Measurement System

Abstract

To provide a measurement system with which it is possible to identify the position of a work machine and a direction in which the work machine is oriented, even in a place where signals from GPS satellites cannot be received.SOLUTION: Provided is a measurement system 1 for identifying the position of a work machine 3 and a direction in which the work machine 3 is oriented, the measurement system comprising a survey instrument 2 which is disposed at a position away from the work machine 3 and a target 4 which is mounted to the work machine 3. The survey instrument 2 includes a laser oscillator 2B that oscillates laser light, and the target 4 includes a detection unit 4D that detects the incidence direction of the laser light oscillated from the laser oscillator 2B. The measurement system 1 includes a position identification unit that identifies the position of the target 4 on the basis of the distance and angle between the survey instrument 2 and the target 4 that are measured by the survey instrument 2, and a direction identification unit that identifies the direction in which the work machine is oriented, on the basis of the incidence direction of the laser light that is detected by the detection unit 4D of the target 4 and the longitudinal and lateral positional relationship of the work machine 1 with regard to the incidence direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement system for determining the position of a work machine and the direction in which said work machine is facing. [Background technology]

[0002] Various measurement systems have been used to determine the position of a work machine and the direction in which the work machine is facing, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below.

[0003] The "method and apparatus for determining the position and orientation of a work machine" described in Patent Document 1 below comprises an undercarriage, a vehicle body rotatably connected to the undercarriage, a receiver connected to the vehicle body, a positioning system that determines the position of the receiver in three-dimensional space, the positioning system that determines the position of the receiver at a plurality of points along an arc, and a processor that determines the position and orientation of the vehicle body according to the positions of the plurality of points.

[0004] The "position measurement system for traveling construction machinery" described in Patent Document 2 listed below is a system in which a hydraulic excavator is equipped with angle sensors that detect the boom angle, arm angle, and bucket angle, an inclination sensor that detects the fore-and-aft inclination angle of the upper rotating body, two GPS antennas and a GPS receiver, a radio that receives correction data from a reference station via a radio antenna, a radio antenna that transmits position data, and a panel computer, and calculates the position of the tip of the hydraulic excavator's bucket (monitoring point) based on the position data from the GPS receiver and the angle data from the various sensors. This system is said to be able to identify the direction of the vehicle and measure the position of the monitoring point no matter what working state the construction machinery is in or what type of construction machinery it is. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special table flat 9-500700 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2002-310652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the "method and device for determining the position and direction of a work machine" described in Patent Document 1 requires the vehicle to be turned in order to identify the direction of the work machine. If the work machine moves frequently, the vehicle must be turned every time the work machine is moved, which is time-consuming and causes delays in construction work.

[0007] The "position measurement system for mobile construction machinery" described in Patent Document 2 does not require the vehicle body to be rotated, but because it uses a GPS antenna, it cannot be used in places where signals from GPS satellites cannot be received (for example, inside tunnels).

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a measurement system that can determine the position of a work machine and the direction in which the work machine is facing, even in locations where GPS satellite signals cannot be received. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the following aspects can be adopted. (First aspect) 1. A measurement system for determining a position of a work machine and a direction in which the work machine is facing, comprising: a surveying instrument disposed at a position remote from the work machine; a target mounted on the work machine; The surveying equipment is a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam from the surveying instrument toward the target; The target is a detection unit that detects the incident direction of the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator of the surveying instrument, The measurement system includes: a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the target based on the distance and angle between the surveying instrument and the target measured by the surveying instrument; a direction identification unit that identifies the direction in which the work machine is facing based on the incident direction of the laser light detected by the target detection unit and the front-rear and left-right positional relationship of the work machine with respect to the incident direction; A measurement system comprising:

[0010] (Action and effect) In this aspect, the surveying instrument measures the distance and angle between the surveying instrument and the target, and the position identifying unit identifies the position of the target based on the measurement results. Also, the detection unit detects the incident direction of the laser light, and the direction identifying unit identifies the direction in which the work machine is facing based on the detected incident direction and the front-to-back and left-to-right positional relationship of the work machine with respect to that incident direction.

[0011] The measurement system of this aspect as described above does not use GPS satellite signals as in Patent Document 2, and therefore can identify the position of a work machine and the direction in which the work machine is facing even in places where GPS satellite signals cannot be received (for example, inside a tunnel during construction).Of course, the measurement system of this aspect can also be used in places where GPS satellite signals can be received (for example, construction sites for various facilities), so the measurement system of this aspect has the advantage that it can be used in a variety of places without being limited to specific locations.

[0012] Furthermore, since there is no need to interrupt construction work and turn the vehicle body every time the work machine is moved, as in Patent Document 1, the efficiency of construction work can be improved.

[0013] If the position of the work machine and the direction it is facing can be determined as described above, it will be possible to detect the position of the work part (for example, the rod of a hydraulic breaker) located in front of the work machine, allowing the progress of the work to be grasped in real time and for changes to the work content (for example, changing the excavation part) to be made appropriately.

[0014] (Second aspect) The detection unit a light receiving lens disposed facing upward; The measurement system according to the first aspect, further comprising: a light receiving unit provided below the light receiving lens, which receives the laser light oscillated from the laser oscillator.

[0015] (Action and effect) The positional relationship between the surveying instrument and the target changes every time the work machine moves. Even when such a change in positional relationship occurs, it is necessary to reliably receive the laser light emitted from the surveying instrument toward the target. Therefore, in the second aspect, by positioning the light-receiving lens facing upward, it is possible to receive the laser light even when the positional relationship between the surveying instrument and the target changes in various ways. In addition, by providing a light-receiving unit (e.g., a light-receiving element) below the light-receiving lens, it is possible to easily detect the direction of incidence of the laser light entering from the ultra-wide-angle lens.

[0016] Since various types of light receiving lenses and light receiving elements as described above are commercially available, there is an advantage in that initial costs can be reduced.

[0017] (Third aspect) The detection unit a light receiving lens disposed facing upward; The measurement system of the first aspect, further comprising: a camera provided below the light receiving lens.

[0018] (Action and effect) The advantage of using a light-receiving lens is as described in the second embodiment. This embodiment is characterized by using a camera below the light-receiving lens. By capturing an image of the laser light incident on the light-receiving lens with the camera, the incident direction of the laser light can be easily detected. Note that there are various commercially available cameras, which has the advantage of reducing initial costs.

[0019] (Fourth aspect) The detection unit The measurement system according to the first aspect, further comprising a light receiving unit in which a photoreceptor for receiving the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator is arranged in a cylindrical shape.

[0020] (Action and effect) The measurement system of the fourth aspect differs from the second and third aspects in that it is capable of detecting the incident direction of laser light without using an ultra-wide-angle lens.

[0021] Specifically, a photodetector (e.g., a photodetector element) is arranged in a cylindrical shape, and it is possible to infer that the laser light is emitted from the direction of the part where the laser light hits. With this configuration, the incident direction of the laser light can be easily detected without using an ultra-wide-angle lens.

[0022] (Fifth aspect) The target is a reflecting section that reflects the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator to the surveying instrument, The measurement system includes: a spectroscopic element is provided between the laser oscillator and the target; The measurement system of the first aspect is configured such that the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator is split by the spectroscopic element, and the split laser light is incident on the detection unit and the reflection unit, respectively.

[0023] (Action and effect) This embodiment is characterized in that the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator is split by a splitting element, and the split laser light is then incident on the detection unit and the reflection unit, respectively. By using the splitting element in this way, only one laser oscillator is required, which reduces the initial cost compared to when two laser oscillators are used. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The measurement system according to the present invention makes it possible to identify the position of a work machine and the direction in which the work machine is facing, even in places where GPS satellite signals cannot be received. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 shows a measurement system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing an example of a distance measuring device used in the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a target used in the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a detection unit. [Figure 5] (5-1) is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the detection unit, and (5-2) is an example of an image captured by a camera. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an outline of another embodiment of the detection unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a mode in which laser light is split into light beams. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] A preferred embodiment of the measurement system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and the drawings merely show one example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the content of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to this embodiment.

[0027] (Measurement System 1) 1 shows a measurement system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This measurement system 1 has a surveying instrument 2 and a target 4 attached to a work machine 3.

[0028] (Work machine 3) The type of work machine 3 is not particularly limited, but Fig. 1 shows a hydraulic breaker as the work machine 3. As the work machine 3 other than a hydraulic breaker, a slewing work machine such as a backhoe, twin header, or crane truck may be used, or a non-slewing work machine such as a crawler carrier, wheel loader, or bulldozer may be used.

[0029] The work machine 3 (hydraulic breaker) shown in Figure 1 has a running body 3A that is mounted below the work machine 3 and is used to move the work machine 3, a rotating body 3B that is mounted above the running body 3A and rotates relative to the running body 3A, and a boom 5A, arm 5B, and rod 5C (chisel, chisel) that are mounted in front of the rotating body 3B and are movable up and down and in the front-to-rear directions (can be raised and lowered). Tilt sensors 6A, 6B, and 6C are attached to the boom 5A, arm 5B, and rod 5C, respectively, so that the tilt angles of the members 5A, 5B, and 5C can be detected.

[0030] Furthermore, by using this measurement system to identify the position (coordinates) of the work machine 3 and the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing, and at the same time detecting the inclination angles of the boom 5A, arm 5B and rod 5C using inclination sensors 6A, 6B and 6C, it is possible to identify the position (coordinates) of the part on which the work machine 3 is working (referred to as the "working part"; in the example of Figure 1, the tip part TP of the rod 5C).

[0031] (Surveying equipment 2) As shown in Figure 1, the surveying instrument 2 is installed at a position away from the work machine 3. This surveying instrument 2 is installed behind the work machine 3 (towards the tunnel entrance). There are no restrictions on the installation position of the surveying instrument 2, but it is preferable to install the surveying instrument 2 on the upper side wall of the tunnel cross section so that measurements are not obstructed by other work machines or the like present inside the tunnel (so that the laser light, described below, is not blocked by those work machines or the like).

[0032] The type of the surveying instrument 2 is not particularly limited, but for example, one having a distance measuring instrument (e.g., an optical distance meter) 2A, a laser beam oscillator 2B, and an angle measuring instrument (e.g., a theodolite or a transit) 2C can be used. As shown in Fig. 1, a total station in which the distance measuring instrument 2A and the angle measuring instrument 2C are integrated may be used, or the surveying instrument 2 may be a total station to which a first laser oscillator 2Ba is later attached.

[0033] An example of a surveying instrument 2 is shown in Figure 2. The surveying instrument 2 shown in Figure 2 is slightly different from the surveying instrument 1 shown in Figure 1, but has the same basic structure. This surveying instrument 2 has a distance measuring instrument 2A that measures the distance between the surveying instrument 2 and a target 4, an angle measuring instrument 2C that measures a certain (existing) angle of the target 4 with the surveying instrument 2 as the reference, and a laser beam oscillator 2B that emits a laser beam toward the target 4.

[0034] The angle measuring instrument 2C has a vertical angle measuring unit 2Ca that measures the angle in the vertical direction VT (referred to as the "vertical angle") and a horizontal angle measuring unit 2Cb that measures the angle in the horizontal direction HT (referred to as the "horizontal angle"). The vertical angle measuring unit 2Ca in FIG. 2 is provided inside the vertical part of the frame 2G, to the side of the objective lens 2E for viewing the target 4, while the horizontal angle measuring unit 2Cb in FIG. 2 is provided below the objective lens 2E, inside the horizontal part of the frame 2G (the frame 2G is located behind the operation display unit 2D that displays various operations and settings of the surveying instrument 2). The objective lens 2E is adjusted so that it views the reflecting portion 4A of the target 4, and the angles (vertical angle and horizontal angle) at that time are measured by the vertical angle measuring unit 2Ca and the horizontal angle measuring unit 2Cb.

[0035] The distance measuring instrument 2A has an objective lens 2E for viewing the reflecting portion 4A of the target 4, and a laser oscillator 2B that emits laser light toward the reflecting portion 4A of the target 4. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the surveying instrument 2 is provided with two laser oscillators 2B, specifically a first laser oscillator 2Ba that emits laser light toward the detecting portion 4D of the target 4, and a second laser oscillator 2Bb that emits laser light toward the reflecting portion 4A of the target 4. The laser light emitted from the second laser oscillator 2Bb is reflected by the reflecting portion 4A of the target 4, and the reflected laser light (referred to as "reflected light") reaches the reflected light receiving portion 2F of the distance measuring instrument 2A (in the surveying instrument of FIG. 2, the reflected light receiving portion 2F is provided inside the objective lens 2E). Then, the distance between the distance measuring device 2A and the target 4 is calculated based on the time it takes for the laser light to be emitted from the second laser oscillator 2Bb and for the reflected light to reach the reflected light receiving section 2F of the distance measuring device 2A.

[0036] As described above, the surveying instrument 2A in FIG. 2 is also provided with the first laser oscillator 2Ba that emits a laser beam toward the detection unit 4D of the target 4.

[0037] (Target 4) A target 4 is attached to the work machine 3. In the first embodiment of Figure 1, one target 4 is provided on the upper rear surface of the revolving body 3B of the work machine 3. There are no particular restrictions on the attachment position of this target 4, but it is preferably provided in a position where it is easy to receive the laser light emitted from the surveying instrument 2. In other words, it is preferable to determine the attachment position of the target 4 so that no blocking object gets between the surveying instrument 2 and the target 4, and in Figure 1, it is provided in a position slightly rearward of the center of the revolving body 3B.

[0038] The type of target 4 is not particularly limited, but the target 4 shown in the first embodiment of Fig. 1 has a reflecting unit 4A that receives laser light emitted from the distance measuring device 2A and reflects the received laser light toward the distance measuring device 2A, and a detecting unit 4D that detects the incident direction of the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 2B. In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the target 4 has a box 4C placed on the upper rear wall surface of the work machine 3, a reflecting unit 4A placed on the top surface of the box 4C, and a detecting unit 4D provided above the reflecting unit 4A. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the box 4C is provided as a so-called bottom raising member to raise the positions of the reflecting unit 4A and the detecting unit 4D so that the target 4 can easily receive the laser light, but the box 4C may be omitted as in the modified example shown in Fig. 3.

[0039] The target 4 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3 is provided with a reflecting prism as the reflecting portion 4A. The reflecting portion 4A is not limited to a reflecting prism, but may be, for example, a mirror stretched in all directions of 360 degrees, or a reflective sheet (for example, product name: 3M (registered trademark) Diamond Grade (registered trademark) DG 3 Ultra-high brightness reflective sheet (wide-angle prism type full cube DG2090) can be used.

[0040] The detector 4D in the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4 is provided with a light-receiving lens 4L that curves toward the top of the tunnel. It is preferable to use an ultra-wide-angle lens with a wide angle of view as the light-receiving lens 4L, and even more preferable to use a fisheye lens, which has a particularly wide angle of view, among ultra-wide-angle lenses. Figures 1, 3, and 4 show an example in which a fisheye lens 4L is used as the light-receiving lens 4L. While a commonly used fisheye lens with a field of view of approximately 180 degrees can be used as the fisheye lens 4L, a wider field of view is preferable to facilitate reception of the laser light emitted from the first laser oscillator 2Ba. For example, a lens with a field of view of 220 degrees is more preferable. If the mounting position of the surveying instrument 2 can be adjusted to ensure that the light waves and laser light reach the detector 4D, an inexpensive fisheye lens with a field of view of less than 180 degrees may also be used.

[0041] 1, 3, and 4, a light receiving section 4B (also referred to as a "laser light receiving section"; the same applies hereinafter) is provided below the light receiving lens 4L. A light receiving element (e.g., CCD, CMOS, etc.) can be used as this light receiving section 4B.

[0042] (Relationship between laser oscillator and target) As described above, the target 4 has a reflecting section 4A that reflects the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 2B to the surveying instrument 2, and the laser oscillator 2B has a first laser oscillator 2Ba that emits laser light to the detecting section 4D of the target 4, and a second laser oscillator 2Bb that emits laser light to the reflecting section 4A of the target 4. In this case, it is preferable that the path LA1 of the laser light emitted from the first laser oscillator 2Ba and the path LA2 of the laser light emitted from the second laser oscillator 2Bb are approximately parallel to each other.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, by making the distance H1 in the vertical direction VT between the center part of the first laser oscillator 2Ba and the center part of the second laser oscillator 2Bb, and the distance H2 in the vertical direction VT between the center part of the detection unit 4D (a fisheye lens in the example of Figure 3) and the center part of the reflection unit 4A (a prism in the example of Figure 3) approximately the same, it is possible to make each path LA (LA1 and LA2) of the laser light approximately parallel.

[0044] If they are not approximately parallel, when adjustment is made so that the laser light oscillated from the first laser oscillator 2Ba enters the detection unit 4D, there is a possibility that the laser light oscillated from the second laser oscillator 2Bb will not strike the reflection unit 4A. Alternatively, when adjustment is made so that the laser light oscillated from the second laser oscillator 2Bb strikes the reflection unit 4A, there is a possibility that the laser light oscillated from the first laser oscillator 2Ba will not strike the detection unit 4D. By making them approximately parallel, the above-mentioned problems can be prevented from occurring.

[0045] (Measurement procedure) Next, we will explain the procedure for measuring the position of the work machine 3 using the measurement system 1. First, the three-dimensional coordinate data (X1, Y1, Z1) of the position where the surveying instrument 2 is attached is input into the computer 9 in advance.

[0046] The computer 9 is installed at a location away from the surveying instrument 2 and the target 4, and information measured by the surveying instrument 2 (the distance and angle between the surveying instrument 2 and the target 4 measured by the surveying instrument 2) and information regarding the incident direction of the laser light detected by the target 4 are transmitted wirelessly (or by wire) to a receiver 14 of the computer 9. The surveying instrument 2 and the target 4 are provided with a transmitter (not shown).

[0047] This computer 9 has an arithmetic processing unit 11 that performs various calculations, and a monitor 10 that displays the results of these calculations, etc. This arithmetic processing unit 11 has a position identification unit 12 that identifies the position of the target 4 based on the distance and angle between the surveying instrument 2 and the target 4 measured by the surveying instrument 2, and a direction identification unit 13 that identifies the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing based on the incident direction of the laser light detected by the detection unit 4D of the target 4 and the positional relationship of the work machine 3 in the front, back, left and right directions relative to that incident direction.

[0048] (Measurement of distance) For example, as shown in Figure 1, with a target 4 attached to work equipment 3 and a surveying instrument 2 installed at a position away from work machine 3, laser light (light waves) is emitted from distance measuring device 2A of surveying instrument 2 to reflector 4A of target 4. The laser light emitted from distance measuring device 2A is received by reflector 4A and then reflected and returns to distance measuring device 2A. In this way, the time it takes for the laser light emitted from distance measuring device 2A to return to distance measuring device 2A is measured, and the distance between distance measuring device 2A and target 4 is calculated and determined based on the measured time information.

[0049] (Angle measurement) The reflective portion 4A of the target 4 is collimated with the angle measuring device 2C of the surveying instrument 2, and the objective lens 2E of the angle measuring device 2C is rotated horizontally and vertically to measure the horizontal and vertical angles of the target 4 relative to the surveying instrument 2.

[0050] (Identifying the coordinates of target 4) The above measurement results are sent to a computer, and the three-dimensional coordinates (X2, Y2, Z2) of the target 4 are determined. Note that, since the three-dimensional coordinates of the target 4 change when the work machine 3 moves, it is preferable to set the surveying instrument 2 to automatically track the target 4.

[0051] (Identifying the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing) Simultaneously with measuring the distance or angle, or before or after measuring the distance or angle, the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing is measured. The first laser oscillator 2Ba of the surveying instrument 2 and the detection unit 4D of the target 4 are used to identify the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing.

[0052] Specifically, a laser beam LA1 is emitted from the first laser oscillator 2Ba toward the light-receiving lens 4L (a fisheye lens in the examples of Figures 1, 3, and 4; hereinafter, the fisheye lens will be used as an example) of the detection unit 4D, and this laser beam LA1 enters the fisheye lens 4L. Upon entering the fisheye lens 4L, the laser beam LA1 is refracted at a predetermined angle by the fisheye lens 4L and then received by the light-receiving unit 4B located below the fisheye lens 4L. The light-receiving unit 4B shown in Figure 4 has multiple light-receiving elements arranged in a plane. By detecting which light-receiving element receives the laser beam LA1, the incident direction of the laser beam LA1 can be determined. By determining the incident direction of this laser beam LA1, the direction in which the surveying instrument 2 is located relative to the target 4 can be determined.

[0053] The positional relationship between the light receiving unit 4B and the work machine 3 in the fore-and-aft direction is determined in advance as an initial setting before starting the task of identifying the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 4, it is determined in advance that the front FS of the work machine 3 is on the right side of Fig. 4, the rear BS of the work machine 3 is on the left side of Fig. 4, the right side RS of the work machine 3 is on the foreground of Fig. 4, and the left side of the work machine 3 is on the background of Fig. 4.

[0054] Then, based on information on the predetermined positional relationship between the light receiving unit 4B and the work machine 3 in the fore-and-aft direction, and information on the incident direction of the laser light LA1, the direction in which the work machine 3 (for example, the front part of the work machine 3) is facing is identified.

[0055] (Determining the position of the working part TP of the work machine 3) The position of the working part TP of the work machine 3 can be identified from the three-dimensional coordinates of the target 4 identified in the above manner (i.e. the three-dimensional coordinates X2, Y2, Z2 of the work machine 3) and the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing. The working part TP of the work machine 3 refers to the part where construction work is actually performed, for example, if the work machine 3 is a hydraulic breaker, it refers to the tip of the rod 5C, if the work machine 3 is a backhoe, it refers to the tip of the bucket, or if a cutter is provided at the tip of the work machine 3, it refers to the tip of the cutter.

[0056] When identifying the three-dimensional position of the working part TP of this work machine 3, in addition to data on the three-dimensional coordinates (X2, Y2, Z2) of the work machine 3 and data on the direction (azimuth) in which the work machine 3 is facing, this can be determined using angle data from inclination sensors 6A, 6B, 6C attached to the boom 5A, arm 5B, and rod 5C respectively, and data on the work machine 3 itself, such as the lengths of the boom 5A, arm 5B, and rod 5C. In this case, it is also advisable to use information on where the target 4 was installed on the work machine 3 and information on the lengths of each part of the work machine 3.

[0057] (Other Example 1) Unlike the above embodiment, a camera 4E may be used in the detection unit 4D. An example of a configuration using a camera 4E is shown in FIG. 5 (5-1). The camera 4E is installed below the light receiving lens 4L, and is positioned so as to capture an image of the inner part of the light receiving lens 4L. Generally, a light receiving element 4B is also present inside the camera 4E.

[0058] An example of an image captured by the camera 4E in Figure 5(5-1) is shown in Figure 5(5-2). In this mode, the center point LC of the laser spot LP captured in the image is found, and it is determined that the surveying instrument 2 is located on an extension of the center point LC.

[0059] The images acquired in this manner are likely to contain information about the front, back, left and right of the work machine 3 (for example, the boom 5A of the work machine 3), and it is determined that the direction in which the boom 5A is visible is the front of the work machine 3. In this way, the orientation of the work machine 3 (the direction in which the work machine 3 is facing) can be easily determined from the images captured by the camera 4E.

[0060] Depending on the position at which the target 4 is attached to the work machine 3, it is possible that landmarks such as the boom 5A (marks indicating the forward and backward directions of the work machine 3) may not appear in the image captured by the camera 4E. Possible reasons for not capturing landmarks include, for example, when the boom 5A of the work machine 3 and the target 4 are significantly far apart, when there is an obstacle between the boom 5A of the work machine 3 and the target 4, or when the angle of view of the light receiving lens 4L is narrow. In such cases, desired preparations can be made before starting measurement, such as by marking the position in front of the work machine 3 (the position at which the boom 5A is located) on the light receiving lens 4L in advance, or by confirming and storing in advance during the initial setup stage that the boom 5A is located at a specific position FP (the right side in the example of Figure 5 (5-2)) in the image captured by the camera 4E.

[0061] (Other Example 2) In the embodiments of Figures 1 and 3 to 5, examples are shown in which a light-receiving lens 4L is used in the detection unit 4D, but the present invention is not limited to the use of a light-receiving lens 4L. For example, as shown in Figure 6, a detection unit 4D equipped with a cylindrical light-receiving unit 4B may be used. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the light-receiving elements are arranged to cover the entire outer surface of the cylindrical tube, so that the laser light LA1 can be received regardless of the direction from which the laser light LA1 is incident within 360 degrees. Although the embodiment shown in Figure 6 illustrates a cylindrical shape, the cylindrical shape can be changed as desired, such as a rectangular cylindrical shape. However, it is preferable to arrange the light-receiving elements over the entire 360 ​​degrees so that the laser light LA1 incident from various directions can be received.

[0062] Note that the process of determining the longitudinal positional relationship between the light receiving unit 4B and the work machine 3 in advance, and identifying the direction in which the work machine 3 (for example, the front part of the work machine 3) is facing based on information on the predetermined longitudinal positional relationship between the light receiving unit 4B and the work machine 3 and information on the incident direction of the laser light LA1 is the same as that described in Figure 4, so explanation will be omitted.

[0063] (Other Example 3) Although the measurement system 1 in FIG. 1 uses two laser oscillators 2Ba and 2Bb, as shown in FIG. 7, only one laser oscillator 2B may be provided. In this case, a spectroscopic element 7 is preferably provided between the laser oscillator 2B and the target 4. This spectroscopic element 7 is not particularly limited, but for example, a half mirror that transmits approximately half of the laser light and reflects approximately half of the laser light can be used. In the embodiment in FIG. 7, the half mirror 7 is disposed between the laser oscillator 2B and the reflector 4A and tilted in a predetermined direction (diagonally left in FIG. 7). Also in the embodiment in FIG. 7, a guide mirror 8 is provided above the half mirror 7 and in front of the detector 4D to reflect the split laser light and guide it to the detector 4D. This guide mirror 8 is also disposed and tilted in a predetermined direction (diagonally left in FIG. 7).

[0064] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 2B of the surveying instrument 2 (not shown in Fig. 7) passes through one path LA3 until it reaches the spectroscopic element 7, where it is split, and part of the split laser light passes through path LA3a and reaches the reflecting unit 4A. On the other hand, the other part of the split laser light passes through path LA3b and reaches the detecting unit 4D.

[0065] Since laser light is incident on the target 4 from various directions, it is preferable to arrange the spectroscopic member 7 and the guidance mirror 8 so that they surround the target 4 360 degrees. The positions of the spectroscopic member 7 and the guidance mirror 8 in FIG. 7 can be changed as desired. For example, the laser oscillator 2B may be provided in front of the detection unit 4D, the spectroscopic member 7 may be placed between the laser oscillator 2B and the detection unit 4D, and the guidance mirror 8 may be placed below the spectroscopic member 7 and in front of the reflection unit 4A. Furthermore, by changing the installation angle or installation position of the spectroscopic member 7, it is possible to eliminate the need for the guidance mirror 8.

[0066] (effect) According to the above-described embodiment, as described in Patent Document 1, the task of rotating the rotating body 3B to identify the direction of the work machine 3 is no longer necessary. In particular, when digging the ground of a tunnel and forming an inverted arch-shaped concrete wall (invert) to improve the durability of the tunnel, the work machine 3, such as a backhoe or hydraulic breaker, must be moved frequently. However, rotating the rotating body 3B every time the work machine 3 is moved is labor-intensive and significantly delays the construction. Therefore, by using this measurement system 1, which can eliminate the need to rotate the rotating body 3B, the construction period can be shortened.

[0067] Furthermore, since the position is not detected using GPS as described in Patent Document 2, it has the advantage that it can be used for construction work inside tunnels where satellite radio waves cannot reach. Of course, this measurement system 1 can also be used in places other than tunnel construction where satellite radio waves can reach.

[0068] Furthermore, this measurement system 1 is a very simple system, as it can be measured with just one surveying instrument 2 and one target 4. As multiple surveying instruments 2 and targets 4 are not required, the initial cost is low, which is an advantage. Another advantage is that the calculations performed using one surveying instrument 2 and one target 4 are not complicated, which reduces the chance of errors.

[0069] Furthermore, by using this measurement system 1 to determine the position of the working part TP of the work machine 3 in real time, the progress of the work of the work machine 3 can be confirmed in real time, allowing tunnel excavation work and the like to be carried out appropriately.

[0070] Furthermore, if the surveying equipment 2 is set to automatically track the target 4, even if the work machine 3 moves or changes direction, new measurement data will be acquired in real time and the three-dimensional coordinate data and direction information of the work machine 3 will be updated, which has the advantage of making drift (a deviation in values ​​that occurs over time after the measurement target and conditions are fixed) less likely to occur. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1: Measurement system, 2: Surveying equipment, 2A: Distance measuring equipment (e.g., optical distance meter), 2B: Laser oscillator, 2Ba: First laser oscillator, 2Bb: Second laser oscillator, 2C: Angle measuring equipment (e.g., angle measuring instrument. Typical examples of angle measuring instruments include theodolites and transits.), 2Ca: Vertical angle measuring unit, 2Cb: Horizontal angle measuring unit, 2D: Display and operation unit, 2E: Objective lens, 2F: Reflected light receiving unit, 2G: Frame, 3: Work machine, 3A: Traveling body, 3B: Rotating body, 4: Target, 4A: Prism, 4B: Light receiving unit (laser light receiving unit) (e.g., light receiving element), 4C: Box, 4D: Detection unit, 4E: Camera, 4L: Light receiving lens (e.g., fisheye lens), 5A: Boom, 5B: Arm, 5C : Rod, 6A: Tilt sensor (attached to the boom), 6B: Tilt sensor (attached to the arm), 6C: Tilt sensor (attached to the rod), 7: Spectroscopic element, 8: Guidance mirror, 9: Computer, 10: Monitor, 11: Processing unit, 12: Position identification unit, 13: Direction identification unit, 14: Receiver, FP: Marker in front of the work equipment, LA: Path of laser light, LA1: Path of laser light emitted from the first laser oscillator, LA2: Path of laser light emitted from the second laser oscillator, LC: Laser point, LP: Center part (of the laser point), M1: First mirror, M2: Second mirror, TP: Working part (of the work equipment), HZ: Horizontal direction, VT: Vertical direction

Claims

1. 1. A measurement system for determining a position of a work machine and a direction in which the work machine is facing, comprising: a surveying instrument disposed at a position remote from the work machine; a target mounted on the work machine; The surveying equipment is a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam from the surveying instrument toward the target; The target is a reflecting section that reflects the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator to the surveying instrument, and a detecting section that is provided above the reflecting section and that detects the incident direction of the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator of the surveying instrument, the detection unit has a fisheye lens facing upward and having a field of view of 180 to 220 degrees, and detects the incident direction of the laser light incident on the fisheye lens; The measurement system includes: a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the target based on the distance and angle between the surveying instrument and the target, which are measured by receiving the laser light reflected by the reflecting unit with the surveying instrument; a direction identification unit that identifies the direction in which the work machine is facing based on the incident direction of the laser light detected by the target detection unit and the front-rear and left-right positional relationship of the work machine with respect to the incident direction; a spectroscopic element disposed between the laser oscillator and the target, A measurement system characterized in that the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator is split by the spectroscopic element, and a pair of split laser light beams are incident on the fisheye lens and the reflecting part of the detection unit, respectively, along parallel paths on the same plane.

2. 2. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the detection unit is provided below the fisheye lens and has a light receiving unit in which a plurality of light receiving elements that receive the laser light through the fisheye lens are arranged in a planar manner, and detects the incident direction of the laser light by detecting which light receiving element receives the laser light.

3. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit has a camera equipped with the fisheye lens and detects the incident direction of the laser light based on the position of the laser light in an image captured by the camera.

4. A measurement system as described in claim 1, wherein the spectroscopic element is arranged to surround the target 360 degrees.

5. A measurement system for determining the position of a work machine and the direction in which the work machine is facing, comprising: a surveying instrument disposed at a position remote from the work machine; a target mounted on the work machine; The surveying equipment is a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam from the surveying instrument toward the target; The target is a detection unit that detects the incident direction of the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator of the surveying instrument, the detection unit has a fisheye lens with a field of view of 180 to 220 degrees and disposed facing upward, and a camera equipped with the fisheye lens, and detects the incident direction of the laser light based on the position of the laser light in an image captured by the camera; The measurement system includes: a position specifying unit that specifies the position of the target based on the distance and angle between the surveying instrument and the target measured by the surveying instrument; a direction identification unit that identifies the direction in which the work machine is facing based on the incident direction of the laser light detected by the target detection unit and the front-rear and left-right positional relationship of the work machine with respect to the incident direction, The direction identification unit is configured to identify the direction in which the work machine is facing based on the incident direction of the laser light detected by the target detection unit and information on the front, back, left, and right of the work machine captured by the camera.

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