Work machine

Abstract

Machine guidance images that are displayed on a monitor of a work machine according to the present invention constitute a plurality of work state images, each work state image corresponding to one among a plurality of positional relationships including the angle and distance between a work tool or vehicle body and a construction target surface, and each among the plurality of work state images including an information image representing each positional relationship and a background image that is a peripheral region of the information image. A video display control unit included in the work machine changes, in each among the plurality of work state images, the display mode of the background image or the display mode of an outer edge region of the background image in accordance with a determination result regarding whether each among the plurality of positional relationships meets a preset determination condition.

Description

Work machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine such as a hydraulic excavator having an operation support function.

[0002] In recent years, against the background of the expanding application of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to construction and civil engineering sites, demand for a function called machine guidance that provides information to assist operators in operating construction machinery has been increasing. Construction machinery provided with a machine guidance function is equipped with devices including attitude detectors such as an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and an inclination angle sensor that measure the attitude of a front work implement and an upper revolving superstructure, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna for calculating the position and azimuth of the vehicle body. In machine guidance, the three-dimensional position of a bucket toe in a coordinate system defined at a construction site is calculated using output values of these devices and dimension values of a structure, and information such as the distance between the bucket toe and a construction target surface is provided to an operator via a display device such as a monitor.

[0003] In addition to the machine guidance display, various types of information such as images around the vehicle body, the system status of the vehicle body, and operating time may be simultaneously displayed on the monitor, and information related to machine guidance is often displayed in a limited area. For this reason, Patent Document 1 proposes a display form that improves the visibility for operators. For example, in the lower part of each of a screen drawing the construction target surface and a side surface of the bucket, and a screen drawing the construction target surface and a front surface of the bucket, the positions for displaying the distance between the bucket toe and the construction target surface are laid out at the same height to make the information easier to view, and contrivances such as changing the shape, color, and numerical value of an icon according to the distance between the bucket toe and the construction target surface are implemented.

[0004] International Publication No. 2018 / 181534

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the display area of ​​the graphic related to the tip of the bucket that moves in response to the operation becomes obscured by other information displayed on the monitor. As a result, it is difficult for the operator to confirm this area with their peripheral vision while looking at the work area, and they have to shift their gaze to the monitor and focus on the changing area to confirm it. This leads to a decrease in work efficiency.

[0006] A work machine according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a front work device having a work tool and being provided with a variable attitude relative to the vehicle body; a sensor for detecting the attitude of the front work device and the vehicle body; a control device for generating a machine guidance image that presents work information based on the detection information of the sensor; and a monitor for displaying the machine guidance image, wherein the control device comprises: a storage unit for storing construction target surface data relating to a construction target surface; a calculation unit for calculating a plurality of positional relationships including angles and distances between the work tool or the vehicle body and the construction target surface based on the detection information of the sensor and the construction target surface data; a determination unit for determining whether each of the plurality of positional relationships meets a preset determination condition; and a video display control unit for generating the machine guidance image based on the construction target surface data and the determination result of the determination unit, wherein the machine guidance image is a plurality of work state images corresponding to each of the plurality of positional relationships, each having an information image representing the positional relationship and a background image which is the surrounding area of ​​the information image, and the video display control unit changes the display form of the background image or the display form of the outer edge area of ​​the background image in each of the plurality of work state images in accordance with the determination result of the determination unit.

[0007] According to the present invention, work efficiency can be improved by displaying highly necessary work information on the monitor in a format that attracts the operator's attention.

[0008] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a work machine according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the control system of a hydraulic excavator. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions implemented in the information controller. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of monitor arrangement in the operator's cab. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a machine guidance image. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a settings screen. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining vertical distance. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining the angle difference in the front-rear direction. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining the angle difference in the left-right direction. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of display color determination processing.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are illustrative for explaining the present invention, and have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following description, the same or similar elements and processes are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted. It should be noted that the following description is merely an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and can be implemented in various other forms.

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a work machine according to this embodiment, schematically illustrating the external appearance of a hydraulic excavator. The hydraulic excavator 100 comprises a front work device 103 and an upper slewing body 101 and a lower traveling body 102 that constitute the vehicle body. The upper slewing body 101 is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the lower traveling body 102 with its axis center 107 as the axis of rotation. The upper slewing body 101 and the lower traveling body 102 are driven by a slewing motor 111 and left and right traveling motors 112, which are hydraulic actuators, respectively.

[0011] The front working device 103 is a multi-jointed front working device composed of a boom 104, an arm 105, and a bucket 106. The base end of the boom 104 is supported so as to be vertically rotatable at the front of the upper slewing body 101. One end of the arm 105 is supported so as to be vertically rotatable at the tip of the boom 104. The bucket 106 is supported so as to be vertically rotatable at the other end of the arm 105. The boom 104 is driven by a boom cylinder 108, the arm 105 by an arm cylinder 109, and the bucket 106 by a bucket cylinder 110.

[0012] The upper slewing body 101, boom 104, arm 105, and bucket 106 are each equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 117 for the slewing body, an IMU 118 for the boom, an IMU 119 for the arm, and an IMU 120 for the bucket, respectively, which measure angle (or angular velocity) and acceleration. The IMUs 117 to 120 constitute attitude sensors that detect information regarding the attitude of the hydraulic excavator 100 and output the detection results as attitude information.

[0013] An operator's cab 113 is located at the upper front of the upper slewing body 101. The operator's cab 113 is equipped with a monitor 114, which serves as a display device for notifying the operator of information. Although not shown in Figure 1, the operator's cab 113 is equipped with multiple operating levers (not shown) for operating the hydraulic actuators, namely the boom cylinder 108, arm cylinder 109, bucket cylinder 110, slewing motor 111, and left and right travel motors 112.

[0014] Two GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) units 115 and 116 are positioned side-by-side in the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in the illustration) of the upper rotating body 101, at the upper rear. The GNSS units 115 and 116 have a position calculation function that receives positioning signals output from satellites flying high above, and calculates the position of the hydraulic excavator 100 in the Earth coordinate system (i.e., its position at the construction site) based on the received positioning signals and outputs it as position information. Furthermore, since the relative positions of the GNSS units 115 and 116 with respect to the upper rotating body 101 are fixed, the orientation of the upper rotating body 101 can be calculated from the deviation of the position information measured by the two GNSS units 115 and 116.

[0015] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the control system of the hydraulic excavator 100 along with its related components. The hydraulic actuators, namely the boom cylinder 108, arm cylinder 109, bucket cylinder 110, slewing motor 111, and left and right travel motors 112, are supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump 202 driven by a prime mover such as an engine 201. The operation of these hydraulic actuators is controlled by controlling the direction and flow rate of the supplied hydraulic fluid with a control valve 203. The control valve 203 is driven by pilot pressure generated based on a drive signal from the main controller 204. The operation of each hydraulic actuator is controlled by the main controller 204 generating pilot pressure based on an operation signal from the operating lever 206.

[0016] In Figure 2, only one of the multiple operating levers 206 is shown as a representative example. Each of the multiple operating levers 206 is assigned to operate the boom cylinder 108, arm cylinder 109, bucket cylinder 110, slewing motor 111, and left and right travel motors 112, respectively. For example, the boom cylinder 108, arm cylinder 109, bucket cylinder 110, and slewing motor 111 are each assigned to a pair of left and right operating levers that can be tilted forward, backward, left, and right. The operating levers 206 include a detection device (not shown) that electrically detects the lever operation amount (the amount the lever is tilted), and the lever operation amount detected by the detection device is output via electrical wiring to the main controller 204, which constitutes the control system of the hydraulic excavator 100. Similarly, another pair of left and right operating levers are assigned to operate the travel motors 112.

[0017] The control system for the hydraulic excavator 100 includes a main controller 204 that controls the overall operation of the hydraulic excavator 100, as well as an information controller 205 that controls information related to the hydraulic excavator 100. The main controller 204 is computer-equivalent hardware having a processing unit (e.g., CPU), a storage device (e.g., semiconductor memory such as ROM or RAM) that stores a program executed by the processing unit and data necessary for the execution of that program.

[0018] Similarly, the information controller 205 is computer-equivalent hardware, with a CPU 2051 as a processing unit, a storage device (such as a ROM 2053, RAM 2052, etc.) containing programs executed by the CPU 2051 and data necessary for the execution of those programs, and an external interface 2055 connected via a bus 2054. The information controller 205 is connected to the main controller 204, GNSS 115, 116, IMU 117-120, and monitor 114 via the external interface 2055. In addition, an external storage medium 207 such as a USB memory and a communication terminal 208 capable of sending and receiving information with an external system are connected to the external interface 2055.

[0019] The information controller 205 calculates the posture of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the location information of the construction site detected by GNSS 115 and 116, the posture acquired by IMU 117 to 120, and data stored in the information controller 205's storage device (e.g., vehicle dimension data). Based on the calculated posture information, the information controller 205 calculates the positional relationship between a predetermined construction target surface (work construction target surface) and the position of the excavator's claw, and transmits the calculation result to the main controller 204 via the external interface 2055. The calculation result is displayed on the monitor 114 via the external interface 2055.

[0020] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions implemented in the information controller 205. The position and attitude calculation unit 302 calculates the bucket tip position coordinates of the hydraulic excavator 100 in the field coordinate system, the bucket bottom angle relative to the vertical, and the bucket tip angle from the vehicle attitude acquired from the IMU 117-120, the vehicle position information in the field coordinate system acquired from the GNSS 115 and 116, and data such as structural dimensions stored in the machine dimension storage unit 301.

[0021] The bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 calculates the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the target surface, the angle difference in the front-rear direction between the bucket bottom and the target surface (hereinafter referred to as the front-rear angle difference), and the angle difference in the left-right direction between the bucket tip and the target surface (hereinafter referred to as the left-right angle difference) from the position and orientation information of the hydraulic excavator 100 in the field coordinate system obtained from the position and orientation calculation unit 302 and the target surface data stored in the target surface data storage unit 304.

[0022] The bucket-target surface state determination unit 305 compares the calculated values ​​obtained from the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303—the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface, the front-to-back angle difference between the bucket bottom and the construction target surface, and the left-to-right angle difference between the bucket tip and the construction target surface—with thresholds set by the operator to determine the position and angle state of the bucket relative to the construction target surface. Details of the determination method will be described later.

[0023] The monitor operation processing unit 306 processes the operation signals from the monitor 114 (operation unit 41) that accompany changes in the machine guidance function settings, including the aforementioned threshold changes.

[0024] The monitor video display control unit 307 generates a video signal to be output to the monitor 114 based on the vehicle's position and orientation information obtained from the position and orientation calculation unit 302, the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface obtained from the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303, the determination result of the bucket's position and angle relative to the construction target surface obtained from the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305, and the construction target surface data stored in the construction target surface data storage unit 304. The generated video signal is output to the monitor 114. By displaying information on the monitor 114 based on this video signal, the hydraulic excavator 100 provides support functions for the operator's operation.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of the placement of the monitor 114 inside the operator's cab 113 of the hydraulic excavator 100 shown in Figure 1. An operating lever 206 is located in front of the operator's seat 130 in the operator's cab 113, and the operation of the front work device 103 can be viewed through the window in front of it. The monitor 114 is installed on the front right pillar 131 so as not to obstruct the observation of the work status and so as to allow the operator to see their surroundings. Even in the middle of work, the operator seated in the operator's seat 130 can easily see the monitor 114 in the right-hand area of ​​their field of view by using their peripheral vision. In the monitor 114, the area denoted by reference numeral 40 is a display area where machine guidance images, which will be described later, are displayed, and an operation unit 41 is provided below the display area 40.

[0026] Figure 5 shows an example of a machine guidance image 400 displayed in the display area 40 of the monitor 114. The machine guidance image 400 is an image used to present bucket status information, which is work information, to the operator. Therefore, considering the operator's visibility, it is preferable that the image is displayed to occupy a wide area of ​​the entire display area 40, and in the example shown in Figure 5, the machine guidance image 400 is displayed using the entire area of ​​the display area 40.

[0027] The machine guidance image 400 displays a first bucket state image 401, a second bucket state image 402, and a third bucket state image 403 as work state images, arranged in the left-right direction of the area. A unified judgment display frame 419, which is a frame-shaped image that encloses the multiple bucket state images 401 to 403 as a single unit, is provided around them.

[0028] The first bucket state image 401 shows the bucket state in relation to the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the target surface. The second bucket state image 402 shows the bucket and target surface as viewed from the side of the bucket, and shows the bucket state in relation to the angle difference in the front-rear direction between the bucket and the target surface. The third bucket state image 403 shows the bucket and target surface as viewed from the driver's seat side, and shows the bucket state in relation to the angle difference in the left-right direction between the bucket and the target surface.

[0029] Bucket status images 401 to 403 display information images representing the positional relationship between the construction target surface and the bucket 106, including a target surface line 410 representing the construction target surface, a bucket icon 411 representing the bucket 106, a vertical guide line 412, a reference point icon 413, a tolerance range 414, and a numerical display frame 415. The target surface line 410 is drawn based on construction target surface data acquired from the construction target surface data storage unit 304. The bucket icon 411 is an image showing the position and angle of the bucket 106. The vertical guide line 412 represents a straight line extending vertically from the bucket tip to the construction target surface, and is a display that helps the operator recognize the vertical direction. The reference point icon 413 is an image that shows whether the left end, right end, or center of the bucket tip is being used as the reference position in the current calculation. In the example shown in Figure 5, it is shown that the center of the bucket tip is being used as the reference position. The reference position can be arbitrarily changed by the operator according to the case in which it is used, and the position of the reference point icon 413 in the image changes accordingly.

[0030] In the first bucket state image 401, the shape of the bucket icon 411 is simplified to a display format that only shows the distance relationship between the construction target surface and the bucket tip. The lower edge of the simplified rectangular bucket icon 411 represents the position of the bucket tip. The target surface line 410 is displayed horizontally based on the height of the point closest vertically to the reference point of the bucket tip (the position indicated by the reference point icon 413) on the construction target surface. The tolerance range 414 (hatched area) enclosed by the two dashed lines displayed above and below the target surface line 410 visually indicates the acceptable vertical position range of the bucket tip relative to the construction target surface. The tolerance range 414 can be arbitrarily set by the operator, and the vertical width of the image showing the tolerance range 414 is changed according to the set value. The numerical display frame 415 is a display frame that displays the real-time distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 as a numerical value.

[0031] In the second bucket state image 402, the bucket icon 411 is drawn as the shape of the bucket 106 viewed from the side. The left side of the figure is the front of the vehicle, and the right side is the rear of the vehicle. The shape of the bucket icon 411 is drawn based on the bucket's position and attitude information calculated by the position and attitude calculation unit 302 in order to inform the operator of the position and attitude state of the bucket 106. The vertical guide line 412 is drawn perpendicularly from the tip of the bucket icon 411 to the target surface line 410. The inclination of the target surface line 410 in the second bucket state image 402 represents the inclination of the construction target surface in the bucket's front-to-back direction. In the example shown in Figure 5, the target surface line 410 is lower on the right side of the figure, indicating that the construction target surface slopes downward from front to rear.

[0032] In the third bucket state image 403, the bucket icon 411 is drawn as the shape of the bucket 106 as viewed from the rear (from the driver's cab side). Similar to the second bucket state image 402, the shape of the bucket icon 411 is drawn based on the bucket's position and attitude information calculated by the position and attitude calculation unit 302. The inclination of the target surface line 410 in the third bucket state image 403 represents the inclination of the construction target surface in the bucket's left-right direction. In the example shown in Figure 5, the target surface line 410 is lower on the left side of the figure, indicating that the construction target surface slopes downward from the right side of the bucket to the left side of the bucket.

[0033] In each bucket status image 401 to 403, the area surrounding the information images (410 to 415) described above forms a background image. The outer edge of the background image in each bucket status image 401 to 403 constitutes a rectangular ring-shaped area consisting of a first judgment display frame 416, a second judgment display frame 417, and a third judgment display frame 418. As described above, an integrated judgment display frame 419 is provided around the judgment display frames 416 to 418, enclosing them as a single unit. As will be described in detail later, these judgment display frames 416 to 419 change their display color based on the judgment results described later, thereby notifying the operator of the state of the bucket 106 relative to the construction target surface.

[0034] The display format of the judgment display frames 416 to 419 in the machine guidance image 400 is set on the setting screen 500 shown in Figure 6. Switching between the display screen of the machine guidance image 400 and the setting screen 500 in the display area 40 is performed by operating the operation unit 41 (see Figure 4) provided on the monitor 114.

[0035] The settings screen 500 in Figure 6 displays various setting items. The allowable vertical distance 501 displays the allowable threshold Dth for the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface. The allowable front-to-back angle difference 502 displays the allowable threshold θ1th for the front-to-back angle difference between the bucket bottom and the construction target surface. The allowable left-to-right angle difference 503 displays the allowable threshold θ2th for the left-to-right angle difference between the bucket tip and the construction target surface. In the example shown in Figure 6, Dth = 0.025 m, θ1th = 1.00°, and θ2th = 1.00°. The integrated judgment condition setting 504G displays the conditions for displaying the integrated judgment display frame 419 in green. The integrated judgment condition setting 505R displays the conditions for displaying the integrated judgment display frame 419 in red. The operator can set and change the thresholds and conditions for each setting item by operating the control unit 41 (see Figure 4) or by touching the display screen.

[0036] <Determination Regarding Vertical Distance> Next, the determination performed by the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305 will be explained. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the determination method regarding the vertical distance, that is, the positional relationship of the bucket 106 with respect to the construction target surface. In Figure 7, the straight line representing the construction target surface Pt corresponds to the target surface line 410 in Figure 5. The rectangular bucket icons 411a, 411b, and 411c represent three types of bucket states with different vertical positions relative to the construction target surface Pt. The lower edge of each bucket icon 411a, 411b, and 411c represents the tip of the bucket 106.

[0037] The tolerance range 414 is the range enclosed by the upper tolerance line 701 vertically above the construction target surface Pt and the lower tolerance line 702 vertically below it. The position of the construction target surface Pt is taken as the origin O of the vertical position, and the area above the origin O in the diagram is taken as the positive vertical side. In this case, the vertical position of the tolerance line 701 is +Dth (>0), and the vertical position of the lower tolerance line 702 is -Dth (<0). Also, the vertical positions of the lower edges (toes) of the bucket icons 411a to 411c are Pva, Pvb, and Pvc, respectively. In the case of bucket icons 411a and 411b, they are located above the origin O, so Pva>0 and Pvb>0. In the case of bucket icon 411c, it is located below the origin O, so Pvc<0.

[0038] The positional relationship of the bucket 106 (bucket icons 411a to 411c) with respect to the construction target surface Pt is determined as follows. First, in the case of the vertical position Pva indicated by icon 411a, that is, when Pva > (+Dth), the toe position is located vertically above the allowable range 414, so it is determined to be "above" in terms of vertical distance. Conversely, in the case of bucket icon 411c, when Pvc < (-Dth), the toe position is located vertically below the allowable range 414, so it is determined to be "below" in terms of vertical distance. On the other hand, in the case of bucket icon 411b, (-Dth) ≤ Pvb ≤ (+Dth), and the toe position is within the allowable range 414, so it is determined to be "within the allowable range" in terms of vertical distance.

[0039] <Determination Regarding Front-to-Rear Angle Difference> Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the determination of the front-to-rear angle difference of the bucket 106 with respect to the construction target surface. The bucket icons 411a, 411b, and 411c in Figure 8 represent the shape of the bucket 106 as viewed from the side, similar to the case of the second bucket state image 402 in Figure 5. The front-to-rear angle difference is the angle difference in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body made between the bucket bottom surface and the construction target surface Pt. In Figure 8, the right side corresponds to the rear of the vehicle body, and the left side corresponds to the front of the vehicle body. The bucket icons 411a to 411c represent three different bucket states with different front-to-rear angle differences between the bucket bottom surface and the construction target surface Pt.

[0040] The longitudinal angle difference is positive when the bucket bottom is tilted towards the bucket dump side (in the case of bucket icon 411a) and negative when the bucket bottom is tilted towards the bucket cloud side (in the case of bucket icon 411c). θ1th is the allowable threshold for the longitudinal angle difference between the bucket bottom and the construction target surface, and is the angle indicated in the column for allowable longitudinal angle difference 502 in Figure 6. The allowable range 424 for the longitudinal angle difference is from +θ1th on the bucket dump side to -θ1th on the bucket cloud side.

[0041] Since the bottom surface of bucket icon 411a is tilted toward the bucket dump side, the longitudinal angle difference θ1a is θ1a > 0. Conversely, since the bottom surface of bucket icon 411c is tilted toward the bucket cloud side, the longitudinal angle difference θ1c is θ1c < 0. Also, in the case of bucket icon 411b, the bottom surface is parallel to the construction target surface Pt, so the longitudinal angle difference θ1b is θ1b = 0.

[0042] The determination of the front-to-back angle difference of the bucket 106 (bucket icons 411a to 411c) with respect to the construction target surface Pt is performed as follows. First, in the case of the front-to-back angle difference θ1a shown by bucket icon 411a, since θ1a > (+θ1th), the front-to-back angle difference θ1a is greater than the allowable range 424 for the front-to-back angle difference, so it is determined to be "up". Conversely, in the case of bucket icon 411c, where θ1c < (-θ1th), the front-to-back angle difference θ1c is smaller than the allowable range 424 for the front-to-back angle difference, so it is determined to be "down". On the other hand, in the case of bucket icon 411b, where (-θ1th) ≤ θ1b ≤ (+θ1th), the front-to-back angle difference θ1c is within the allowable range 424 for the front-to-back angle difference, so it is determined to be "within the allowable range".

[0043] <Judgment on Left-Right Direction Angle Difference> Figure 9 is a diagram explaining judgment on the left-right direction angle difference of the bucket 106 relative to the target construction surface. The bucket icons 411a, 411b, 411c in FIG. 9 represent the shape of the bucket 106 viewed from the rear side of the vehicle body, similar to the case of the third bucket state image 403 in FIG. 5. The left-right direction angle difference is an angle difference in the left-right direction of the vehicle body formed by the bucket toe and the target construction surface Pt. In FIG. 9, the left-right direction in the drawing corresponds to the left-right direction of the vehicle body, the back side of the drawing corresponds to the front of the vehicle body, and the front side of the drawing corresponds to the rear of the vehicle body. The bucket icons 411a to 411c represent three types of bucket states with different left-right direction angle differences between the bucket toe and the target construction surface Pt.

[0044] For the left-right direction angle difference, a positive value is given when the bucket is tilted such that the right side of the bucket toe is lowered (hereinafter referred to as right tilt) as in the bucket icon 411a, and a negative value is given when the bucket is tilted such that the left side of the bucket toe is lowered (hereinafter referred to as left tilt) as in the bucket icon 411c. θ2th is an allowable threshold for the left-right direction angle difference, which is the angle described in the column of allowable left-right angle difference 503 in FIG. 6. The allowable range 425 for the left-right direction angle difference is from +θ2th for right tilt to -θ2th for left tilt.

[0045] In the case of the bucket icon 411a, the bucket is tilted to the right, so the left-right direction angle difference θ2a satisfies θ2a > 0. Conversely, in the case of the bucket icon 411c, the bucket is tilted to the left, so the left-right direction angle difference θ2c satisfies θ2c < 0. In the case of the bucket icon 411b, the bucket toe is parallel to the target construction surface Pt, so the left-right direction angle difference θ2b satisfies θ2b = 0.

[0046] The determination of the left-right direction angle difference of the bucket 106 (bucket icons 411a to 411c) with respect to the construction target surface Pt is performed as follows. First, in the case of the left-right direction angle difference θ2a indicated by the bucket icon 411a, since the value of θ2a > (+θ2th) is larger than the allowable range 425 for the left-right direction angle difference, the left-right direction angle difference is determined as "upper". Conversely, when θ2c < (-θ2th) as in the bucket icon 411c, since the value of the left-right direction angle difference θ2c is smaller than the allowable range 425, the left-right direction angle difference is determined as "lower". On the other hand, when (-θ2th) ≦ θ2b ≦ (+θ2th) as in the bucket icon 411b, since the left-right direction angle difference θ2b is within the allowable range 425, the left-right direction angle difference is determined as "within allowable range".

[0047] <Integrated determination condition settings 504G, 505R> The integrated determination condition settings 504G, 505R shown on the setting screen 500 in FIG. 6 are screens for setting display color change conditions for the integrated determination display frame 419. The integrated determination condition setting 504G is a screen for setting conditions when the display color of the integrated determination display frame 419 is set to green. On the other hand, the integrated determination condition setting 505R is a screen for setting conditions when the display color of the integrated determination display frame 419 is set to red. These condition settings are performed by a combination of the determination result regarding the vertical distance, the determination result regarding the front-rear direction angle difference, and the determination result regarding the left-right direction angle difference.

[0048] The integrated determination condition settings 504G, 505R are provided with nine fields in 3 rows and 3 columns. The horizontal rows represent the determination items: vertical distance, front-rear angle (front-rear direction angle difference), and left-right angle (left-right direction angle difference), and the vertical rows represent the determination results: "upper", "within allowable range", and "lower". The example shown in FIG. 6 shows a setting example of the integrated determination condition settings 504G, 505R in the case of performing leveling work in slope shaping, but the condition settings are changed according to the work content. A circle mark "〇" is described in each field, and among them, the circle mark with hatching is the determination condition.

[0049] In the example shown in Figure 6, the integrated judgment condition setting 504G has hatched circles in the "within tolerance" column for all of the vertical distance, front-to-back angle (angle difference in the front-to-back direction), and left-to-right angle (angle difference in the left-to-right direction). In other words, the integrated judgment display frame 419 is set to display in green when all of the judgment results for the vertical distance, front-to-back angle (angle difference in the front-to-back direction), and left-to-right angle (angle difference in the left-to-right direction) are within tolerance.

[0050] On the other hand, in the integrated judgment condition setting 505R, hatching is applied to the circle in the "down" column for vertical distance, and hatching is applied to the circles in all columns for "up," "within tolerance," and "down" for front-to-back angle (angle difference in the front-to-back direction) and left-to-right angle (angle difference in the left-to-right direction). In other words, regardless of whether the judgment result for front-to-back angle (angle difference in the front-to-back direction) or left-to-right angle (angle difference in the left-to-right direction) is "up," "within tolerance," or "down," if the judgment result for vertical distance is "down," the integrated judgment display frame 419 is set to be displayed in red.

[0051] <Display Color Determination Process> Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the display color determination process performed in the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305. In step S100, calculated values ​​(vertical distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface, front-to-back angle difference between the bucket bottom and the construction target surface, and left-to-right angle difference between the bucket tip and the construction target surface) are obtained from the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303.

[0052] In step S110, the calculated value and the allowable range are compared for each judgment item (vertical distance, angle difference in the front-to-back direction, and angle difference in the left-to-right direction), and it is determined whether the result is "above," "within the allowable range," or "below."

[0053] In step S120, it is determined whether the results of the vertical distance, front-to-back angle difference, and left-to-right angle difference correspond to the integrated judgment condition setting 505R in Figure 6. If the result in step S120 is "Yes", the process proceeds to step S125, and "Red" is output to the monitor video display control unit 307 as the display color information for the integrated judgment display frame 419.

[0054] If the result in step S120 is No, the process proceeds to step S130, where it is determined whether the results of the vertical distance, front-to-back angle difference, and left-to-right angle difference correspond to the integrated judgment condition setting 504G in Figure 6. If the result in step S130 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S135, where "green" is output to the monitor video display control unit 307 as the display color information for the integrated judgment display frame 419.

[0055] If the result in step S130 is determined to be "No", the process proceeds to step S140. In step S140, the display color information for each determination item (vertical distance, front-to-back angle difference, and left-to-right angle difference) in the determination display frames 416 to 418 of the bucket state images 401 to 403 is output to the monitor video display control unit 307. The specific display color information will be described later.

[0056] As described above, when setting the display colors for judgment display frames 416 to 419, the integrated judgment display frame 419 is set first. The integrated judgment display frame 419 shows bucket status information when each judgment item (vertical distance, front-to-back angle difference, and left-to-right angle difference) is judged in an integrated manner. The display color "red" is a warning display prompting the operator to correct the bucket movement, and the display color "green" indicates to the operator that the bucket status relative to the construction target surface is good.

[0057] The integrated judgment condition setting 505R, shown in Figure 6 with the display color "red," indicates that the vertical distance between the bucket tip and the construction target surface is lower than the construction target surface, meaning that the excavation is excessive. Therefore, the integrated judgment display frame 419 is set to red to display a warning, emphatically informing the operator that it is necessary to immediately raise the boom. On the other hand, if the integrated judgment display frame 419 is green, the operator can determine that the current operating state is appropriate.

[0058] Furthermore, if the result in step S130 in Figure 10 is determined to be "No" and the process proceeds to step S140, the display color of the judgment display frames 416 to 418 is changed to indicate the bucket status for each judgment item. For example, for any judgment item, if the judgment result is "Up", the display color of the judgment display frames 416 to 418 is set to blue; if the judgment result is "Within acceptable limits", it is set to green; and if the judgment result is "Down", it is set to red.

[0059] In bucket operations, it is sometimes necessary to take a quick action based on the bucket status by considering multiple judgment items, such as the warning judgment based on the integrated judgment condition setting 505R. In this embodiment, the information controller 205 automatically makes a judgment based on the integrated judgment condition setting 505R and issues a warning to the operator by changing the display color of the integrated judgment display frame 419 to red. Therefore, the operator does not need to make an integrated judgment based on each bucket status image 401 to 403, and can take a quick action based on the display color of the integrated judgment display frame 419.

[0060] Furthermore, the integrated judgment display frame 419 is a large display that surrounds the entire machine guidance image 400, making it easy for the operator to notice with peripheral vision without taking their eyes off the work area. When the integrated judgment display frame 419 is displayed in red or green, the judgment display frames 416 to 418 are hidden and displayed in the same color as the background color of the bucket status images 401 to 403 (for example, black or gray).

[0061] Furthermore, if the integrated judgment display frame 419 is neither red nor green, and attention is required for individual judgment items, the display color of the judgment display frames 416-418, which are the outer edges of the background image of the bucket status images 401-403, is changed. In this case as well, the display color of the outermost area of ​​the bucket status images 401-403 (judgment display frames 416-418) is changed, making it easy for operators to notice. Therefore, operators can easily recognize which judgment items (bucket statuses) they should pay attention to when performing their work.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the display color of the judgment display frames 416-419 in the machine guidance image 400 was changed, but instead of changing the display color, a change in display mode from an unlit state to a blinking state may also be used. Furthermore, for the bucket state images 401-403, the display color of the judgment display frames 416-418 and the integrated judgment display frame 419, which are the outer edges of the background image, was changed, but the display color of the entire background image may also be changed.

[0063] In the embodiment described above, the position and angle between the construction target surface and the bucket were used as the determination condition. However, the angle of alignment between the front direction of the vehicle body and the design surface (construction target surface) may also be used as the determination condition, or any other condition requested by the operator may be used as the determination condition. If the angle of alignment between the front direction of the vehicle body and the design surface (construction target surface) is used as the determination condition, the form of the information images (410-415) will also be replaced with images corresponding to that.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, a front work device 103 equipped with a bucket 106 as a work tool was explained as an example, but the work tool of the work machine is not limited to a bucket. Furthermore, although a 3D machine guidance system equipped with GNSS is used as an example in this embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to 2D machine guidance systems that are not equipped with GNSS.

[0065] According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, the following effects and advantages are achieved.

[0066] (1) As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the hydraulic excavator 100, which is a work machine, has a bucket 106 which is a work tool, a front work device 103 which is provided in a variable position relative to the upper rotating body 101 which is the vehicle body, sensors (GNSS 115, 116, IMU 117-120) which detect the position of the front work device 103 and the vehicle body, an information controller (control device) 205 which generates a machine guidance image 400 which presents work information based on the detection information of the sensors (115-120), and a monitor 114 which displays the machine guidance image 400. The information controller 205 includes a construction target surface data storage unit 304 that stores construction target surface data relating to the construction target surface, a position / attitude calculation unit 302 and a bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 that calculate multiple positional relationships between the bucket 106 or vehicle body (101, 102) and the construction target surface based on detection information from sensors (115-120) and the construction target surface data, a bucket-target surface state determination unit 305 that determines each of the multiple positional relationships based on preset determination conditions, and a monitor video display control unit 307 that generates a machine guidance image 400 based on the construction target surface data and the determination result of the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305. The machine guidance image 400 has bucket state images (work state images) 401 to 403, each corresponding to one of a plurality of positional relationships, and each bucket state image (work state image) 401 to 403 has an information image representing the positional relationship (target surface line 410, bucket icon 411, vertical guide line 412, reference point icon 413, tolerance range 414, numerical display frame 415) and a background image which is the area surrounding the information image. The monitor video display control unit 307 changes the display format of the background image in each of the bucket state images 401 to 403 or the display format of the background image determination display frame (outer edge area) 416 to 418 based on the determination result of the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305.

[0067] For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the display color of the judgment display frames 416-418, which are the outer edge regions of the background image, is changed. In this way, the judgment display frames 416-418 correspond to the outer edge regions of the bucket state images 401-403, and therefore have the same external size as the bucket state images 401-403. As a result, operators can easily notice the change in the display form (display color) of the judgment display frames 416-418 even with peripheral vision, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, even when changing the display form of the background image rather than the outer edge region, the external size becomes equivalent to that of the bucket state images 401-403, similar to the case of the outer edge region, and the same effect can be achieved.

[0068] (2) In (1) above, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the machine guidance image 400 has a plurality of bucket state images 401 to 403, as well as an integrated judgment display frame (frame shape image) 419 that integrally surrounds the plurality of bucket state images 401 to 403. The monitor video display control unit 307 changes the display form (display color) of the integrated judgment display frame 419 based on all of the judgment results for the plurality of positional relationships. Specifically, the outer edge region of the background image is a region consisting of judgment display frames 416 to 418 (first display frames) that individually surround the outer edges of each of the bucket state images 401 to 403, and an integrated judgment display frame 419 (second display frame) that integrally surrounds the bucket state images 401 to 403. The monitor video display control unit 307 controls the system to hide the determination display frames 416 to 418 and display the integrated determination display frame 419 in red (step S125) if it determines that the bucket 106 is lower than the construction target surface based on the vertical distance between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 (step S120: Yes). The bucket state images 401 to 403 consist of a first bucket state image 401, which is an image relating to the vertical distance between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface; a second bucket state image 402, which is an image relating to the angle difference in the front-to-back direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface; and a third bucket state image 403, which is an image relating to the angle difference in the left-to-right direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface.The monitor image display control unit 307 determines that two or fewer positional relationships among the vertical distance between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303, the angle difference in the front-to-back direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303, and the angle difference in the left-to-right direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 are within a preset threshold (step S120: No, step S130: No), and displays the determination display frame of the image representing the positional relationship that has been determined to be within the threshold in green among the determination display frames 416 to 418 of the bucket state images 401 to 403, and the threshold If it is determined that the image is not within the range, the judgment display frame and the integrated judgment display frame 419 are hidden (step S140). If it is determined that the vertical distance between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303, the angle difference in the front-to-back direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303, and the angle difference in the left-to-right direction between the bucket 106 and the construction target surface calculated by the bucket-target surface information calculation unit 303 are all within their respective thresholds (step S120: No, step S130: Yes), the judgment display frames 416 to 418 are hidden, and the integrated judgment display frame 419 is controlled to be displayed in green (step S135).

[0069] The integrated judgment display frame 419 is a frame-shaped image that encloses multiple bucket state images 401 to 403 as a single unit, so its external size is almost identical to that of the machine guidance image 400. Therefore, even with peripheral vision, operators can easily notice changes in the display form (display color) of the integrated judgment display frame 419, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, since the display color of the integrated judgment display frame 419 is changed based on all the judgment results for multiple positional relationships, operators do not need to make an integrated judgment based on each bucket state image 401 to 403, and can quickly adjust the bucket state by changing the display color of the integrated judgment display frame 419.

[0070] (3) In (1) or (2) above, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hydraulic excavator 100 is equipped with an operation unit (input operation unit) 41 for manually inputting predetermined determination conditions to the bucket-target surface state determination unit 305. The operator can change the determination conditions etc. on the setting screen 500 via the operation unit 41 according to the work content. As a result, machine guidance images 400 corresponding to various work content can be set.

[0071] The embodiments and various modifications described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Other embodiments conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0072] 40...Display area, 41...Operation unit (input operation unit), 100...Hydraulic excavator (working machine), 101...Upper rotating body (vehicle body), 102...Lower traveling body (vehicle body), 103...Front working device, 106...Bucket (working tool), 114...Monitor, 115, 116...GNSS (sensor), 117-120...IMU (sensor), 205...Information controller (control device), 302...Position / attitude calculation unit, 303...Bucket-target surface information calculation unit, 304...Construction target surface data storage unit, 305...Bucket-target surface state determination unit, 306...Monitor operation processing unit, 307...Monitor image Display control unit, 308... Monitor video display control unit, 400... Machine guidance image, 401-403... Bucket status image (work status image), 410... Target surface line (information image), 411, 411a-411c... Bucket icon (information image), 412... Vertical guide line (information image), 413... Reference point icon (information image), 414... Tolerance range (information image), 415... Numerical display frame (information image), 416-418... Judgment display frame (outer edge area, first display frame), 419... Integrated judgment display frame (outer edge area, second display frame), 424, 425... Tolerance range, 500... Setting screen

Claims

1. A work machine comprising: a front work device having a work tool and being variably positioned relative to the vehicle body; a sensor for detecting the posture of the front work device and the vehicle body; a control device for generating a machine guidance image that presents work information based on the detection information of the sensor; and a monitor for displaying the machine guidance image, wherein the control device comprises: a storage unit for storing construction target surface data relating to a construction target surface; a calculation unit for calculating a plurality of positional relationships, including angles and distances between the work tool or the vehicle body and the construction target surface, based on the detection information of the sensor and the construction target surface data; a determination unit for determining whether each of the plurality of positional relationships meets a preset determination condition; and a video display control unit for generating the machine guidance image based on the construction target surface data and the determination result of the determination unit, wherein the machine guidance image is a plurality of work state images, each corresponding to one of the plurality of positional relationships, having an information image representing the positional relationship and a background image which is the surrounding area of ​​the information image, and the video display control unit changes the display form of the background image or the display form of the outer edge area of ​​the background image in each of the plurality of work state images in accordance with the determination result of the determination unit.

2. A work machine according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge region is a region comprising a first display frame that individually surrounds the outer edge of each of the plurality of work state images and a second display frame that integrally surrounds the plurality of work state images, and the video display control unit controls the first display frame to be hidden and the second display frame to be displayed in red when it is determined that the work tool is lower than the construction target surface based on the vertical distance between the work tool and the construction target surface calculated by the calculation unit.

3. A work machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of work state images consist of an image relating to the vertical distance between the work tool and the construction target surface, an image relating to the angle difference in the front-rear direction between the work tool and the construction target surface, and an image relating to the angle difference in the left-right direction between the work tool and the construction target surface, and the outer edge region is a region consisting of a first display frame that individually surrounds the outer edge of each of the plurality of work state images and a second display frame that integrally surrounds each of the work state images, and the video display control unit controls the first display frame to be hidden and the second display frame to be displayed in green when it is determined that the vertical distance between the work tool and the construction target surface calculated by the calculation unit, the angle difference in the front-rear direction between the work tool and the construction target surface calculated by the calculation unit, and the angle difference in the left-right direction between the work tool and the construction target surface calculated by the calculation unit are all within the respective thresholds, the work machine.

4. A work machine according to claim 1, further comprising an input operation unit for manually inputting the determination conditions.

Images