Method and system for controlling excavator

Abstract

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling an excavator in order to cause a bucket containing an object to automatically reach a loading position from a digging position, the method comprising steps in which: an automatic loading position reaching function is activated as an automatic loading position reaching mode is selected through a display controller; information that is needed to perform the automatic loading position reaching function is obtained by a reception unit; the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of a destination point that is the loading position at which a bucket is to reach are determined by a control unit on the basis of the obtained information; and the automatic loading position reaching function is performed by the control unit such that the bucket reaches the destination point on the basis of the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point.

Description

Method and system for controlling an excavator

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a method and system for controlling an excavator. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for controlling the movement of a bucket, an arm, a boom, and an upper slewing mechanism so that a bucket containing an excavation object can efficiently reach a loading position. The present disclosure may be applied to large vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, among other vehicle types. While the present disclosure may be described with respect to a specific vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle.

[0002] An excavator is a type of construction machine that performs various tasks, such as digging the ground at construction sites, loading the excavated soil into a load receiver, excavating to create a foundation, demolishing a building, leveling, and leveling.

[0003] An excavator may generally include a lower body that serves as a moving part of the equipment, an upper body that is swivellably mounted on the lower body, and a work device (boom, arm, bucket, etc.) mounted at the front of the upper body.

[0004] These excavators are generally controlled by manual operation of the operator for excavation work, loading work, etc., and there is a problem that the operation is complex and the driving skills of each operator are different, so the excavation and loading results are achieved differently depending on the operator.

[0005] Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for autonomous excavation and loading technology that can solve the above-mentioned problems and accurately determine excavation and loading trajectories.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and system for controlling the movement of a bucket, an arm, a boom and an upper slewing body so that a bucket containing an excavation object can efficiently reach a loading position.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling an excavator to automatically reach a bucket containing an object from a digging position to a loading position, the method comprising: selecting a loading position automatic arrival mode in a display controller to activate a loading position automatic arrival function; obtaining information necessary for performing the loading position automatic arrival function in a receiving unit; determining, based on the obtained information, position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of an arrival point, which is a loading position at which the bucket is to reach, in a control unit; and performing, based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the arrival point, in the control unit so that the bucket reaches the arrival point.

[0008] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the step of performing the automatic arrival at the loading position function may be a method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the step includes the step of calculating a target rotation angle of at least one of a boom, an arm, and a bucket, and a target swing angle of an upper slewing body for the bucket to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the determined arrival point, based on the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the determined arrival point, the step of moving the boom until the bucket reaches point Zr, the step of swinging the upper slewing body based on the target swing angle, and the step of moving at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket, while maintaining the bucket angle, during or after the swing of the upper slewing body is completed, until the bucket reaches point Xr, point Yr, and point Zr.

[0009] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method of controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that the position of the bucket is based on the position of the center of the rotation axis of the bucket.

[0010] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that in the step of determining the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, the Zr point of the destination point is determined by adding up the width of the bucket, the first height which is the distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver, and a preset margin.

[0011] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that, in the step of moving the boom, the swing operation of the upper slewing body is not allowed while the movement of the boom is not completed.

[0012] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the step of moving the boom may further include a step of determining that the bucket is in an overload state based on whether the amount of the object contained in the bucket exceeds a preset standard when the movement of the boom is completed.

[0013] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that, in the step of swinging the upper slewing body, if the bucket is determined to be in an overloaded state, the swing speed of the upper slewing body is limited to a predetermined percentage of a preset swing speed to prevent an object contained in the bucket from overflowing from the bucket during swinging.

[0014] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that, in the step of swinging the upper swing body, if it is determined that the bucket is not in an overload state, the upper swing body is swinged at a preset swing speed.

[0015] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that, in the step of swinging the upper slewing body, the swing speed of the upper slewing body is reduced when the bucket enters a swing braking section during the swing of the upper slewing body.

[0016] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method of controlling an excavator may further include a step of determining in the control unit whether the bucket has reached the destination.

[0017] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, a method for controlling an excavator may be provided, characterized in that in the step of determining whether the bucket has reached the destination, if it is determined that the bucket has reached the destination within a preset time, the automatic loading position reaching function is completed, and if it is determined that the bucket has not reached the destination within a preset time, it is regarded as an error and this is displayed on the display controller, but the automatic loading position reaching function is performed until the destination is reached.

[0018] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for controlling an excavator to automatically reach a bucket containing an object from a digging position to a loading position, the system comprising: a driving unit including a boom, an arm, a bucket, and an upper swivel; a receiving unit for obtaining information necessary for performing an automatic loading position reaching function; an input / output interface for receiving a user input or outputting information, wherein the display control activates the automatic loading position reaching function and displays the information obtained by the receiving unit; and a control unit for determining position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of an arrival point, which is a loading position at which the bucket will reach, based on the information obtained by the receiving unit, and controlling the driving unit to allow the bucket to reach the arrival point based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the arrival point, thereby performing the automatic loading position reaching function.

[0019] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that, based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, the control unit calculates a target rotation angle of at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket for the bucket to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, and a target swing angle of the upper slewing body, moves the boom until the bucket reaches the point Zr, swings the upper slewing body based on the target swing angle, and moves at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket while maintaining the bucket angle during or after the swing of the upper slewing body is completed until the bucket reaches the point Xr, the point Yr, and the point Zr.

[0020] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the system for controlling the excavator may be characterized in that the position of the bucket is based on the position of the center of the rotation axis of the bucket.

[0021] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the control unit determines the Zr point of the destination point by adding up the width of the bucket, a first height which is a distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver, and a preset margin.

[0022] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that it does not allow a swing operation of the upper slewing body while the movement of the boom is not completed.

[0023] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that, when the movement of the boom is completed, the amount of the object contained in the bucket exceeds a preset standard, depending on whether the amount of the object contained in the bucket exceeds a preset standard.

[0024] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that, when the bucket is determined to be overloaded, the control unit limits the swing speed of the upper slewing body to a predetermined percentage of the preset swing speed to prevent the object contained in the bucket from overflowing from the bucket during swing.

[0025] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that, if it is determined that the bucket is not overloaded, the control unit swings the upper swing body at a preset swing speed.

[0026] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the swing speed is reduced when the bucket enters a swing braking zone during the swing of the upper slewing body.

[0027] In some examples, optionally including at least one preferred example, the control unit may be a system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the control unit determines whether the bucket has reached the destination, and if it is determined that the bucket has reached the destination within a preset time, it displays through the display controller that the automatic loading position reaching function has been completed, and if it is determined that the bucket has not reached the destination within a preset time, it considers it as an error and displays this through the display controller, but performs the automatic loading position reaching function until the destination is reached.

[0028] The method and system for controlling an excavator according to the present disclosure can improve work efficiency and operator convenience by performing an automatic loading position reaching function that automatically reaches a loading position of a bucket containing an excavation target.

[0029] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present disclosure or the composition of the disclosure described in the claims.

[0030] The disclosed aspects, embodiments (including any preferred embodiments), and / or accompanying claims may be suitably combined with one another as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

[0031] Additional features and advantages are set forth in the following description, claims and drawings, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art or may be recognized by practicing the teachings herein.

[0032] The example is described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 is a drawing showing a driving unit of an excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a system for controlling an excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figures 3 and 4 are flowcharts illustrating a method for controlling an excavator according to one embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a movement trajectory of an excavator performing an automatic loading position reaching function according to one embodiment.

[0037] FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings for explaining a step of determining the location coordinates of a destination point according to one embodiment.

[0038] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings for explaining steps for moving a boom according to one embodiment.

[0039] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology with sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is therefore not limited to the aspects described herein. In addition, for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and like reference numerals are used throughout the specification to designate like parts.

[0040] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The terms "comprises," "comprising," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0041] While terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, it is to be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element could be referred to as a "second element," and similarly, a second element could also be referred to as a "first element."

[0042] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another, as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that these terms and the terms discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings. When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it will be understood that it may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or that intervening components may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intervening elements are present.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning within the context of this specification and related technologies, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0044] Hereinafter, one aspect of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a driving unit of an excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a system for controlling an excavator according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the excavator is a device capable of excavating an object, and may include various types of excavators capable of performing excavation work in various ways, such as soil transport work, building demolition work, and ground clearing work.

[0047] In one embodiment, the excavator may be implemented by including a computing device that operates through a computer program to realize the functions described herein, and in another embodiment, may be controlled according to a control signal of a control unit.

[0048] A system (1000) for controlling an excavator to automatically bring a bucket containing a target object from a digging position to a loading position according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a driving unit (100), a receiving unit (200), a display controller (300), a control unit (400), and an operating unit (500).

[0049] The driving unit (100) is configured to include an upper swing body (120) that is supported so as to be able to swing on a lower driving body (110), and a work device connected to the upper swing body (120). The work device may include, for example, a boom (130), an arm (140), and a bucket (150).

[0050] The lower drive body (110) is configured to support the load of the upper slewing body (120), boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150), and move the excavator forward and backward or left and right for work purposes.

[0051] The upper swing body (120) is a structure supported on the lower driving body (110) and is designed to swing on the lower driving body (110) by a swing device including a swing motor, a swing reduction gear, etc.

[0052] The arm (140) is connected to the bucket (150) and the boom (130), respectively, and in one embodiment, the upper swivel body (120) is connected in the order of the boom (130), the arm (140), and the bucket (150) through joints, and each joint can be moved by a hydraulic cylinder.

[0053] For example, the arm (140) is connected to a boom (130) which is connected to the upper slewing body (120) of the excavator at one end, and is connected to a bucket (150) at the other end, and each of the boom (130), the arm (140) and the bucket (150) can rotate about one or more axes by the boom cylinder, the arm cylinder and the bucket cylinder, and the bucket (150) can contain an object (e.g., soil) on the ground inside according to the rotation, and the control unit (400) can control the entire operation.

[0054] Since the boom (130), arm (140) and bucket (150) are installed while being supported toward the front on the upper swivel body (120), when the upper swivel body (120) swings, the boom (130), arm (140) and bucket (150) swing together with the upper swivel body (120).

[0055] The driving unit (100) may be configured as, for example, an electro-hydraulic system, and the driving may be electronically controlled by the control unit (400).

[0056] The receiving unit (200) is configured to acquire various information necessary to perform the automatic loading position reaching function.

[0057] For example, the receiver (200) may include, but is not limited to, inertial measurement units (IMUs) (210), swing angle sensors (220), and environment perception sensors (230).

[0058] Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) (210) are configured to measure displacement and / or position and / or attitude of one or more of the upper swivel body (120), boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150) that constitute the driving unit (100). For example, in order to calculate the angles of the boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150) that operate when performing the automatic loading position reaching function, the inertial measurement units (210) that detect displacements of the boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150) and output detection signals to the control unit (400) may be installed in the boom cylinder, the arm cylinder, and the bucket cylinder.

[0059] The swing angle sensor (220) is configured to measure the swing angle of the upper swing body (120). That is, the swing angle sensor (220) that detects the swing angle of the upper swing body (120) and outputs a detection signal to the control unit (400) can be installed in the upper swing body (120).

[0060] The environment perception sensors (230) are configured to sense the external environment and may include one or more terrain detection sensors such as cameras, radars, lidars, etc. Through these environment perception sensors (230), the location information of a load receiver (e.g., a dump truck, hopper, crusher) can be determined or the amount of an excavation target contained in a bucket can be measured.

[0061] This receiving unit (200) can obtain information necessary to perform the automatic loading position reaching function, such as information on the terrain including the target object, displacement and / or position information of the driving unit, position information of the load receiver, etc. Here, the target object is an excavation target of the excavator, and can include all types of target materials that can be loaded or transported by the excavator, such as soil during soil transport work, building debris during building demolition work, and ground debris during ground clearing work.

[0062] The receiving unit (200) can receive information necessary to perform the automatic loading location reaching function from another device (e.g., a server) or another component (e.g., memory, sensor, etc.), and can include a wired or wireless communication device that can be connected to another device via a network to transmit and receive various pieces of information described throughout the specification.

[0063] The receiving unit (200) can generate the information in real time through sensing the information required to perform the automatic loading position reaching function. For example, the receiving unit (200) can sense in real time information including the position, size, type of surrounding terrain, angle between the object and the surrounding terrain, position of the load receiver, etc. of an object (e.g., soil) within a target area that changes in real time as the boom (130), arm (140), or bucket (150) of the excavator moves through one or more terrain detection sensors such as a camera, radar, lidar, etc.

[0064] The display controller (300) is an input / output interface for receiving user input or outputting information. The display controller (300) activates the automatic loading position reaching function and displays information (e.g., load receiver position, terrain information, etc.) acquired by the receiver (200) on the display. That is, the driver can activate or deactivate the automatic loading position reaching function by selecting the automatic loading position reaching mode through the display controller (300). For example, the driver can activate or deactivate the automatic loading position reaching function by selecting the automatic loading position reaching mode on the screen of the display controller (300) that provides a touchscreen function.

[0065] The operating unit (500) may be a hydraulic joystick or an electric joystick, and preferably, may be an electric joystick that generates an electric signal proportional to the amount of operation of the driver and provides it to the control unit (400).

[0066] This operating unit (500) may be equipped with an input unit, for example, a button, that receives user input for initiating the automatic loading position reaching function. Accordingly, the driver can activate the automatic loading position reaching function by selecting the automatic loading position reaching mode on the display controller (300), and then push the button on the operating unit (500) to initiate the automatic reaching function.

[0067] This control unit (400) determines the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, which is the loading position that the bucket (150) will reach, based on the information obtained by the receiving unit (200), and performs the automatic loading position reaching function by controlling the driving unit (100) so that the bucket reaches the destination point based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point.

[0068] The control unit (400) calculates a target rotation angle of at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket, and a target swing angle of the upper swivel body, based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, for the bucket to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, moves the boom until the bucket reaches point Zr, swings the upper swivel body based on the target swing angle, and moves at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket until the bucket reaches point Xr, point Yr, and point Zr while maintaining the bucket angle during or after the swing of the upper swivel body is completed.

[0069] The above-described series of operations will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10.

[0070] Throughout the specification, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the excavator may further include general-purpose components other than those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, the excavator may further include various types of actuators for the movement of each of the boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150), an actuator control module for detailed control thereof, pipes, a memory for storing data used throughout the operation, and the like.

[0071] FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts illustrating a method for controlling an excavator according to one embodiment, FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a movement trajectory of an excavator performing a loading position automatic arrival function according to one embodiment, FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings for explaining a step of determining a position coordinate of an arrival point according to one embodiment, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings for explaining a step of moving a boom according to one embodiment.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 3, a method for controlling an excavator to automatically reach a bucket (150) containing an object from a digging position to a loading position (S2000) includes a step of activating a loading position automatic arrival function by selecting a loading position automatic arrival mode in a display controller (300) (S2100), a step of obtaining information necessary for performing the loading position automatic arrival function in a receiving unit (200) (S2200), a step of determining position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of an arrival point, which is a loading position at which the bucket (150) will reach, in a control unit (400) based on the obtained information (S2300), and a step of performing a loading position automatic arrival function in the control unit (400) so that the bucket (150) reaches the arrival point based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the arrival point (S2400), and a step of determining in the control unit (400) whether the bucket (150) has reached the arrival point (S2500). Includes.

[0073] In step S2100, when the automatic loading position reaching mode is selected in the display controller (300), the automatic loading position reaching function is activated.

[0074] In step S2200, the receiving unit (200) obtains information about the terrain including the excavation target, displacement and / or position information of each driving unit (100), information about the load receiver, etc.

[0075] Information about the terrain containing the excavation target may include information about whether the excavation target is made of light or heavy material. This information about the excavation target may be acquired by the receiving unit (200), more specifically, the environmental recognition sensor (230).

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, information about the load receiver (600) may include, for example, the shape of the load receiver (600), the position coordinates (X1, Y1, Zd1) to (X4, Y4, Zd4) of the first corner (610) to the fourth corner (640) of the load receiver (600), the position coordinates (Xd, Yd) of the center (650) of the load receiver (600), the length (Ld) and width (Lw) of the load receiver (600), the top height (Zd) of the load receiver (600), the amount of the object loaded inside the load receiver (600), etc. This information about the load receiver (600) may be acquired by the receiving unit (200), more specifically, the environment recognition sensor (230). This environment recognition sensor (230) continuously detects the information until the automatic loading position reaching function is deactivated.

[0077] In step S2300, the control unit (400) determines the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, which is the loading position at which the bucket (150) will reach, based on the information obtained from the receiving unit (200).

[0078] FIG. 7 illustrates a bucket (150) positioned on the top of a load receiver (600) and a load receiver (600) capable of loading an object contained in the bucket (150). The receiving unit (200) senses a first height (Zd), which is a distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver (600), and the control unit (400) sets a target value of a second height (Zt), which is a lowest height that the bucket (150) can reach, so as to have a margin of a preset value (e.g., 50 cm) or more than the first height (Zd). Accordingly, the boom (130) can be raised by sensing the second height (Zt) in real time during the process of rotating the boom until the difference value (Zm) between the second height (Zt) and the first height (Zd) reaches a preset value (e.g., 50 cm).

[0079] In one embodiment, the control unit (400) can determine the destination point (660) of the bucket (150) based on at least one of the difference value (Zm) between the first height (Zd) and the second height (Zt), the width (Wb) of the bucket (150), and the center position of the load receiver (600). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the lowest height that the bucket (150) must reach so that the difference value (Zm) between the second height (Zt) and the first height (Zd) reaches a preset value (e.g., 50 cm) can be determined, and the width (Wb) of the bucket (150) can be added to the determined lowest height to determine the height Zr of the destination point (660) so that the bucket (150) can sufficiently rotate more than the preset angle (e.g., 90 degrees) during the process of loading the object into the load receiver. In addition, by detecting the center position (Xd, Yd) of the load receiver (600) in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the Xr point and the Yr point of the destination point (660) are determined to be located according to the center position (Xd, Yd) of the load receiver (600) or within a preset distance margin therefrom, and the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point (660), which is the target position that the rotation axis of the bucket (150) will ultimately reach, can be determined.

[0080] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 7, when dumping a light material such as gravel, the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point (660) may be determined based on at least one of the following mathematical expressions 1 and 2, but are not limited thereto.

[0081] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0082] X1 = Wb + Xm

[0083] Xr = Xd - [(Ld / 2) - X1]

[0084] Z1 = Wb + Zm

[0085] Zr = Zd + Z1

[0086] [Equation 2]

[0087] Yr = Yd + Ym

[0088] Here, Xm, Ym and Zm represent preset first margins, second margins and third margins in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction and Z-axis direction, respectively, Wb represents the width of the bucket (150), and Xd and Yd may represent the center positions of the load receiver (600) in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction. Generally, Ym may be 0.

[0089] In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 8, when dumping a heavy material such as a rock, among the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point (660), Zr may be determined based on the following mathematical expression 3, but is not limited thereto.

[0090] [Equation 3]

[0091] Z1 = Wb - Zm

[0092] Zr1 = Zd + Z1

[0093] According to one embodiment, whether the excavation target is a light material or a heavy material can be detected by an environment recognition sensor (230). At this time, if the excavation target is a light material, the Z-axis direction arrival point can be set relatively high as illustrated in FIG. 7, and if the excavation target is a heavy material, the Z-axis direction arrival point can be set relatively low as illustrated in FIG. 8 to reduce the dumping impact of the heavy material.

[0094] In this way, the control unit (400) sets the angle of the boom (130) when the lowest end of the bucket (150) is different from the highest end of the load receiver (600) by a certain margin as the target angle, and controls the boom to be raised only up to the target angle and not raised beyond that angle, thereby enabling efficient movement of the required amount of movement to be achieved.

[0095] In another embodiment, the position coordinates (Xr, Yr) of the destination point (660) may be (Xd, Yd), which is the center position of the load receiver (600).

[0096] In step S2400, the control unit (400) performs an automatic loading position reaching function so that the bucket (150) reaches the destination point (660) based on the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the determined destination point (660). At this time, the automatic loading position reaching function can be started by the driver pushing the start button of the operating unit (500).

[0097] Referring to FIG. 4, step S2400 includes detailed steps S2410, S2420, S2430 and S2440.

[0098] In step S2410, the control unit (400) calculates a target rotation angle of at least one of the boom (130), the arm (140), and the bucket (150) for the bucket (150) to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point (660), and a target swing angle of the upper swivel body (120) based on the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the determined destination point (660).

[0099] The target rotation angle of one or more of the boom (130), arm (140), and bucket (150), and the target swing angle of the upper swivel body (120) can be calculated through an inverse kinematics model. The inverse kinematics model refers to a model that calculates the corresponding joint angle when the position and posture of the end are given.

[0100] In step S2420, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the control unit (400) moves the boom (130) until the bucket (150) reaches the Zr point from the digging completion position.

[0101] The control unit (400) can move the boom (130) until the difference between the lowest height that the bucket (150) can reach and the highest height of the load receiver (600) corresponds to a preset value. Here, the lowest height of the bucket (150) represents the lowest height that the end point of the bucket (150) can reach when the rotation of the bucket (150) is taken into account.

[0102] That is, since the Zr point is determined by adding the width (Wb) of the bucket (150), the first height (Zd) which is the distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver (600), and the preset margin, even if the swing operation of the upper swivel body (120) is performed while the boom (130) is moved until the bucket (150) reaches the Zr point, a collision between the bucket (150) and the load receiver (600) can be prevented.

[0103] The control unit (400) can control the swing operation of the upper swivel body (120) not to be permitted when the movement of the boom (150) is not completed.

[0104] According to one embodiment, step S2420 may include substep S2421.

[0105] In step S2421, the control unit (400) determines that the bucket (150) is in an overload state (overload bucket) depending on whether the amount of the object (T) contained in the bucket (150) exceeds a preset standard when the movement of the boom (150) is completed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a line connecting the ends of bucket teeth (151) may be set as a reference line, and if the object (T) exceeds the reference line, the bucket (150) may be determined to be in an overload state.

[0106] These overloaded buckets (150) can be detected using Lidar-based point cloud data. Alternatively, these overloaded buckets (150) can be detected using a trained AI model, such as a convolutional neural network (CNN). This AI model can be installed on the excavator along with a camera sensor installed on the excavator's forehead.

[0107] In step S2430, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the control unit (400) swings the upper swing body (120) so that the bucket (150) reaches the destination point (660) based on the calculated target swing angle (θs).

[0108] The swing section according to the target swing angle (θs) can be divided into a first section (R1) in which the upper swing body (120) accelerates to a preset swing speed (swing acceleration) and performs uniform circular motion when the preset swing speed is reached, and a second section (R2) which is a braking section in which the swing of the upper swing body (120) is braked.

[0109] When the control unit (400) determines that the bucket (150) is in an overload state (step S2421), the control unit (400) can limit the swing acceleration and / or swing speed of the upper swing body (120) to a certain ratio of the preset swing acceleration and / or the preset swing speed in the first section (R1) to prevent the object contained in the bucket (150) from overflowing from the bucket during swing.

[0110] If the control unit (400) determines that the bucket (150) is not in an overload state (at step S2421), the control unit (400) can swing the upper swing body (120) at a preset swing acceleration and preset swing speed.

[0111] The control unit (400) reduces the swing speed of the upper swing body (120) when the bucket (150) enters the second section (R2), which is a swing braking section, during the swing of the upper swing body (120). This swing braking section can be calculated based on the moment of inertia of the upper swing body (120), the swing braking torque, and the current swing speed.

[0112] In step S2440, the control unit (400) moves at least one of the boom (130), the arm (140) and the bucket (150) until the bucket (150) reaches the Xr point, the Yr point and the Zr point while maintaining the bucket angle during or after the swing of the upper swivel body (120) is completed.

[0113] Meanwhile, a method (S2000) for controlling an excavator to automatically bring a bucket (150) containing a target object from a digging position to a loading position may further include a step (S2500) of determining in the control unit (400) whether the bucket (150) has reached the destination (660).

[0114] In step S2500, if the control unit (400) determines that the bucket (150) has reached the destination (660) within a preset time (e.g., 30 seconds), it displays on the display controller (300) that the automatic loading position reaching function has been completed. In addition, if the control unit (400) determines that the bucket (150) has not reached the destination (660) within the preset time, it considers this an error and displays this on the display controller (300), but performs the automatic loading position reaching function until the bucket (150) reaches the destination (660).

[0115] Meanwhile, after the automatic loading position reaching function has been performed once, if the driver pushes the start button of the operating unit (500) again to make the bucket (150) reach the loading position again from the digging position, the automatic loading position reaching function starts from step S2400 (the automatic loading position reaching mode remains activated).

[0116] Meanwhile, when the driver no longer needs to use the automatic loading position reaching function, he / she disables the automatic loading position reaching mode through the display controller (300) to terminate the automatic loading position reaching function.

[0117] In this way, the method and system for controlling the excavator of the present disclosure can improve work efficiency and operator convenience by performing an automatic loading position reaching function that automatically reaches a loading position of a bucket containing an excavation target.

[0118] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and specification, aspects are disclosed for illustrative purposes only, not for purposes of limitation, and the scope of the present disclosure is set forth in the claims below.

[0119]

[0120] Description of the symbol

[0121] System to control 1000 excavators

[0122] 100 drive unit

[0123] 110 lower drive body

[0124] 120 upper swivel

[0125] 130 Boom

[0126] 140 Aam

[0127] 150 buckets

[0128] 200 receiver

[0129] 210 Inertial Measurement Unit

[0130] 220 swing angle sensor

[0131] 230 environmental awareness sensors

[0132] 400 Control Unit

[0133] 500 control panel

[0134] 600 rod receiver

[0135] 610 First Corner

[0136] 620 2nd corner

[0137] 630 Third Corner

[0138] 640 4th corner

[0139] The center of the 650 rod receiver

[0140] 660 destination

Claims

1. A method for controlling an excavator to automatically bring a bucket containing a target object from a digging position to a loading position, Step of activating the auto-reach function by selecting the auto-reach mode in the display controller; A step of acquiring information necessary for performing the automatic loading position reaching function in the receiving unit; A step of determining the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, which is the loading position that the bucket will reach, based on the acquired information in the control unit; and A method for controlling an excavator, comprising the step of causing a control unit to perform an automatic loading position reaching function so that the bucket reaches the destination point based on the determined location coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of performing the above loading position automatic reaching function is as follows: A step of calculating a target rotation angle of at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket, and a target swing angle of the upper swivel body for the bucket to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point; A step of moving the boom until the bucket reaches point Zr; A step of swinging the upper swing body based on the target swing angle; and A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that it comprises the step of moving at least one of the boom, the arm and the bucket until the bucket reaches the Xr point, the Yr point and the Zr point while maintaining the bucket angle during or after the swing of the upper slewing body is completed.

3. In paragraph 1, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the position of the bucket is based on the position of the center of the rotation axis of the bucket.

4. In paragraph 1, In the step of determining the location coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the above destination point, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the Zr point of the above-mentioned arrival point is determined by adding together the width of the bucket, the first height which is the distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver, and a preset margin.

5. In paragraph 2, In the step of moving the above boom, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the swing operation of the upper slewing body is not permitted while the movement of the boom is not completed.

6. In paragraph 2, The step of moving the above boom is: A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that it further includes a step of determining that the bucket is in an overload state depending on whether the amount of the object contained in the bucket exceeds a preset standard when the movement of the boom is completed.

7. In paragraph 6, In the step of swinging the upper swivel body, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that when the bucket is determined to be overloaded, the swing speed of the upper swivel body is limited to a predetermined percentage of the preset swing speed to prevent an object contained in the bucket from overflowing from the bucket during swing.

8. In paragraph 6, In the step of swinging the upper swivel body, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that when it is determined that the bucket is not overloaded, the upper swing body is swinged at a preset swing speed.

9. In paragraph 2, In the step of swinging the upper swivel body, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the swing speed of the upper swing body is reduced when the bucket enters a swing braking section during the swing of the upper swing body.

10. In paragraph 1, A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the control unit further comprises a step of determining whether the bucket has reached the destination.

11. In paragraph 10, In the step of determining whether the above bucket has reached the above destination, When it is determined that the above bucket has reached the above destination within the preset time, the automatic loading position reaching function is completed and is displayed on the display controller. A method for controlling an excavator, characterized in that if it is determined that the bucket has not reached the destination within a preset time, it is regarded as an error and this is displayed on the display controller, but an automatic loading position reaching function is performed until the destination is reached.

12. A system for controlling an excavator to automatically move a bucket containing a target object from a digging position to a loading position, Drive unit including boom, arm, bucket and upper swivel body; A receiving unit for obtaining information necessary to perform the automatic loading position reaching function; As an input / output interface for receiving user input or outputting information, a display controller that activates a loading position automatic arrival function and displays the information acquired by the receiving unit; and A system for controlling an excavator, comprising a control unit for determining the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of a destination point, which is a loading position that the bucket will reach based on the information acquired by the receiving unit, and controlling the driving unit to perform a loading position automatic arrival function so that the bucket reaches the destination point based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point.

13. In paragraph 12, The above control unit, Based on the determined position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, a target rotation angle of at least one of the boom, the arm, and the bucket, and a target swing angle of the upper swivel body are calculated for the bucket to reach the position coordinates (Xr, Yr, Zr) of the destination point, Move the boom until the bucket reaches point Zr, Swing the upper swing body based on the target swing angle, and A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that during or after the swing of the upper slewing body is completed, at least one of the boom, the arm and the bucket is moved until the bucket reaches the Xr point, the Yr point and the Zr point while maintaining the bucket angle.

14. In paragraph 12, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the position of the bucket is based on the position of the center of the rotation axis of the bucket.

15. In paragraph 12, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the Zr point of the above-mentioned arrival point is determined by adding together the width of the bucket, the first height which is the distance between the ground and the uppermost position of the load receiver, and a preset margin.

16. In paragraph 13, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that it does not allow swing operation of the upper slewing body while the movement of the boom is not completed.

17. In paragraph 13, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that when the movement of the boom is completed, the bucket is determined to be in an overload state depending on whether the amount of the object contained in the bucket exceeds a preset standard.

18. In paragraph 17, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that when the bucket is determined to be overloaded, the swing speed of the upper swivel body is limited to a predetermined percentage of the preset swing speed to prevent an object contained in the bucket from overflowing from the bucket during swing.

19. In Article 17, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that when the bucket is determined not to be overloaded, the upper swing body is swinged at a preset swing speed.

20. In paragraph 13, The above control unit, A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that the swing speed is reduced when the bucket enters a swing braking section during the swing of the upper slewing body.

21. In paragraph 12, The above control unit, Determine whether the above bucket has reached the above destination, If it is determined that the above bucket has reached the destination within the preset time, the automatic loading position reaching function is completed and is displayed through the display controller. A system for controlling an excavator, characterized in that if it is determined that the bucket has not reached the destination within a preset time, it is regarded as an error and this is displayed through the display controller, but an automatic loading position reaching function is performed until the destination is reached.

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