Machinery operation history collection and management system

Abstract

To make it possible to suppress enlargement of an error between an actual position and an estimated position and continuously accumulate operation history data, even if a work machine travels at the time of abnormality of GNSS and a position of a vehicle body cannot be measured.SOLUTION: An information processing controller 40 re-calculates positional information of a vehicle body 3 calculated by an inertial navigation method with a position of the vehicle body 3 before the vehicle body 3 starts moving as a first normal positioning start point A when the vehicle body 3 is moved, and thereby generates first estimated positional information of the vehicle body after the vehicle body is moved, re-calculates the first estimated positional information of the vehicle body 3 back to the first normal positioning start point A, with the position of the vehicle body 3 when the positional information acquisition device 20 is normally restored as a second normal positioning start point B, when the positional information acquisition device 20 is normally restored, and thereby generates second estimated positional information of the vehicle body 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation history collection and management system for a work machine that collects and manages operation history data collected by the work machine.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the field of work machines such as construction machines, an operation history collection and management system that collects and manages operation history data such as the position information of the work machine or the work implement in order to manage the operation history of the work machine has been widely used. By using this operation history collection and management system, as part of information-based construction, the position information of the work machine or the work implement is displayed on the guidance screen of a monitor installed in the cab of the work machine to provide a guidance device that supports the operator's operation, and an operation of a work machine such as a work implement can be automatically or semi-automatically controlled to provide a control device that supports the operator's operation.

[0003] By the way, in the operation history collection and management system, the position information of the work machine is detected using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, when the position information cannot be detected by GNSS, the position of the vehicle itself cannot be measured, and the accumulation (information-based construction) of operation history data such as the tip history cannot be continued.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for continuing the accumulation of operation history data even when the position information cannot be detected by GNSS.

[0005] Specifically, Patent Document 1 proposes a control system comprising a position information generation unit that operates in a first mode when GNSS positioning is normal, outputs position information detected by GNSS as position information related to the position of the work machine; a second mode when GNSS positioning is abnormal and the work machine is not moving, outputs position information obtained using both operation information detected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and the position of the intersection of the rotation center axis of the slewing body and the ground contact surface of the traveling device, which is the reference position of the work machine before GNSS positioning became abnormal; and a third mode when GNSS positioning is abnormal and the work machine is moving, and does not output position information; and a target value generation unit that determines the position of the work machine based on the position information obtained from the position information generation unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] Patent No. 6162807 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the control system described in Patent Document 1, if a malfunction occurs in the GNSS and the system is unable to determine its own position, and the work machine is not moving, in the second mode, the system can estimate the current reference position of the work machine using the operation information detected by the IMU and the reference position of the work machine before the GNSS malfunction (the position of the intersection of the rotational center axis of the slewing body and the ground contact surface of the travel device), thereby backing up its own position determination and continuing to accumulate operation history data.

[0008] However, when the work machine is moving, the position information generation unit operates in third mode and does not output position information. As a result, a discrepancy occurs between its current position (the actual position of the intersection of the rotational center axis of the rotating body and the ground contact surface) and the reference position before the GNSS malfunctioned (the position in the operation history data). On the other hand, the position information in the operation history data remains at the value just before the GNSS malfunctioned. Therefore, if the value of the position information in the operation history data is used as the estimated reference position, the error between the actual position and the estimated position will gradually increase.

[0009] When displaying location information on the guidance screen, if the error between the actual location and the estimated location widens, problems may arise such as reduced visibility for the operator due to the discrepancy between the actual operating status and the operating history data, or a decrease in the accuracy of position control of the work equipment tip, making it impossible to continue accurate information-based construction.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a machine operation history collection and management system that can collect operation history data with minimal deviation from the actual operating state, even when the machine is running during a GNSS malfunction and the position of the machine body cannot be determined, while suppressing the expansion of the error between the actual position and the estimated position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a work machine operation history collection management system comprising: a position information acquisition device for acquiring position information of a vehicle body; an inertial information acquisition device for acquiring inertial information of the vehicle body; and a controller for determining whether there is a malfunction in the position information acquisition device, and if the position information acquisition device is malfunctioning, calculating the position information of the vehicle body by inertial navigation using the inertial information of the vehicle body acquired by the inertial information acquisition device, wherein the controller (a) when the position information acquisition device is malfunctioning, determines whether the vehicle body has moved using the position information of the vehicle body calculated by inertial navigation, and (b) when the vehicle body has moved, calculates the position information of the vehicle body calculated by inertial navigation before the vehicle body started moving The aforementioned By recalculating the vehicle's position using the first normal positioning starting point, the position after the vehicle has moved can be determined. The aforementioned(c) When the position information acquisition device returns to normal, the first estimated position information of the vehicle body is generated, and when the position information acquisition device returns to normal The aforementioned Using the vehicle's position as the second normal positioning starting point, the first estimated position information of the vehicle is recalculated by working backward to the first normal positioning starting point. The aforementioned (d) The system generates a second estimated position information for the vehicle body, and stores the first estimated position information, the second estimated position information, and the vehicle body position information when the position information acquisition device is functioning correctly as operational history data.

[0012] In this way, the controller generates the first estimated position information of the vehicle after it has moved by recalculating the vehicle's position information calculated by inertial navigation, using the vehicle's position before it began moving as the first normal positioning starting point. When the position information acquisition device returns to normal, the controller generates the second estimated position information of the vehicle by recalculating the vehicle's position at the time the position information acquisition device returned to normal as the second normal positioning starting point, and working backward to the first normal positioning starting point. This suppresses the expansion of the error between the actual position and the estimated position, and allows for the accumulation of operational history data that does not deviate significantly from the actual operating state, even when the work machine is moving during a GNSS (position information acquisition device) malfunction and the vehicle's position cannot be determined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, even if a work machine is in motion during a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) malfunction and the position of the vehicle body cannot be determined, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the error between the actual position and the estimated position and accumulate operational history data that deviates little from the actual operating state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a hydraulic excavator, which is a representative example of a work machine equipped with the operational history collection and management system of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the overall system for collecting and managing the operating history of the work machinery in this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an overview of the processing functions of an information processing controller. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing the overall processing functions of an information processing controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing details of the operation history data accumulation and estimated position information generation process in step S150 of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing details of the estimated position information generation process in step S130A of FIG. 4. [Figure 7A] It is a diagram showing the amount of change in the vehicle body position. [Figure 7B] It is a diagram showing the polar coordinates used for calculating the amount of change in the vehicle body position. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining an example of setting the estimated position calculation count number. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of the estimated position information obtained by the processes of step S130-4 and step S130-5. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the overlapping section and the blank section between the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information generated according to the length of the GNSS undetected period after the vehicle body moves from the starting point A to the starting point B, and the concept of its correction. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of data management in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of a guidance screen displayed on a guidance device in an embodiment of the present invention. [[ID=�3]]

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0016] <First Embodiment> ~Working Machine~ FIG. 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator, which is a representative example of a working machine equipped with the operation history collection management system of the present invention.

[0017] In Figure 1, the hydraulic excavator 1 comprises a lower traveling body 2, an upper rotating body 3 that is rotatably mounted on top of the lower traveling body 2 and constitutes the vehicle body, and a multi-jointed front work implement 4 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as work implement) that is attached to the front of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

[0018] The lower running body 2 comprises a track frame 2a which serves as the base of the lower running body 2, a slewing wheel 2b installed on top of the track frame 2a, tracks 2c and 2d attached to the left and right sides of the track frame 2a, and left and right running motors 2e and 2f positioned on the inner rear of the tracks 2c and 2d.

[0019] The upper slewing body 3 comprises a slewing frame 3a which serves as the base of the upper slewing body 3, a slewing motor 3b located in the center of the slewing frame 3a, a cabin 3c located on the front left side of the slewing frame 3a, a counterweight 3d located at the rear of the slewing frame 3a, and an engine room 3e formed in front of the counterweight 3d of the slewing frame 3a. The work implement 4 is mounted on the front center of the slewing frame 3a so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.

[0020] The work machine 4 includes a boom 4a, an arm 4b, a bucket 4c, and a boom cylinder 4d, an arm cylinder 4e, and a bucket cylinder 4f, which drive the boom 4a, arm 4b, and bucket 4c, respectively.

[0021] ~Operational History Collection and Management System~ Figure 2 shows the overall structure of the machine operation history collection and management system in this embodiment.

[0022] In Figure 2, the operation history collection and management system 100 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1 includes a position information acquisition device 20 that acquires position information of the upper slewing body (vehicle body) 3, and an inertial information acquisition device 30 that acquires inertial information of the upper slewing body (vehicle body) 3 and the work equipment 4.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the position information acquisition device 20 includes GNSS antennas 20a and 20b mounted on the upper rotating body 3, a GNSS receiver 20c, and a radio 20d. The GNSS antennas 20a and 20b are two antennas installed on the upper part of the upper rotating body 3 for receiving satellite radio waves. The GNSS receiver 20c is installed behind the driver's seat in the cabin 3c and calculates the global position coordinates and azimuth angles of the GNSS antennas 20a and 20b. The radio 20d receives correction information necessary for the GNSS receiver 20c to perform high-precision position measurement. As shown in Figure 2, the inertial information acquisition device 30 includes an IMU (inertial measuring device) 30a provided on the slewing frame 3a of the upper slewing body 3, and IMUs (inertial measuring devices) 30b, 30c, and 30d provided on the boom 4a, arm 4b, and bucket 4c of the work machine 4. The inertial information acquired by the inertial information acquisition device 30 includes the angular velocity and acceleration of the upper slewing body 3 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle body 3") measured by the IMU (inertial measuring device) 30a, as well as the angle relative to the ground (attitude information) of the upper slewing body 3, and the angular velocity and acceleration of the boom 4a, arm 4b, and bucket 4c, respectively, as well as the angle relative to the ground (attitude information), measured by the IMUs (inertial measuring devices) 30b, 30c, and 30d.

[0024] The operation history collection and management system 100 also includes an information processing controller 40, as shown in Figure 1, which is installed behind the driver's seat in the cabin 3c of the upper rotating body 3 and performs various calculations and controls related to the hydraulic excavator 1. The information processing controller 40 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the controller) takes in position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 20 and attitude information acquired by the inertial information acquisition device 30, performs various calculations using this position information and inertial information, and causes the guidance device 50 to present (display) a guidance screen containing construction data to assist the operator of the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0025] Furthermore, the aforementioned position information acquisition device 20 may acquire position information not only through satellite positioning using GNSS and acquisition of position information using a compass, but also through self-position estimation using LiDAR.

[0026] Furthermore, the aforementioned inertial information acquisition device 30 may also be a potentiometer or inclinometer capable of measuring attitude, in addition to the IMU.

[0027] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the location information acquisition device 20 may be referred to as GNSS.

[0028] The information processing controller 40 performs the following processing in general terms.

[0029] First, the controller 40 determines whether there is a malfunction in the position information acquisition device 20. If the position information acquisition device 20 is malfunctioning, the controller 40 uses the inertial information of the vehicle body 3 acquired by the inertial information acquisition device 30 to calculate the position information of the vehicle body 3 by inertial navigation.

[0030] Furthermore, the controller 40 performs the following processing as a characteristic function. (a) When the position information acquisition device 20 is malfunctioning, it is determined whether the vehicle body 3 has moved using the position information of the vehicle body 3 calculated by inertial navigation, (b) When the vehicle body 3 moves, the position information of the vehicle body 3 calculated by inertial navigation is recalculated using the position of the vehicle body 3 before it started moving as the first normal positioning starting point A to generate the first estimated position information of the vehicle body after the vehicle body movement. (c) When the position information acquisition device 20 returns to normal, the position of the vehicle body 3 at the time the position information acquisition device 20 returns to normal is used as the second normal positioning starting point B, and the first estimated position information of the vehicle body 3 is recalculated by working backward to the first normal positioning starting point A to generate the second estimated position information of the vehicle body 3. (d) The first estimated position information, the second estimated position information, and the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning normally are stored as operation history data.

[0031] ~Information Processing Controller~ The processing functions of the information processing controller 40 will be explained in detail below using Figures 3 to 12.

[0032] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an overview of the processing functions of the controller 40.

[0033] The controller 40 includes a data acquisition unit 200, a movement amount calculation unit 300, a data management unit 400, and a location information generation unit 500.

[0034] The data acquisition unit 200 includes a position information acquisition unit 210 and an inertial information acquisition unit 220. The position information acquisition unit 210 takes in position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 20 while the work machine is in operation, and the inertial information acquisition unit 220 takes in inertial information acquired by the inertial information acquisition device 30 while the work machine is in operation.

[0035] The displacement calculation unit 300 includes an inertial navigation calculation unit 310. The inertial navigation calculation unit 310 uses the angular velocity and acceleration of the upper rotating body 3 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle body 3") measured by the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 30a, which are included in the inertial information acquired by the inertial information acquisition unit 220, to calculate the position information of the vehicle body 3 by inertial navigation. The displacement calculation unit 300 then uses this position information to calculate the displacement and displacement vector of the vehicle body 3.

[0036] More specifically, the inertial navigation calculation unit 310 integrates the angular velocity measured by the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 30a, performs coordinate transformation matrix calculations using the calculated angle, performs coordinate transformation matrix calculations using the acceleration measured by the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 30a, calculates the velocity from each coordinate transformation result, and then integrates that velocity to calculate the position. The position is calculated at predetermined time intervals. The displacement calculation unit 300 calculates the displacement and displacement vector of the vehicle body 3 at each position calculated by the inertial navigation calculation unit 310, using the deviation between the previous value and the current value.

[0037] The data management unit 400 includes a history management unit 410 and a data integration unit 420. The history management unit 410 stores and accumulates in a storage device (database) the position information and inertia information acquired by the data acquisition unit 200, the position information, movement amount, and movement vector of the vehicle body 3 calculated by the movement amount calculation unit, and various position information generated by the position information generation unit 500, as described later. The data integration unit 420 integrates the various position information generated by the position information generation unit 500 to generate continuous operation history data in a time series, and stores and accumulates it in a storage device (database).

[0038] The location information generation unit 500 includes a location information calculation unit 510, a vehicle movement determination unit 520, and a location information estimation and calculation unit 530.

[0039] The position information calculation unit 510 calculates the position information of the vehicle body 3 using the position information, inertial information, position information, movement amount, and movement vector acquired from the data acquisition unit 200 and the movement amount calculation unit 300 via the data management unit 400.

[0040] The vehicle movement determination unit 520 determines whether or not the vehicle body 3 has moved using the position information calculated by the position information calculation unit 510 (process (a) described above).

[0041] The position information estimation calculation unit 530 calculates the estimated position during the undetected period when the vehicle body 3 moves (processes (b) and (c) described above).

[0042] Furthermore, the data management unit 400 stores the estimated position as operational history data, distinguishing it from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly, thereby enabling the guidance device 50 to display the estimated position separately from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly (processing described in (d) above).

[0043] The guidance device 50 allows the operator to switch the display mode of the guidance screen, and the controller 40 generates corresponding position information in response to the mode instruction from the guidance device (monitor) 50 and displays it on the guidance device 50.

[0044] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the overall processing functions of the controller 40 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] In Figure 4, the controller 40 determines whether the work machine is operational in order to start the operation history collection management system, triggered by the power-on of the work machine (step S100).

[0046] If the controller 40 determines that the system is operational, it takes in the position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 20 and the inertial information acquired by the inertial information acquisition device 30 (step S110).

[0047] Next, the controller 40 determines whether there is any abnormality in the detected location information acquired by the location information acquisition device 20 (step S120), and determines whether there is any abnormality in the equipment of the location information acquisition device 20. If the detected location information is normal, the controller 40 generates location information (measured location information) for the vehicle body 3 from the detected location information (step S130), and stores the location information for the vehicle body 3 as operation history data via step S130A (described later) (step S150 (process A); step S153 in Figure 5).

[0048] If the controller 40 detects an abnormality in the position information acquisition device 20 and determines in step S120 that there is an abnormality in the acquired information, it uses the position of the vehicle body 3 calculated in the previous calculation cycle and the amount of vehicle body movement and movement vector calculated by the amount of movement calculation unit 300 to calculate the position of the vehicle body 3 by inertial navigation (step S140), and stores this position information as operation history data (step S150; step S153 in Figure 5).

[0049] In step S140, the position of the vehicle body 3 is calculated as follows, using the amount of vehicle body movement and the movement vector calculated by the amount of movement calculation unit 300.

[0050] First, the controller 40 calculates the position of the vehicle body 3 at predetermined intervals. Hereinafter, this predetermined interval will be referred to as a calculation cycle. In the first calculation cycle after entering step S140, the controller 40 uses the vehicle body position acquired from the position information acquisition device 20 in the previous calculation cycle (just before the position detection of the position information acquisition device 20 became abnormal) and the amount of vehicle body movement and movement vector calculated by the amount of movement calculation unit 300 to calculate the vehicle body position by inertial navigation. In the next calculation cycle, the vehicle body position is calculated using the vehicle body position calculated in the previous calculation cycle and the amount of vehicle body movement and movement vector calculated by the amount of movement calculation unit 300 in the current calculation cycle to calculate the vehicle body position by inertial navigation. The same calculation is repeated for each calculation cycle, and the position of the vehicle body 3 is calculated by inertial navigation at predetermined intervals.

[0051] Next, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0052] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the details of the operation history data storage and estimated location information generation process in step S150 of Figure 4.

[0053] In Figure 5, the controller 40 calculates the change between the previous and current values ​​of the vehicle position calculated and stored in steps S130 and S140 of Figure 4 (step S151), and determines whether the change is below a threshold (step S152). This process corresponds to the process described in (a) above. Here, the threshold is a value used to determine whether the vehicle 3 has moved, and is set to a value (distance) at which it can be determined that the vehicle 3 has moved within the calculation cycle period.

[0054] Figure 7A shows the change in vehicle position, and Figure 7B shows the polar coordinates used to calculate the change in vehicle position.

[0055] In Figure 7A, the previous value of the vehicle's position is shown as (x0, y0, z0), and the current value is shown as (x1, y1, z1). These values ​​are in a Cartesian coordinate system with latitude on the y-axis, longitude on the x-axis, and elevation on the z-axis. By converting these position coordinate values ​​to the polar coordinate system shown in Figure 7B, the change Δr (movement) can be calculated from the distance (r) between the previous and current values ​​of the vehicle's position. The polar coordinate system is defined in n-dimensional Euclidean space Rn and consists of one radial vector r and n-1 angles θ1…θn-1.

[0056] When performing a coordinate transformation from a Cartesian coordinate system to a polar coordinate system and calculating the distance, the following equations (1), (2), and (3) can be used.

[0057]

number

[0058]

number

[0059]

number

[0060] Returning to Figure 5, if the determination in step S152 indicates that the amount of change in the vehicle body position is below the threshold, the vehicle body 3 is stationary, and the controller 40 stores the vehicle body position calculated in steps S130 and S140 of Figure 4 as operation history data (step S153).

[0061] If the determination in step S152 indicates that the amount of change in the vehicle body position is greater than the threshold, the vehicle body 3 is moving, and the controller 40 further determines whether the determination result of the position information detection in step S120 was normal (step S154). If the determination result of the position information detection in step S120 was normal, the controller 40 stores the vehicle body position calculated in step S130 of Figure 4 as operation history data (step S153).

[0062] On the other hand, in step S154, if the result of the position information detection in step S120 is abnormal, the controller 40 determines that there is no continuity in the positioning and calculation of the vehicle body position, and recalculates the position information of the vehicle body 3 calculated by inertial navigation in step S140 of Figure 4, using the position of the vehicle body 3 before the vehicle body 3 started moving as the first normal positioning starting point A (first starting point A), thereby generating estimated position information of the vehicle body 3 (first estimated position information) during the period when the position information acquisition device 20 is not detected after the vehicle body has moved (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the GNSS undetected period) (step S155), and stores it as operation history data (step S153).

[0063] If the determination in step S120 indicates that the detected position information acquired by the position information acquisition device 20 is abnormal, and the determination in step S152 indicates that as long as the amount of change in the vehicle body position is greater than the threshold (while the vehicle body 3 is moving), the controller 40 repeats the processes in steps S140, S151, S152, S154, S155, and S153.

[0064] When the location information acquisition device 20 returns to normal operation from this state, the controller 40 determines in step S120 of Figure 4 that the detected location information is normal and performs the estimated location information generation process in step S130A.

[0065] Figure 6 is a flowchart detailing the estimated location information generation process in step S130A of Figure 4.

[0066] In Figure 6, the controller 40 first determines whether the estimated position information (first estimated position information) accumulated during the period when GNSS was not detected after the vehicle movement is 0 (step S130-1). If the accumulated position information is 0, the determination result of the position information detection in step S120 is abnormal, and the determination in step S152 indicates that the amount of change in the vehicle position is greater than the threshold and the vehicle 3 is moving. In this case, the controller 40 accumulates the position information of the vehicle 3 generated in step S130 as operation history data (step S150; step S153 in Figure 5).

[0067] In the first calculation cycle after the position information acquisition device 20 has returned to normal operation, the estimated position information accumulated during the GNSS undetected period after the vehicle movement is not zero. Therefore, in step S130-2, the controller 40 repeatedly performs the position estimation process for the estimated position information during the GNSS undetected period until the accumulated estimated position information during the GNSS undetected period becomes zero, as follows.

[0068] First, the controller 40 determines, for each of the estimated position information (first estimated position information) accumulated during the period when GNSS is not detected after the vehicle has moved, which is shorter: the elapsed time from each position to the first normal positioning starting point A (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as starting point A) or the elapsed time to the second normal positioning starting point B (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as starting point B) (step S130-3). For positions where the elapsed time to starting point A is shorter, the controller 40 acquires position information for a period of the estimated position calculation count (position estimation valid period E) from starting point A and regenerates it as the first estimated position information (step S130-4). For positions where the elapsed time to the second starting point B is shorter, the controller 40 works backward from starting point B to starting point A and recalculates the position as a value from the second starting point for a period of the estimated position calculation count (position estimation valid period E) to generate the second estimated position information (step S130-5). The processes in steps S155 and S130-4 of Figure 5 described above correspond to the process described in (b) above, and the process in step S130-5 corresponds to the process described in (c) above.

[0069] Here, we will explain the estimated position calculation count.

[0070] The position information of the vehicle 3 calculated by inertial navigation in step S140 of Figure 4 contains a certain error due to the quality or accuracy of the IMU 30a. As the calculation of the position of the vehicle 3 is repeated, this error is added, and the error included in the calculated estimated position information of the vehicle 3 expands. The estimated position calculation count is set as the position estimation validity period E for the estimated position information (first estimated position information and second estimated position information) in order to keep this expanding error within an acceptable error range. By generating the position information of the vehicle 3 for a period of the estimated position calculation count from the first normal positioning starting point A, the problem of the estimated position error exceeding the acceptable range is prevented.

[0071] Figure 8 illustrates an example of setting the estimated position calculation count.

[0072] In Figure 8, the vertical axis represents the error between the estimated position by inertial navigation and the measured value, and the horizontal axis represents the elapsed operating time. The dotted line shows the error that increases with repeated calculation of the vehicle position, and the dashed line shows the threshold for the acceptable error. The slope of the dotted line changes depending on the quality or accuracy of the IMU30a.

[0073] T1 on the horizontal axis represents the point in time when vehicle 3 begins moving while GNSS detection is unavailable. At this point, the estimated position of vehicle 3 calculated by inertial navigation includes a certain error depending on the quality or accuracy of the IMH30a. As operating time elapses from this point T1, the error in the estimated position increases, and at T2, the error reaches the threshold of the acceptable error. The time from this point T1 to T2 is set as the period of the estimated position calculation count (position estimation validity period E).

[0074] Furthermore, considering that the estimated position calculation count may fluctuate depending on the quality or accuracy of the IMH30a and the operating conditions of the work machine (hydraulic excavator 1), it is preferable that the operator be able to set it.

[0075] Figure 9 shows an example of estimated position information obtained by processing in steps S130-4 and S130-5.

[0076] In Figure 9, the black triangle on the left represents the first normal positioning starting point A, and the black triangle on the right represents the second normal positioning starting point B. The upper diagonal oval represents the estimated position from starting point A, and the lower open oval represents the estimated position from starting point B. For the sake of simplification, some of the estimated positions are omitted from the diagram. In this example, the period of GNSS undetected after the vehicle movement from starting point A to starting point B is twice the period of the estimated position calculation count. When the positions of the first estimated position information generated in step S130-4 and the positions of the second estimated position information generated in step S130-5 are combined, the result is as shown on the right side of Figure 9.

[0077] As can be seen from the combined position information on the right side of Figure 9, the position information on the starting point B side has been replaced with second estimated position information based on the position of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 returned to normal, and the accuracy of the vehicle body position on the starting point B side has been improved.

[0078] In the example in Figure 9, the case where the period of GNSS undetection after vehicle movement from starting point A to starting point B is twice the period of the estimated position calculation count was explained. However, in reality, the period of GNSS undetection after vehicle movement varies, so it may be shorter or longer than twice the period of the estimated position calculation count. If the period of GNSS undetection after vehicle movement is shorter than twice the period of the estimated position calculation count, the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information generated during the period of the estimated position calculation count will partially overlap, and an overlapping interval will occur between them. On the other hand, if the period of GNSS undetection after vehicle movement is longer than twice the period of the estimated position calculation count, an interval where no position information exists (hereinafter referred to as a blank interval) will occur between the period of the estimated position calculation count for the first estimated position information and the period of the estimated position calculation count for the second estimated position information, which is different from the period of the position estimation calculation count for the first estimated position information and the period of the position estimation calculation count for the second estimated position information.

[0079] Figure 10 shows the overlapping and gapping sections between the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, which occur depending on the length of the period during which GNSS is not detected after the vehicle moves from starting point A to starting point B, and the concept of correction therefor.

[0080] If the period of GNSS undetected after vehicle movement is shorter than twice the period of estimated position calculation counts, an overlapping interval S1 occurs between the period of estimated position calculation counts for the first estimated position information and the period of estimated position calculation counts for the second estimated position information, as indicated by the arrow in the upper left diagram of Figure 10. If the period of GNSS undetected after vehicle movement is longer than twice the period of estimated position calculation counts, a blank interval S2 occurs between the period of estimated position calculation counts for the first estimated position information and the period of estimated position calculation counts for the second estimated position information, as indicated by the arrow in the lower left diagram of Figure 10, where no position information exists.

[0081] In this embodiment, the information processing controller 40 performs the following steps SS130-3, S130-4, and S130-5 shown in Figure 6: determining the time to the starting point A and starting point B for each location as described above. It generates first estimated location information for locations where the elapsed time to starting point A is shorter, and second estimated location information for locations where the elapsed time to starting point B is shorter. As a result, locations in the overlapping interval S1 where the elapsed time to starting point A is shorter are generated as part of the first estimated location information, and locations where the elapsed time to starting point B is shorter are generated as part of the second estimated location information. The location information in the overlapping interval S1 is automatically corrected and distributed equally between the first estimated location information and the second estimated location information.

[0082] On the other hand, the blank section S2 is corrected in step S130-6 in Figure 6.

[0083] In other words, in Figure 6, after generating the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information in steps S130-3, S130-4, and S130-5, in step S130-6, it is determined again whether the position information accumulated during the GNSS undetected period after the vehicle movement is 0. If the accumulated position information is not 0, the process in steps S130-3, S130-4, and S130-5 is repeated. Furthermore, if a gap S2 occurs between the period of the estimated position calculation count for the first estimated position information and the period of the estimated position calculation count for the second estimated position information before the accumulated position information becomes 0, an alarm signal is generated and a correction process is performed to add position information to the gap S2.

[0084] The controller 40 transmits the alarm signal generated in step SS130-6 to the guidance device 50 via the data integration unit 420 of the data management unit 400, and generates an alarm in the guidance device 50 warning that the accuracy of the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information has deteriorated.

[0085] Furthermore, the controller 40 performs a correction process to add position information to the blank section S2, for example, as follows:

[0086] 1. First, we assume a line segment, such as a straight line, connecting the first starting point A1 of the blank section S2 on the starting point A side (the first starting point on the side with the first estimated position information of the blank section S2) and the second starting point B1 of the blank section S2 on the starting point B side (the second starting point on the side with the second estimated position information of the blank section S2). (A curve may be used instead of a straight line.) 2. Set up multiple virtual points on this straight line, calculate the ratio of the time from the first starting point A1 (or second starting point B1) to each virtual point during the blank interval S2 to the total time of the blank interval S2, and calculate the position information of each virtual point by apportioning the position information of the first starting point A1 and the position information of the second starting point B1 according to that time ratio at each virtual point; 3. Of the location information of multiple virtual points, the location information of the virtual point closest to the first starting point A is included in the first estimated location information, and the location information of the virtual point closest to the second starting point B is included in the second estimated location information.

[0087] The controller 40 stores the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information generated in steps S130-4 and S130-5 of Figure 6, and the corrected position information for the blank section S2 generated in step S130-6, as operation history data (step S153). At this time, this position information is stored as operation history data, distinguished from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning normally.

[0088] Figure 11 shows an example of data management in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] The upper part of Figure 11 shows the continuous integrated management history information D1 of the vehicle's position generated by the data integration unit 420 of the data management unit 400 shown in Figure 3, and the lower part of Figure 11 shows the measured value management history information D2 and estimated value management history information D3 of the vehicle's position, also generated by the data integration unit 420.

[0090] The continuous integrated management history information D1 includes the actual position information of the vehicle body 3, which is acquired when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning normally and generated in step S130 of Figure 4, and the estimated position information of the vehicle body 3 (first estimated position information and second estimated position information) generated in steps S130-4, S130-5, and S130-6 of Figure 6 when the position information acquisition device 20 is malfunctioning. Time information is attached to each position information, and the actual position information and estimated position information are stored chronologically. In addition, the actual position information is marked with a detection flag "GNSS," and the estimated position information is marked with a detection flag "estimated value," and the actual position information and estimated position information are stored separately as operation history data.

[0091] The measured value management history information D2 includes only the measured location information of the vehicle body 3 acquired when the location information acquisition device 20 is functioning normally, and the estimated value management history information D3 includes only the estimated location information of the vehicle body 3 generated when the location information acquisition device 20 is malfunctioning. Location information is also stored chronologically in these history records, and the measured location information is marked with the detection flag "GNSS", while the estimated location information is marked with the detection flag "Estimated Value".

[0092] The data integration unit 420 first generates actual value management history information D2 and estimated value management history information D3 depending on whether the location information acquisition device 20 is normal or abnormal, and then combines the actual value management history information D2 and estimated value management history information D3 to generate continuous integrated management history information D1.

[0093] Figure 12 shows an example of a guidance screen displayed in the guidance device 50 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] When the operator switches the display mode of the guidance device 50 to differential display, the guidance device 50 sends a corresponding display request to the controller 40. In response to this display request, the controller 40 sends the continuous integrated management history information D1, as shown in the upper part of Figure 11, and separately calculated position information of the tip of the bucket 4c of the work machine 4 to the guidance device 50. Based on the continuous integrated management history information D1 and the position information of the tip of the bucket 4c, the guidance device 50 displays the difference of the construction surface on the guidance screen as shown in Figure 12.

[0095] The difference display in Figure 12 shows the case where the location information of the region where the elevation z value in the continuous integrated management history information D1 in Figure 11 is "2" is estimated location information, and a detection flag of "estimated value" is attached to that location information. Based on the information of the detection flag, the guidance device 50 displays the region G where the elevation z value is "2" as shown in Figure 12, distinguishing it from the region of the measured location information.

[0096] In this embodiment, the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information are stored as operational history data, distinguishing them from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly. This allows the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information to be displayed on the guidance device 50, distinguishing them from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly. As a result, the operator can determine whether the position information of the displayed area is actual position information based on normal positioning or estimated position information not based on normal positioning by looking at the display on the guidance screen, and can accurately decide whether to continue or terminate the operation.

[0097] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if a gap S2 occurs between the first estimated location information and the second estimated location information before the accumulated location information reaches zero, the controller 40 generates an alarm signal and transmits this alarm signal to the guidance device 50, which generates an alarm warning that the accuracy of the first estimated location information and the second estimated location information has deteriorated (see step S130-6 in Figure 6). This allows the operator to recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the location information acquisition device 20 and that it will take time to restore the location information acquisition device 20, and to take appropriate measures.

[0098] ~Effects~ According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0099] 1. The information processing controller 40 generates the first estimated position information of the vehicle body 3 after it has moved by recalculating the position information of the vehicle body 3 calculated by inertial navigation, using the position of the vehicle body 3 before it started moving as the first normal positioning starting point A. When the position information acquisition device 20 returns to normal, the controller generates the second estimated position information of the vehicle body 3 by recalculating the position of the vehicle body 3 at the time the position information acquisition device 20 returned to normal as the second normal positioning starting point B, and working backward to the first normal positioning starting point A. Therefore, even if the work machine moves when the GNSS (position information acquisition device 20) malfunctions and the position of the vehicle body 3 cannot be determined, the expansion of the error between the actual position and the estimated position is suppressed, and operational history data with little deviation from the actual operating state can be accumulated. This enables the display of appropriate information on the guidance screen and the maintenance of accurate position control of the work machine, and enables the continuation of accurate information-based construction.

[0100] 2. The information processing controller 40 sets a position estimation validity period E for the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, and when generating the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, it generates the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information from the first normal positioning starting point and the second normal positioning starting point, respectively, only for the duration of the position estimation validity period E. This prevents the error in the estimated position from exceeding the acceptable range and reliably prevents the widening of the error between the actual position and the estimated position.

[0101] 3. The information processing controller 40 stores the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information as operational history data, distinguishing them from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly. The first estimated position information and the second estimated position information are displayed on the guidance device 50, distinguishing them from the position information of the vehicle body 3 when the position information acquisition device 20 is functioning correctly. As a result, the operator can determine whether the position information of the displayed area is actual position information based on normal positioning or estimated position information not based on normal positioning by looking at the display on the guidance screen, and can accurately decide whether to continue or terminate the operation.

[0102] 4. If there is a gap (blank section S2) between the position estimation validity period E of the first estimated position information and the position estimation validity period E of the second estimated position information, the information processing controller 40 sets up multiple virtual points between the first starting point A1 on the first estimated position information side and the second starting point B1 on the second estimated position information side of the blank section S2, calculates the ratio of the time from one starting point A1 (or B2) of the blank section S2 to each virtual point of the blank section S2 with respect to the time of the blank section S2, and calculates the position information of each virtual point by apportioning the position information of one starting point A1 of the blank section S2 and the position information of the other starting point B1 of the blank section S2 according to the ratio of time, so that operation history data can be continuously accumulated in the blank section S2. In addition, an alarm is generated to warn of a decrease in the accuracy of the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, so that the operator can recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the position information acquisition device 20 and that it will take time to restore the position information acquisition device 20, and take appropriate measures.

[0103] 5. After the vehicle body 3 moves, the information processing controller 40 determines for each position of the first estimated position information calculated by inertial navigation whether the elapsed time from each position to the first normal positioning starting point or the elapsed time to the second normal positioning starting point is shorter. Positions where the elapsed time to the first normal positioning starting point is shorter are regenerated as the first estimated position information, and positions where the elapsed time to the second normal positioning starting point is shorter are regenerated as the second estimated position information. Therefore, if an overlapping section S1 occurs, the position information of the overlapping section is distributed equally between the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, and the position information for the overlapping period can be automatically corrected.

[0104] <Other> In the embodiments described above, the information processing controller 40 sets a position estimation validity period E in steps S130-4 and S130-5 of Figure 6 to keep the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information within an acceptable error range (below a threshold). When the position information acquisition device 20 returns to normal operation, the controller recalculates the position of the estimated position information (first estimated position information) generated in step S155 from each of the first normal positioning starting point A and the second normal positioning starting point B for the duration of the position estimation validity period E, thereby generating the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information. However, it is also possible to generate the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information by recalculating the position using the estimated position information (first estimated position information) generated in step S155 as the values ​​for the first normal positioning starting point A and the second normal positioning starting point B without setting a position estimation validity period E. Even in this case, the first estimated position information is generated as the value of the first normal positioning starting point A, and the first estimated position information is generated as the value of the second normal positioning starting point B. Therefore, for the position information in the predetermined range corresponding to the position estimation validity period E from the first normal positioning starting point A and the second normal positioning starting point B, the position accuracy is improved as shown in the combined position information on the right side of Figure 9. This suppresses the expansion of the error between the actual position and the estimated position, and makes it possible to accumulate operational history data that deviates less from the actual operating state.

[0105] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes the case where the work machine is a hydraulic excavator, which is a typical example of construction machinery, it may also be a work machine other than a hydraulic excavator (for example, a wheeled hydraulic excavator, a mobile hydraulic crane, a wheel loader, etc.) as long as it comprises a vehicle body and a multi-jointed work machine attached to the vehicle body so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 1. Hydraulic excavator (working machine) 2 Lower running body 3. Upper rotating body (vehicle body) 4. Work equipment 4a Boom 4b Arm 4c bucket 20 Location information acquisition device (GNSS) 30 Attitude information acquisition device 30a~30d IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit; Attitude Information Acquisition Device) 40. Information Processing Controller (Controller) 50 Guidance device 100 Operation History Collection and Management System 200 Data Acquisition Unit 210 Location information acquisition unit 220 Attitude information acquisition unit 300 Movement amount calculation unit 310 Inertial Navigation Calculation Unit 400 Data Management Department 410 History Management Department 420 Data Integration Department 500 Location information generation section 510 Location information calculation unit 520 Vehicle body movement determination unit 530 Location information estimation calculation unit A. First normal positioning starting point B Second normal positioning starting point D1 Continuous Integrated Management History Information D2 Actual Measurement Value Management History Information D3 Estimated Value Management History Information E. Position estimation validity period (period of the estimated position calculation count) G area S1 Overlapping interval S2 Blank section

Claims

1. A location information acquisition device that acquires the location information of the vehicle body, An inertial information acquisition device that acquires inertial information of the vehicle body, A work machine operation history collection management system comprising: a controller that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the position information acquisition device, and if the position information acquisition device is abnormal, calculates the position information of the vehicle body by inertial navigation using the inertial information of the vehicle body acquired by the inertial information acquisition device, The aforementioned controller (a) When the position information acquisition device is malfunctioning, it is determined whether the vehicle has moved using the vehicle's position information calculated by inertial navigation, (b) When the vehicle body moves, the position information of the vehicle body calculated by inertial navigation is recalculated using the position of the vehicle body before it started moving as the first normal positioning starting point to generate the first estimated position information of the vehicle body after the vehicle body has moved. (c) When the position information acquisition device returns to normal, the position of the vehicle body at the time the position information acquisition device returns to normal is used as the second normal positioning starting point, and the first estimated position information of the vehicle body is recalculated by working backward to the first normal positioning starting point to generate the second estimated position information of the vehicle body. (d) A work machine operation history collection management system characterized by accumulating the first estimated position information, the second estimated position information, and the position information of the vehicle body when the position information acquisition device is functioning normally as operation history data.

2. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller A validity period for position estimation is set for the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information. A machine operation history collection management system characterized in that, when generating the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information, the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information are generated from the first normal positioning starting point and the second normal positioning starting point, respectively, only during the position estimation validity period.

3. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller A work machine operation history collection management system characterized by storing the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information as operation history data, distinguishing them from the vehicle body position information when the position information acquisition device is functioning correctly, and making the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information displayable on a guidance device, distinguishing them from the vehicle body position information when the position information acquisition device is functioning correctly.

4. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller A machine operation history collection management system for a work machine, characterized in that, for each position of the first estimated position information calculated by inertial navigation after the movement of the vehicle body, it is determined which is shorter: the elapsed time from each position to the first normal positioning starting point or the elapsed time to the second normal positioning starting point, the position for which the elapsed time to the first normal positioning starting point is shorter is regenerated as the first estimated position information, and the position for which the elapsed time to the second normal positioning starting point is shorter is generated as the second estimated position information.

5. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller A validity period for position estimation is set for the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information. A machine operation history collection management system characterized in that, when the effective period of the first estimated position information and the effective period of the second estimated position information partially overlap, a position close to the first normal positioning starting point is generated as part of the first estimated position information, and a position close to the second normal positioning starting point is generated as part of the second estimated position information during the overlapping period of the effective period of the position information.

6. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller A validity period for position estimation is set for the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information. A machine operation history collection and management system for work machines, characterized in that, if there is a gap between the effective period of the first estimated location information and the effective period of the second estimated location information where no location information exists and the effective period of the first estimated location information and the effective period of the second estimated location information differ, a plurality of virtual points are set between the first starting point on the first estimated location information side and the second starting point on the second estimated location information side of the gap, the ratio of the time from one of the first and second starting points to each virtual point to the time of the gap is calculated, and the location information of each virtual point is calculated by apportioning the location information of the first starting point and the location information of the second starting point according to the ratio of the time at each virtual point.

7. In the operating history collection and management system for a work machine according to claim 2, The aforementioned controller A machine operation history collection management system characterized in that, if there is a gap between the position estimation validity period of the first estimated position information and the position estimation validity period of the second estimated position information where no position information exists and the position estimation validity period of the first estimated position information and the position estimation validity period of the second estimated position information differ, the system generates an alarm to warn of a decrease in the accuracy of the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information.

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