Information input system for work machine

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an information input system for a work machine, the information input system being capable of carrying out various settings of the work machine by using an information terminal while preventing erroneous operations of the work machine. For this purpose, provided is an information input system for a work machine, said information input system comprising a control device mounted on a work machine and an information terminal for inputting information to the control device via communication, wherein the input of information to the control device from the information terminal is invalidated when the information terminal is located at a prescribed position in a driver's cab of the work machine.

Description

Work machine information input system

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine information input system for inputting information to a work machine such as a hydraulic excavator.

[0002] In recent years, work machines such as hydraulic excavators have become increasingly computerized and information-based, and as the number of electronic devices installed in them has increased, so has their functionality.

[0003] For example, there is a function called machine guidance (MG) that calculates the position and posture of the work machine and work equipment from information acquired by various sensors attached to the work machine and work equipment of the work machine, and assists the work by notifying the operator of the positional relationship with the target surface during construction.

[0004] There is also an area restriction function that assists in working within the work area by calculating the degree to which the work machine and work equipment are approaching the boundary of the work area from information on the position and posture of the work machine and work equipment and information on the pre-set work area, and notifying the operator and imposing operational restrictions on the work machine or work equipment according to the degree of proximity.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a function to notify the operator of the situation around the work machine using image information etc. based on information obtained from sensors such as cameras mounted on the work machine, and a function to detect nearby workers and notify them of the detected information.

[0006] In order to use these various functions, a device is required to input information for setting each function into the control device installed in the work machine. Recently, various information devices such as touch panel monitors have come to be used as information input devices for work machines.

[0007] As the number of functions increases, the number of types of these information input devices is also increasing, and it is necessary to avoid operating them incorrectly during work. In particular, devices that allow operation input by touch alone, such as touch panels, are prone to operating incorrectly when operating actuator control levers, etc., depending on their installation position.

[0008] In the input control method for a touch panel monitor for a work machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, a monitor input locked state is established in which input operations on the touch panel are disabled by releasing the hydraulic lock state using a hydraulic lock switch. The monitor input locked state is released by a monitor input lock release operation, and the display is controlled to switch to an input operation screen. This input control method locks operation input to the touch panel monitor when the work machine is operable, thereby preventing erroneous operations when operating the work machine. Furthermore, because the monitor input locked state can be released by the monitor input lock release operation, operation input is possible even when it is necessary to temporarily operate the touch panel during work.

[0009] JP 2015-202841 A

[0010] In the input control method for a touch panel monitor for a work machine described in Patent Document 1, when the hydraulic lock switch is in the unlocked state, input to the touch panel monitor is locked, thereby preventing erroneous operation caused by touching the touch panel monitor while operating the work machine.

[0011] However, in recent years, various information input devices such as touch panel monitors are not only installed in the cab of a work machine, but also, for example, a tablet terminal carried by the operator may be used as a touch panel monitor in the cab. Furthermore, another worker may use the same tablet terminal as the operator to check the status of the work machine and make various settings from around the work machine.

[0012] If the input control method of Patent Document 1 is applied to a tablet terminal that can be used around the work machine in this way, the input from the tablet terminal held by a worker around the work machine will be locked depending on the state of the hydraulic lock switch, making it impossible to use the tablet terminal to make various settings for the work machine from around the work machine, resulting in reduced work efficiency.On the other hand, if the input control method of Patent Document 1 is not applied to the tablet terminal, there is a concern that an operator in the cab may erroneously touch the control lever while using the tablet terminal.

[0013] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information input system for a work machine that makes it possible to perform various settings of the work machine using an information terminal while preventing erroneous operation of the work machine.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an information input system for a work machine that includes a control device mounted on the work machine and an information terminal that inputs information to the control device via communication, and when the information terminal is located in a predetermined position in the cab of the work machine, the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is disabled.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform various settings of a work machine using an information terminal while preventing erroneous operation of the work machine.

[0016] 1. Right side view of a hydraulic excavator in a first embodiment. Interior view of a driver's cab in a first embodiment. 2. Configuration diagram of a work machine information input system in a first embodiment. 3. Functional block diagram of a work machine information input system in a first embodiment. 4. Flowchart showing processing of a work machine information input system in a first embodiment. 5. Functional block diagram of a work machine information input system in a second embodiment. 6. Flowchart showing processing of a work machine information input system in a second embodiment. 7. Flowchart showing processing of a work machine information input system in a second embodiment. 8. Flowchart showing an example of a monitor display in a second embodiment. 9. Flowchart showing processing of an information terminal control device in a third embodiment. 10. Flowchart showing an example of a monitor display in a third embodiment. 11. Flowchart showing processing of an information terminal control device in a fourth embodiment. 12. Flowchart showing an example of a monitor display in a fourth embodiment.

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, equivalent components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Note that in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a hydraulic excavator, but the application of the present invention is not limited to hydraulic excavators and can also be applied to other work machines.

[0018] 1 is a right side view of a hydraulic excavator according to a first embodiment. The hydraulic excavator 1 comprises an articulated front working machine 1A consisting of a boom 1a, an arm 1b, and a bucket 1c, each of which rotates vertically, and a vehicle body 1B consisting of an upper rotating body 1d and a lower traveling body 1e. A driver's cab 1f is provided on the upper rotating body 1d.

[0019] The base end of the boom 1a of the front working unit 1A is supported on the front part of the upper revolving structure 1d. The boom 1a, arm 1b, bucket 1c, upper revolving structure 1d, and lower traveling structure 1e are driven by actuators for the boom cylinder 2a, arm cylinder 2b, bucket cylinder 2c, revolving motor 3d, and left and right traveling motors 3e, 3f, respectively.

[0020] An engine 4, a pump 5, and a valve 6 for operating the hydraulic excavator 1 are mounted on the upper rotating body 1d. The pump 5 is driven by the rotation of the engine 4 and discharges hydraulic oil. The valve 6 controls the flow rate of hydraulic oil in response to inputs from operation levers 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d provided in the operator's cab 1f, and operates each actuator.

[0021] The boom 1 a, arm 1 b, and bucket 1 c are fitted with angle sensors 8 a, 8 b, and 8 c for detecting the rotation angles of the respective parts. The upper rotating body 1 d is fitted with GNSS antennas 9 a, 9 b for acquiring the position of the hydraulic excavator 1, and cameras 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c for photographing the surroundings of the hydraulic excavator 1, on the left, rear, and right sides of the upper rotating body 1 d.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an interior view of the driver's cab 1f. The driver's cab 1f is equipped with control levers 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, a cockpit 7e where the operator sits, a shutoff lever 18 that shuts off input from the control levers 7a to 7d, a speaker 11 that outputs sound information to the operator, and a monitor 12 that displays information to the operator. In this embodiment, the speaker 11 is built into the monitor 12, but the speaker 11 may be installed anywhere as long as it can transmit sound to the operator. Furthermore, a touch panel 15 is mounted on the monitor 12. An information terminal 100 is mounted on top of the monitor 12. The information terminal 100 receives power from the vehicle body 1B via an information terminal dock 17.

[0023] 3 is a configuration diagram of a work machine information input system in Example 1. The work machine information input system 300 includes a control device 200 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1, and an information terminal 100 that can input information to the control device 200 via communications.

[0024] The control device 200 of the hydraulic excavator 1 includes a main C / U 50 ("C / U" stands for controller unit; the same applies below), a GNSS_C / U 40 that processes information from the GNSS antennas 9a and 9b, and a notification C / U 60 that controls various notifications to the operator. The main C / U 50 controls basic systems of the hydraulic excavator 1, such as engine control and pump control, and also controls the electrical activation of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the start of the engine 4, which serves as the prime mover. The main C / U 50 is also connected to the communication device 16 and communicates with various terminals and servers outside the hydraulic excavator. Based on the processing status of the main C / U 50, the notification C / U 60 calculates display information for the monitor 12 and sound information for the speaker 11 and sends signals. Furthermore, it sends various setting signals to the main C / U 50 in accordance with inputs from the touch panel 15.

[0025] The information terminal control device 110 in this embodiment is made up of an information terminal C / U 190. The information terminal C / U 190 is connected to a communication device 103 and a monitor 101, and the monitor 101 is equipped with a touch panel 102. The information terminal C / U 190 presents information to the user and receives information from the user via the monitor 101 and the touch panel 102, and exchanges information required for settings made by the user to the information terminal C / U 190 with a server or the hydraulic excavator 1, etc., via the communication device 103.

[0026] 4 is a functional block diagram of a work machine information input system 300 in the first embodiment. The information terminal 100 comprises an information terminal input device 130 and an information terminal control device 110. The information terminal control device 110 comprises an information terminal communication unit 120, and communicates with the hydraulic excavator 1 based on input information from the information terminal input device 130. The hydraulic excavator 1 comprises an information terminal position acquisition device 19, an operation locking device 20, and a work machine control device 90. The work machine control device 90 comprises a work machine communication unit 91, an information setting unit 92, an information input restriction determination unit 93, a restriction area storage unit 94, and an operation lock state determination unit 95, and exchanges various types of information with the information terminal 100 via the work machine communication unit 91.

[0027] Each functional block will be explained below. The information terminal input device 130 is a device that is attached to the information terminal 100 and that inputs operations from the user. In this embodiment, this refers to the touch panel 102, but it can also be any other device that allows operation input from the user, such as a push button switch, a seesaw switch, or a voice input device.

[0028] The information terminal communication unit 120 of the information terminal control device 110 exchanges information with the work machine communication unit 91 in accordance with input from the information terminal input device 130. In this embodiment, communication with the hydraulic excavator 1 is established by the communication device 103 and the information terminal C / U 190. Any communication method is possible as long as it allows the necessary information to be exchanged at the necessary frequency.

[0029] The information terminal position acquisition device 19 is a device for acquiring position information of the information terminal. In this embodiment, the information terminal dock 17 corresponds to the information terminal position acquisition device 19. Since the information terminal dock 17 is a dock that can supply power to the information terminal 100, it can acquire position information of the information terminal 100 (whether the information terminal 100 is located at the position of the information terminal dock 17) by determining whether the information terminal 100 is connected to the information terminal dock 17 based on the power supply status. Note that the information terminal position acquisition device 19 is not limited to the information terminal dock 17 as long as it can acquire the position information of the information terminal 100. The position information of the information terminal 100 may be acquired, for example, by various wireless communications, detection by a sensor attached to the information terminal 100, GNSS, etc. Alternatively, it may be acquired by a method of estimating the distance to the information terminal 100 using the radio wave intensity of wireless communications.

[0030] The operation locking device 20 is a device that disables the operation of the various actuators of the hydraulic excavator 1. In this embodiment, the shut-off lever 18 corresponds to the operation locking device 20, and disables the operation of the various actuators by blocking the operation input signals from the operating levers 7a to 7d depending on the position of the lever.

[0031] The work machine communication unit 91 is a part where the hydraulic excavator 1 communicates with the information terminal communication unit 120. In this embodiment, the communication device 16 corresponds to the work machine communication unit 91. The work machine communication unit 91 performs various communications based on information generated by various functions within the work machine control device 90. It also transmits information from communication destinations to various functions within the work machine control device 90.

[0032] The information setting unit 92 performs various settings for the hydraulic excavator 1. In this embodiment, the information setting unit 92 changes the settings of the hydraulic excavator 1 in response to operation input from the information terminal user obtained from the information terminal 100 via the work machine communication unit 91.

[0033] The operation lock state determination unit 95 determines the disabled state of the various actuators in response to input from the operation lock device 20. In this embodiment, the disabled state of the various actuators is determined in accordance with the state of the shut-off lever 18, and the determination result is output.

[0034] The restricted area storage unit 94 is a storage unit that stores a restricted area that places restrictions on operation input from the information terminal 100. In this embodiment, whether or not the information terminal 100 is present within the restricted area is determined based on whether or not the information terminal 100 is connected to the information terminal dock 17, and therefore the position of the information terminal dock 17 is stored in the restricted area storage unit 94 as a position within the restricted area. It is desirable that the restricted area include the vicinity of the various operating devices of the hydraulic excavator 1. In this embodiment, the information terminal dock 17 is also installed on the front pillar, and therefore the position of the information terminal dock 17 is near the various operating devices.

[0035] The information input restriction determination unit 93 determines whether or not to restrict operation input from the information terminal 100 based on the location information of the information terminal 100 from the information terminal position acquisition device 19, the restricted area stored in the restricted area memory unit 94, and the determination result of the operation lock state determination unit 95.

[0036] 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the work machine information input system 300 in the first embodiment. The information input restriction determination unit 93 first determines whether or not there is an information terminal 100 communicating with the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S301). Whether or not the information terminal 100 is communicating with the hydraulic excavator 1 can be determined by whether or not the information terminal communication unit 120 is communicating with the information terminal communication unit 120. If the determination result in step S301 is NO (there is no information terminal 100 communicating with the hydraulic excavator 1), there is no information terminal 100 for which information input is to be invalidated, and therefore the flow ends.

[0037] If the determination result in step S301 is YES (if an information terminal 100 communicating with the hydraulic excavator 1 is present), the information input restriction determination unit 93 determines whether the information terminal 100 is located near the operator's seat 7e (step S302). The information input restriction determination unit 93 compares the position information of the information terminal 100 from the information terminal position acquisition device 19 with the restricted area stored in the restricted area storage unit 94, and determines whether the information terminal 100 is located within the restricted area. In this embodiment, since the position of the information terminal dock 17 is used as the restricted area, if the information terminal 100 is connected to the information terminal dock 17, it is determined that the information terminal 100 is located within the restricted area, and if the information terminal 100 is not connected to the information terminal dock 17, it is determined that the information terminal 100 is not located within the restricted area.

[0038] If the judgment result of step S302 is NO, the information terminal 100 is not located near the cockpit 7e, so the information input restriction judgment unit 93 enables the input of information from the information terminal 100 (step S303) and terminates the flow.

[0039] If the determination result in step S302 is YES, the operation lock state determination unit 95 determines whether or not operation input from the control levers 7a to 7d has been disabled (step S304). If the determination result in step S304 is NO, the hydraulic excavator 1 is in an inoperable state, and therefore the information input restriction determination unit 93 enables information input from the information terminal 100 (step S303), and ends the flow.

[0040] If the determination result in step S304 is YES, the hydraulic excavator 1 is in an operable state and the information terminal 100 is present near the driver's seat 7e, so the information input restriction determination unit 93 disables the input of information from the information terminal 100 (step S305) and ends the flow. The information terminal 100 is notified via the work machine communication unit 91 that the input operation from the information terminal 100 has been disabled. Methods for disabling the input of information from the information terminal 100 include a method of locking the information terminal 100 (a state in which operation input is disabled) and a method of having the work machine communication unit 91 discard the input information received from the information terminal 100.

[0041] (Summary) In the first embodiment, in a work machine information input system 300 that includes a control device 200 mounted on a hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine) and an information terminal 100 that inputs information to the control device 200 via communication, when the information terminal 100 is in a predetermined position (position of the information terminal dock 17) in the cab 1f of the hydraulic excavator 1, the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled.

[0042] According to the first embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to perform various settings of the hydraulic excavator 1 using the information terminal 100 while preventing erroneous operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 .

[0043] Furthermore, the work machine information input system 300 in the first embodiment enables input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 when the information terminal 100 is located away from a predetermined position (the position of the information terminal dock 17). As a result, when the information terminal 100 is located outside the operator's cab 1 f of the hydraulic excavator 1, the information terminal 100 becomes usable, and it becomes possible to perform various settings of the hydraulic excavator 1 using the information terminal 100 from around the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0044] Furthermore, even if the information terminal 100 is in a predetermined position (the position of the information terminal dock 17), the work machine information input system 300 in the first embodiment enables input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 if the hydraulic excavator 1 is in an inoperable state. As a result, by putting the hydraulic excavator 1 in an inoperable state, it becomes possible to perform various settings of the hydraulic excavator 1 using the information terminal 100 even from inside the operator's cab 1f.

[0045] Furthermore, the work machine information input system 300 in the first embodiment disables input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 by disabling input operations to the information terminal 100. This makes it possible to reliably let the user know that input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled.

[0046] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of a work machine information input system 300 in the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment (shown in Figure 4) is that the information terminal 100 is equipped with an information terminal notification device 140. The information terminal notification device 140 notifies the user of information based on information from the information terminal communication unit 120. In this embodiment, the monitor 101 constitutes the information terminal notification device 140, but this is not limited as long as it is able to notify the user of information. For example, it may be constituted by a vibration device that notifies the user by vibration or an acoustic device that notifies the user by sound.

[0047] 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the work machine information input system 300 in the second embodiment. The information input restriction determination unit 93 first determines whether or not the information terminal 100 is in communication with the hydraulic excavator 1 (step S311). If the determination result in step S301 is NO (the information terminal 100 is not in communication with the hydraulic excavator 1), the flow ends.

[0048] If the determination result in step S311 is YES, the information input restriction determination unit 93 determines whether the information terminal 100 is located near the cockpit 7e (step S312). If the determination result in step S312 is NO (the information terminal 100 is not located near the cockpit 7e), the information terminal control device 110 displays on the monitor 101 that the information terminal 100 is not located within an area where the information terminal 100 can be locked (step S313), and ends the flow.

[0049] If the determination result of step S312 is YES (the information terminal 100 is located near the cockpit 7e), the information terminal control device 110 determines whether the information terminal 100 is locked (step S314). If the determination result of step S314 is NO (the information terminal 100 is not locked), the information terminal control device 110 displays on the monitor 101 that the information terminal 100 is unlocked (step S315), and ends the flow.

[0050] If the determination result in step S314 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a locked state), the information terminal control device 110 displays on the monitor 101 that the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (step S316), and ends this flow.

[0051] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the monitor 101 in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the example shows a display of machine guidance on the information terminal 100, which aims to improve work efficiency by notifying the operator of the positional relationship between the bucket 1 c of the hydraulic excavator 1 and a preset target surface.

[0052] Display example 400A is a display indicating that the information terminal 100 is not within an area where the information terminal 100 can be placed in a locked state, as determined by step S313 in FIG. 7 . Various pieces of information are displayed on the LCD screen of the monitor 101, roughly divided into three areas. An icon 401a indicating the communication status of the GNSS antennas 9a and 9b and a time 401b are displayed in the header area 401 in the upper row. A middle area 402 in the middle row displays the positional relationship between the bucket 1c and the target surface. A light bar 402a on the left side of the middle row displays the distance between the bucket 1c and the target surface. A marker 402b indicates the point on the light bar 402a where the positions of the target surface and the bucket 1c coincide. Directly below the light bar 402a, a distance 402c between the bucket 1c and the target surface is displayed. A bucket image 402d simulating the bucket 1c and a target surface 402e are displayed on the right side of the middle row, in a manner that allows the user to see their actual positional relationship in the rotation plane of the bucket 1c. A menu icon 403a for opening a menu is displayed in a footer area 403 at the bottom.

[0053] Display example 400B is a display indicating that information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state according to step S315 in Fig. 7. In display example 400B, unlock icon 403b is displayed in footer area 403, indicating that operation input is possible (unlocked state). Display example 400C is a display indicating that information terminal 100 is in a locked state according to step S314 in Fig. 7. In display example 400C, lock icon 403c is displayed, indicating that operation input is impossible (locked state).

[0054] (Summary) In the second embodiment, the information terminal 100 has an information terminal notification device 140, which notifies at least one of information whether the information terminal 100 is located at a predetermined position (the position of the information terminal dock 17) and information whether the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled.

[0055] According to the second embodiment configured as described above, it becomes possible for the user to easily grasp whether or not the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled, and whether or not the information terminal 100 is located in a position where the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 may be disabled.

[0056] 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of the information terminal control device 110 in the third embodiment. The information terminal control device 110 first determines whether the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (step S321). If the determination result in step S321 is NO (the information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state), the flow ends.

[0057] If the determination result in step S321 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a locked state), it is determined whether there is an input to the information terminal input device 130 (step S322). If the determination result in step S322 is NO (there is no input to the information terminal input device 130), a display notifying the user of the locked state is displayed on the monitor 101 (step S323), and the flow ends.

[0058] If the determination result in step S322 is YES (if there is an input to the information terminal input device 130), the locked state is highlighted and displayed on the monitor 101 (step S324), and the flow ends.

[0059] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the monitor 101 in the third embodiment. Display example 400C is a display when notifying the locked state in step S323 of FIG. 9. In display example 400C, the locked state is notified by displaying a lock icon 403c. Display example 400D is a display when notifying the locked state in an emphasized manner in step S324 of FIG. 9. In display example 400D, the locked state is notified by displaying an emphasized lock icon 403d that is more noticeable in color than the lock icon 403c. In this embodiment, the color of the icon is changed as a means of emphasis, but this is not limited as long as the emphasis is performed in an ergonomic manner.

[0060] (Summary) The information terminal 100 in the third embodiment has an information terminal notification device 140, and when an input operation is performed on the information terminal 100 while the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled (locked state), the information terminal notification device 140 (monitor 101) notifies information indicating that the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled (lock icon 403c) in a more emphasized manner than when no input operation is performed on the information terminal 100.

[0061] According to this embodiment configured as described above, when the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled and the user performs an input operation on the information terminal 100 without realizing it, the fact that the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled is notified in an emphasized manner, making it possible to reliably make the user aware that the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 has been disabled.

[0062] 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the information terminal control device 110 in the fourth embodiment. The difference from the third embodiment (shown in FIG. 9) is that step S324A is executed instead of step S324. In step S324A, a display is displayed on the monitor 101 notifying the user how to release the locked state.

[0063] 12 is a diagram showing display examples of the monitor 101 in the fourth embodiment. Display example 400C is a display when the information terminal 100 notifies the user of a locked state according to step S323 in Fig. 11. Display example 400E is a display when the information terminal 100 is in a locked state and an input is made to the information terminal input device 130 according to step S325 in Fig. 11. In display example 400F, a method for releasing the locked state 403e is displayed in the lower portion of the monitor 101 to notify the user of a method for releasing the locked state.

[0064] (Summary) In the fourth embodiment, the information terminal 100 has an information terminal notification device 140, and when an input operation is performed on the information terminal 100 while the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled, the information terminal notification device 140 (monitor 101) notifies information (lock state release method 403e) indicating a method for enabling the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200.

[0065] According to the fourth embodiment configured as described above, the user can easily understand how to enable input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0066] 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the work machine control device 90 in the fifth embodiment. The work machine control device 90 first determines whether or not the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (step S331). If the determination result in step S331 is NO (the information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state), the flow ends.

[0067] If the determination result of step S331 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a locked state), it is determined whether a specific operation pattern has been input to the information terminal input device 130 (step S332). The specific operation pattern here refers to a predetermined operation input pattern, and examples of input methods to the touch panel 102 in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, swiping and double tapping. If the determination result of step S332 is NO (the specific operation pattern has not been input), the flow ends.

[0068] If the determination result in step S332 is YES (the specific operation pattern has been input), the information terminal 100 is set to a partially unlocked state in which the invalidation of information input is partially lifted (step S333), and the flow ends.

[0069] 14 is a flowchart showing the processing of the information terminal control device 110 in the fifth embodiment. The information terminal control device 110 first determines whether or not there has been an input to the information terminal input device 130 (step S341). If the determination result in step S341 is NO (no input has been made to the information terminal input device 130), the flow ends.

[0070] If the determination result in step S341 is YES (input has been made to the information terminal input device 130), it is determined whether the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (step S342). If the determination result in step S342 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a locked state), none of the menu items are displayed on the monitor 101 (step S343), and the flow ends.

[0071] If the determination result of step S342 is NO (the information terminal 100 is not in a locked state), it is determined whether the information terminal 100 is in a partially unlocked state (step S344). If the determination result of step S344 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a partially unlocked state), a portion of the menu is displayed on the monitor 101 (step S345), and the flow ends. If the determination result of step S344 is NO (the information terminal 100 is not in a partially unlocked state, i.e., the information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state), all of the menus are displayed on the monitor 101 (step S346), and the flow ends.

[0072] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the monitor 101 in the fifth embodiment. Display example 400F is a menu display when the information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state according to step S346 in FIG. 14. The menu 404 is composed of a menu title 404a and menu items 404b, 404c, and 404d. In display example 400F, all menu items 404b to 404d are displayed. Display example 400G is a menu display when the information terminal 100 is in a partially unlocked state according to step S345 in FIG. 14. In display example 400G, only menu item 404b is displayed.

[0073] (Summary) In the fifth embodiment, the information input system 300 for a work machine enables some of the input operations to the information terminal 100 when a specific operation is performed on the information terminal 100 while the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled.

[0074] According to the fifth embodiment configured as described above, even when input operations to the information terminal 100 are disabled, some input operations can be exceptionally enabled, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0075] 16 is a flowchart showing the processing of the information terminal control device 110 in the sixth embodiment. The information terminal control device 110 first determines whether the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (step S351). If the determination result in step S351 is NO (the information terminal 100 is in an unlocked state), the flow ends.

[0076] If the determination result in step S351 is YES (the information terminal 100 is in a locked state), it is determined whether the position of the information terminal 100 has changed (step S352). If the determination result in step S352 is NO (the position of the information terminal 100 has not changed), the flow ends.

[0077] If the determination result of step S352 is YES (the position of the information terminal 100 has changed), information notifying that the position of the information terminal 100 has changed is notified via the information terminal notification device 140 (step S353), and the flow is terminated.

[0078] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing display examples of the monitor 101 in the sixth embodiment. Display example 400C is a display when the information terminal 100 is in a locked state and the position of the information terminal 100 has not changed. Display example 400H is a display when the information terminal 100 is in a locked state and the position of the information terminal 100 has changed. In display example 400H, a movement notification 403f is displayed in the lower portion of the monitor 101 to notify that the position of the information terminal 100 has changed. When the information terminal 100 is in a locked state, the information terminal 100 is located near the cockpit 7e and the operation of the control levers 7a to 7d has not been disabled. If the information terminal 100 is moved under such circumstances, there is a concern that the control levers 7a to 7d may be erroneously operated by touching the control levers 7a to 7d. In this embodiment, by notifying the user when the information terminal 100 in a locked state is moved, the user can be made aware that the information terminal 100 is in a locked state (i.e., that the operation of the operating levers 7a to 7d has not been disabled), thereby making it possible to prevent erroneous operation of the operating levers 7a to 7d.

[0079] (Summary) In the sixth embodiment, the information terminal 100 has an information terminal notification device 140, which notifies information indicating that the position of the information terminal 100 has changed (movement notification 403f) when the position of the information terminal 100 changes while the input of information from the information terminal 100 to the control device 200 is disabled.

[0080] According to the sixth embodiment configured as described above, the operator can be made aware that the information terminal 100 is moving, thereby making it possible to prevent erroneous operation caused by touching the operating levers 7a to 7d while the information terminal 100 is moving.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add part of the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment, or to delete part of the configuration of one embodiment or replace it with part of another embodiment.

[0082] 1...hydraulic excavator (working machine), 1a...boom, 1A...front working machine, 1b...arm, 1B...vehicle body, 1c...bucket, 1d...upper rotating body, 1e...lower traveling body, 1f...operator's cab, 2a...boom cylinder, 2b...arm cylinder, 2c...bucket cylinder, 3d...swing motor, 3e, 3f...traveling motor, 4...engine, 5...pump, 6...valve, 7a to 7d...operating lever, 7e...operator's seat, 8a to 8c ...Angle sensor, 9a, 9b...GNSS antenna, 10a to 10c...Camera, 11...Speaker, 12...Monitor, 14...Key cylinder, 15...Touch panel, 16...Communication device, 17...Information terminal dock, 18...Shut-off lever, 19...Information terminal position acquisition device, 20...Operation lock device, 90...Work machine control device, 91...Work machine communication unit, 92...Information setting unit, 93...Information input restriction determination unit, 94...Restriction area area storage unit, 95...operation lock state determination unit, 100...information terminal, 101...monitor, 102...touch panel, 103...communication device, 110...information terminal control device, 120...information terminal communication unit, 130...information terminal input device, 140...information terminal notification device, 200...control device, 300...work machine information input system, 401...header area, 401a...icon, 401b...time, 402...middle area, 402a ...Light bar, 402b...marker, 402c...distance, 402d...bucket picture, 402e...target surface, 403...footer area, 403a...menu icon, 403b...unlock icon, 403c...lock icon, 403d...highlighted lock icon, 403e...method for releasing lock state, 403f...movement notification, 404...menu, 404a...menu title, 404b to 404d...menu items.

Claims

1. A control device mounted on a working machine, and an information terminal that inputs information to the control device via communication, in an information input system for a working machine, when the working machine is in an operable state, if the information terminal is at a predetermined position in the operator's cab of the working machine, while maintaining the operable state of the working machine, invalidate the input of information from the information terminal to the control device An information input system for a working machine, characterized in that.

2. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1, when the information terminal is at a position other than the predetermined position, enable the input of information from the information terminal to the control device An information input system for a working machine, characterized in that.

3. (Deleted)

4. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 2, the information terminal has an information terminal notification device, the information terminal notification device notifies at least one of information on whether the information terminal is located at the predetermined position and information on whether the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated An information input system for a working machine, characterized in that.

5. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1 or 2, the information terminal has an information terminal notification device, when an input operation is performed on the information terminal in a state where the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated, the information terminal notification device notifies information indicating that the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated in a more emphasized manner than when no input operation is performed on the information terminal An information input system for a working machine, characterized in that.

6. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1 or 2, the information terminal has an information terminal notification device, when an input operation is performed on the information terminal in a state where the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated, the information terminal notification device notifies information indicating a method for enabling the input of information from the information terminal to the control device An information input system for a working machine, characterized in that.

7. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 2, the information terminal has an information terminal notification device, When the position of the information terminal changes while the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated, the information terminal notifies information indicating that the position of the information terminal has changed. The information input system for a working machine is characterized by the above.

8. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1, The input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated by disabling the input operation on the information terminal. The information input system for a working machine is characterized by the above.

9. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 8, When a specific operation is performed on the information terminal while the input of information from the information terminal to the control device is invalidated, a part of the input operation on the information terminal is enabled. The information input system for a working machine is characterized by the above.

10. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1, The predetermined position is the position of a dock for the information terminal that supplies power to the information terminal when the information terminal is connected. The information input system for a working machine is characterized by the above.

11. In the information input system for a working machine according to Claim 1, The control device changes the settings of the working machine based on the input of information from the information terminal to the control device. The information input system for a working machine is characterized by the above.