Work machine

Abstract

Provided is a work machine (1) capable of suppressing a decrease in automatic-operation work effectiveness, the decrease due to a response operation at the time of an abnormality. The work machine (1) comprises an abnormal state detection unit (11) and an operation control unit (11). The abnormal state detection unit (11) detects an abnormal state of the work machine (1). The operation control unit (11) selects, from among a plurality of corresponding operation controls, a corresponding operation control according to the level of the abnormal state detected by the abnormal state detection unit, and executes the selected corresponding operation control. The plurality of corresponding operation controls include an emergency stop control for immediately stopping the automatic operation and an operation continuation control for continuing the automatic operation.

Description

Work machinery

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatically operated work machine.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique related to an automatically driven work machine. The technique includes causing the work machine to perform an abnormality response operation when the work machine enters an abnormal state.

[0003] If the response action in the event of an abnormality is to immediately stop the automatic operation of the work machine, work will be required to restore the stopped work machine to a predetermined position. Furthermore, stopping the work machine involves an interruption of work, which prevents the specified amount of work from being completed and reduces the work effectiveness of the automatic operation.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-186349

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatically operated work machine that is capable of suppressing a decrease in the work effectiveness of the automatic operation due to a response operation in the event of an abnormality.

[0006] What is provided is an automatically operated construction machine, the construction machine including an abnormal condition detection unit and an operation control unit. The abnormal condition detection unit detects an abnormal condition of the construction machine. The operation control unit selects a response operation control from a plurality of pre-prepared response operation controls according to the level of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit, and executes the selected response operation control. The plurality of response operation controls include an emergency stop control that immediately stops the automatic operation, and an operation continuation control that continues the automatic operation.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a side view of a work machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a hydraulic circuit mounted on the work machine. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing main elements of the work machine. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an abnormality response process performed by a controller of the work machine. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a payload function abnormality response process performed by the controller. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a height detection function abnormality response process performed by the controller. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a water temperature abnormality response process performed by the controller. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a remaining fuel amount abnormality response process performed by the controller.

[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 shows a work machine 1 according to this embodiment. The work machine 1 is automatically driven. The work machine 1 is a machine that performs work. The work machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a hydraulic excavator. The work machine 1 includes a machine main body 24, an attachment 30, and a plurality of cylinders 40, and the machine main body 24 includes a lower traveling body 21 and an upper rotating body 22.

[0010] The lower traveling body 21 is a part capable of traveling, and includes, for example, a pair of right and left crawlers. The upper rotating body 22 is mounted on the lower traveling body 21 so as to be able to rotate via a rotating device 25. The upper rotating body 22 includes a cab (operator's compartment) 23, and the cab 23 forms the front part of the upper rotating body 22.

[0011] The attachment 30 is attached to the upper rotating body 22 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction to enable work operations. The attachment 30 includes a boom 31, an arm 32, and a bucket 33. The boom 31 is attached to the upper rotating body 22 so as to be rotatable (raised and lowered) in the vertical direction. The arm 32 is attached to the boom 31 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The bucket 33 is a tip attachment that is the tip of the attachment 30, and is attached to the arm 32 so as to be rotatable in the front-to-rear direction of the upper rotating body 22. The bucket 33 is a part that performs operations such as digging, leveling, and scooping earth and sand.

[0012] The end attachment is not limited to the bucket 33, but may be a lifting magnet for holding iron scraps or the like.

[0013] The plurality of cylinders 40 are capable of hydraulically rotating the attachment 30. Each of the plurality of cylinders 40 is a hydraulic cylinder capable of performing an extension and retraction operation. Each of the plurality of cylinders 40 may be an electric cylinder.

[0014] The plurality of cylinders 40 include a boom cylinder 41 , an arm cylinder 42 , and a bucket cylinder 43 .

[0015] The boom cylinder 41 rotates the boom 31 relative to the upper rotating body 22. The boom cylinder 41 has a base end and a tip end on the opposite side. The base end is rotatably connected to the upper rotating body 22. The tip end is rotatably connected to the boom 31.

[0016] The arm cylinder 42 rotates the arm 32 relative to the boom 31. The arm cylinder 42 has a base end and a tip end on the opposite side. The base end is rotatably connected to the boom 31. The tip end is rotatably connected to the arm 32.

[0017] The bucket cylinder 43 rotates the bucket 33 relative to the arm 32. The bucket cylinder 43 has a base end and a tip end on the opposite side. The base end is rotatably connected to the arm 32. The tip end is rotatably connected to a link member 34, and the link member 34 is rotatably connected to the bucket 33.

[0018] The work machine 1 is further equipped with a plurality of sensors 50 , which include a boom tilt angle sensor 51 , an arm tilt angle sensor 52 , a bucket tilt angle sensor 53 , a swing angle sensor 54 , and a tilt angle sensor 55 .

[0019] The boom tilt angle sensor 51 is attached to the boom 31 and detects the attitude of the boom 31. The boom tilt angle sensor 51 is a sensor, such as an inclination (acceleration) sensor, that acquires the tilt angle of the boom 31 with respect to the horizontal line. The boom tilt angle sensor 51 may alternatively be a rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of a boom foot pin at the base end of the boom 31, or a stroke sensor that detects the stroke of the boom cylinder 41 in the extension / retraction direction.

[0020] The arm inclination angle sensor 52 is attached to the arm 32 and detects the posture of the arm 32. The arm inclination angle sensor 52 is a sensor, such as an inclination (acceleration) sensor, that acquires the inclination angle of the arm 32 with respect to the horizontal line. The arm inclination angle sensor 52 may alternatively be a rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of an arm connecting pin at the base end of the arm 32, or a stroke sensor that detects the stroke of the arm cylinder 42 in the extension / retraction direction.

[0021] The bucket inclination angle sensor 53 is attached to the link member 34 and detects the attitude of the bucket 33. The bucket inclination angle sensor 53 is a sensor, for example, an inclination (acceleration) sensor, that acquires the inclination angle of the bucket 33 with respect to the horizontal line. The bucket inclination angle sensor 53 may be a rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of a bucket connecting pin at the base end of the bucket 33, or may be a stroke sensor that detects the stroke of the bucket cylinder 43 in the extension / retraction direction.

[0022] The swing angle sensor 54 detects the swing angle of the upper swing body 22 with respect to the lower traveling body 21. The swing angle sensor 54 is, for example, an encoder, a resolver, or a gyro sensor. In this embodiment, the swing angle of the upper swing body 22 is 0° when the front of the upper swing body 22 coincides with the front of the lower traveling body 21.

[0023] The tilt angle sensor 55 is attached to the upper rotating body 22 and detects the tilt angle of the upper rotating body 22 with respect to a horizontal plane. The tilt angle sensor 55 is, for example, an inclination (acceleration) sensor or an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit).

[0024] The plurality of sensors 50 further includes a boom head pressure sensor, a boom rod pressure sensor, and a swing angular velocity sensor (not shown). The boom head pressure sensor detects the head pressure, which is the pressure in the head-side chamber of the boom cylinder 41. The boom rod pressure sensor detects the rod pressure, which is the pressure in the rod-side chamber of the boom cylinder 41. The swing angular velocity sensor detects the swing angular velocity of the swing device 25.

[0025] The work machine 1 further includes an imaging device 27. The imaging device 27 is attached to the top of the cab 23. In this embodiment, the imaging device 27 is a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The imaging device 27 has a scanning direction, and the scanning direction is fixed to the front of the cab 23. Alternatively, the imaging device 27 may be attached to a specific portion of the attachment 30, for example, the boom 31, or may be attached to the upper rotating body 22.

[0026] The imaging device 27 captures an image of an object to be imaged. The object to be imaged may include a pile of earth and sand, the bed of a dump truck, earth and sand in a bucket 33, etc. The imaging device 27 acquires point cloud data (three-dimensional point cloud) indicating the distance from the position where the imaging device 27 is attached to the object to be imaged. The shape of the object to be imaged, etc., is identified based on the point cloud data acquired by the imaging device 27.

[0027] The imaging device 27 is not limited to the LiDAR, and may be a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor, a stereo camera, or the like.

[0028] The work machine 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a so-called payload function. The payload function is a function for measuring the load of an object held by the bucket 33, such as earth and sand.

[0029] 2 , the work machine 1 further includes an engine 61, a first hydraulic pump 62, a second hydraulic pump 63, a plurality of control valves 70, and a plurality of proportional valves 80. The first hydraulic pump 62 and the second hydraulic pump 63 are each a variable displacement pump, and are driven by the engine 61. The first hydraulic pump 62 and the second hydraulic pump 63 supply hydraulic oil to the plurality of cylinders 40, a pair of right travel motors 46 and left travel motors 47 for driving the pair of crawlers, that is, the right crawler and the left crawler, respectively, and the swing device 25, thereby driving the plurality of cylinders 40, the pair of travel motors 46, 47, and the swing device 25.

[0030] The plurality of control valves 70 are interposed between the first hydraulic pump 62 or the second hydraulic pump 63 and the hydraulic actuator corresponding to the control valve 70, and operate to change the direction and flow rate of hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic actuator. Each of the plurality of control valves 70 is configured as a hydraulic changeover valve having a pair of pilot ports, and opens so that hydraulic oil is supplied to the hydraulic actuator in a direction corresponding to one of the pair of pilot ports to which pilot pressure is supplied, at a flow rate corresponding to the magnitude of the pilot pressure.

[0031] The plurality of control valves 70 include a right travel control valve 71, a left travel control valve 72, a boom control valve 73, an arm control valve 74, a bucket control valve 75, a swing control valve 76, and a first option control valve and a second option control valve (not shown).

[0032] The right travel control valve 71 switches the supply destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the first hydraulic pump 62 between the forward port and the reverse port of the right travel motor 46, thereby switching the rotation direction of the right travel motor 46 between the forward direction and the reverse direction. The left travel control valve 72 switches the supply destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the second hydraulic pump 63 between the forward port and the reverse port of the left travel motor 47, thereby switching the rotation direction of the left travel motor 47 between the forward direction and the reverse direction.

[0033] The boom control valve 73 switches the supply destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the first hydraulic pump 62 between the head side port and the rod side port of the boom cylinder 41, thereby switching the operating direction of the boom cylinder 41 between the extension direction and the retraction direction. The same applies to the arm control valve 74 and the bucket control valve 75.

[0034] The rotation control valve 76 switches the destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the second hydraulic pump 63 between the right rotation side port and the left rotation side port of the rotation device 25, thereby switching the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 22 between the right rotation direction and the left rotation direction.

[0035] The first option control valve switches the supply destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the first hydraulic pump 62 between two ports of a first optional device (not shown), thereby switching the operation direction of the first optional device. Similarly, the second option control valve switches the supply destination of the hydraulic oil discharged from the second hydraulic pump 63 between two ports of a second optional device (not shown), thereby switching the operation direction of the second optional device.

[0036] The plurality of proportional valves 80 are provided for the respective pilot ports of the plurality of control valves 70. Each of the plurality of proportional valves 80 is configured as an electromagnetic proportional valve, and opens to allow a pilot pressure corresponding to a lever operation amount to be supplied to the pilot port. Each of the plurality of proportional valves 80 may be replaced with an electromagnetic valve other than the electromagnetic proportional valve, for example, an electromagnetic inverse proportional valve.

[0037] The plurality of proportional valves 80 include a boom-lowering proportional valve 81, a boom-raising proportional valve 82, an arm-pushing proportional valve 83, an arm-pushing proportional valve 84, a bucket digging proportional valve 85, a bucket dump proportional valve 86, a right-swing proportional valve 87, a left-swing proportional valve 88, a right-forward proportional valve 89, a right-reverse proportional valve 90, a left-forward proportional valve 91, a left-reverse proportional valve 92, a pair of first optional proportional valves (not shown), and a pair of second optional proportional valves (not shown).

[0038] The boom lowering proportional valve 81 opens to allow boom lowering pilot pressure to be supplied to a boom lowering pilot port which is one pilot port of the boom control valve 73. The boom lowering pilot pressure causes the boom control valve 73 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the first hydraulic pump 62 to be supplied to the rod side port of the boom cylinder 41, thereby rotating the boom 31 in a boom lowering direction which is a direction in which the boom 31 approaches the ground, i.e., causing the boom 31 to perform a boom lowering operation. On the other hand, the boom raising proportional valve 82 opens to allow boom raising pilot pressure to be supplied to a boom raising pilot port which is the other pilot port of the boom control valve 73. The boom-raising pilot pressure causes the boom control valve 73 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the first hydraulic pump 62 to be supplied to the head side port of the boom cylinder 41, thereby rotating the boom 31 in the boom-raising direction in which the boom 31 moves away from the ground, i.e., causing the boom 31 to perform a boom-raising operation.

[0039] The arm pull proportional valve 83 opens to allow an arm pull pilot pressure to be supplied to an arm pull pilot port which is one pilot port of the arm control valve 74. The arm pull pilot pressure causes the arm control valve 74 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the second hydraulic pump 63 to be supplied to the head side port of the arm cylinder 42, thereby rotating the arm 32 in the arm pull direction which is the direction in which the arm 32 approaches the boom 31, that is, causing the arm 32 to perform an arm pull operation. On the other hand, the arm push proportional valve 84 opens to allow an arm push pilot pressure to be supplied to an arm push pilot port which is the other pilot port of the arm control valve 74. The arm pushing pilot pressure causes the arm control valve 74 to open to allow hydraulic oil to be supplied from the second hydraulic pump 63 to the rod side port of the arm cylinder 42, thereby rotating the arm 32 in the arm pushing direction which is the direction in which the arm 32 moves away from the boom 31, i.e., causing the arm 32 to perform an arm pushing operation.

[0040] The bucket excavation proportional valve 85 opens to allow bucket excavation pilot pressure to be supplied to a bucket excavation pilot port which is one pilot port of the bucket control valve 75. The bucket control valve 75 opens by the bucket excavation pilot pressure to allow hydraulic oil from the first hydraulic pump 62 to be supplied to the head side port of the bucket cylinder 43, thereby rotating the bucket 33 in the bucket excavation direction which is the direction in which the bucket 33 approaches the arm 32, that is, causing the bucket 33 to perform a bucket excavation operation. On the other hand, the bucket dump proportional valve 86 opens to allow bucket dump pilot pressure to be supplied to a bucket dump pilot port which is the other pilot port of the bucket control valve 75. The bucket dump pilot pressure causes the bucket control valve 75 to open to allow hydraulic oil to be supplied from the first hydraulic pump 62 to the rod side port of the bucket cylinder 43, thereby rotating the bucket 33 in a direction in which the bucket 33 moves away from the arm 32, i.e., causing the bucket 33 to perform a bucket dump operation.

[0041] The right swing proportional valve 87 opens to allow right swing pilot pressure to be supplied to a right swing pilot port, which is one pilot port of the swing control valve 76. The right swing pilot pressure causes the swing control valve 76 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the second hydraulic pump 63 to be supplied to the right swing side port of the swing device 25, thereby causing the upper swing body 22 to swing in the right swing direction, i.e., causing the upper swing body 22 to perform a right swing operation. On the other hand, the left swing proportional valve 88 opens to allow left swing pilot pressure to be supplied to a left swing pilot port, which is the other pilot port of the swing control valve 76. The left rotation pilot pressure causes the rotation control valve 76 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the second hydraulic pump 63 to be supplied to the left rotation side port of the rotation device 25, thereby causing the upper rotating body 22 to rotate in the left rotation direction, i.e., causing the upper rotating body 22 to perform a left rotation operation.

[0042] The right forward proportional valve 89 opens to allow right forward pilot pressure to be supplied to a right forward pilot port, which is one pilot port of the right travel control valve 71. The right forward pilot pressure causes the right travel control valve 71 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the first hydraulic pump 62 to be supplied to the forward port of the right travel motor 46, thereby driving the right crawler in the forward direction, i.e., causing the undercarriage 21 to perform a right forward movement. Meanwhile, the right reverse proportional valve 90 opens to allow right reverse pilot pressure to be supplied to a right reverse pilot port, which is the other pilot port of the right travel control valve 71. The right reverse pilot pressure causes hydraulic oil from the first hydraulic pump 62 to be supplied to the reverse port of the right travel motor 46, thereby driving the right crawler in the reverse direction, i.e., causing the undercarriage 21 to perform a right reverse movement.

[0043] The left forward proportional valve 91 opens to allow left travel pilot pressure to be supplied to a left forward port, which is one pilot port of the left travel control valve 72. The left travel pilot pressure causes the left travel control valve 72 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the second hydraulic pump 63 to be supplied to the forward port of the left travel motor 47, thereby driving the left crawler in the forward direction, i.e., causing the undercarriage 21 to perform the left forward movement. On the other hand, the left reverse proportional valve 92 opens to allow left reverse pilot pressure to be supplied to a left reverse pilot port, which is the other pilot port of the left travel control valve 72. The left reverse pilot pressure causes the left travel control valve 72 to open to allow hydraulic oil from the second hydraulic pump 63 to be supplied to the reverse port of the left travel motor 47, thereby driving the left crawler in the reverse direction, i.e., causing the undercarriage 21 to perform the left reverse movement.

[0044] The pair of first option proportional valves each open to allow first option pilot pressure to be supplied to a pair of pilot ports of the first option control valve, thereby opening the first option control valve in a predetermined direction. Similarly, the pair of second option proportional valves each open to allow second option pilot pressure to be supplied to a pair of pilot ports of the second option control valve, thereby opening the second option control valve in a predetermined direction.

[0045] The multiple sensors 50 include a boom lowering pilot pressure sensor 101 that detects the boom lowering pilot pressure, a boom raising pilot pressure sensor 102 that detects the boom raising pilot pressure, an arm pulling pilot pressure sensor 103 that detects the arm pulling pilot pressure, an arm pushing pilot pressure sensor 104 that detects the arm pushing pilot pressure, a bucket excavation pilot pressure sensor 105 that detects the bucket excavation pilot pressure, a bucket dump pilot pressure sensor 106 that detects the bucket dump pilot pressure, a turning pilot pressure sensor 107 that detects the right turning pilot pressure and the left turning pilot pressure, a right traveling pilot pressure sensor 108 that detects the right traveling pilot pressure, a left traveling pilot pressure sensor 109 that detects the left traveling pilot pressure, a first option pilot pressure sensor (not shown) that detects the first option pilot pressure, and a second option pilot pressure sensor (not shown) that detects the second option pilot pressure.

[0046] The plurality of sensors 50 further includes a first pump pressure sensor 115 and a second pump pressure sensor 116. The first pump pressure sensor 115 detects a first pump pressure which is the discharge pressure of the first hydraulic pump 62. The second pump pressure sensor 116 detects a second pump pressure which is the discharge pressure of the second hydraulic pump 63.

[0047] The plurality of sensors 50 further includes a water temperature sensor, a hydraulic oil temperature sensor, and a remaining fuel sensor, none of which are shown. The water temperature sensor detects the temperature of the cooling water for the engine 61. The hydraulic oil temperature sensor detects the temperature of the hydraulic oil flowing through a hydraulic circuit of the work machine 1. The remaining fuel sensor detects the amount of fuel remaining in a fuel tank.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3 , the work machine 1 further includes a controller 11 , a storage device 13 , and a communication device 14 .

[0049] The communication device 14 communicates with a mobile terminal 120, and the mobile terminal 120 is a terminal carried by a manager or the like who manages work on the work machine 1. The mobile terminal 120 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0050] The controller 11 receives detection values, which are information detected by the plurality of sensors 50. Specifically, the controller 11 receives information detected by the boom inclination angle sensor 51, i.e., information related to the attitude of the boom 31. The controller 11 receives information detected by the arm inclination angle sensor 52, i.e., information related to the attitude of the arm 32. The controller 11 receives information detected by the bucket inclination angle sensor 53, i.e., information related to the attitude of the bucket 33. The controller 11 receives information detected by the swing angle sensor 54, i.e., information related to the swing angle (attitude) of the upper rotating body 22 with respect to the lower traveling body 21. The controller 11 receives information detected by the inclination angle sensor 55, i.e., information related to the inclination angle (attitude) of the upper rotating body 22 with respect to a horizontal plane.

[0051] The controller 11 automatically operates the swing device 25 and the attachment 30. In other words, the controller 11 causes the swing device 25 and the attachment 30 to perform predetermined automatic driving operations, thereby automatically driving the work machine 1. In this embodiment, the automatic driving operations are operations that repeat excavation, lifting swing, soil removal, and return swing in this order.

[0052] The controller 11 includes an abnormal condition detection unit that detects each of a plurality of abnormal conditions of the work machine 1. The plurality of abnormal conditions include a disconnection, a short circuit, and drift of each of the plurality of sensors 50. The plurality of abnormal conditions include a disconnection, an overcurrent, and a stuck state of each of the plurality of proportional valves 80. The plurality of abnormal conditions include high temperature and overheating of each of the water temperature sensor and the hydraulic oil temperature sensor. The plurality of abnormal conditions include a shortage of remaining fuel detected by the remaining fuel sensor, and the shortage includes running out of fuel.

[0053] The controller 11 includes an operation control section, which selects a response operation control corresponding to the level of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormality detection section from a plurality of response operation controls stored in the storage device 13, and executes the selected response operation control. The plurality of response operation controls include an emergency stop control and a continuation of operation control. The emergency stop control is control that immediately stops the automatic operation of the work machine 1. The continuation of operation control is control that continues the automatic operation of the work machine 1.

[0054] The storage device 13 stores the correspondence relationships shown in Table 1 below. The correspondence relationships are the relationships between abnormal devices, which are devices in which the abnormal state has been detected, and the corresponding response operation controls. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the boom inclination angle sensor 51, the arm inclination angle sensor 52, the bucket inclination angle sensor 53, the swing angle sensor 54, and the inclination angle sensor 55, the operation control unit selects the emergency stop control as the response operation control. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the boom lowering pilot pressure sensor 101, the boom raising pilot pressure sensor 102, the arm pulling pilot pressure sensor 103, the arm pushing pilot pressure sensor 104, the bucket excavation pilot pressure sensor 105, and the bucket dump pilot pressure sensor 106, the operation control unit selects the operation continuation control as the response operation control.

[0055]

[0056] Even if the abnormal condition is detected, if the response operation control selected in accordance with the abnormal condition is the operation continuation control, the automatic operation of the work machine 1 is continued. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the work effectiveness of automatic operation due to a response operation in the event of an abnormality.

[0057] The plurality of response operation controls further include a pre-stop operation control. The pre-stop operation control is control that causes the movable parts of the work machine 1 to perform a predetermined pre-stop operation before stopping the automatic operation of the work machine 1. The pre-stop operation includes an end attitude operation that changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to an operation end attitude, which is the attitude at the end of automatic operation. In other words, the pre-stop operation control is control that stops the automatic operation after causing the movable parts of the work machine 1 to perform the pre-stop operation. According to the correspondence relationship shown in Table 1, if an abnormality occurs in any of the boom head pressure sensor, the boom rod pressure sensor, and the swing angular velocity sensor, the pre-stop operation control is selected and executed from the plurality of response operation controls.

[0058] Even if an abnormal condition is detected, if the response operation control for that abnormal condition is the pre-stop operation control, the automatic driving is not stopped immediately, but is stopped after the pre-stop operation is performed and the attitude of the work machine 1 has changed to the operation end attitude. This makes it unnecessary to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, unlike the emergency stop control which immediately stops the automatic driving regardless of the attitude of the work machine 1.

[0059] Depending on the type of abnormal equipment, the pre-stop operation control may include not only the end attitude operation that sets the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, but also before that, having the movable parts of the work machine 1 perform other pre-stop work operations. The pre-stop work operation is, for example, an operation that discharges soil held by the bucket 33 to a discharge position. The pre-stop operation control also includes control that continues the automatic operation until a preset operation end condition is met.

[0060] The pre-stop operation control enables the amount of work performed by the automatic operation to be increased compared to when the automatic operation is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any operation, thereby making it possible to prevent a decrease in the work effectiveness of the automatic operation due to response operations in the event of an abnormality.

[0061] When an abnormality occurs in the payload function, the operation termination condition is, for example, that the next work volume is greater than the remaining work volume. The next work volume is the amount of earth and sand to be moved in one operation scheduled to be performed next by the automatic operation (e.g., the amount of earth and sand excavated), and the remaining work volume is the target work volume for the automatic operation, i.e., the total amount of earth and sand to be moved by the automatic operation, minus the work volume to date, i.e., the amount of earth and sand moved to date. The next work volume can be specified, for example, by an average excavation load. The average excavation load is the average value of the load caused by the earth and sand repeatedly excavated by the automatic operation until the abnormality occurs. The remaining work volume is, for example, a remaining target soil volume, which is a value obtained by subtracting the amount of earth and sand removed to date from the target soil removal volume for the automatic operation. The average excavation load and the remaining target soil volume may each be set arbitrarily.

[0062] For example, in loading earth and sand onto a dump truck, if the amount of earth and sand corresponding to the average excavation load is smaller than the remaining target earth volume, which is the remaining load relative to the target load capacity of the dump truck, the dump truck can still be loaded with earth and sand, so the automatic driving continues. On the other hand, if the amount of earth and sand corresponding to the average excavation load becomes greater than the remaining target earth volume, the dump truck can no longer be loaded with earth and sand, so the automatic driving is terminated. In this way, by performing a specified task until the amount of earth and sand corresponding to the average excavation load (the amount of earth and sand for one task scheduled to be performed next by automatic driving) becomes greater than the remaining target earth volume, i.e., the remaining task volume obtained by subtracting the current task volume from the target task volume for automatic driving, the amount of work performed by the automatic driving can be increased compared to when the automatic driving is stopped without performing the pre-stop operation.

[0063] Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in the function for detecting the height of the pile of earth and sand (height detection function), the operation termination condition is, for example, that the single-step work volume, which is the work volume performed in one operation by the automatic operation, is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit work volume. The single-step work volume is, for example, the excavation volume, which is the amount of earth and sand excavated (i.e., moved) in one excavation operation. The lower limit work volume is set arbitrarily. If the excavation volume, i.e., the amount of earth and sand scooped by the bucket 33 in one excavation operation, is greater than the lower limit work volume, it is determined that the bucket 33 has sufficiently scooped up the earth and sand, and the automatic operation is continued. In contrast, if the excavation volume is equal to or less than the lower limit work volume, it is determined that the earth and sand has not been sufficiently scooped up, and the automatic operation is terminated. In this way, continuing the automatic operation until the excavation volume, i.e., the work volume performed in one operation by the automatic operation, is equal to or less than the lower limit work volume allows for an increased work volume by the automatic operation compared to when the automatic operation is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any work.

[0064] The operation control unit of the controller 11 selects and executes the emergency stop control when the abnormal condition is at a level that affects the operation control for the automatic driving. The operation control unit of the controller 11 selects and executes the pre-stop operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect the operation control for the automatic driving but affects the operation functions for the automatic driving. The operation control unit of the controller 11 selects and executes the operation continuation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect either the operation control for the automatic driving or the operation functions.

[0065] For example, if an abnormality occurs in any of the boom inclination angle sensor 51, the arm inclination angle sensor 52, and the bucket inclination angle sensor 53, the load on the bucket 33, i.e., the physical quantity equivalent to the amount of work, cannot be measured correctly, and such an abnormality in the payload function will affect the operation control of the automatic driving, so the operation control unit selects the emergency stop control to stop the automatic driving of the work machine 1. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of work from decreasing due to the abnormality.

[0066] Furthermore, if an abnormality occurs in either the turning angle sensor 54 or the tilt angle sensor 55, there is a risk of an abnormality such as deviation in the automatic driving operation, so the operation control unit selects the emergency stop control to stop the automatic driving of the work machine 1.

[0067] For example, if an abnormality occurs in any of the boom head pressure sensor, the boom rod pressure sensor, or the swing angular velocity sensor, the payload function will be impaired but the automatic driving operation can still be controlled, so the operation control unit selects and executes the pre-stop operation control. This allows the amount of work performed by the automatic driving to be increased compared to when the automatic driving is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 taking any action.

[0068] For example, if an abnormality occurs in the imaging device 27, the function of detecting the height of a pile of earth and sand (height detection function) will be impaired, but it is still possible to control the operation of the automatic driving, so the operation control unit selects and executes the pre-stop operation control. This allows the amount of work performed by the automatic driving to be increased compared to when the automatic driving is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any operation. However, if an abnormality occurs in the imaging device 27 in this way, it will no longer be possible to detect an obstacle, so the operation control unit may be configured to select the emergency stop control instead of the pre-stop operation control.

[0069] For example, if an abnormality occurs in any of the boom lowering pilot pressure sensor 101, the boom raising pilot pressure sensor 102, the arm pulling pilot pressure sensor 103, the arm pushing pilot pressure sensor 104, the bucket digging pilot pressure sensor 105, and the bucket dump pilot pressure sensor 106, the operation control unit selects the operation continuation control to continue the automatic operation of the work machine 1. This is because the abnormality does not affect either the operation control or the operation function of the automatic operation. Continuing the automatic operation makes it possible to increase the amount of work performed by the automatic operation compared to when the automatic operation is stopped.

[0070] The operation control unit of the controller 11 is configured to select and execute either the continuous operation control or the pre-stop operation control depending on whether a predetermined continuation permissible condition is satisfied when the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit is a predetermined conditional continuation permissible state. The conditional continuation permissible state is, for example, a state in which the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor is abnormal, as shown in Table 1, and the continuation permissible condition is that the detected water temperature is below a predetermined permissible water temperature. In this case, the operation control unit determines whether the detected water temperature is equal to or higher than the permissible water temperature, and selects and executes the pre-stop operation control if the water temperature is equal to or higher than the permissible water temperature, while selecting the continuous operation control and continuing the automatic operation of the work machine 1 if the water temperature is below the permissible water temperature regardless of the detection of the abnormal condition. The same applies to the hydraulic oil temperature detected by the hydraulic oil temperature sensor.

[0071] In this way, when the abnormal state is the conditional continuation permissible state, the operation control unit selects either the continuous operation control or the pre-stop operation control depending on whether a predetermined continuation permissible condition is satisfied. When the continuation permissible condition is satisfied, the operation control unit selects the continuous operation control to continue the automatic operation, thereby suppressing a decrease in the work effect due to the automatic operation. On the other hand, when the continuation permissible condition is not satisfied, the operation control unit selects the pre-operation stop control to stop the automatic operation after changing the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, thereby eliminating the need to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, unlike when automatic operation is immediately stopped without changing the attitude of the work machine 1.

[0072] When the continuous operation control is selected in the conditionally permitted continuation state, the operation control section of the controller 11 is preferably configured to reduce the operating speed of the work machine 1 compared to a normal state. This makes it possible to prevent the abnormal state from worsening. For example, when the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor is abnormal but the continuous operation control is selected, reducing the operating speed of the work machine prevents the water temperature from rising further.

[0073] When the abnormal state detected by the abnormal state detection unit is a predetermined conditional emergency stop requiring state, the operation control unit of the controller 11 selects and executes either the emergency stop control or the pre-stop operation control depending on whether a predetermined emergency stop condition is met. The conditional emergency stop requiring state is, for example, a state in which the fuel level sensor is abnormal, as shown in Table 1, and the emergency stop condition is that the remaining fuel amount is equal to or less than the allowable remaining amount. In this case, the operation control unit determines whether the remaining fuel amount is equal to or less than the allowable remaining amount, and if the remaining fuel amount is equal to or less than the allowable remaining amount, selects the emergency stop control to bring the automatic operation of the work machine 1 to an emergency stop, while if the remaining fuel amount is greater than the allowable remaining amount, selects and executes the pre-stop operation control.

[0074] In this way, when the abnormal state is the conditional emergency stop necessary state, the operation control unit selects and executes either the emergency stop control or the pre-stop operation control depending on whether the emergency stop condition is satisfied. When the emergency stop condition is satisfied, the operation control unit selects and executes the emergency stop control, thereby preventing the occurrence of abnormalities such as deviations in the operation of the work machine 1. On the other hand, when the emergency stop condition is not satisfied, the operation control unit selects the pre-stop operation control and stops the automatic driving after changing the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, thereby eliminating the need for work to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, unlike when automatic driving is stopped immediately regardless of the attitude of the work machine 1.

[0075] The controller 11 includes an information output unit, which outputs information relating to the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit and the response operation control selected and executed in response to the abnormal condition, and inputs the information to the mobile terminal 120, which is an external device of the work machine 1. This makes it possible for the owner of the mobile terminal 120 to use information relating to the abnormal condition and the response operation control selected and executed in response to the abnormal condition. For example, it is possible to notify a manager who manages work on the work machine 1 of what abnormal condition has occurred in the work machine 1 and what response operation control has been performed on the work machine 1. The output of the information to the outside may be performed after the response operation control has been executed, or may be performed before or during the execution of the response operation control.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the abnormality response process carried out in the work machine 1.

[0077] First, the abnormal condition detection unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not the work machine 1 is in an abnormal condition (step S1). If it is determined that the work machine 1 is in an abnormal condition (YES in step S1), the abnormal condition detection unit of the controller 11 identifies an abnormal device (step S2).

[0078] Next, the operation control section of the controller 11 determines (step S3) whether or not the abnormal condition is at a level that will affect operational control of the automatic driving of the work machine 1. If it is determined that the abnormal condition is at a level that will affect operational control of the automatic driving (YES in step S3), the operation control section of the controller 11 selects the emergency stop control to bring the automatic driving of the work machine 1 to an emergency stop (step S4), and the information output section of the controller 11 outputs information related to the abnormal condition and corresponding operational control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S5).

[0079] On the other hand, if it is determined that the abnormal condition is not at a level that would affect the operation control of the automatic driving (NO in step S3), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the abnormal condition is at a level that would affect the operation function of the automatic driving (step S6). If it is determined that the abnormal condition is at a level that would affect the operation function of the automatic driving (YES in step S6), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the operation termination condition is met (step S7). The operation termination condition is a condition for determining when to terminate the continuation of the automatic driving. For example, if an abnormality occurs in the payload function, the operation termination condition is that the volume of soil corresponding to the average excavation load is greater than the target remaining soil volume. If an abnormality occurs in the function for detecting the height of the pile of soil (height detection function), the operation termination condition is that the volume of excavated soil is equal to or less than a certain amount.

[0080] The operation control unit of the controller 11 continues the automatic operation of the work machine 1 (step S8) until it determines that the operation termination condition is met (NO in step S7), and at the point in time when it determines that the operation termination condition is met (YES in step S7), the operation control unit of the controller 11 changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation termination attitude, which is the attitude at the end of the automatic operation (step S9), and then stops the automatic operation (step S10). The information output unit of the controller 11 outputs information regarding the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S5).

[0081] If it is determined that the abnormal condition is not at a level that will affect the operating function of the automatic driving (NO in step S6), the operation control unit of the controller 11 selects the operation continuation control to continue the automatic driving of the work machine 1 (step S11). At the point in time when it is determined that the work by the automatic driving has ended (YES in step S12), the operation control unit of the controller 11 changes the posture of the work machine 1 to the operation end posture (step S9), and then stops the automatic driving (step S10). The information output unit of the controller 11 outputs information regarding the abnormal condition and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S5).

[0082] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the payload malfunction handling process performed by the controller 11.

[0083] First, the abnormality detection unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the payload function (step S21). If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the payload function (YES in step S21), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not the soil volume corresponding to the average excavation load is greater than the target remaining soil volume (step S22).

[0084] If it is determined that the volume of soil corresponding to the average excavation load is not greater than the target remaining volume of soil (NO in step S22), the operation control section of the controller 11 continues the automatic operation of the work machine 1 (step S23). On the other hand, if it is determined that the volume of soil corresponding to the average excavation load is greater than the target remaining volume of soil (YES in step S22), the operation control section of the controller 11 changes the posture of the work machine 1 to the operation end posture (step S24), and then stops the automatic operation (step S25). The operation control section of the controller 11 outputs information regarding the abnormal condition and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S26).

[0085] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the height detection function abnormality handling process performed by the controller 11.

[0086] First, the abnormal state detection unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the height detection function (step S31). If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the height detection function (YES in step S31), the operation control unit of the controller 11 uses the previous height of soil and sand (step S32) and controls the excavation of the work machine 1 (step S33).

[0087] Next, the operation control section of the controller 11 determines whether the amount of excavated soil is equal to or less than a certain amount (step S34). If it is determined in step S34 that the amount of excavated soil is not equal to or less than the certain amount (NO in step S34), the operation control section of the controller 11 continues the automatic operation of the work machine 1 (step S35). During the automatic operation, the work machine 1 discharges soil.

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of excavated soil is equal to or less than the fixed amount (YES in step S34), the operation control section of the controller 11 causes the work machine 1 to discharge soil (step S36), then changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude (step S37), and then stops the automatic operation (step S38). The information output section of the controller 11 outputs information relating to the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S39).

[0089] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the water temperature abnormality response process performed by the controller 11.

[0090] First, the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the temperature of the cooling water is abnormal (step S41). If it is determined that the temperature of the cooling water is abnormal (YES in step S41), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or higher than the allowable water temperature (step S42).

[0091] If it is determined that the cooling water temperature is equal to or higher than the allowable water temperature (YES in step S42), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the bucket 33 is holding earth and sand (step S43). If it is determined that the bucket 33 is holding earth and sand (YES in step S43), the operation control unit of the controller 11 causes the work machine 1 to discharge earth and sand (step S44), then changes the posture of the work machine 1 to the operation end posture (step S45), and then stops the automatic operation (step S46). The information output unit of the controller 11 outputs information related to the abnormal condition and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S47).

[0092] If it is determined that the bucket 33 is not holding earth and sand (NO in step S43), the operation control unit of the controller 11 immediately changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude (step S45), and then stops the automatic operation (step S46). The operation control unit of the controller 11 outputs information regarding the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S47).

[0093] If it is determined that the temperature of the cooling water exceeds the allowable water temperature (NO in step S42), the operation control unit of the controller 11 reduces the operating speed of the work machine 1 (step S48) and continues the automatic operation of the work machine 1 (step S49).

[0094] When it is determined that the work by the automatic driving has ended (YES in step S50), the operation control section of the controller 11 changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the driving end attitude (step S45), and then stops the automatic driving (step S46). The information output section of the controller 11 outputs information relating to the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S47).

[0095] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the remaining fuel amount abnormality response process performed by the controller 11.

[0096] First, the abnormal state detection unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the remaining fuel amount (step S61). If it is determined that there is an abnormality in the remaining fuel amount (YES in step S61), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether or not the remaining fuel amount is equal to or less than the allowable remaining amount (step S62).

[0097] If it is determined that the remaining fuel amount is equal to or less than the allowable remaining amount (YES in step S62), the operation control unit of the controller 11 selects the emergency stop control to bring the automatic operation of the work machine 1 to an emergency stop (step S63). The information output unit of the controller 11 outputs information related to the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S64). On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining fuel amount exceeds the allowable remaining amount (NO in step S62), the operation control unit of the controller 11 determines whether the bucket 33 is holding earth or sand (step S65).

[0098] If it is determined that the bucket 33 is holding earth and sand (YES in step S65), the operation control section of the controller 11 causes the work machine 1 to discharge earth and sand (step S66), then changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude (step S67), and then stops the automatic operation (step S68). The information output section of the controller 11 outputs information related to the abnormal state and the corresponding operation control to the outside and inputs it to the mobile terminal 120 (step S64).

[0099] If it is determined that the bucket 33 is not holding soil or sand (NO in step S65), the operation control unit of the controller 11 immediately changes the posture of the work machine 1 to the operation end posture (step S67), and then stops the automatic operation (step S68).

[0100] As described above, according to the work machine 1 according to this embodiment, the operation control section of the controller 11 selects from a plurality of response operation controls a response operation control that corresponds to the level of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection section of the controller 11, and executes the selected response operation control. The plurality of response operation controls include emergency stop control that immediately stops the automatic operation of the work machine 1, and operation continuation control that continues the automatic operation. Even if the abnormal condition is detected, the operation control section continues the automatic operation if the response operation control selected in accordance with the abnormal condition is operation continuation control. This prevents the work effectiveness of the automatic operation from being reduced by response operations in the event of an abnormality.

[0101] The plurality of response operation controls further include a pre-stop operation control that stops the automatic driving after having the work machine 1 perform a predetermined pre-stop operation, and the pre-stop operation includes a final attitude operation that changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to an operation final attitude that is the attitude at the end of the automatic driving. Even if the abnormal condition is detected, if the response operation control selected in accordance with the abnormal condition is the pre-stop operation control, the operation control unit stops the automatic driving after having the work machine perform the final attitude operation that changes the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation final attitude. This differs from cases where automatic driving is stopped immediately regardless of the attitude of the work machine 1, and makes it possible to eliminate the need for work to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the operation final attitude.

[0102] The pre-stop operation may include a pre-stop work operation that is performed before the final posture operation. The pre-stop work operation is, for example, an operation of discharging soil held by the bucket 33 to a discharge position. The pre-stop work operation may be an operation that is performed by continuing the automatic operation until a predetermined operation termination condition is met. Execution of the pre-stop work operation makes it possible to increase the amount of work performed by the automatic operation compared to a case in which the automatic operation is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any work, thereby suppressing a decrease in the work effect of the automatic operation due to the response operation in the event of an abnormality.

[0103] In the pre-stop operation control, the pre-stop work operation by the work machine 1 is continued until the operation termination condition is met, which allows the amount of work performed by the automatic operation to be increased compared to when the automatic operation is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any work operation.

[0104] The operation termination condition is, for example, that the next work volume is greater than the remaining work volume. The next work volume is the work volume for one operation scheduled to be performed next time by the automatic driving, and the remaining work volume is the work volume obtained by subtracting the work volume to date from the target work volume for the automatic driving. Having the work machine 1 perform the pre-stop work operation until the next work volume becomes greater than the remaining work volume makes it possible to increase the work volume by the automatic driving compared to when the automatic driving is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any work operation.

[0105] Alternatively, the operation termination condition is that a single work volume, which is the amount of work performed in one cycle by the automatic driving, is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit work volume. Having the work machine 1 perform the pre-stop work operation until the single work volume becomes equal to or less than the lower limit work volume makes it possible to increase the amount of work performed by the automatic driving compared to when the automatic driving is immediately stopped without the work machine 1 performing any work operation.

[0106] The operation control unit is configured to select the emergency stop control and stop the automatic operation of the work machine 1 when the abnormal condition is at a level that affects the automatic driving operation control. When the abnormal condition is at a level that affects the automatic driving operation control, there is a risk that an abnormality such as a deviation will occur in the operation of the work machine 1 based on the automatic driving, but executing the emergency stop control to immediately stop the automatic driving of the work machine 1 makes it possible to prevent an abnormality such as a deviation from occurring in the operation of the work machine 1. Furthermore, the operation control unit is configured to select and execute the pre-stop operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect the automatic driving operation control but affects the operating function of the automatic driving. In this case, since it is possible to control the operation of the automatic driving even if the operating function of the automatic driving is affected, by selecting the pre-stop operation control rather than the emergency stop control, it is possible to increase the amount of work done by the automatic driving compared to when the automatic driving is stopped without the work machine 1 taking any action. In addition, when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect either the operation control or the driving function of the automatic driving, the operation control unit selects the continued driving control to continue the automatic driving, thereby making it possible to increase the amount of work performed by the automatic driving compared to when the automatic driving is stopped.

[0107] When the abnormal state is a predetermined conditional continuation allowance state, the operation control unit selects and executes either the operation continuation control or the interruption operation depending on whether a predetermined continuation allowance condition is satisfied. Specifically, when the continuation allowance condition is satisfied, the operation control unit selects the operation continuation control to continue the automatic driving, thereby suppressing a decrease in the work effect caused by the automatic driving. On the other hand, when the continuation allowance condition is not satisfied, the operation control unit selects the pre-stop operation control to stop the automatic driving after changing the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, thereby eliminating the need for work to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, unlike when the automatic driving is immediately stopped regardless of the attitude of the work machine 1.

[0108] Furthermore, when the operation control section selects the operation continuation control in the conditional continuation permitted state, the operation control section can prevent the abnormal state from worsening by reducing the operation speed of the work machine 1. For example, when an abnormality occurs in the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor, reducing the operation speed of the work machine 1 makes it possible to prevent the water temperature from rising.

[0109] Furthermore, when the abnormal state is a state requiring a predetermined conditional emergency stop, the operation control unit is configured to select and execute either the emergency stop control or the pre-stop operation control depending on whether a predetermined emergency stop condition is satisfied. Specifically, when the emergency stop condition is satisfied, the operation control unit selects the emergency stop control to immediately stop the automatic operation of the work machine 1, thereby preventing the occurrence of abnormalities such as deviation in the operation of the work machine 1. On the other hand, when the emergency stop condition is not satisfied, the operation control unit selects the pre-stop operation control to stop the automatic operation after changing the attitude of the work machine 1 to the operation end attitude, thereby eliminating the need for work to change the attitude of the stopped work machine 1 to the end attitude, unlike when the automatic operation is immediately stopped regardless of the attitude of the work machine 1.

[0110] The controller 11 further includes an information output unit that outputs information relating to the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit and the response operation control selected in accordance with that abnormal condition to the outside of the work machine 1, thereby making it possible for information about the abnormal condition that has occurred in the work machine 1 and the response operation control that has been carried out in response to that abnormal condition to be used outside the work machine 1. The output of the information can inform, for example, a manager who manages work on the work machine 1, of what abnormal condition has occurred in the work machine 1 and what response operation control has been carried out.

[0111] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are merely illustrative examples and do not limit the present invention, and the specific configurations and other aspects can be appropriately modified in design. Furthermore, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the invention are merely a list of the most preferred actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0112] As described above, there is provided an automatically operated work machine that is capable of suppressing a decrease in the work effectiveness of the automatic operation by performing a response operation in the event of an abnormality. The work machine includes an abnormal condition detection unit and an operation control unit. The abnormal condition detection unit detects an abnormal condition of the work machine. The operation control unit selects a response operation control from a plurality of pre-prepared response operation controls according to the level of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit, and executes the selected response operation control. The plurality of response operation controls include an emergency stop control that immediately stops the automatic operation, and a continuation operation control that continues the automatic operation.

[0113] Even if the abnormal condition is detected, the operation control unit continues the automatic operation if the corresponding operation control selected in accordance with the abnormal condition is the operation continuation control, thereby preventing the work effect of the automatic operation from being reduced due to the corresponding operation in the event of an abnormality.

[0114] It is preferable that the multiple corresponding operation controls further include a pre-stop operation control that stops the automatic driving after causing the work machine to perform a predetermined pre-stop operation, and that the pre-stop operation includes an end posture operation that changes the posture of the work machine to an operation end posture, which is the posture at the end of the automatic driving.

[0115] The pre-stop operation may further include a pre-stop work operation that is performed before the final posture operation. In this case, it is preferable that the operation control unit is configured to, in the pre-stop operation control, have the work machine perform the pre-stop work operation, then have the work machine perform the final posture operation, and stop the automatic operation.

[0116] The operation control section may be configured to cause the work machine to perform the pre-shutdown work operation until a predetermined operation end condition is met in the pre-shutdown operation control.

[0117] The driving termination condition is, for example, that the next work volume, which is the amount of work scheduled to be performed in one run by the automatic driving, is greater than the remaining work volume, which is the remaining work volume of the target work volume for the automatic driving.

[0118] The operation termination condition is, for example, that the amount of work performed in one operation by the automatic operation is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit amount of work.

[0119] It is preferable that the operation control unit is configured to select the emergency stop control when the abnormal condition is at a level that affects the operation control of the automatic driving, to select the pre-stop operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect the operation control of the automatic driving but affects the operating functions of the automatic driving, and to select the continued operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect either the operation control or the operating functions of the automatic driving.

[0120] The operation control unit may be configured to determine whether a predetermined condition for continuation tolerance is satisfied when the abnormal state detected by the abnormal state detection unit is a predetermined conditional continuation tolerance state, and to select the continued operation control if the condition for continuation tolerance is satisfied, or to select the pre-stop operation control if the condition for continuation tolerance is not satisfied.

[0121] In this case, the operation control section is preferably configured to reduce the operating speed of the work machine when the continuous operation control is selected in the conditional continuation permitted state.

[0122] The operation control unit may be configured to determine whether or not a predetermined emergency stop condition is satisfied when the abnormal state detected by the abnormal state detection unit is a condition requiring a predetermined conditional emergency stop, and to select the emergency stop control when the emergency stop condition is satisfied, and to select the pre-stop operation control when the emergency stop condition is not satisfied.

[0123] The work machine preferably further comprises an information output unit that outputs information relating to the abnormal condition and the corresponding operation control selected in accordance with the abnormal condition to the outside.

Claims

1. An automatically operated work machine comprising: an abnormal condition detection unit which detects an abnormal condition of the work machine; and an operation control unit which selects a response operation control from a plurality of previously prepared response operation controls according to the level of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit, and executes the selected response operation control, wherein the plurality of response operation controls include an emergency stop control which immediately stops the automatic operation of the work machine, and a continued operation control which continues the automatic operation.

2. A work machine as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of corresponding action controls further include a pre-stop action control that stops the automatic operation after causing the work machine to perform a predetermined pre-stop action, and the pre-stop action includes a termination posture action that sets the posture of the work machine to an operation termination posture, which is the posture at the end of the automatic operation.

3. A work machine as described in claim 2, wherein the pre-stop operation further includes a pre-stop work operation that is performed before the end posture operation, and the operation control unit is configured, in the pre-stop operation control, to have the work machine perform the pre-stop work operation, and then to have the work machine perform the end posture operation and to stop the automatic operation.

4. A work machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the operation control section is configured to cause the work machine to perform the pre-stop work operation in the pre-stop operation control until a predetermined operation end condition is met.

5. A work machine as described in claim 4, wherein the operation end condition is that a next work volume, which is the amount of work scheduled to be performed in one operation the next time by the automatic operation, is greater than a remaining work volume, which is the remaining work volume of a target work volume of the automatic operation.

6. A work machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the operation end condition is that the amount of work performed in one operation by the automatic operation is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit amount of work.

7. A work machine as described in claim 2, wherein the operation control unit is configured to select the emergency stop control when the abnormal condition is at a level that affects the operation control of the automatic driving, to select the pre-stop operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect the operation control of the automatic driving but affects the operating function of the automatic driving, and to select the continued operation control when the abnormal condition is at a level that does not affect either the operation control or the operating function of the automatic driving.

8. A work machine as described in claim 2, wherein the operation control unit is configured to, when the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit is a predetermined conditional continuation permissible state, determine whether or not a predetermined continuation permissible condition is satisfied, and select the continued operation control if the continuation permissible condition is satisfied, and to select the pre-stop operation control if the continuation permissible condition is not satisfied.

9. A work machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operation control section is configured to reduce the operating speed of the work machine when the continued operation control is selected in the conditional continuation permitted state.

10. A work machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the operation control unit is configured to, when the abnormal condition detected by the abnormal condition detection unit is a condition requiring a predetermined conditional emergency stop, determine whether or not a predetermined emergency stop condition is satisfied, and select the emergency stop control when the emergency stop condition is satisfied, and to select the pre-stop operation control when the emergency stop condition is not satisfied.

11. A work machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an information output unit which outputs to the outside information relating to said abnormal condition and said corresponding operation control selected in accordance with said abnormal condition.

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