A, and the detected value is output to the controller 30.

[0047] The controller 30 is connected to the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, the rear camera S6, and the positioning device S8. The controller 30 receives image data captured by each camera from the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6. The controller 30 receives current position information of the excavator acquired by the positioning device S8 from the positioning device S8. The controller 30 receives outputs from the boom cylinder pressure sensor 18a and the discharge pressure sensor 18b.

[0048] The controller 30 has a control unit 31, a determination unit 32, and a storage unit 33. The control unit 31 and the determination unit 32 are realized by a CPU provided in the controller 30 executing a program stored in an internal memory. The storage unit 33 is a memory such as a ROM provided in the controller 30.

[0049] The control unit 31 sends control signals to the regulators 13L, 13R and the variable throttle valve 60. The regulators 13L, 13R change the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle to increase or decrease the discharge amount based on the control signal sent from the control unit 31. The variable throttle valve 60 changes the opening degree to change the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21 based on the control signal sent from the control unit 31.

[0050] The determination unit 32 determines the work that the excavator is about to perform based on camera images of the surroundings of the excavator taken by the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6. The camera images include the images themselves taken by the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6, and images generated based on the taken images.

[0051] The determination unit 32 obtains feature amounts such as the shape and color of objects in the camera image by, for example, known image recognition processing, and compares the feature amount data with feature amount data stored in the storage unit 33 to recognize the type of work site the excavator is in. Examples of known image recognition processing include image recognition processing using a SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform) algorithm, a SURF (Speeded-Up Robust Features) algorithm, an ORB (ORiented BRIEF (Binary Robust Independent Elementary Features)) algorithm, a HOG (Histograms of Oriented Gradients) algorithm, or the like, and image recognition processing using pattern matching.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a camera image.

[0053] 4A is an example of a camera image of a crushing work site. The determination unit 32 recognizes that a shovel is at the crushing work site by image recognition processing from the camera image shown in FIG. 4A, for example, and determines that the work being performed by the shovel is loading and unloading crushed stone.

[0054] 4B is an example of a camera image taken at a scrap material handling work site. The determination unit 32 recognizes, for example, from the camera image shown in FIG. 4B by image recognition processing, that a shovel is at the scrap material handling work site, and determines that the work being performed by the shovel is scrap material handling. When handling scrap material, the shovel is equipped with, for example, a magnet (for attracting metals) or a grapple (for non-ferrous metals) at the tip of its arm.

[0055] Fig. 4C is an example of a camera image taken at a forestry felling work site. From the camera image shown in Fig. 4C, for example, the determination unit 32 recognizes through image recognition processing that a shovel is at a forestry felling work site and determines that the work being performed by the shovel is felling work. The shovel can, for example, fell trees by rotating the upper rotating body 3 and mowing down trees with the arm 5 and bucket 6 that rotate together with the upper rotating body 3. When felling trees, for example, a harvester is attached to the tip of the arm of the shovel.

[0056] 4D is an example of a camera image of an urban civil engineering work site. The determination unit 32 recognizes that a shovel is at the urban civil engineering work site through image recognition processing from the camera image shown in FIG. 4D, for example, and determines that the work being performed by the shovel is civil engineering work such as excavation.

[0057] The work determined by the determination unit 32 is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, the determination unit 32 may recognize from a camera image that the excavator is in a rice field, a levee, a farm, or the like, and determine the work in each area.

[0058] The determination unit 32 may determine the work that the excavator is about to perform based on the current position information acquired by the positioning device S8 and the geographic information stored in the storage unit 33.

[0059] The storage unit 33 stores geographic information including, for example, map information, topographical information such as mountains and rivers, location information such as coastlines, boundaries of public facilities, and administrative districts. The determination unit 32 acquires geographical information on the current location of the shovel from the storage unit 33, and determines whether the shovel is at a logging site in a mountain forest or a civil engineering work site in an urban area based on the geographical information, thereby determining the work being performed by the shovel.

[0060] The control unit 31 controls each hydraulic actuator provided in the shovel based on the determination result by the determination unit 32. In this embodiment, the control unit 31 changes the flow rate distribution of the hydraulic oil to each hydraulic actuator based on the determination result by the determination unit 32. The control unit 31 changes the horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R as hydraulic pumps based on the determination result by the determination unit 32.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of the hydraulic actuator control process.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the key is turned on in the excavator, the electrical system is started and the hydraulic actuator control process shown in Fig. 5 is executed. The hydraulic actuator control process may be executed, for example, at predetermined time intervals or when the excavator stops traveling.

[0063] In the hydraulic actuator control process, first, in step S101, the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6 each capture images of the surroundings of the excavator. The camera images captured by the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6 are transmitted to the controller 30.

[0064] Next, in step S102, the determination unit 32 performs image recognition processing on the camera images taken by the left side camera S4, the right side camera S5, and the rear camera S6, and calculates the feature amount for each camera image.

[0065] In step S101, each camera captures an image of the shovel's surroundings, and in step S102, the determination unit 32 calculates the feature amounts of each camera image, and the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the determination unit 32 compares the calculated feature amounts with the feature amount data stored in the storage unit 33, and determines the work to be performed based on the site where the shovel is working.

[0066] The work does not necessarily have to be determined based on the camera image, and may be determined based on current position information obtained using the positioning device S8, for example. When the work is determined based on the current position information of the excavator acquired by the positioning device S8, the positioning device S8 acquires the current position information in step S101. Subsequently, in step S103, the determination unit 32 determines the work based on the current position information and the geographic information stored in the storage unit 33. The work may be determined based on both the camera image and the current position information.

[0067] In step S104, the control unit 31 controls the hydraulic actuator provided in the shovel based on the determination result by the determination unit 32.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a hydraulic drive circuit 55 including a swing hydraulic motor and a boom cylinder.

[0069] 6 includes a hydraulic circuit that drives the swing hydraulic motor 21 for driving the upper swing body 3 to swing, and a hydraulic circuit that drives the boom cylinder 7 to reciprocate. In the hydraulic drive circuit 55, a hydraulic circuit portion 17 surrounded by a dashed line represents a hydraulic circuit provided in a control valve.

[0070] Pilot pressure is supplied from a pilot hydraulic circuit to the hydraulic circuit portion 17. More specifically, the pilot pressure adjusted by the boom operation lever 16A is supplied to flow control valves 153 and 154 of the control valve. The pilot pressure adjusted by the swing lever is supplied to a flow control valve 157 of the control valve. The flow control valves 153, 154, and 157 are spool valves in which the spool moves in proportion to the pilot pressure to open the oil passage.

[0071] When boom operation lever 16A is operated in the direction to raise boom 4, pilot pressure adjusted according to the amount of operation of boom operation lever 16A is supplied from the pilot pump to flow control valves 153, 154. The pilot pressure moves the spools of flow control valves 153, 154 to open the oil passages, and hydraulic oil from main pumps 12L, 12R is supplied to the bottom side of boom cylinder 7 via flow control valves 153, 154, respectively, causing boom 4 to rise.

[0072] When the swing lever is operated in the direction to swing the upper swing body 3, the pilot pump supplies pilot pressure adjusted according to the amount of swing lever operation to the flow control valve 157. The pilot pressure moves the spool of the flow control valve 157, opening the oil passage, and hydraulic oil from the main pumps 12L and 12R is supplied to the swing hydraulic motor 21, causing the upper swing body 3 to swing.

[0073] A variable throttle valve 60 is provided between the main pump 12L and the flow rate control valve 157. The variable throttle valve 60 is a valve whose opening degree can be changed by a control signal transmitted from the control unit 31.

[0074] When the variable throttle valve 60 reduces its opening in response to the control signal, the flow rate of hydraulic oil supplied from the main pump 12L to the swing hydraulic motor 21 via the flow control valve 157 decreases. The reduction in the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the flow control valve 157 increases the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing to the boom cylinder 7 via the flow control valve 153. In this state, the output torque of the swing hydraulic motor 21 decreases due to the reduced flow rate of hydraulic oil, and the cylinder output of the boom cylinder 7 increases due to the increased flow rate of hydraulic oil.

[0075] When the variable throttle valve 60 increases its opening in response to the control signal, the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing to the swing hydraulic motor 21 via the flow control valve 157 increases. The increase in the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the flow control valve 157 reduces the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing to the boom cylinder 7 via the flow control valve 153. In this state, the output torque of the swing hydraulic motor 21 increases due to the increase in the flow rate of hydraulic oil, and the cylinder output of the boom cylinder 7 decreases due to the decrease in the flow rate of hydraulic oil.

[0076] The control unit 31 transmits a control signal to the variable throttle valve 60 to change the opening degree based on the result of the work determination of the shovel by the determination unit 32. For example, in work such as crushing rocks or civil engineering, the boom 4 is raised and lowered more often than the upper rotating body 3 is rotated. Therefore, when the determination unit 32 determines that the work of the shovel is crushing rocks or civil engineering, the control unit 31 transmits a control signal to reduce the opening degree of the variable throttle valve 60.

[0077] When the opening of variable throttle valve 60 is reduced, the flow rate of hydraulic oil to flow control valve 157 decreases, reducing the output torque of swing hydraulic motor 21, and the flow rate of hydraulic oil to flow control valve 153 increases, increasing the cylinder output of boom cylinder 7. In this way, when the work being performed by the excavator is crushing stone, civil engineering, or the like, control unit 31 adjusts the flow rate of hydraulic oil so as to increase the flow rate of hydraulic oil to boom cylinder 7, which is used more frequently in the work, thereby increasing the cylinder output.

[0078] For example, in material handling or tree-cutting work, the upper rotating body 3 is rotated more often than the boom 4 is raised or lowered. Therefore, when the determination unit 32 determines that the work being performed by the shovel is material handling or tree-cutting, the control unit 31 transmits a control signal to increase the opening of the variable throttle valve 60.

[0079] When the opening of the variable throttle valve 60 is increased, the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the flow control valve 157 increases, increasing the output torque of the swing hydraulic motor 21, and the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the flow control valve 153 decreases, decreasing the cylinder output of the boom cylinder 7. In this way, when the work being performed by the excavator is material handling, tree felling, or the like, the control unit 31 adjusts the flow rate of hydraulic oil so as to increase the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21, which is used more frequently in the work, thereby increasing the output torque.

[0080] As described above, by changing the opening of the variable throttle valve 60 in accordance with the work being performed by the excavator and changing the flow rate distribution of the hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21 and the boom cylinder 7 as hydraulic actuators, it is possible to obtain the output required for the work without waste.

[0081] 7 is a diagram illustrating a time chart of the lever operation amount and the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuator. The graphs shown in Fig. 7 show, from top to bottom, the pilot pressure adjusted by operation of the swing lever, the pilot pressure adjusted by operation of the boom operation lever, the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21, and the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the boom cylinder 7.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the work of the shovel is crushing stone or civil engineering, the variable throttle valve 60 is controlled to reduce the flow rate to the swing hydraulic motor 21 and increase the flow rate to the boom cylinder 7. When the work of the shovel is material handling or tree felling, the variable throttle valve 60 is controlled to increase the flow rate to the swing hydraulic motor 21 and decrease the flow rate to the boom cylinder 7.

[0083] Therefore, the maximum value of the hydraulic oil flow rate to the swing hydraulic motor 21 is greater when the shovel is performing material handling and tree cutting than when the shovel is performing stone crushing and civil engineering. Conversely, the maximum value of the hydraulic oil flow rate to the boom cylinder 7 is greater when the shovel is performing stone crushing and civil engineering than when the shovel is performing material handling and tree cutting.

[0084] In this way, the control unit 31 changes the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21 and the boom cylinder 7 based on the judgment result by the judgment unit 32, thereby optimizing the flow rate distribution of hydraulic oil according to the work being performed by the excavator and making it possible to obtain the necessary output for each work without waste.

[0085] In this embodiment, the hydraulic drive circuit is configured to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the swing hydraulic motor 21, but the hydraulic drive circuit may also be configured to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil to other hydraulic actuators. For example, variable throttle valves may be provided in each section of the hydraulic drive circuit to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil to the boom cylinder 7, arm cylinder 8, and bucket cylinder 9, and the control section 31 may control the opening degree of each variable throttle valve.

[0086] The control unit 31 may change the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R based on the determination result by the determination unit 32.

[0087] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the pump pressure and pump flow rate in the main pumps 12L, 12R. In this embodiment, the excavator is provided with a first work mode that prioritizes speed and power, a second work mode that prioritizes fuel efficiency, and a third work mode that is suitable for fine operation. Each work mode is set by adjusting the pump flow rate relative to the pump pressure in the main pumps 12L, 12R, so that the output horsepower is in the order of first work mode > second work mode > third work mode.

[0088] The control unit 31 sets a predetermined work mode according to the work of the shovel determined by the determination unit 32, and changes the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R. For example, the control unit 31 sets the first work mode when the work of the shovel is crushing stone or civil engineering, sets the second work mode when the work is material handling or tree felling, and sets the third work mode when the work is other than that. In this way, the control unit 31 sets a predetermined work mode according to the work of the shovel, such as setting the first work mode when high output horsepower is required depending on the work content, or setting the third work mode when the work can be done with low output horsepower.

[0089] The control unit 31 controls the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R, for example, by sending a control signal corresponding to the work mode to the regulators 13L, 13R and adjusting the swash plate tilt angle to increase or decrease the discharge rate. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 31 may also control the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R by sending a control signal corresponding to the work mode to the engine 11 and adjusting the engine speed.

[0090] In this way, by setting a work mode according to the work to be performed by the excavator and controlling the output horsepower of the main pumps 12L, 12R, it is possible to optimize the control of the hydraulic actuators without outputting more horsepower than is necessary for the work.

[0091] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0092] This application also claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-256682, filed on December 28, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Undercarriage 3 Upper rotating body 4. Boom 5 Arm 6 buckets 7 Boom cylinder 8 Arm Cylinder 9 Bucket cylinder 11 Engine 12L, 12R main pump 13L, 13R regulator 30 Controllers 31 Control Unit 32 Judgment section 33 Storage section S4 Left side view camera S5 right side camera S6 rear camera S8 Positioning Device

Claims

1. 1. A work site discrimination system that discriminates a work site where a shovel is present, the shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a positioning device for acquiring the location of the excavator; and a controller that determines, based on the positioning result by the positioning device and stored geographic information, whether the work site where the shovel is located is a first work site where work is performed by the shovel equipped with a first end attachment, or a second work site where work is performed by the shovel equipped with a second end attachment different from the first end attachment. Workplace discrimination system.

2. The shovel includes a hydraulic actuator, The controller controls the hydraulic actuator based on the determination. The work site discrimination system according to claim 1 .

3. 1. A work site discrimination system that discriminates a work site where a shovel is present, the shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a positioning device for acquiring the location of the excavator; a controller that determines a work site where the excavator is located based on a positioning result by the positioning device and stored geographic information, The shovel includes a plurality of hydraulic actuators, the controller controls the flow rate distribution of the hydraulic oil to each of the plurality of hydraulic actuators based on the determination. Workplace discrimination system.

4. 1. A work site discrimination system that discriminates a work site where a shovel is present, the shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a positioning device for acquiring the location of the excavator; a controller that determines a work site where the excavator is located based on a positioning result by the positioning device and stored geographic information, a device for acquiring an image of a work site where the excavator is located, The controller determines a feature amount in an image acquired by a device for acquiring an image of a work site where the shovel is located, and the controller determines a work site where the shovel is located based on the positioning result obtained by the positioning device, the stored geographic information, and the feature amount; and the feature amount used by the controller for the determination is a feature amount based on the shape of an object; Workplace discrimination system.

5. An image processing system for a work site that determines the content of work performed by a shovel having a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a camera for acquiring an image of a work site where the excavator is located; a controller that calculates a feature amount in the image acquired by the camera, the camera is an imaging device that acquires an image of the periphery of the shovel, and is attached to the left side, right side, or rear side of the upper rotating body of the shovel, the calculated feature amount is a feature amount related to an image of a work site that does not include an image of the shovel, the controller determines the details of the work performed by the shovel based on the calculated feature amount and feature amount data stored in a storage unit. Image processing system for the workplace.

6. The work performed by the shovel includes excavation.

6. The image processing system for a work site according to claim 5.

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