Excavator Mirror-View Display for Accurate Distance Judgment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shovel display devices that show overhead view images can make it difficult for operators to accurately determine the distance between the shovel and surrounding objects, particularly in complex work sites with varying elevations.

Innovation Solution

A shovel equipped with image capturing devices and a display system that simultaneously displays left and right mirror images, along with a rearward camera image, to provide a clearer understanding of the shovel's positional relationship with surrounding objects, using a combination of cameras and image processing to generate virtual viewpoint images corresponding to mirror images attached to the shovel's front ends.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If an overhead view image is displayed to show surrounding areas, then the operator can see the surroundings, but the operator cannot accurately determine the distance between the shovel and objects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurroundings visibilityVSAvoiddistance determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The display is divided into multiple regions showing different types of images: overhead view images for general surroundings, mirror images for lateral views, and rearward camera images for rear area monitoring. Each segment serves a specific purpose in providing spatial information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single overhead view to multiple viewpoint images including mirror images and rearward camera images, adding dimensional perspectives to help operators understand spatial relationships and distances more accurately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If multiple image capturing devices are installed to provide comprehensive views, then the operator can understand positional relationships better, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositional relationship understandingVSAvoidnumber of image capturing devices
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image capturing devices serve multiple functions: overhead view cameras provide top-down perspective, mirror images provide lateral views, and rearward camera images provide rear area monitoring. Each device type is utilized for multiple display purposes to maximize information value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple image streams from different capturing devices are merged and displayed together on a single display device, allowing the operator to view comprehensive spatial information simultaneously without requiring multiple separate display systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3770344B1excavator
Publication Date: 2024.05.08 SUMITOMO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY
  • EP3770344B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3770344B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3770344B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A shovel (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower traveling body (1), an upper turning body (3) turnably mounted on the lower traveling body (1), a cabin (10) installed on the upper turning body (3), a display device (40) installed in the cabin (10), and image capturing devices (80) attached to the upper turning body (3). The display device (40) is configured to simultaneously display a left mirror image and a right mirror image generated based on an image captured by at least one of the image capturing devices (80). The left mirror image is an image corresponding to a mirror image in a left mirror attached to the left front end of the shovel (100). The right mirror image is an image corresponding to a mirror image in a right mirror attached to the right front end of the shovel (100).