Operation device and operation system

Abstract

This operation device for operating an operated object comprises: a sheet (24); an operation mechanism (211) that receives an operation by an operator; a drive device (224) that is capable of adjusting the orientation of the sheet; and a control device (200) that is capable of controlling the drive device so as to execute a first drive process, in which the orientation of the sheet is adjusted such that the orientation of the sheet changes in time series in accordance with a time series of the orientation of the operated object, and a second drive process, in which the orientation of the sheet is adjusted to a designated orientation in a non-operation state during which no operation instruction for the operated object has been received through the operation mechanism.

Description

Operating device and operating system

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation device and an operation system for operating an operation object.

[0002] A technology has been proposed that provides a sensory input of information about a work machine to an operator who remotely controls the work machine (the target of operation) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This technology discloses a remote control system for a work machine in which the operator controls the work machine from a remote control facility installed in a remote location. The remote control facility has a seat for the operator and a tilt drive means for tilting the seat, and the work machine is equipped with a tilt detection means for detecting the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the machine body. The tilt drive means tilts the seat so that it is in sync with the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the machine body detected by the tilt detection means while the work machine is traveling, and controls the tilt of the seat so that the amount of tilt is maintained at the moment the work machine stops traveling when the work machine is not traveling.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6220961 When the operator has no intention of operating the work machine, such as when not in operation, tilting the seat to match the tilt of the machine body as in the above-mentioned technology may cause the operator sitting in the seat to feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an operating device and an operating system that allow an operator to operate comfortably.

[0005] The present invention provides an operating device for operating an object to be operated, the operating device comprising: a seat; an operating mechanism that accepts operation by an operator; a drive device capable of adjusting the attitude of the seat; a first drive process that adjusts the attitude of the seat so that the attitude of the seat changes over time in accordance with the time series of the attitude of the object to be operated; and a control device that is capable of controlling the drive device to execute a second drive process that suspends execution of the first drive process and adjusts the attitude of the seat to a specified attitude in a non-operation state where no operation instruction is given to the object to be operated through the operating mechanism.

[0006] The present invention provides an operation system, which includes the operation device described above and the operation target.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a work machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a first drive control process of an operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a second drive control process of an operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a work environment image in an operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] (Configuration of operation system) Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an operation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. This operation system has a remote operation device 20 (operation device), and is configured to remotely operate a work machine 40 using this remote operation device 20. Note that in other embodiments, the operation system may also include the work machine 40. The remote operation device 20 and the work machine 40 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network.

[0009] (Configuration of Remote Operation Device) As shown in FIG. 1 , the remote operation device 20 has a remote control device 200 (control device, control unit), a remote input interface 210 (input unit), a remote output interface 220 (output unit), and a remote wireless communication device 250 (communication device) that can communicate with a work machine 40 via a network. The remote control device 200 is configured with a calculation processing device (a single-core processor or a multi-core processor or processor cores that make up the same), reads necessary data and software from a storage device such as memory, and executes calculation processing in accordance with the software on the data. The remote control device 200 can also operate a specific work machine 40 selected from a plurality of work machines 40 using the remote input interface 210 by communicating with the specific work machine 40 via the remote wireless communication device 250. The remote control device 200 also controls the seat drive device 224 to execute a first drive process and a second drive process, which will be described later.

[0010] The remote input interface 210 has a remote operation mechanism 211 that accepts operations by an operator. The remote output interface 220 has a remote image output device 221, a remote sound output device 222, and a seat drive device 224.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the remote control mechanism 211 according to this embodiment. The remote control mechanism 211 has the devices and components shown in FIG. 2 , including a travel control device, a swing control device, a boom control device, an arm control device, and an end-attachment control device. Each control device has an operation lever that is rotated. The operation lever (travel lever) of the travel control device is operated to drive a hydraulic travel motor (actuator) that constitutes the travel drive mechanism in the undercarriage 41 of the work machine 40. The travel lever may also serve as a travel pedal. For example, a travel pedal may be fixed to the base or lower end of the travel lever. The operation lever (swing lever) of the swing control device is operated to operate the hydraulic swing motor (actuator) that constitutes the swing drive mechanism of the work machine 40. The operation lever (boom lever) of the boom control device is operated to operate the boom cylinder 442 of the work machine 40. The control lever (arm lever) of the arm control device is operated to move the arm cylinder 444 of the work machine 40. The control lever (tip attachment lever) of the tip attachment control device is operated to move the tip attachment cylinder 446 of the work machine 40. The optional pedal located on the side of the travel pedal is operated to move the tip attachment of the work machine 40, etc.

[0012] The operating levers constituting the remote control mechanism 211 are arranged around the seat 24 on which the operator sits, as shown in Fig. 2. The seat 24 has a seat portion 241 installed on the upper side of a seat base 240 and a backrest portion 242, and is in the form of a high-back chair with armrests, but the seat portion may be in any form on which the operator can sit, such as a low-back chair without a headrest or a chair without the backrest portion 242.

[0013] Left and right travel levers 2110 corresponding to the left and right crawlers are arranged side by side in front of the seat 24. One operation lever may serve as multiple operation levers. For example, the left operation lever 2111 provided in front of the left frame of the seat 24 shown in FIG. 2 may function as an arm lever when operated in the forward / backward direction and as a swing lever when operated in the left / right direction. Similarly, the right operation lever 2112 provided in front of the right frame of the seat St shown in FIG. 2 may function as a boom lever when operated in the forward / backward direction and as a tip attachment lever when operated in the left / right direction. Such lever patterns may be changed as desired by an operator's operation command.

[0014] The remote image output device 221 may be composed of a single image output device or multiple image output devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the remote image output device 221 may be composed of a central remote image output device 2210, a left remote image output device 2211, and a right remote image output device 2212, each having a substantially rectangular screen, and arranged in front of, the seat 24, diagonally forward to the left, and diagonally forward to the right. The shapes and sizes of the screens (image display areas) of the central remote image output device 2210, the left remote image output device 2211, and the right remote image output device 2212 may be the same or different. The remote image output device 221 may be composed of a single curved or bendable image output device, or two or four or more image output devices arranged to surround the front of the seat 24.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the right edge of the left remote image output device 2211 is adjacent to the left edge of the central remote image output device 2210, so that the screens of the central remote image output device 2210 and the left remote image output device 2211 form an angle of 120° to 150°. As shown in Figure 2, the left edge of the right remote image output device 2212 is adjacent to the right edge of the central remote image output device 2210, so that the screens of the central remote image output device 2210 and the right remote image output device 2212 form an angle of 120° to 150°.

[0016] The screens of the central remote image output device 2210, the left remote image output device 2211, and the right remote image output device 2212 may be parallel to the vertical direction or may be tilted relative to the vertical direction. At least one of the central remote image output device 2210, the left remote image output device 2211, and the right remote image output device 2212 may be composed of multiple divided image output devices. For example, the central remote image output device 2210 may be composed of adjacent image output devices above and below, each having a substantially rectangular screen.

[0017] The remote audio output device 222 is composed of one or more speakers, and is composed of audio output devices disposed, for example, behind the seat 24, behind the left armrest, and behind the right armrest. The specifications of the audio output devices may be the same or different.

[0018] The seat drive device 224, together with the seat 24, constitutes a "seat device." The seat drive device 224 is capable of adjusting the attitude of the seat 24. The seat drive device 224 is configured to tilt or oscillate the seat 24 relative to the seat base 240 (or integrally with the seat base 240) about the pitch axis and / or the roll axis (about the roll axis as necessary). The seat drive device 224 may be configured to oscillate the seat 24 relative to the seat base 240 (or integrally with the seat base 240) in at least one direction among the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis.

[0019] 1, the work machine 40 has an actual machine control device 400, an actual machine input interface 410, an actual machine output interface 420, and an actual machine wireless communication device 450. Each of the components of the actual machine control device 400 is made up of an arithmetic processing device (a single-core processor or a multi-core processor or a processor core that makes up such a processor), reads the necessary data and software from a storage device such as memory, and executes arithmetic processing on the data in accordance with the software.

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a work machine 40 according to this embodiment. The work machine 40 is, for example, a hydraulic excavator, and as shown in Figure 3, is equipped with a crawler-type undercarriage 41 that constitutes a traveling drive mechanism, and an upper rotating body 42 that is rotatably mounted on the undercarriage 41 via a swing drive mechanism. A cab 43 (operator's compartment) is provided on the front left side of the upper rotating body 42. A work mechanism 44 is provided on the front right side of the upper rotating body 42. The cab 43 may be configured to be driven to move up and down relative to the upper rotating body 42 by an elevation drive mechanism (not shown) having a link mechanism and an actuator, and may be configured so that the tilt angle of the cab 43 relative to the upper rotating body 42 can be changed by a tilt drive mechanism (not shown) having an actuator.

[0021] The actual machine input interface 410 has an actual machine operation mechanism 411, an actual machine imaging device 412, and an actual machine sensor group 416. The actual machine operation mechanism 411 has a plurality of operation levers arranged around a seat arranged inside the cab 43 in the same manner as the remote operation mechanism 211. An actuation mechanism or robot that receives a signal corresponding to the operation mode of the remote operation lever and moves the actual machine operation lever based on the received signal is provided in the cab 43. The actual machine imaging device 412 is installed, for example, inside the cab 43, and captures images of the environment including at least a portion of the working mechanism 44 through the front window and left and right side windows. Some or all of the front window and side windows may be omitted.

[0022] The actual machine sensor group 416 includes various sensors configured to output signals to the actual machine control device 400 according to parameter values ​​related to the state of the work machine 40. The state of the work machine 40 includes the actual machine attitude, that is, the tilt angle (pitch angle) about the pitch axis and / or the tilt angle (roll angle) about the roll axis relative to the vertical direction of the upper rotating body 42. The actual machine attitude sensor is configured, for example, with a three-dimensional acceleration sensor. The state of the work machine 40 may include whether or not the prime mover (equipment that generates vibration, such as an engine or a work oil pump) is operating, as well as the hoisting angle of the boom 441 relative to the upper rotating body 42, the rotation angle of the arm 443 relative to the boom 441, the rotation angle of the tip attachment 445 (lift magnet) relative to the arm 443, hydraulic oil pressure, remaining fuel amount, etc.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the working mechanism 44 (operating mechanism) includes a boom 441 whose base end is mounted on the upper rotating body 42 so as to be able to be raised and lowered; an arm 443 whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip of the boom 441; and a tip attachment 445 whose base end is rotatably connected to the tip of the arm 443. The working mechanism 44 is equipped with a boom cylinder 442, an arm cylinder 444, and a tip attachment cylinder 446, which serve as actuators each composed of an extendable hydraulic cylinder. The tip attachment 445 may be a bucket having a container for containing soil or other objects, a lifting magnet, a grapple that grasps an object by opening and closing multiple opposing gripping claws, a bucket with a hook that can hook an object onto a hook attached to its back and lift it up, or a breaker having a chisel that is reciprocally supported on the breaker body and strikes the work object. The chisel of the breaker may be operable by a switch. The base end of the boom 441 and the base end of the arm 443 may be provided with a swing mechanism that swings the tip end left and right relative to each base end, or a slide arm that is provided with a slidable extension mechanism on the arm 443 to extend and retract the arm 443, and may be configured to be operable by a switch or an optional pedal. A dozer having a blade lifting mechanism that drives the blade up and down by a dozer cylinder is provided on the front side of the lower traveling body 41, and may be configured to be operable by a switch or an optional pedal.

[0024] The boom cylinder 442 is interposed between the boom 441 and the upper rotating body 42 so as to extend and retract by receiving a supply of hydraulic oil to rotate the boom 441 in the hoisting direction. The arm cylinder 444 is interposed between the arm 443 and the boom 441 so as to extend and retract by receiving a supply of hydraulic oil to rotate the arm 443 about a horizontal axis relative to the boom 441. The tip attachment cylinder 446 is interposed between the tip attachment 445 and the arm 443 so as to extend and retract by receiving a supply of hydraulic oil to rotate the tip attachment 445 about a horizontal axis relative to the arm 443.

[0025] (Function) Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the operation system according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the first drive control process of the operation system according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the second drive control process of the operation system according to this embodiment. The functions of the remote operation device 20 and the remote operation system configured as described above will be explained using Figs. 4 to 6. In the flowcharts, blocks labeled "C (number)" are used for the sake of simplicity, and represent data transmission and / or reception, and represent conditional branching in which processing in a branching direction is executed on the condition that the data is transmitted and / or received.

[0026] On the condition that communication between the remote control device 20 and the work machine 40 has been established, the actual machine control device 400 of the work machine 40 transmits a captured image acquired via the actual machine imaging device 412 to the remote control device 20 (FIG. 4 / STEP 402). The captured image (or captured image data) may be the captured image itself, or image data representing a simulated environmental image generated based on the captured image.

[0027] Note that, for example, in the remote operation device 20, communication between the remote operation device 20 and the work machine 40 may be established in response to the remote control device 200 transmitting a designation signal to the work machine 40 via the remote wireless communication device 250. If multiple work machines 40 are multiple operation target candidates, the remote control device 200 may transmit a designation signal to each of the multiple work machines 40. The remote control device 200 may determine whether or not the operator has performed a designation operation via the remote input interface 210, and if the determination result is positive, the remote control device 200 may transmit a designation signal. The "designation operation" is, for example, an operation such as tapping on the remote input interface 210 for the operator to designate the work machine 40 that the operator intends to remotely operate. An operation acceptance unit that accepts this operation such as tapping may be provided on the seat 24 or beside the seat 24.

[0028] When the remote operation device 20 receives a captured image via the remote wireless communication device 250 (FIG. 4 / C21), the remote control device 200 outputs the captured image to the remote image output device 221 (display device) (FIG. 4 / STEP 202). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a work environment image in the operation system according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a captured image showing the ground spreading out in front of the cab 43, as well as the bucket corresponding to the tip attachment 445 that is part of the work mechanism 44, the ground, and the like is output to the remote image output device 221.

[0029] In the remote operation device 20, the remote control device 200 recognizes the operation mode of the remote operation mechanism 211, and transmits a remote operation command corresponding to the operation mode to the work machine 40 via the remote wireless communication device 250 (FIG. 4 / STEP 204).

[0030] In the work machine 40, when the actual machine control device 400 receives a remote operation command via the actual machine wireless communication device 450 (FIG. 4 / C41), it controls the operation of the work mechanism 44, etc. in accordance with the remote operation command (FIG. 4 / STEP 404). For example, while the bucket serving as the tip attachment 445 holds an object such as earth and sand, a predetermined task is performed that involves the operation of the work mechanism 44, etc. in order to displace the position of the bucket in real space (see FIG. 7).

[0031] In the work machine 40, the actual machine control device 400 transmits the actual machine operating status (information) acquired through the actual machine sensor group 416 to the remote control device 20 (FIG. 4 / STEP 406). The actual machine operating status includes the actual machine attitude (the tilt angle of the upper rotating body 42 about the pitch axis and / or roll axis relative to the vertical direction), whether the prime mover is operating, the attitude of the work mechanism 44, etc.

[0032] When the remote operation device 20 receives the actual machine operating status via the remote wireless communication equipment 250 (FIG. 4 / C22), the remote control device 200 determines whether the remote operation device 20 is in an operating state in which an operation instruction is being given to the work machine 40, which is the operation target, via the remote operation mechanism 211 (whether the remote operation device 20 is in a non-operating state in which no operation instruction is given to the work machine 40) (FIG. 4 / STEP 206). For example, the determination process is executed depending on whether at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the cutoff lever constituting the remote operation mechanism 211 has not been operated to the hydraulic lock side, the operation lever constituting the remote operation mechanism 211 is receiving an external force (acting from the operator's body), an operation has been performed to start a prime mover such as the engine of the work machine 40, the operator's line of sight, as detected by, for example, a line of sight detection device, is directed continuously at the remote image output device 221 for a certain period of time or more, and the emergency stop switch constituting the remote input interface 210 is OFF, i.e., whether a condition indicating a high probability that the operator intends to remotely operate the work machine 40 is satisfied. When the shutoff lever is operated to the hydraulic lock side, it disables the operational control of the work mechanism 44 of the work machine 40, etc., which is in accordance with the operation mode of the remote operation mechanism 211. When the shutoff lever is operated to the side opposite to the hydraulic lock side, it enables the operational control. Furthermore, an operation to start a prime mover, such as an engine, of the work machine 40 is detected based on the state of the prime mover and whether or not there is an operation on the remote input interface 210.

[0033] When the remote control device 200 determines that the remote operation device 20 is in an operating state (YES in FIG. 4 / STEP 206), it executes a "first drive process" (FIG. 4 / STEP 210).

[0034] Specifically, the remote control device 200 determines whether a first attitude deviation, which is a deviation between the seat attitude and the actual attitude of the aircraft, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value (FIG. 5 / STEP 211). The seat attitude is detected based on the tilt angle around the pitch axis and / or the roll axis relative to the initial attitude of the seat 24.

[0035] If the determination result is affirmative (FIG. 5 / STEP 211: YES), i.e., if the deviation between the seat posture and the actual posture is relatively large, the first flag f1 is set to (or maintained at) "1" (FIG. 5 / STEP 212). On the other hand, if the determination result is negative (FIG. 5 / STEP 211: NO), i.e., if the deviation between the seat posture and the actual posture is relatively small, the first flag f1 is set to (or maintained at) "0" (FIG. 5 / STEP 213). The "first flag f1" is a flag that indicates whether or not there is or needs to be a limit on the posture change rate of the seat 24 (the tilt angular velocity about the pitch axis and / or the roll axis) when a first seat posture adjustment process (described below) is executed.

[0036] Then, the remote control device 200 controls the operation of the seat drive device 224 to execute a "first seat position adjustment process" in which the position of the seat 24 is adjusted to match or coincide with the actual position of the vehicle (FIG. 5 / STEP 214). Here, if the first flag f1 is set to "1," the position change speed of the seat 24 is limited (kept small) to a value equal to or less than the first position change speed. If the first flag f1 is set to "0," the restriction on the position change speed of the seat 24 is lifted. Note that, regardless of whether the first position deviation is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the first position change speed may be adjusted to decrease continuously or in stages as the first position deviation increases.

[0037] When executing the first seat attitude adjustment process, the remote control device 200 may perform low-pass filtering based on a time series of the actual vehicle's attitude to remove high-frequency components above a threshold from the frequency components contained in the waveform of the time series of the attitude, and may adjust the temporal change in the seat attitude by controlling the operation of the seat drive device 224 in accordance with the time series of the attitude after the low-pass filtering process. The time series of the actual vehicle's attitude contains superimposed relatively high-frequency vibration components as noise resulting from vibrations received by the undercarriage 41 from the road surface and vibrations of the prime mover of the work machine 40. However, by performing low-pass filtering on the time series of the actual vehicle's attitude, the remote control device 200 can remove the vibration components as noise, thereby enabling the time series of the actual vehicle's attitude to be accurately acquired (calculated). When executing the first drive process, the remote control device 200 may omit the process of determining whether the first attitude deviation is large or small and the process of setting the first flag f1 in accordance with the determination result (see FIG. 5 / STEPs 211, 212, and 213).

[0038] On the other hand, if the remote control device 200 determines that the remote operation device 20 is in a non-operated state (NO in FIG. 4 / STEP 206), that is, if the remote operation device 20 has changed from an operating state to a non-operated state (switched from an operating state to a non-operated state), the remote control device 200 determines whether the non-operated state has continued for a specified period of time or more, or whether an attitude specification operation has been performed through the remote input interface 210 (FIG. 4 / STEP 208). If the determination result is negative (NO in FIG. 4 / STEP 208), the remote control device 200 executes the aforementioned "first drive process" (FIG. 4 / STEP 210).

[0039] On the other hand, if the determination result is positive (YES in STEP 208 in FIG. 4), the remote control device 200 suspends or terminates the execution of the "first drive process" and executes the "second drive process" (STEP 220 in FIG. 4). At this time, the execution of the "second drive process" is conditional on the presence of an attitude designation operation via the remote input interface 210. In other words, the remote input interface 210 (or the operation input unit for the attitude designation operation that constitutes it) constitutes the "input unit that detects an operator's operation for executing the second drive process in accordance with the operator's intention" (the input unit that accepts input of a command for executing the second drive process from the operator) of the present invention.

[0040] Specifically, the remote control device 200 determines whether a second attitude deviation, which is the deviation between the seat attitude and the designated attitude, is equal to or greater than a second threshold (FIG. 6 / STEP 221). The second threshold may be equal to the first threshold, or may be greater or smaller than the first threshold. The "designated attitude" is a predetermined attitude of the seat 24, such as the initial attitude of the seat 24 or the attitude of the seat 24 at the beginning of a non-operating state. The initial attitude of the seat 24 may be an attitude in which the seat 241 is slightly tilted forward (e.g., 5° to 20° relative to the horizontal plane) in consideration of the convenience of the operator when sitting on (or standing up from) the seat 24. The designated attitude may be an attitude in which the seat 241 (or the main seat surface) is horizontal, or an attitude in which the seat 241 is slightly tilted backward (e.g., 5° to 15° relative to the horizontal plane) in consideration of seating stability.

[0041] If the determination result is positive (YES in FIG. 6 / STEP 221), that is, if the deviation between the seat posture and the designated posture is relatively large, the second flag f2 is set (or maintained) to "1" (FIG. 6 / STEP 223). The "second flag f2" is a flag that indicates the presence or absence of a restriction on the posture change speed of the seat 24 (the tilt angular velocity about the pitch axis and / or the roll axis) when the second seat posture adjustment process (described later) is executed.

[0042] The remote control device 200 then executes a "second seat position adjustment process" that adjusts the position of the seat 24 by controlling the operation of the seat drive device 224 so that the seat position is aligned with or coincides with the designated position (FIG. 6 / STEP 226). When the second flag f2 is set to "1," the position change speed of the seat 24 is limited to a second position change speed or less. Regardless of whether the second position deviation is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the second position change speed may be adjusted to decrease continuously or in stages as the second position deviation increases.

[0043] On the other hand, if the determination result is positive (NO in STEP 221 in FIG. 6), that is, if the deviation between the seat posture and the designated posture is relatively small, it is determined whether the seat posture and the designated posture match (STEP 222 in FIG. 6). If it is determined that the seat posture and the designated posture differ (NO in STEP 222 in FIG. 6), the second flag f2 is set to (or maintained at) "0" (STEP 224 in FIG. 6).

[0044] The remote control device 200 then executes a "second seat position adjustment process" to adjust the position of the seat 24 so that the seat position matches or coincides with the designated position by controlling the operation of the seat drive device 224 (FIG. 6 / STEP 226). If the second flag f2 is set to "0", the restriction on the position change speed of the seat 24 is lifted.

[0045] If it is determined that the seat posture matches the designated posture (FIG. 6 / STEP 222: YES), the remote control device 200 determines whether the prime mover of the work machine 40 is operating (FIG. 6 / STEP 227) based on the actual machine operating status (see FIG. 4 / STEP 406). If the determination result is negative (FIG. 6 / STEP 227: NO), the current second drive process ends. If the determination result is positive (FIG. 6 / STEP 227: YES), the seat 24 is vibrated by the seat drive device 224 (FIG. 6 / STEP 228). At this time, the seat 24 vibrates around the pitch axis and / or roll axis with a predetermined minute amplitude and at a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the prime mover, causing the posture of the seat 24 to change slightly relative to the designated posture. Alternatively, the seat 24 vibrates along a direction parallel to at least one of the pitch axis, roll axis, and yaw axis at a predetermined minute amplitude and at a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the prime mover, causing the posture of the seat 24 to change slightly in at least one of the directions of front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down while being maintained in a specified posture.

[0046] When the second drive process is performed, the process of determining whether the second attitude deviation is large or small and the process of setting the second flag f2 in accordance with the determination result may be omitted (see FIG. 6 / STEP 221, STEP 223, and STEP 224). Also, the process of determining whether the prime mover is operating and the process of applying vibration to the seat 24 in accordance with the determination result may be omitted (see FIG. 6 / STEP 227 and STEP 228).

[0047] In the remote operation device 20, the remote control device 200 determines whether or not the remote input interface 210 or the remote operation mechanism 211 has received an end operation for ending the operation of the work machine 40 (FIG. 4 / STEP 240).

[0048] The presence or absence of an "end operation" is detected based on whether the operation levers, travel pedals, and option pedals that constitute the remote input interface 210 have been returned to the neutral position or the initial position in order to cause the work machine 40 to end a predetermined operation of an operating mechanism such as the work mechanism 44. At this time, the presence or absence of an end operation may be determined not only based on whether each lever or pedal has been returned to the neutral position or the initial position, but also based on whether that state has been maintained for a certain period of time. Additionally, the presence or absence of an "end operation" may be detected based on various conditions, such as whether the cut-off lever has been operated to the hydraulic lock state, whether an operation has been performed in the remote input interface 210 to stop the operation of the prime mover of the work machine 40, and whether a switch that constitutes the remote input interface 210 has been switched from the ON state to the OFF state in order to cause the work machine 40 to end a predetermined operation of an operating mechanism such as the work mechanism 44, or may be detected based on whether a plurality of conditions are satisfied in combination.

[0049] If it is determined that no termination operation has been performed (NO in FIG. 4 / STEP 240), the reception of the captured image and output to the remote image output device 221 (see FIG. 4 / C21 → STEP 202) and subsequent processing are repeated, and the work machine 40 continues to operate in accordance with the remote operation command.

[0050] On the other hand, if it is determined that an end operation has been performed (YES in FIG. 4 / STEP 240), in the remote operation device 20, the remote control device 200 transmits a remote operation stop signal to the work machine 40 via the remote wireless communication device 250 (FIG. 5 / STEP 242).

[0051] In the work machine 40, when the actual machine control device 400 receives a remote operation stop signal through the actual machine wireless communication device 450 (Figure 4 / C42), it controls the operation of the actuator of the operating mechanism so that the operation of the work mechanism 44 etc. is terminated.

[0052] (Operation and Effect) According to the remote operation device 20 that performs the above functions and the operation system configured thereby, the remote control device 200 controls the seat drive device 224 to execute the first drive process, thereby making it possible to communicate to the operator seated in the seat 24 the time series or time-varying state of the attitude of the work machine 40 that is the object of operation, through the time series or time-varying state of the attitude of the seat 24 (see FIG. 4 / STEP 210 and FIG. 5 / STEPs 211 to 214). On the other hand, in a non-operation state where the operator is not issuing operation instructions for the object of operation via the remote operation mechanism 211, the first drive process is interrupted and the second drive process is executed (see FIG. 4 / STEP 206: NO → ... →STEP 220 and FIG. 6 / STEPs 221 to 218). As a result, the attitude of the seat 24 is adjusted to or maintained at the specified attitude, and communication of the time-varying state of the attitude of the work machine 40 that is the object of operation to the operator seated in the seat 24 is cut off.

[0053] (Other Embodiments of the Present Invention) In the above embodiment, the second drive process was executed on the condition (requirement) that the remote control device 20 had been in a non-operated state for a specified time or longer (see FIG. 4 / STEP 208 → YES → STEP 220). However, the second drive process may be executed immediately after the remote control device 20 enters a non-operated state or when an attitude specification operation is performed. Furthermore, the remote control device 20 may be provided with an input unit (e.g., a remote input interface 210 that detects operations such as tapping). The input unit detects an operator's operation to execute the second drive process in accordance with the operator's intention.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the seat 24 is adjusted to align or match the seat attitude with the actual aircraft attitude (FIG. 5 / STEP 214, FIG. 6 / STEP 226). However, the seat 24 may be adjusted to align or match a relative attitude that correlates with the actual aircraft attitude. For example, a relative attitude that correlates with the actual aircraft attitude is calculated by multiplying the tilt angle of the upper rotating body 42 about the pitch axis and / or roll axis relative to the vertical direction at the actual aircraft attitude by a predetermined coefficient c (e.g., c = 0.90, 1.1, etc.), and the seat attitude is adjusted to align or match the calculated relative attitude. If the predetermined coefficient is set to be smaller than 1, the tilt angle at the relative attitude is smaller than the tilt angle at the actual aircraft attitude. If the predetermined coefficient is set to be greater than 1, the tilt angle at the relative attitude is larger than the tilt angle at the actual aircraft attitude.

[0055] A first aspect of the present invention provides an operating device for operating an object to be operated, comprising: a seat; an operating mechanism for accepting operation by an operator; a drive device capable of adjusting the attitude of the seat; a first drive process for adjusting the attitude of the seat so that the attitude of the seat changes over time in accordance with the time series of the attitude of the object to be operated; and a control device capable of controlling the drive device to execute a second drive process for suspending execution of the first drive process and adjusting the attitude of the seat to a specified attitude in a non-operation state in which no operation instruction is given to the object to be operated through the operating mechanism.

[0056] In the operating device having this configuration, the control device executes a first drive process to adjust the seat posture, and the operator seated in the seat can be informed (or made aware) of changes in the posture of the operation object over time (time-varying patterns). Meanwhile, in a non-operation state in which the operator is not issuing an operation instruction for the operation object, the first drive process is suspended and a second drive process is executed. This adjusts or maintains the posture of the seat to a specified posture, and also blocks the transmission of changes in the posture of the operation object over time to the operator seated in the seat.

[0057] A second aspect of the present invention is the operating device according to the first aspect, wherein the control device executes the second drive process when the non-operation state continues for a specified time or longer.

[0058] With this configuration of operating device, if the operator does not give any operation instructions for the operation object for a specified period of time or longer and there is a high probability that the operator has no intention of operating the operation object, the transmission of time-series changes in the posture of the operation object to the operator seated in the seat can be cut off.

[0059] A third invention of the present invention is an operating device according to the first or second invention, wherein the specified posture may be the posture of the seat at the start of the non-operation state, the initial posture of the seat, or a posture in which the seat bottom is horizontal.

[0060] According to the operating device having this configuration, the second drive process is executed to adjust the seat position to the position at the beginning of the non-operating state, the initial position, or a position in which the seat is horizontal, thereby making it possible for the operator to recognize that the non-operating state has continued. The initial position of the seat may be a position in which the seat is tilted forward, taking into consideration the convenience of the operator when sitting on the seat.

[0061] A fourth aspect of the present invention may be an operating device according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising an input unit that receives input of a command to execute the second drive process from an operator.

[0062] With an operating device of this configuration, the second drive process is executed in accordance with the operator's intentions, and the seat is adjusted to a specified position, so that time-series changes in the position of the object to be operated can be prevented from being transmitted to the operator through the seat.

[0063] A fifth invention of the present invention is an operating device according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the control device controls the drive device in the first drive process so that the greater the deviation between the attitude of the object to be operated and the attitude of the seat, the smaller the attitude change speed of the seat for aligning the attitude of the object to be operated with the attitude of the seat.

[0064] With this configuration, the greater the deviation between the attitude of the operation target and the attitude of the seat, the lower the seat attitude change speed required to align the attitude of the operation target with the attitude of the seat. This can prevent the seat attitude from changing too quickly to align the seat attitude with the attitude of the operation target, causing the operator to feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, the lower the deviation, the more quickly the attitude of the operation target is reflected or transmitted to the seat attitude, allowing the operator to recognize time-series changes in the attitude of the operation target in real time.

[0065] A sixth aspect of the present invention is an operating device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the control device, in the first drive process, identifies frequency components contained in the time series of posture of the object to be operated based on the time series of the posture, performs low-pass filtering to remove high-frequency components equal to or greater than a threshold from the frequency components identified from the time series of posture, and controls the drive device according to the time series of posture after the low-pass filtering to adjust the posture of the seat.

[0066] With this configuration, the operating device transmits to the operator seated in the seat the time-series change in the seat posture according to the time series that has been subjected to low-pass filtering to remove high-frequency components above a threshold from the frequency components contained in the time-series change in the posture of the object to be operated, thereby accurately transmitting the time series of the posture of the actual machine to the operator.

[0067] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an operating device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the control device may, in the second drive process, vibrate the seat in the specified position in accordance with the operation of the prime mover of the object to be operated.

[0068] According to the operating device having this configuration, the operator seated in the seat in the specified position can recognize whether the prime mover to be operated is operating based on the presence or absence of vibration of the seat. For example, the vibration of the seat is adjusted to a weak vibration to avoid causing discomfort to the operator. The seat may be vibrated by reducing the gain according to the rate of change in the position of the operation target, or may be vibrated according to a predetermined vibration mode of the prime mover.

[0069] An eighth aspect of the present invention may be an operating device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, configured to operate a work machine as the operation target.

[0070] With the operating device having this configuration, when the operator is in a non-operating state where no operation instructions are being given to the work machine to be operated, the first drive process is suspended and the second drive process is executed, thereby adjusting or maintaining the seat position at a specified position and blocking the transmission of time-series changes in the work machine position to the operator seated in the seat.

[0071] A ninth aspect of the present invention provides an operation system, comprising the operation device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects and the operation target.

Claims

1. An operating device for operating an object to be operated, comprising: a seat; an operating mechanism that accepts operation by an operator; a drive device capable of adjusting the posture of the seat; and a control device capable of controlling the drive device to execute a first drive process that adjusts the posture of the seat so that the posture of the seat changes in time series in accordance with the time series of the posture of the object to be operated; and a second drive process that interrupts execution of the first drive process and adjusts the posture of the seat to a specified posture in a non-operation state in which no operation instruction is given to the object to be operated through the operating mechanism.

2. An operating device according to claim 1, wherein the control device executes the second drive process when the non-operated state continues for a specified time or longer.

3. An operating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the specified position is the position of the seat at the start of the non-operating state, an initial position of the seat, or a position in which the bottom of the seat is horizontal.

4. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an input section for receiving an input of a command for executing the second drive process from an operator.

5. An operating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control device controls the drive device in the first drive process so that the greater the deviation between the attitude of the operation object and the attitude of the seat, the smaller the attitude change speed of the seat for aligning the attitude of the operation object with the attitude of the seat.

6. An operating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the first drive process, the control device identifies frequency components contained in the time series of posture of the object to be operated based on the time series of the posture, performs low-pass filtering to remove high-frequency components equal to or greater than a threshold from the frequency components identified from the time series of the posture, and controls the drive device to adjust the posture of the seat in accordance with the time series of the posture after the low-pass filtering.

7. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control device vibrates the seat in the specified position in response to operation of the prime mover of the operation target in the second drive process.

8. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is configured to operate a work machine as the object to be operated.

9. An operation system comprising: an operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and the operation target.

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