Construction machine

Abstract

In the present invention, a controller has: a manual-operation-instance vehicle body control unit that calculates a manual-operation-instance vehicle body control command in a prescribed first period; an automatic-control-instance vehicle body control unit that calculates an automatic-control-instance vehicle body control command in a second period longer than the first period; a manual-operation priority flag setting unit that sets a manual-operation priority flag that prioritizes the manual-operation-instance vehicle body control command; an automatic-control enable flag setting unit that sets an automatic-control enable flag that enables the automatic-control-instance vehicle body control command; and a signal arbitration unit that arbitrates the manual-operation-instance vehicle body control command and the automatic-control-instance vehicle body control command in no more than the first period or shorter.

Description

Construction machinery

[0001] The present invention relates to construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators.

[0002] Construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators includes a vehicle body including a revolving body and a working device (front device) attached to the revolving body. The working device includes a boom (front member) rotatably connected to the revolving body, a boom cylinder (actuator) for driving the boom, an arm (front member) rotatably connected to the tip of the boom, an arm cylinder (actuator) for driving the arm, a bucket (front member) rotatably connected to the tip of the arm, and a bucket cylinder (actuator) for driving the bucket. It is not easy to operate the working device of construction machinery by manually operating an operation lever and efficiently and neatly excavate a predetermined area without contacting obstacles such as people and objects around, and an operator needs skilled operation techniques. Therefore, in order to facilitate such work, a work support function is known in which a controller controls the movement of an actuator so that the tip of the bucket does not exceed a preset non-infringement area (Patent Document 1). Also, in order to prevent the working device from contacting obstacles such as people and objects around, a driving support function is known in which obstacles around the construction machinery are detected and the operation of the working machine is decelerated or stopped (Patent Document 2). In addition, in order to compensate for the shortage of skilled operators, the automatic driving function and remote operation function of construction machinery are also rapidly being developed and popularized.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 3056254 JP-A-2006-257724

[0004] By implementing a plurality of operation support functions such as the work support function, driving support function, automatic driving function, and remote operation function described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, even an operator with immature operation skills of construction machinery can perform work with high safety and productivity. Here, in construction machinery in which a plurality of operation support functions are implemented, a plurality of operation commands are generated for one actuator, and these operation commands need to be appropriately switched according to the operation state, control state, vehicle body system state, function activation state, and the like.

[0005] In construction machinery, which is required to perform a wide variety of tasks quickly and accurately, high responsiveness to manual operation of the control levers by the operator is required, and a fast control cycle is desirable for calculating and updating operation commands during manual operation. On the other hand, automatic control functions only need to be able to calculate and update operation commands appropriate to the operating speed of the construction machinery, and because a large amount of information is used for calculating automatic control operations, a fast control cycle may prevent the controller and electrical / electronic systems from processing the signals. For this reason, the control cycle during automatic control does not need to be as fast as the control command calculation during manual operation. Similarly, in function management functions, there are many types of information to handle, such as the vehicle system status and setting information, and this information is not updated frequently, so a control cycle as fast as the control command calculation during manual operation is not required. For these reasons, in construction machinery with multiple operation support functions, the control cycle may differ depending on the function.

[0006] However, due to differences in control cycles for each function, primarily because the control cycles for function management information and automatic control operation commands are slower than those for manual operation operation commands, attempting to use a control cycle aligned with function management information and automatic control operation commands may result in delays before manual operation is reflected in operation commands when switching from automatic control to manual operation, when manual operation intervenes in automatic control, or when transitioning to a degraded state due to a system malfunction. This raises concerns that operators may feel uncomfortable during manual operation, impairing operability. Furthermore, delays in avoidance maneuvers and transitions to degraded control may impair operation support functions and vehicle system performance. On the other hand, if all operation signals and function management information could be handled with the same control cycle as manual operation, the aforementioned concerns would be eliminated. However, this would require high computing and communication performance, increasing the likelihood of electrical and electronic systems becoming unable to process signals, or leading to increased costs.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its objective is to provide a construction machine that can improve the responsiveness of a hydraulic actuator when manual operation intervenes during the operation of an automatic control function, without increasing the cost of the drive system.

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a construction machine comprising a vehicle body, a work device attached to the vehicle body, a hydraulic actuator for driving the vehicle body or the work device, a drive system for driving the hydraulic actuator, an operating lever for instructing the operation of the hydraulic actuator, and a controller for controlling the drive system in response to a lever operation signal input from the operating lever, wherein the controller comprises a manual operation vehicle body control unit that calculates a manual operation vehicle body control command based on the lever operation signal in a predetermined first cycle, and a second cycle that is longer than the first cycle, which controls a preset work plan and work instructions or the lever The system comprises: an automatic control vehicle control unit that calculates an automatic control vehicle control command based on an operation signal; a manual operation priority flag setting unit that sets a manual operation priority flag that prioritizes the manual control vehicle control command calculated by the manual operation vehicle control unit; an automatic control activation flag setting unit that sets an automatic control activation flag that enables the automatic control vehicle control command calculated by the automatic control vehicle control unit; and a signal arbitration unit that arbitrates the manual control vehicle control command and the automatic control vehicle control command within the first cycle or less when the manual operation priority flag is set to be enabled or the automatic control activation flag is set to be disabled.

[0009] According to the present invention, in a construction machine equipped with manual operation and automatic control functions, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the hydraulic actuator to manual operation when manual operation intervenes during the operation of the automatic control function, without increasing the cost of the drive system.

[0010] Side view of a hydraulic excavator in the first embodiment of the present invention Hydraulic circuit diagram of the drive system in the first embodiment of the present invention (1 / 2) Hydraulic circuit diagram of the drive system in the first embodiment of the present invention (2 / 2) Functional block diagram of the controller in the first embodiment of the present invention Flow diagram showing the processing of the controller in the first embodiment of the present invention Signal system diagram showing the processing of the signal arbitration unit in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the manual operation function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the semi-automatic control function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the automatic control function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the manual operation priority flag is enabled when the automatic control function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the automatic control function operation state becomes abnormal when the automatic control function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the system operation state becomes abnormal when the manual operation function is enabled in the first embodiment of the present invention Functional block diagram of the controller in the second embodiment of the present invention Signal system diagram showing the processing of the signal arbitration unit in the second embodiment of the present invention Operation diagram when the work support function and driving support function are enabled in the second embodiment of the present invention

[0011] Hereinafter, a hydraulic excavator will be used as an example of a construction machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, equivalent components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] Figure 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator 901 in a first embodiment of the present invention. The hydraulic excavator 901 comprises a traveling body 201, a slewing body 202 that is rotatably positioned on the traveling body 201 and constitutes the vehicle body, and a working device 203 that is rotatably attached to the slewing body 202 in the vertical direction and performs excavation work of earth and sand, etc. The traveling body 201 is driven by a left travel motor and a right travel motor (not shown), which are hydraulic actuators. The slewing body 202 is driven by a slewing motor 211, which is a hydraulic actuator.

[0013] The working device 203 includes a boom 204 mounted on the slewing body 202 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, an arm 205 mounted on the tip of the boom 204 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, a bucket 206 mounted on the tip of the arm 205 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, a boom cylinder 204a which is a hydraulic actuator that drives the boom 204, an arm cylinder 205a which is a hydraulic actuator that drives the arm 205, and a bucket cylinder 206a which is a hydraulic actuator that drives the bucket 206. The working device 203 is equipped with attitude sensors 212 to 214 that detect the movement (attitude and speed) of the boom 204, arm 205, and bucket 206. The slewing body 202 is equipped with attitude sensors 215 and 216 that detect the movement (attitude and rotational speed) of the slewing body 202. Various sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), tilt sensors, rotation angle sensors, stroke sensors, and acceleration sensors can be used as attitude sensors 212 to 216.

[0014] A driver's cab 207 is provided at the front of the slewing body 202, and a counterweight 209 is provided at the rear to ensure weight balance with the working device 203. A machine room 208 is provided between the driver's cab 207 and the counterweight 209. The machine room 208 houses an engine (not shown), hydraulic pumps 1 to 3 (shown in Figure 2A), a slewing motor 211, a control valve 210, etc. The control valve 210 controls the flow of pressurized oil supplied from the hydraulic pumps 1 to 3 to the hydraulic actuators 204a, 205a, 206a, 211 (including hydraulic actuators not shown).

[0015] Figures 2A and 2B are hydraulic circuit diagrams of the drive system 902 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 901. The drive system 902 comprises three main hydraulic pumps (for example, a first hydraulic pump 1, a second hydraulic pump 2, and a third hydraulic pump 3, each consisting of a variable displacement hydraulic pump), a pilot pump 111, and a hydraulic oil tank 4 that supplies oil to the hydraulic pumps 1-3 and the pilot pump 111. The hydraulic pumps 1-3 and the pilot pump 111 are driven by an engine (not shown).

[0016] The tilt angle of the first hydraulic pump 1 is controlled by a regulator attached to the first hydraulic pump 1. The regulator of the first hydraulic pump 1 has a flow control pilot pressure port 1a and is driven by the pilot pressure acting on the flow control pilot pressure port 1a. The tilt angle of the second hydraulic pump 2 is controlled by a regulator attached to the second hydraulic pump 2. The regulator of the second hydraulic pump 2 has a flow control pilot pressure port 2a and is driven by the pilot pressure acting on the flow control pilot pressure port 2a. The tilt angle of the third hydraulic pump 3 is controlled by a regulator attached to the third hydraulic pump 3. The regulator of the third hydraulic pump 3 has a flow control pilot pressure port 3a and is driven by the pilot pressure acting on the flow control pilot pressure port 3a.

[0017] The discharge line 41 of the first hydraulic pump 1 is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 4 via the center bypass line 42. The center bypass line 42 has, in order from upstream, a right-travel directional control valve 6, a bucket directional control valve 7, a second arm directional control valve 8, and a first boom directional control valve 9. The right-travel directional control valve 6 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the first hydraulic pump 1 to the right-travel motor (not shown). The bucket directional control valve 7 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the first hydraulic pump 1 to the bucket cylinder 206a. The second arm directional control valve 8 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the first hydraulic pump 1 to the arm cylinder 205a. The first boom directional control valve 9 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the first hydraulic pump 1 to the boom cylinder 204a.

[0018] The supply ports for the bucket directional control valve 7, the second arm directional control valve 8, and the first boom directional control valve 9 are connected in parallel to a parallel line 43 that branches off from the section of the center bypass line 42 connecting the right-travel directional control valve 6 and the bucket directional control valve 7, via oil passages 44, 45, 46, 47, and 48, 49, respectively. A bleed-off valve 34 is located at the downstream end of the center bypass line 42 to control the flow of pressurized oil discharged from the center bypass line 42 to the hydraulic oil tank 4. The discharge line 41 is connected to the hydraulic oil tank 4 via an oil passage 50. A relief valve 31 is provided in the oil passage 50 to protect the circuit from excessive pressure rise.

[0019] The discharge line 51 of the second hydraulic pump 2 is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 4 via the center bypass line 52. The center bypass line 52 has, in order from upstream, a second boom directional control valve 10, a first arm directional control valve 11, a first attachment directional control valve 12, and a left travel directional control valve 13. The second boom directional control valve 10 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the second hydraulic pump 2 to the boom cylinder 204a. The first arm directional control valve 11 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the second hydraulic pump 2 to the arm cylinder 205a. The first attachment directional control valve 12 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the second hydraulic pump 2 to a first actuator (not shown) that drives a first special attachment, such as a crushing machine installed in place of a bucket 206. The left travel directional control valve 13 controls the flow direction of pressurized oil supplied from the second hydraulic pump 2 to a left travel motor (not shown).

[0020] The supply ports for the second boom directional control valve 10, the first arm directional control valve 11, the first attachment directional control valve 12, and the left-travel directional control valve 13 are connected in parallel to the parallel line 53 branching from the discharge line 51 via oil passages 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60, respectively. A bleed-off valve 35 is located at the downstream end of the center bypass line 52 to control the flow of pressurized oil discharged from the center bypass line 52 to the hydraulic oil tank 4. The parallel line 53 and the discharge line 41 of the first hydraulic pump are connected via an oil passage 69, and a merging valve 37 is installed in the oil passage 69. Downstream of the merging valve 37 in the oil passage 69, a check valve 38 is installed to prevent backflow from the parallel line 53 to the discharge line 41. A check valve 39 is installed at the downstream end of the parallel line 53 to prevent backflow from the discharge line 41 to the parallel line 53. The parallel line 53 is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 4 via an oil passage 61. The oil passage 61 is equipped with a relief valve 32 to protect the circuit from excessive pressure rise.

[0021] The discharge line 62 of the third hydraulic pump 3 is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 4 via the center bypass line 63. The center bypass line 63 has, in order from upstream, a swing direction control valve 14, a third boom direction control valve 15, and a second attachment direction control valve 16. The swing direction control valve 14 controls the flow direction of the pressurized oil supplied from the third hydraulic pump 3 to the swing motor 211. The third boom direction control valve 15 controls the flow direction of the pressurized oil supplied from the third hydraulic pump 3 to the boom cylinder 204a. The second attachment direction control valve 16 controls the flow direction of the pressurized oil supplied from the third hydraulic pump 3 to the second actuator when a second special attachment equipped with a second actuator in addition to the first special attachment is installed, or when a second special attachment equipped with two actuators, a first actuator and a second actuator, is installed in place of the first special attachment.

[0022] The supply ports for the slewing directional control valve 14, the third boom directional control valve 15, and the second attachment directional control valve 16 are connected in parallel to a parallel line 64 branching from the discharge line 62 via oil passages 65, 66, 67, 68, and 69, 70, respectively. A bleed-off valve 36 is located at the downstream end of the center bypass line 63 to control the flow of pressurized oil discharged from the center bypass line 63 to the hydraulic oil tank 4. The parallel line 64 is connected to the hydraulic oil tank 4 via an oil passage 71. A relief valve 33 is provided in the oil passage 71 to protect the circuit from excessive pressure rise.

[0023] Flow control valves 21 to 23 are provided in the oil passages 44 and 45 connected to the supply port of the bucket directional control valve 7, the oil passages 46 and 47 connected to the supply port of the second arm directional control valve 8, and the oil passages 48 and 49 connected to the supply port of the first boom directional control valve 9, respectively, to control the flow rate of pressurized oil supplied from the first hydraulic pump 1 to each directional control valve during combined operation. Flow control valves 24 to 26 are provided in the oil passages 54 and 55 connected to the supply port of the second boom directional control valve 10, the oil passages 56 and 57 connected to the supply port of the first arm directional control valve 11, and the oil passages 58 and 59 connected to the supply port of the first attachment directional control valve 12, respectively, to control the flow rate of pressurized oil supplied from the second hydraulic pump 2 to each directional control valve during combined operation. Flow control valves 27 to 29 are provided in the oil passages 65 and 66 connected to the supply port of the slewing directional control valve 14, the oil passages 67 and 68 connected to the supply port of the third boom directional control valve 15, and the oil passages 69 and 70 connected to the supply port of the second attachment directional control valve 16, respectively, to control the flow rate of pressurized oil supplied from the third hydraulic pump 3 to each directional control valve during combined operation.

[0024] The flow control valve 25, which controls the flow rate of pressurized oil supplied to the first arm directional control valve 11, has a seat-type main valve 25a that forms an auxiliary variable throttle, a control variable throttle 25b provided on the main valve 25a that changes its opening area according to the amount of movement of the main valve 25a, and a pilot variable throttle 25i. The housing in which the main valve 25a is housed has a first pressure chamber 25c formed at the connection between the main valve 25a and the oil passage 56, a second pressure chamber 25d formed at the connection between the main valve 25a and the oil passage 57, and a third pressure chamber 25e that communicates with the first pressure chamber 25c via an oil passage 25g and a control variable throttle 25b provided inside the main valve 25a. A check valve 25f for preventing backflow is provided in the oil passage 25g. The pilot variable throttle 25i is located in the oil passage 25h that connects the third pressure chamber 25e and the oil passage 57. For the sake of simplicity, some diagrams have been omitted, but the flow control valves 21-29, as well as the surrounding equipment, piping, and wiring, all have the same configuration.

[0025] A pressure sensor 84 for detecting the discharge pressure of the first hydraulic pump 1 is provided in the discharge line 41 of the first hydraulic pump 1. A pressure sensor 85 for detecting the discharge pressure of the second hydraulic pump 2 is provided in the discharge line 51 of the second hydraulic pump 2. A pressure sensor 86 for detecting the discharge pressure of the third hydraulic pump 3 is provided in the discharge line 62 of the third hydraulic pump 3.

[0026] An actuator line 72a connecting the bottom side of the boom cylinder 204a to the boom directional control valves 9, 10, and 15 is provided with a pressure sensor 87a for detecting the load pressure on the bottom side of the boom cylinder 204a. An actuator line 72b connecting the rod side of the boom cylinder 204a to the boom directional control valves 9, 10, and 15 is provided with a pressure sensor 87b for detecting the load pressure on the rod side of the boom cylinder 204a. An actuator line 73a connecting the bottom side of the arm cylinder 205a to the arm directional control valves 8 and 11 is provided with a pressure sensor 88a for detecting the load pressure on the bottom side of the arm cylinder 205a. An actuator line 73b connecting the rod side of the arm cylinder 205a to the arm directional control valves 8 and 11 is provided with a pressure sensor 88b for detecting the load pressure on the rod side of the arm cylinder 205a. An actuator line 74a connecting the bottom side of the bucket cylinder 206a to the bucket directional control valve 7 is provided with a pressure sensor 89a for detecting the load pressure on the bottom side of the bucket cylinder 206a. An actuator line 74b connecting the rod side of the bucket cylinder 206a to the bucket directional control valve 7 is provided with a pressure sensor 89b for detecting the load pressure on the rod side of the bucket cylinder 206a. An actuator line 75a, 75b connecting the swing motor 211 to the swing directional control valve 14 is provided with pressure sensors 90a, 90b for detecting the load pressure of the swing motor 211. For the sake of simplicity, the left travel motor, the right travel motor, and the pressure sensors for detecting the load pressure of the attachment actuators, which are not shown in the diagram, are not shown.

[0027] In Figure 2B, the discharge port of the pilot pump 111 is connected to the hydraulic oil tank 4 via a pilot relief valve 112 for generating pilot primary pressure, and is also connected via a pilot line 121 to one input port of each of the electromagnetic proportional valves 113a to 113e built into the electromagnetic proportional valve unit 113. The other input port of each of the electromagnetic proportional valves 113a to 113e is connected to the hydraulic oil tank 4 via a tank line 122. Each of the electromagnetic proportional valves 113a to 113e reduces the pilot primary pressure in response to a control signal from a controller 114, which will be described later, and outputs it as pilot pressure.

[0028] The output port of the solenoid proportional valve 113a is connected to the flow control pilot pressure port 2a of the regulator of the second hydraulic pump 2 via the pilot line 123. The output ports of the solenoid proportional valves 113b and 113c are connected to the pilot pressure ports 11a and 11b of the directional control valve 11 for the first arm via the pilot lines 124 and 125. The output port of the solenoid proportional valve 113d is connected to the pilot pressure port 25j of the flow control valve 25 via the pilot line 126. The output port of the solenoid proportional valve 113e is connected to the pilot pressure port 35a of the bleed-off valve 35 via the pilot line 127. For the sake of simplicity, the solenoid proportional valves for hydraulic pumps 1 and 3, directional control valves 6 to 10 and 12 to 16, flow control valves 21 to 24 and 26 to 29, bleed-off valves 34 and 36, and the merging valve 37 are not shown in the diagram.

[0029] The drive system 902 includes a boom operating lever 115a that can switch between the first boom directional control valve 9, the second boom directional control valve 10, and the third boom directional control valve 15, and an arm operating lever 115b that can switch between the first arm directional control valve 11 and the second arm directional control valve 8. For the sake of simplicity, the right travel operating lever that switches the right travel directional control valve 6, the bucket operating lever that switches the bucket directional control valve 7, the first attachment operating lever that switches the first attachment directional control valve 12, the left travel operating lever that switches the left travel directional control valve 13, the slewing operating lever that switches the slewing directional control valve 14, and the second attachment operating lever that switches the second attachment directional control valve 16 are not shown in the illustration.

[0030] The drive system 902 includes function setting devices 218 and 219. The function setting device 218 enables / disables the automatic driving function in response to operations on the touch panel of the in-vehicle monitor and buttons (not shown) provided on the console. The function setting device 219 consists of buttons provided on the grips of the operating levers 115a and 115b, and enables / disables the manual operation intervention function. The manual operation intervention function is a function that allows manual operation to be intervened while the automatic driving function is operating. This allows the operator to enable / disable the manual operation intervention function while operating the operating levers 115a and 115b.

[0031] The drive system 902 includes a controller 114. The controller 114 outputs control signals for the electromagnetic proportional valves 113a to 113e (including electromagnetic proportional valves not shown) in response to operation signals from the operating levers 115a and 115b, measured values ​​from pressure sensors 84 to 86, 87a, 87b, 88a, 88b, 89a, 89b, 90a, and 90b, measured values ​​from attitude sensors 212 to 216 (including measured values ​​from sensors not shown), and output values ​​from function setting devices 218 and 219. The controller 114 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The memory consists of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or a combination thereof. The controller 114 implements the processing described later by having the CPU read and execute program code stored in the ROM or HDD. RAM is used as a work area when the CPU executes a program. The specific configuration of the controller 114 is not limited to this, and may be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0032] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the controller 114. The controller 114 includes a lever operation signal input unit 114a, an actuator operation calculation unit 114b for manual operation, a vehicle body control unit 114c for manual operation, an automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d, an actuator operation calculation unit 114e for automatic control, a vehicle body control unit 114f for automatic control, an automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g, a manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h, an automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i, a system operation state determination unit 114j, a signal arbitration unit 114k, and a solenoid valve command output unit 114l.

[0033] The calculation units related to the manual operation function (lever operation signal input unit 114a, actuator operation calculation unit during manual operation 114b, vehicle body control unit during manual operation 114c, manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h, system operation state determination unit 114j, signal arbitration unit 114k, and solenoid valve command output unit 114l) require high response performance, and therefore perform calculations in a fast first period (for example, 10 ms).

[0034] The calculation units involved in the automatic control function (automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d, automatic control actuator operation calculation unit 114e, automatic control vehicle body control unit 114f, automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g, and automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i) do not require the high response performance required during manual operation, and therefore perform calculations in a slower second cycle (e.g., 100 ms). The second cycle is longer than the first cycle. This makes it possible to reduce the calculation performance and communication performance requirements for the controller 114.

[0035] The lever operation signal input unit 114a acquires the manual operation signal input by the operator. The actuator operation calculation unit 114b during manual operation calculates the target actuator operation during manual operation based on the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a. The vehicle body control unit 114c during manual operation calculates the vehicle body control command during manual operation based on the target actuator operation during manual operation from the actuator operation calculation unit 114b.

[0036] The automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d calculates the automatic driving operation signal based on the work plan and instructions input to the controller 114. The actuator operation calculation unit 114e during automatic control calculates the target actuator operation during automatic control based on the work plan and instructions input to the controller 114, the automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d, and the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a. The vehicle body control unit 114f during automatic control calculates the vehicle body control command during automatic control based on the target actuator operation during automatic control calculated by the actuator operation calculation unit 114e.

[0037] The automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g sets whether or not to enable the automatic control function. The manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h sets whether or not to prioritize manual operation. The automatic control function operation status determination unit 114i determines whether or not the operation status (automatic control function operation status) of the drive system 902 related to the automatic control function is normal. The system operation status determination unit 114j determines whether or not the system operation status is normal.

[0038] The signal arbitration unit 114k arbitrates the vehicle control command from the vehicle control unit 114c during manual operation and the vehicle control command from the vehicle control unit 114f during automatic control, based on the setting information of the automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g and the manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h, as well as the determination results of the automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i and the system operation state determination unit 114j, and calculates the arbitrated vehicle control command. The solenoid valve command output unit 114l outputs a solenoid valve command signal corresponding to the arbitrated vehicle control command from the signal arbitration unit 114k.

[0039] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the controller 114. Each step will be explained in order below.

[0040] First, the lever operation signal input unit 114a acquires manual operation signals from the operation levers 115a and 115b operated by the operator (step S101).

[0041] Following step S101, the actuator operation calculation unit 114b calculates an actuator operation command (manual) based on the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a (step S102).

[0042] Following step S102, the manual operation vehicle control unit 114c calculates a manual operation vehicle control command based on the actuator operation command (manual) from the manual operation actuator operation calculation unit 114b (step S103).

[0043] Steps S104 to S106 are executed in parallel with steps S101 to S103. In step S104, the automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d calculates the automatic driving operation signal based on the work plan and work instructions input to the controller 114.

[0044] Following step S104, during automatic control, the actuator operation calculation unit 114e calculates the target operation of the actuator (automatic) based on the automatic operation signal from the automatic operation signal calculation unit 114d or the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a (step S105).

[0045] Following step S105, during automatic control, the vehicle body control unit 114f calculates a vehicle body control command during automatic control based on the target operation of the actuator (automatic) from the actuator operation calculation unit 114e during automatic control (step S106).

[0046] Following steps S103 and S106, the system operation state determination unit 114j determines whether the system operation state of the hydraulic excavator 901 is normal (step S107).

[0047] If it is determined in step S107 that the system operation state is abnormal (NO), the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (degradation) for the vehicle body control command during manual operation (step S108). Note that if the system operation state determination unit 114j cannot obtain the determination result of the system operation state due to some abnormality, the limit value (degradation) is similarly set for the vehicle body control command during manual operation.

[0048] If it is determined in step S107 that the system operation state is normal (YES), the automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i determines whether the automatic control function operation state of the hydraulic excavator 901 is normal (step S109).

[0049] If it is determined in step S109 that the automatic control function operation state is abnormal (NO), the signal arbitration unit 114k cancels the setting of the limit value for the vehicle body control command during manual operation (step S110). Note that if the system operation state determination unit 114j cannot obtain the determination result of the automatic control function operation state due to some abnormality, the setting of the limit value for the vehicle body control command during manual operation is similarly cancelled. Specifically, the limit value for setting the upper limit value of the vehicle body control command during manual operation is set to positive infinity (INF), and the limit value for setting the lower limit value of the vehicle body control command during manual operation is set to negative infinity (-INF).

[0050] If it is determined in step S109 that the automatic control function is operating normally (YES), the manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h determines whether the manual operation priority flag is OFF or OFF (step S111). The ON / OFF state of the manual operation priority flag is switched according to the operation of the function setting device 219.

[0051] If it is determined in step S111 that the manual operation priority flag is ON (NO), the process proceeds to step S110, and the limit value setting is released as described above.

[0052] If the manual operation priority flag is determined to be OFF (YES) in step S111, the automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g determines whether the automatic control activation flag is ON or OFF (step S112). The ON / OFF state of the automatic control activation flag is switched according to the operation of the function setting device 218.

[0053] If it is determined in step S112 that the automatic control activation flag is OFF (NO), the process proceeds to step S110, and the limit value setting is released as described above.

[0054] If it is determined in step S112 that the automatic control activation flag is ON (YES), the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (automatic) for the vehicle control command during manual operation (step S113).

[0055] Following any of steps S108, S110, or S113, the signal arbitration unit 114k calculates the body control command after arbitration by limiting the body control command during manual operation based on the limit value set in any of steps S108, S110, or S113 (step S114).

[0056] Following step S114, the solenoid valve command output unit 114l outputs a solenoid valve command signal corresponding to the mediated vehicle control command from the signal arbitration unit 114k (step S115), and the flow ends. Figure 5 is a signal system diagram showing the processing of the signal arbitration unit 114k described above.

[0057] Referring to Figure 5, an example of the processing content of the limit value setting process (steps S108, S110, S113) and the post-arrangement vehicle control command calculation process (step S114) by the signal arbitration unit 114k will be explained in detail. As shown in Figure 5, the signal arbitration unit 114k includes a manual control determination unit 140, an automatic control determination unit 141, a first upper limit selection unit 142A, a second upper limit selection unit 143A, a first lower limit selection unit 142B, a second lower limit selection unit 143B, and a control command calculation unit 144. The signal arbitration unit 114k arbitrates the vehicle control command during manual operation and the vehicle control command during automatic control according to the state of the manual operation priority flag and the state of the automatic control activation flag. Arrangement refers to a calculation that processes multiple signals to obtain the output of a single signal.

[0058] The manual control determination unit 140 outputs a manual operation priority flag (OFF "0" or ON "1") corresponding to the operation of the function setting device 219 if the automatic control function operation status determination unit 114i determines that the automatic control function operation status is normal. The manual control determination unit 140 outputs "1" if the automatic control function operation status determination unit 114i determines that the automatic control function operation status is abnormal.

[0059] If the manual control determination unit 140 outputs "1", the automatic control determination unit 141 outputs "0" regardless of the operation of the function setting device 218. If the manual control determination unit 140 outputs "0", the automatic control determination unit 141 outputs an automatic control activation flag (OFF "0" or ON "1") corresponding to the operation of the function setting device 218.

[0060] The first upper limit selection unit 142A outputs the automatic control vehicle control command (upper limit) calculated by the automatic control vehicle control unit 114f if "1" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141. The first upper limit selection unit 142A outputs positive infinity (INF) if "0" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141.

[0061] The second upper limit selection unit 143A outputs the output value from the first upper limit selection unit 142A as the upper limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is normal. The second upper limit selection unit 143A outputs the limit value (degradation) as the upper limit value regardless of the output value from the first upper limit selection unit 142A if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is abnormal.

[0062] The first lower limit selection unit 142B outputs the automatic control vehicle control command (lower limit) calculated by the automatic control vehicle control unit 114f if "1" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141. The first lower limit selection unit 142B outputs negative infinity (-INF) if "0" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141.

[0063] The second lower limit selection unit 143B outputs the output value from the first lower limit selection unit 142B as the lower limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is normal. The second lower limit selection unit 143B outputs a value obtained by multiplying the limit value (degenerate) by "-1" as the lower limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is abnormal, regardless of the output value from the first lower limit selection unit 142B.

[0064] If the manual vehicle control command calculated by the manual vehicle control unit 114c exceeds the upper limit output from the second upper limit selection unit 143A, the control command calculation unit 144 outputs the upper limit as the post-arrangement vehicle control command. If the manual vehicle control command calculated by the manual vehicle control unit 114c falls below the lower limit output from the second lower limit selection unit 143B, the control command calculation unit 144 outputs the lower limit as the post-arrangement vehicle control command. If the manual vehicle control command is greater than or equal to the lower limit and less than or equal to the upper limit, the control command calculation unit 144 outputs the manual vehicle control command as the post-arrangement vehicle control command.

[0065] Thus, the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (degraded) if the system operating state is abnormal, based on safety considerations, and releases the limit value setting if the automatic control function operating state is abnormal. Furthermore, when the system operating state and the automatic control function operating state are normal, and the automatic control activation flag is set to ON, the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (automatic). Note that the limit value (automatic) refers to the upper and lower limits of the vehicle control command during automatic control. Here, if the manual operation priority flag is switched from OFF to ON, the signal arbitration unit 114k releases the limit value setting even if the automatic control activation flag was set to ON.

[0066] Next, the operation of the hydraulic excavator 901 in the first embodiment will be described. For the sake of simplicity, boom operation will be used as an example, with boom raising operation being described as the positive direction of the vehicle control command and boom lowering operation as the negative direction of the vehicle control command.

[0067] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the manual operation function is enabled. Here, the system operating state is assumed to be normal. When the operator inputs a lever operation signal to the controller 114 using the boom operation lever 115a, the manual operation vehicle control unit 114c calculates a manual operation vehicle control command based on the lever operation signal. The upper limit of the manual operation vehicle control command is set to positive infinity (INF) and the lower limit is set to negative infinity (-INF), so the signal arbitration unit 114k calculates the manual operation vehicle control command as an arbitrated vehicle control command. As a result, the operator can manually operate the boom 204 without restriction.

[0068] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the semi-automatic control function is enabled. When the automatic control activation flag is switched to ON, at least one of the upper or lower limits of the manual control command is set to the limit value (automatic). In the example shown in Figure 7, the lower limit of the manual control command is set to the limit value (automatic). Therefore, on the positive side of the manual control command, the mediated vehicle control command always matches the manual control command. On the other hand, on the negative side of the manual control command, the mediated vehicle control command matches the manual control command as long as the manual control command does not fall below the limit value (automatic), and if it falls below the limit value, the mediated vehicle control command becomes the limit value (automatic). Thus, with the semi-automatic control function, the manual control command is enabled within the range of the upper and lower limit values ​​(automatic), and the automatic control command is enabled outside the range of the upper and lower limit values ​​(automatic). Furthermore, since the vehicle control commands during manual operation and after mediation are updated at a rapid pace, manual intervention can be performed without causing delays.

[0069] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the automatic control function is enabled. When the automatic control function is enabled, the upper and lower limit values ​​(automatic) become the same, and the post-arrangement vehicle control command always matches the vehicle control command during automatic control, making manual operation of the boom 204 impossible.

[0070] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the manual operation priority flag is enabled while the automatic control function is active. When the manual operation priority flag is enabled, the restriction on the vehicle control command during manual operation is removed, even if the automatic control function is active. As a result, the vehicle control command after mediation will always match the vehicle control command during manual operation, making manual operation of the boom 204 possible. In addition, since the manual operation priority flag is updated at a rapid cycle, manual intervention can be performed without causing any delay.

[0071] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the automatic control function becomes abnormal while the automatic control function is enabled. When the automatic control function becomes abnormal, even if the automatic control function is enabled, the restriction on the vehicle body control command during manual operation is released, making it possible to manually operate the boom 204.

[0072] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the system operating state becomes abnormal while the manual operation function is enabled. When the system operating state becomes abnormal, the vehicle control command during manual operation is limited by a limit value (degradation), and the hydraulic excavator 901 transitions to a degraded state. Furthermore, since the system operating state is updated at a rapid cycle, the transition to the degraded state can be made without causing any delay.

[0073] (Summary) The hydraulic excavator (construction machine) 901 according to the first embodiment comprises a body 202, a work device 203 attached to the body 202, hydraulic actuators 204a, 205a, 206a, 211 that drive the body 202 or the work device 203, a drive system 902 that drives the hydraulic actuators 204a, 205a, 206a, 211, operating levers 115a, 115b that instruct the operation of the hydraulic actuators 204a, 205a, 206a, 211, and a controller 114 that controls the drive system 902 in response to lever operation signals input from the operating levers 115a, 115b. The controller 114 includes a manual operation vehicle control unit 114c that calculates a manual operation vehicle control command based on a lever operation signal in a predetermined first cycle, and an automatic control vehicle control unit 114f that calculates an automatic control vehicle control command based on a preset work plan and work instructions or lever operation signal in a second cycle that is longer than the first cycle. The controller 114 also includes a manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h that sets a manual operation priority flag that prioritizes the manual operation vehicle control command calculated by the manual operation vehicle control unit 114c. The manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h performs calculations in cycles shorter than the first cycle. The controller 114 also includes an automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g that sets an automatic control activation flag that enables the automatic control vehicle control command calculated by the automatic control vehicle control unit 114f. The automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g performs calculations in the second cycle. The controller 114 has a signal arbitration unit 114k that arbitrates the vehicle control commands during manual operation and the vehicle control commands during automatic control within the first cycle or less when the manual operation priority flag is set to enabled or the automatic control enablement flag is set to disabled.

[0074] According to the first embodiment configured as described above, in a hydraulic excavator 901 equipped with manual operation and automatic control functions, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the hydraulic actuators 204a, 205a, 206a, and 211 to manual operation when manual operation intervenes during the operation of the automatic control function, without increasing the cost of the drive system 902.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the automatic control vehicle control unit 114f calculates a limit value as the automatic control vehicle control command that limits at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the manual operation vehicle control command, and the signal arbitration unit 114k limits the manual operation vehicle control command by the limit value when the automatic control activation flag is enabled, and does not limit the manual operation vehicle control command when the automatic control activation flag is disabled. This makes it possible to switch between automatic driving and manual operation depending on the state of the automatic control activation flag.

[0076] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the signal arbitration unit 114k does not restrict the vehicle control command during manual operation, regardless of the state of the automatic control activation flag, when the manual operation priority flag is enabled. This makes it possible to quickly switch from automatic driving to manual operation when the manual operation priority flag, which is updated in the first cycle which is faster than the second cycle, becomes enabled, without waiting for the automatic control priority flag, which is updated in the second cycle, to be updated.

[0077] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the controller 114 has an automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i that determines whether the operating state of the construction machine 901 by the automatic control vehicle body control command is normal or not at cycles of one cycle or less. The signal arbitration unit 114k does not restrict the manual operation vehicle body control command regardless of the state of the automatic control activation flag if the determination result of the automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i is abnormal or if the determination result of the automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i cannot be received. This makes it possible to forcibly switch to manual operation if there is an abnormality in the operation of the construction machine 901 during automatic control.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the controller 114 has a system operation state determination unit 114j that determines whether the operation state of the drive system 902 is normal or not at a cycle of the first cycle or less, and the signal arbitration unit 114k limits the vehicle control command during manual operation by a predetermined degraded limit value when the determination result of the system operation state determination unit 114j is abnormal or when the determination result of the system operation state determination unit 114j cannot be received. As a result, if there is an abnormality in the operation of the drive system 902, it is possible to forcibly switch to manual operation.

[0079] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0080] Figure 12 is a functional block diagram of the controller 114 in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the controller 114, as a calculation unit related to the automatic control function, has a work support function actuator operation calculation unit 114m, a work support function vehicle body control unit 114n, a driving support function actuator operation calculation unit 114o, a driving support function vehicle body control unit 114p, a support function activation flag setting unit 114q, and a support function operation state determination unit 114r, instead of the automatic driving operation signal calculation unit 114d, automatic control actuator operation calculation unit 114e, automatic control vehicle body control unit 114f, automatic control activation flag setting unit 114g, and automatic control function operation state determination unit 114i (all shown in Figure 3) in the first embodiment.

[0081] The work support function actuator motion calculation unit 114m calculates the target actuator motion of the work support function based on the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a and the work plan or work instruction input to the controller 114. The work support function vehicle body control unit 114n calculates the vehicle body control command (work support) based on the target actuator motion from the work support function actuator motion calculation unit 114m.

[0082] The driver assistance function actuator operation calculation unit 114o calculates the target actuator operation of the driver assistance function based on the manual operation signal from the lever operation signal input unit 114a and the work plan or work instruction input to the controller 114. The driver assistance function vehicle body control unit 114p calculates the vehicle body control command during driver assistance based on the target actuator operation from the driver assistance function actuator operation calculation unit 114o.

[0083] The support function activation flag setting unit 114q sets whether or not to enable the work support function, or to what extent the vehicle body control command (work support) is reflected in the vehicle body control (work support function control state ratio). The support function operation state determination unit 114r determines whether or not the operation state (support function operation state) of the work support function and the driving support function is normal. The signal arbitration unit 114k arbitrates the manual operation vehicle body control command from the manual operation vehicle body control unit 114c, the vehicle body control command (work support) from the work support function vehicle body control unit 114n, and the driving support vehicle body control command from the driving support function vehicle body control unit 114p based on the setting information of the support function activation flag setting unit 114q and the manual operation priority flag setting unit 114h, as well as the determination results of the support function operation state determination unit 114r and the system operation state determination unit 114j, and calculates the vehicle body control command after arbitration.

[0084] Figure 13 is a signal system diagram showing the processing of the signal arbitration unit 114k in the second embodiment. The signal arbitration unit 114k arbitrates the manual operation vehicle control command from the manual operation vehicle control unit 114c and the vehicle control command (work support) from the work support function vehicle control unit 114n according to the work support function control state ratio input from the support function activation flag setting unit 114q, and further restricts it with the driving support vehicle control command from the driving support function vehicle control unit 114p to calculate the arbitrated vehicle control command.

[0085] Referring to Figure 13, an example of the processing content of the limit value setting process and the post-arrangement vehicle control command calculation process by the signal arbitration unit 114k in the second embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 13, the signal arbitration unit 114k in the second embodiment has a subtraction unit 245, multiplication units 246, 247, addition unit 248, first upper limit value selection unit 242A, second upper limit value selection unit 143A, first lower limit value selection unit 142B, second lower limit value selection unit 143B, and control command calculation unit 244, instead of the first upper limit value selection unit 142A, second upper limit value selection unit 143A, first lower limit value selection unit 242B, second lower limit value selection unit 243B, and control command calculation unit 244 in the first embodiment.

[0086] The first upper limit selection unit 242A outputs the driver assistance vehicle control command (upper limit) calculated by the driver assistance function vehicle control unit 114p if "1" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141. The first upper limit selection unit 142A outputs positive infinity (INF) if "0" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141.

[0087] The second upper limit selection unit 243A outputs the output value from the first upper limit selection unit 242A as the upper limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is normal. The second upper limit selection unit 243A outputs the limit value (degradation) as the upper limit value regardless of the output value from the first upper limit selection unit 242A if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is abnormal.

[0088] The first lower limit selection unit 242B outputs the driver assistance vehicle body control command (lower limit) calculated by the driver assistance function vehicle body control unit 114p if "1" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141. The first lower limit selection unit 242B outputs negative infinity (-INF) if "0" is output from the automatic control determination unit 141.

[0089] The second lower limit selection unit 243B outputs the output value from the first lower limit selection unit 242B as the lower limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is normal. The second lower limit selection unit 243B outputs a value obtained by multiplying the limit value (degenerate) by "-1" as the lower limit value if the system operation status determination unit 114j determines that the system operation status is abnormal, regardless of the output value from the first lower limit selection unit 242B.

[0090] The subtraction unit 245 calculates the manual operation ratio by subtracting the work support function control state ratio from 1. The work support function control state ratio is a value in the range of 0 to 1 set by the support function activation flag setting unit 114q. The larger the work support function control state ratio, the greater the degree of work support. In other words, the larger the manual operation ratio, the smaller the degree of work support.

[0091] The multiplication unit 246 calculates the corrected manual operation vehicle control command by multiplying the manual operation ratio calculated by the subtraction unit 245 by the manual operation vehicle control command. The multiplication unit 247 calculates the corrected vehicle control command (work support) by multiplying the work support function control ratio by the vehicle control command (work support). The addition unit 248 calculates the vehicle control command (input value) that takes into account the work support function control state ratio by adding the corrected manual operation vehicle control command calculated by the multiplication unit 246 and the corrected vehicle control command (work support) calculated by the multiplication unit 247. This vehicle control command (input value) is input to the control command calculation unit 244.

[0092] If the vehicle control command (input value) calculated by the addition unit 248 exceeds the upper limit value output from the second upper limit selection unit 243A, the control command calculation unit 244 outputs the upper limit value as a mediated vehicle control command. If the vehicle control command (input value) calculated by the addition unit 248 falls below the lower limit value output from the second lower limit selection unit 243B, the control command calculation unit 244 outputs the lower limit value as a mediated vehicle control command. If the vehicle control command (input value) is greater than or equal to the lower limit value and less than or equal to the upper limit value, the control command calculation unit 244 outputs the vehicle control command (input value) as a mediated vehicle control command.

[0093] Thus, the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (degraded) if the system operating state is abnormal, based on safety considerations, and releases the limit value setting if the automatic control function operating state is abnormal. Furthermore, when the system operating state and the automatic control function operating state are normal, and the automatic control activation flag is set to ON, the signal arbitration unit 114k sets a limit value (automatic). Note that the limit value (automatic) refers to the upper and lower limits of the vehicle body control command during driver assistance. Here, if the manual operation priority flag is switched from OFF to ON, the signal arbitration unit 114k releases the limit value setting even if the automatic control activation flag was set to ON.

[0094] Next, the operation of the hydraulic excavator 901 in the second embodiment will be described. Here, for the sake of simplicity, boom operation will be used as an example, with boom raising operation being described as the positive direction of the vehicle control command and boom lowering operation as the negative direction of the vehicle control command.

[0095] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when the work support function and driving support function are enabled in the second embodiment. In the case of the semi-automatic control function, for example, as shown in the figure, a manual operation vehicle control command and a vehicle control command (work support) are input, and these are arbitrated according to the work support function control state ratio, and the arbitrated vehicle control command is calculated. In addition, it is possible to input the arbitrated vehicle control command as requested within the range between the upper and lower limits of the driving support vehicle control command.

[0096] When the input of the vehicle control command during manual operation is changed, the magnitude of the change is adjusted according to the work support function control state ratio, but the post-arrangement vehicle control command also changes in sync with the change in the vehicle control command during manual operation. Subsequently, the work support function determines that a manual operation signal has been input and sets the work support function control state ratio to 0 (a state in which no control is performed by the work support function). At the moment the work support function control state ratio is updated, the vehicle control command during manual operation and the post-arrangement vehicle control command become the same value, and manual operation of the boom 204 becomes possible.

[0097] (Summary) In the second embodiment, the driver assistance function vehicle body control unit 114p (vehicle body control unit during automatic control) calculates a limit value that limits at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the vehicle body control command during manual operation as the driver assistance vehicle body control command (vehicle body control command during automatic control), and the signal arbitration unit 114k limits the vehicle body control command during manual operation by the limit value if the automatic control activation flag is enabled, and does not limit the vehicle body control command during manual operation if the automatic control activation flag is disabled.

[0098] According to the second embodiment configured as described above, the signal arbitration unit 114k can process manual operation vehicle control commands with a fast control cycle. Furthermore, except when the work support function control state ratio is 1, the arbitrated vehicle control command contains a component of the manual operation vehicle control command. Therefore, when the value of the manual operation vehicle control command is changed, the arbitrated vehicle control command can reflect the timing and direction of the change in the command without response delay, although the magnitude of the command depends on the work support function control state ratio. As a result, even when control by the work support function is being performed, the operator can intervene in the operation without any sense of incongruity when attempting to operate the vehicle body with the operation levers 115a and 115b.

[0099] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to add parts of the configuration of one embodiment to the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to delete parts of the configuration of one embodiment or replace parts of parts of another embodiment.

[0100] 1...First hydraulic pump, 1a...Flow control pilot pressure port, 2...Second hydraulic pump, 2a...Flow control pilot pressure port, 3...Third hydraulic pump, 3a...Flow control pilot pressure port, 4...Hydraulic oil tank, 6...Directional control valve for right travel, 7...Directional control valve for bucket, 8...Directional control valve for second arm, 9...Directional control valve for first boom, 10...Directional control valve for second boom, 11...Directional control valve for first arm, 11a, 11b...Pilot pressure port, 12...Directional control valve for first attachment, 13...Directional control valve for left travel, 14...Directional control valve for swing, 15...Directional control valve for third boom, 16...Directional control valve for second attachment, 21-25...Flow control valve, 25a...Main valve, 25c...First pressure chamber, 25d...Second pressure chamber, 25e...Third pressure chamber, 25f...Check Valves, 25g, 25h... oil passages, 25j... pilot pressure ports, 26-29... flow control valves, 31... relief valves, 32, 33... relief valves, 34, 35... bleed-off valves, 35a... pilot pressure ports, 36... bleed-off valves, 37... junction valves, 38, 39... check valves, 41... discharge line, 42... center bypass line, 43... parallel line, 44-50... oil passages, 51... discharge line, 52... center bypass line, 53... parallel line, 54-61... oil passages, 62... discharge line, 63... center bypass line, 64... parallel line, 65-71... oil passages, 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b, 74a, 74b, 75a, 75b... actuator lines, 84-86, 87a, 87b, 88a, 88b, 89a, 89b, 90a,90b...Pressure sensor, 111...Pilot pump, 112...Pilot relief valve, 113...Solenoid proportional valve unit, 113a-113e...Solenoid proportional valve, 114...Controller, 114a...Lever operation signal input unit, 114b...Actuator operation calculation unit during manual operation, 114c...Vehicle body control unit during manual operation, 114d...Automatic driving operation signal calculation unit, 114e...Actuator operation calculation unit during automatic control, 114f...Vehicle body control unit during automatic control, 11 4g...Automatic control activation flag setting unit, 114h...Manual operation priority flag setting unit, 114i...Automatic control function operation status determination unit, 114j...System operation status determination unit, 114k...Signal arbitration unit, 114k...Signal arbitration unit, 114l...Solenoid valve command output unit, 114m...Work support function actuator operation calculation unit, 114m...Work support function actuator operation calculation unit, 114n...Work support function vehicle body control unit, 114o...Driving support function actuator operation calculation unit Calculation unit, 114p... Driving support function vehicle control unit (vehicle control unit during automatic control), 114q... Support function activation flag setting unit, 114r... Support function operation status determination unit, 115a... Boom operation lever, 115b... Arm operation lever, 121... Pilot line, 122... Tank line, 123-127... Pilot line, 201... Traveling body, 202... Swivel body (vehicle body), 203... Working device, 204... Boom, 204a... Boom cylinder (hydraulic actuator) 901...Excavator, 205...Arm, 205a...Arm cylinder (hydraulic actuator), 206...Bucket, 206a...Bucket cylinder (hydraulic actuator), 207...Operator's cab, 208...Machine room, 209...Counterweight, 210...Control valve, 211...Slewing motor (hydraulic actuator), 212-216...Position sensors, 218, 219...Function setting device, 901...Hydraulic excavator (construction machine), 902...Drive system.

Claims

1. A construction machine comprising: a vehicle body; a work device attached to the vehicle body; a hydraulic actuator for driving the vehicle body or the work device; a drive system for driving the hydraulic actuator; an operating lever for instructing the operation of the hydraulic actuator; and a controller for controlling the drive system in accordance with a lever operation signal input from the operating lever, wherein the controller comprises: a manual operation vehicle body control unit that calculates a manual operation vehicle body control command based on the lever operation signal in a predetermined first cycle; an automatic control vehicle body control unit that calculates an automatic control vehicle body control command based on a preset work plan and work instructions or the lever operation signal in a second cycle longer than the first cycle; a manual operation priority flag setting unit that sets a manual operation priority flag that prioritizes the manual operation vehicle body control command calculated by the manual operation vehicle body control unit; and an automatic control activation flag setting unit that sets an automatic control activation flag that enables the automatic control vehicle body control command calculated by the automatic control vehicle body control unit. A construction machine characterized by having a signal arbitration unit that arbitrates the manual operation vehicle control command and the automatic control vehicle control command within the first cycle or less when the manual operation priority flag is set to enabled or the automatic control enablement flag is set to disabled.

2. A construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the automatic control vehicle control unit calculates a limit value as the automatic control vehicle control command that limits at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the manual operation vehicle control command, and the signal arbitration unit limits the manual operation vehicle control command by the limit value when the automatic control activation flag is enabled, and does not limit the manual operation vehicle control command when the automatic control activation flag is disabled.

3. The construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the signal arbitration unit does not restrict the manual operation vehicle control command regardless of the state of the automatic control activation flag when the manual operation priority flag is enabled.

4. A construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the controller has an automatic control function operation state determination unit that determines whether the operating state of the construction machine by the automatic control vehicle control command is normal at a cycle of the first cycle or less, and the signal arbitration unit does not restrict the manual operation vehicle control command regardless of the state of the automatic control activation flag when the determination result of the automatic control function operation state determination unit is abnormal or when the determination result of the automatic control function operation state determination unit cannot be received.

5. A construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the controller has a system operation state determination unit that determines whether the operation state of the drive system is normal or not at a cycle of the first cycle or less, and the signal arbitration unit limits the manual operation vehicle control command by a predetermined degraded limit value when the determination result of the system operation state determination unit is abnormal or when the determination result of the system operation state determination unit cannot be received.

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