JP2024055024A - Work Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a work machine that can change the automatic operation operation more easily and accurately according to the situation at the work site, and can reduce operator fatigue while suppressing declines in productivity. [Solution] The current operation mode and the next operation mode are predicted according to the detection results of a state recognition sensor, and when it is time to transition from the current operation mode to the next operation mode, the control mode indicating the type of operation control of the work machine is switched to the control mode corresponding to the next operation mode from among a manual operation mode in which the work equipment is operated according to the operation of an operating device, an assist mode in which the work equipment is operated semi-automatically by intervening in the operation of the operating device while responding to the operation of the operating device, and an automatic operation mode in which the work equipment is operated without the operation of the operating device, and operation control of the work machine is started. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a work machine.

In recent years, partial automation functions have been developed for work machines such as excavators and bulldozers, in which a control system intervenes in response to certain operations by the operator to operate the work machine semi-automatically, i.e., to automate some of the work. In addition, automatic operation functions have also been developed that automate a series of work tasks, eliminating the need for operator operation. In this way, by operating part of a work machine or a series of tasks automatically, the amount of operation by the operator is reduced, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. On the other hand, because there are many different types of work performed by work machines, it is hoped that the types of work that can be partially or automatically operated will increase.

As an example of conventional technology relating to a work machine with an automatic driving function, Patent Document 1 describes an excavator with an automatic driving function and its teaching system.

JP 2021-50576 A

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, in order to teach a new task to a shovel, which is a work machine, the operator moves the shovel once with the motion he wants to teach, and the shovel stores the posture information of the shovel as it moves at that time in chronological order, and displays the stored posture information as teaching points on a mobile terminal, making it possible to edit the posture information on the mobile terminal. The shovel then operates automatically according to the posture information edited on the mobile terminal. In other words, because the teaching points can be changed on the mobile terminal, it is no longer necessary for the operator to operate the shovel again to teach it every time the task is changed, which is expected to improve work efficiency.

However, at an actual work site, a work machine such as an excavator must work in coordination with other vehicles such as a dump truck without delay. Therefore, if it is necessary to change the operation of the automatic driving in response to the ever-changing site conditions and changes in the topography, as in the above-mentioned conventional technology, it becomes difficult to implement coordination between the excavator and other vehicles without delay. For example, a delay in coordination between the excavator and the dump truck may increase the downtime of the dump truck, decreasing the productivity of the entire work site. In addition, it is expected that the work burden and fatigue of the operator will be reduced without decreasing productivity, not only in excavators but also in work machines that perform various tasks.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a work machine that can change the automatic operation operation more easily and accurately according to the situation at the work site, and can reduce operator fatigue while suppressing a decrease in productivity.

The present application includes multiple means for solving the above problems. One example is a work machine equipped with a work device that operates in response to the operation of an operating device and a controller that controls the operation of the work device, and is equipped with a state recognition sensor that detects the state of the work device. The controller predicts the current operation mode and the next operation mode of the work machine from multiple operation modes that indicate the types of operations that are previously classified in the work machine in response to the detection result of the state recognition sensor. When the work machine is in a state where it is transitioning from the current operation mode to the next operation mode, the control mode that indicates the type of operation control of the work machine is switched to a control mode that corresponds to the next operation mode from among a manual operation mode in which the work device is operated in response to the operation of the operating device, an assist mode in which the work device is operated semi-automatically by intervening in the operation of the work device while responding to the operation of the operating device, and an automatic operation mode in which the work device is operated without the operation of the operating device, and starts operation control of the work machine.

According to the present invention, the operation of the automated driving can be changed more easily and accurately according to the situation at the work site, and the fatigue of the operator can be reduced while suppressing the decline in productivity.

1 is a side view showing a schematic external appearance of a hydraulic excavator as an example of a work machine. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the processing contents of a vehicle body control device in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for preset information in the preset device. 11 is a diagram showing an example of state transition information indicating a relationship between operation mode transition information and state transition conditions; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state transition condition. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of a display device. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of a vehicle body control device. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing the processing contents of a vehicle body control device in a second embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that in the embodiment of the present invention, a hydraulic excavator is used as an example of a work machine, but the present invention can also be applied to other work machines equipped with a work device, such as a wheel loader or a crane.

First Embodiment
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

Figure 1 is a side view showing a schematic external view of a hydraulic excavator as an example of a work machine according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing the processing contents of the vehicle body control device.

In FIG. 1, a large hydraulic excavator 1 (working machine) is equipped with a lower traveling body 2, an upper rotating body 3 that is rotatably mounted on the upper part of the lower traveling body 2, and a work device 4 that is mounted in front of the upper rotating body 3.

The lower traveling body 2 is configured to travel using a pair of left and right traveling hydraulic motors 2a (only one of which is shown in Figure 1), which are hydraulic actuators.

The upper rotating body 3 is rotated by a hydraulic motor (not shown) which is a hydraulic actuator. Inside the upper rotating body 3, there are arranged a prime mover such as a diesel engine, a hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover, and a control valve that controls the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump and supplied to each hydraulic actuator (travel hydraulic motor 2a, swing hydraulic motor, boom cylinder 14a, arm cylinder 14b, bucket cylinder 14c, etc.), although not shown. In addition, the upper rotating body 3 is provided with a vehicle body control device 6 (controller) that generates operation signals for controlling the operation of each hydraulic actuator in response to the operation of the operating devices such as the operating lever 7a and switch 7b, as a controller that controls the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1, and a hydraulic circuit control device 5 that generates control signals for controlling the control valves, etc. in response to the operation signals from the vehicle body control device 6.

The working device 4 is roughly composed of a boom 4a connected to the front of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, an arm 4b connected to the tip of the boom 4a so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, a bucket 4c connected to the tip of the arm 4b so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, a boom cylinder 14a that drives the boom 4a to rotate relative to the upper rotating body 3, an arm cylinder 14b that drives the arm 4b to rotate relative to the boom 4a, and a bucket cylinder 14c that drives the bucket to rotate relative to the arm 4b.

The condition recognition sensor 9 is a sensor for recognizing the posture and surrounding conditions of each part of the hydraulic excavator 1. Although not shown, the condition recognition sensors 9 include, for example, a boom angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the boom 4a, an arm angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the arm 4b, a bucket angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the bucket 4c, an inclination angle sensor that detects the inclination angle of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to a reference plane such as a horizontal plane, a rotation angle sensor that detects the rotation angle, which is the relative angle of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to the lower traveling body 2, and a 3D-LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) as an external environment recognition sensor.

A cab 3a is provided next to the working device in front of the upper rotating body 3, where an operator sits and operates the hydraulic excavator 1. An operating lever 7a is provided in the cab 3a as an operating device for operating each hydraulic actuator. The operating lever 7a is, for example, a left and right travel lever for operating the left and right travel hydraulic motors, respectively, and a work operating lever for operating each hydraulic actuator 14a, 14b, 14c and the swing hydraulic motor of the working device 4. A switch 7b (horn switch) for sounding a horn provided on the hydraulic excavator 1 is also provided in the cab 3a.

In FIG. 2, the vehicle control device 6 includes a manual operation unit 6a, an automatic control command generation unit 6b (assist control unit 6c, automatic driving unit 6d), a control mode selection unit 6e, and an operation mode prediction unit 10.

The manual operation unit 6a receives signals (operation signals) indicating the amount and direction of lever operation by the operator at the operation lever 7a, and generates a control signal for driving the hydraulic excavator 1 in accordance with the received operation signal.

The assist control unit 6c generates a control signal for assisting the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 by the operator based on the operation signal from the operation lever 7a, the operation signal from the switch 5b (horn switch), and information from the state recognition sensor 9. As an example of assist control, there is a system that automatically generates a control signal for at least one of two operations, the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 and the raising operation of the working device 4, which are necessary for the loading operation of a dump truck, which is a transport vehicle for transporting soil and sand, and generates a control signal for the other operation according to the operation signal. That is, for example, in the assist control of the loading operation, when the raising operation of the working device 4 is automatically performed, the operator only needs to operate the operation lever 7a related to the rotation operation to raise the working device 4 to the extent necessary for the loading operation of the dump truck, and the loading operation can be performed semi-automatically.

The automatic driving unit 6d generates a control signal for driving the hydraulic excavator 1 without the operation of the operator, based on the operation signal of the switch 5b and information from the status recognition sensor 9. That is, the automatic driving unit 6d generates a control signal for automatic driving according to the status of the hydraulic excavator 1 and its surrounding conditions recognized by the status recognition sensor 9, and the operation signal of the switch 5b.

Based on the control mode information from the prediction unit 10e (described later) of the operation mode prediction unit 10, the control mode selection unit 6e selects a control signal to be output to the hydraulic circuit control device 5 from one of the manual operation unit 6a, the assist control unit 6c, and the automatic driving unit 6d, and outputs the control signal to the hydraulic circuit control device 5. For example, when the control mode information from the prediction unit 10e indicates the "manual driving mode", the control mode selection unit 6e selects the control signal generated by the manual operation unit 6a and outputs it to the hydraulic circuit control device 5. When the control mode information from the prediction unit 10e indicates the "assist mode", the control mode selection unit 6e selects the control signal generated by the assist control unit 6c and outputs it to the hydraulic circuit control device 5. When the control mode information from the prediction unit 10e indicates the "automatic driving mode", the control mode selection unit 6e selects the control signal generated by the automatic driving unit 6d and outputs it to the hydraulic circuit control device 5.

The hydraulic circuit control device 5 generates a control signal for controlling the control valves and the like in response to an operation signal from the vehicle control device 6. For example, when the control mode selection unit 6e selects an operation signal generated by the manual operation unit 6a, the control signal is generated so that each hydraulic actuator operates in response to the operation (amount and direction of operation) of the operation lever 7a by the operator. When the control mode selection unit 6e selects an operation signal generated by the assist control unit 6c, the control signal is generated so that at least a part of each hydraulic actuator operates in response to the operation (amount and direction of operation) of the operation lever 7a by the operator, and the other hydraulic actuators operate automatically (i.e., to perform assist control). When the control mode selection unit 6e selects an operation signal generated by the automatic driving unit 6d, the control signal is generated so that each hydraulic actuator operates without the operation by the operator (i.e., to perform automatic driving).

The operation mode prediction unit 10 includes an operation mode storage unit 10a, an operation mode transition generation unit 10b, a transition condition generation unit 10c, a current operation mode estimation unit 10d, and a prediction unit 10e.

The operation mode storage unit 10a receives and stores the pre-setting information set by the pre-setting device 8.

Figure 3 shows an example of a setting screen for pre-setting information on a pre-setting device.

The pre-setting device 8 is, for example, a touch panel display device, and the pre-setting information can be set by operating the displayed setting screen 11 on the screen.

In Figure 3, the setting screen 11 shows the operation modes vertically and the control modes horizontally.

The operation mode indicates the type of work performed by the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine), and defines an excavation operation mode (excavation), a loading operation mode (loading), an earth dumping operation mode (earth dumping), a return operation mode (return), a traveling operation mode (traveling), a coordinated operation mode, etc.

The excavation operation mode is an operation mode in which the working device 4 performs an excavation operation to excavate the target soil at the excavation position. The loading operation mode is an operation mode in which the working device 4 moves the soil excavated by the excavation operation to a predetermined release position for a dump truck (transport vehicle) that transports the target soil. In other words, the hydraulic excavator 1 digs up soil and moves it onto the dump truck through the excavation operation and loading operation.

The soil discharge operation mode is an operation mode in which soil is discharged from the working device 4 to a dump truck (transport vehicle) at the soil discharge position. The return operation mode is an operation mode in which the working device 4 returns from the soil discharge position to the excavation position. In other words, the soil discharge operation and the return operation dump soil onto the vessel of the dump truck and return to the excavation position again.

The traveling operation mode is a work mode in which the position of the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine) is moved and changed by driving the traveling hydraulic motor 2a (traveling device) of the lower traveling body 2.

The coordinated operation mode is an operation mode in which the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine) and the dump truck (transport vehicle) perform coordinated operations. The coordination between the hydraulic excavator 1 and the dump truck is, for example, an operation of sounding the horn using switch 5b to signal the dump truck operator.

The control mode indicates the type of operational control of the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine), and defines manual operation mode, assisted mode, automatic operation mode, etc.

The manual operation mode is a control mode in which the working device 4, etc. is operated in response to the operation (amount of operation, direction of operation) of the operating lever 7a (operating device). The assist mode is a control mode in which the working device 4, etc. is operated semi-automatically by intervening in the operation of the working device 4 in response to the operation (amount of operation, direction of operation) of the operating lever 7a (operating device). The automatic operation mode is a control mode in which the working device 4, etc. is operated without the operation of the operating lever 7a (operating device).

In the setting screen 11, one of three control modes can be selectively set for each operation mode. The setting screen 11 in FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which the excavation operation mode is set to the manual operation mode, the loading operation mode, the soil dumping operation mode, the traveling operation mode, and the linked operation mode are set to the automatic operation mode, and the return operation mode is set to the assist mode.

The presetting device 8 also sets operation information that triggers control execution in the automatic control command generation unit 6b. An example of the operation information that triggers control execution is information that the switch 5b has been operated (pressed) in the automatic operation mode (control mode), and operation is started in response to such operation information. Note that setting on the setting screen 11 by the presetting device 8 may be possible even while the hydraulic excavator 1 is operating.

The operation mode transition generation unit 10b reads the setting information stored in the operation mode storage unit 10a, and generates transition information indicating the transition state of the operation mode based on the setting information. In addition, the transition condition generation unit 10c sets state transition conditions between transition states based on the transition information generated by the operation mode transition generation unit 10b. Here, the information indicating the relationship between the transition information and the state transition conditions in each operation mode is referred to as state transition information.

Figure 4 shows an example of state transition information that indicates the relationship between operation mode transition information and state transition conditions.

In Fig. 4, the operation mode transition generating unit 10b generates, as transition states, a start state (Start) that is initiated by starting up the hydraulic excavator 1, and a manual operation state (S0), a dumping state (S1), a return state (S2), an excavation state (S3), a loading state (S4), a traveling state (S5), and a linked state (S6) that correspond to each operation mode. Also, in Fig. 4, state transition conditions (C0) to (C9) between the transition states (Start), (S0) to (S6) are generated by the transition condition generating unit 10c. In this way,
Here, the state transition information (transition information and state transition conditions) illustrated in FIG. 4 will be described in detail.

Figure 5 shows an example of state transition conditions.

Figure 5 illustrates state transition conditions (C2) to (C5) in an example of one cycle of work in which the state transitions are in the order of the dumping state (S1), the return state (S2), the excavation state (S3), and the loading state (S4), and then back to the dumping state (S1). In Figure 5, the lower line shows schematic diagrams of the attitudes of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the dump truck 15 as viewed from the side and above, and the conditions that are the transition conditions.

The state transition condition (C2) for transitioning from the soil release state (S1) to the return state (S2) is, for example, when the position of the bucket 4c of the hydraulic excavator 1 moves to the outside of the dump truck 15 and the weight of soil in the bucket 4c is close to 0 (zero) tons (i.e., when the bucket 4c is empty). Hereinafter, we consider a case where a sensor for measuring the weight of soil in the bucket 4c is provided as the state recognition sensor 9.

The state transition condition (C3) for transitioning from the return state (S2) to the excavation state (S3) is, for example, when the tip of the bucket 4c moves into the range enclosed by the dashed line. The position and posture of the bucket 4c may be determined, for example, to be the posture that becomes the excavation start position of the bucket 4c that enables efficient excavation in the next transition state, the excavation state (S3).

The state transition condition (C4) for transitioning from the excavation state (S3) to the loading state (S4) is, for example, when the position and posture of the bucket 4c moves into the range enclosed by the dashed line, the position of the dump truck 15 has been properly detected by the state recognition sensor 9, and the weight of soil in the bucket 4c is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (i.e., when soil is loaded in the bucket 4c). This condition is a position and posture that allows the bucket 4c to be safely and efficiently moved onto the dump truck 15 with the position of the dump truck 15, which is the loading target, properly detected by the state recognition sensor 9, and also a condition that there is sufficient soil in the bucket 4c so that efficient loading can begin.

The state transition condition (C5) for transitioning from the loading state (S4) to the soil discharging state (S1) is, for example, when the position of the bucket 4c moves to a position where soil can be loaded onto the dump truck 15.

Although not shown, among the state transition conditions (C0) to (C9) between the transition states (Start), (S0) to (S6), the state transition conditions (C0), (C1), (C6) to (C9) are defined as follows:

The state transition condition (C0) for transitioning from the start state (Start) to the manual operation state (S0) is, for example, when the key of the hydraulic excavator 1 is turned ON and the engine is started.

The state transition condition (C1) for transitioning from the manual operation state (S0) to the release state (S1) is, for example, when the same condition as the state transition condition (C5) is satisfied by manual operation.

The state transition condition (C6) for transitioning from the return state (S2) to the driving state (S5) is, for example, when the driving operation is performed using the control lever 5a.

The state transition condition (C7) for transitioning from the traveling state (S5) to the excavation state (S3) is, for example, when the traveling operation using the operating lever 5a is stopped and the same condition as the transition condition (C3) is satisfied.

The state transition condition (C8) for transitioning from the soil discharge state (S1) to the linked state with the transport vehicle (S6) is, for example, when the load on the dump truck 15 becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined threshold (for example, when the load is close to being fully loaded).

The state transition condition (C9) for transitioning from the linked state (S6) with the transport vehicle to the return state (S2) is, for example, when the dump truck 15 moves away from the hydraulic excavator 1 (for example, when it moves out of the dump detection range of the hydraulic excavator 1).

Return to Figure 2.

In FIG. 2, the current operation mode estimation unit 10d of the operation mode prediction unit 10 estimates the corresponding operation mode from the operation currently being performed by the hydraulic excavator 1 based on the posture information from the state recognition sensor 9, etc., and outputs the estimated operation mode.

The prediction unit 10e predicts the next operation mode based on the estimated current operation mode and state transition information (transition information and state transition conditions). The prediction unit 10e also outputs information on the control mode set as the current operation mode by the presetting device 8 to the control mode selection unit 6e, and outputs information on the control mode corresponding to the predicted operation mode to the display device 13.

The display device 13 is a monitor or the like installed in the driver's cab 3a or the like, and is a device for providing information such as images to the operator. The display device 13 receives information on the control mode corresponding to the current operation mode predicted by the prediction unit 10e.

Figure 6 shows an example of the display on the display device.

In FIG. 6, the display device 13 shows an example in which it displays a machine state area 13a showing the current state and control mode 13d of the hydraulic excavator 1, a trigger operation display area 13b showing the predicted next operation mode for the operator and the operation required by the operator in the control mode set for the operation mode, and a transition condition area 13c showing the state transition condition that has not been achieved. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the state transition condition (C4) to the loading state (S4) shown in FIG. 5 and the control mode set for the loading state (S4) are assist control.

When the control mode of the loading state S4 of the operation mode is set to assist control, for example, the left rotation operation of the operating lever 7a is used as a trigger operation to start assist control, and the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 of the hydraulic excavator 1 and the lifting of the work equipment 4 are semi-automatically controlled. Note that in the trigger operation display area 13b, for example, the operating direction of the operating lever 7a to be operated may be displayed pictorially.

The operation of this embodiment configured as above will now be explained.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the vehicle control device.

In FIG. 7, when the vehicle control device 6 starts up, it first stores the setting information set by the presetting device 8 in the operation mode storage unit 10a (step S100).

Next, the operation mode transition generation unit 10b generates information (transition information) regarding the transition state of each operation mode (step S110).

Next, the transition condition generation unit 10c sets state transition conditions based on the generated transition information (step S120).

Next, the current operation mode estimation unit 10d estimates the current operation mode of the hydraulic excavator 1 based on information from the state recognition sensor 9 (step S130). In the state transition shown in FIG. 4, when the vehicle body control device 6 is started, the state transition condition (C0) becomes true, and the state automatically transitions from the start state (Start) to the manual operation state (S0).

Then, it is determined whether the state transition condition determined by the state recognition sensor 9 is true (step S140). If the determination result is NO, that is, if the state transition condition is not satisfied, the current operation mode is maintained (step S141), and the process returns to the determination process of step S140. For example, if the operation mode is the soil release state (S1), and the state transition conditions (C2) and (C8) are not satisfied, the current operation mode is maintained as the soil release state (S1), and the process returns to the determination process of step S140.

Also, if the determination result in step S140 is YES, that is, if the state transition condition is satisfied, the operation mode transitions to the next operation mode that satisfies the state transition condition (step S150), and the current operation mode estimation unit 10d updates the operation mode to the current operation mode (step S160). For example, in the manual operation state (S0), the operator operates the operation lever 7a or switch 7b to satisfy the state transition condition (C1). Also, for example, according to the setting information shown in FIG. 2, since the control mode of the earth-releasing state (S1) of the operation mode is the automatic operation mode, the hydraulic excavator 1 automatically performs the earth-releasing operation, is controlled to a posture that satisfies the state transition condition (C2), and transitions to the return state (S2).

Next, it is determined whether the current control mode is automatic operation and the operation lever 7a has been operated for a predetermined period of time or more (step S170). If the determination result in step S170 is YES, the control mode set in the current operation mode is overwritten to the manual operation mode (corresponding to "manual (or remote)" in FIG. 3), output to the control mode selection unit 6e (step S171), and the process returns to step S140. For example, when the transition state is the return state (S2) and the control mode is the automatic operation mode, if the operator operates the operation lever 7a for a certain period of time or more, the control mode set in the current operation mode is switched to the manual operation mode (corresponding to "manual (or remote)" in FIG. 3), and the control of the hydraulic excavator 1 by the operator's operation lever 7a is prioritized. At this time, the control mode of the return state (S2), which is the operation mode of the saved setting information, is overwritten from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode.

Also, if the judgment result in step S170 is NO, that is, if it is judged that there is no operation intervention by the operator in the automatic operation mode, the prediction unit 10e outputs the control mode set to the next operation mode to the display device 13 (step S180), outputs the control mode set to the current operation mode to the control mode selection unit 6e (step S190), and returns to the processing of step S130. For example, when the transition state of the operation mode is the return state (S2) and the control mode is the automatic operation mode, if there is no operation intervention by the operator, the prediction unit 10e transmits and displays the operation information in the manual operation mode, which is the control mode set to the excavation state (S3), which is the next operation mode of the return state (S2), and the information on the state transition condition (C3) to the excavation state (S3), to the display device 13, and notifies the operator. Also, the information on the automatic operation mode, which is the control mode set to the return state (S2), which is the transition state of the current operation mode, is output to the control mode selection unit 6e. Based on the received information on the automatic operation mode, the control mode selection unit 6e outputs the control signal for the hydraulic excavator 1 calculated by the automatic operation unit 6d to the hydraulic circuit control device 5. As a result, the hydraulic excavator 1 automatically performs an operation to return to the return state (S2), which is the current operation mode.

The effects of this embodiment configured as above are explained below.

The productivity of excavation and loading, which is the main operation of a hydraulic excavator (work machine), is affected by the operator's planning (decisions on the location of excavation and dumping, the order of work, and adjustment of the amount of excavation, etc.). To automate such work, which requires high level of judgment from the operator, an appropriate decision-making processing function that can handle any work environment is required. In other words, even if automation is performed, there is a concern that the productivity of the hydraulic excavator will decrease if there is a work environment that the decision-making processing function cannot handle.

On the other hand, operators may work continuously for long periods of time, and as a result, fatigue accumulates over time, which can reduce productivity. In addition, when remotely operating a hydraulic excavator, the operator works while looking at images displayed on a monitor or the like, but images displayed on a monitor tend to have a poor sense of depth. Therefore, when performing work that involves a risk of contact between machines, such as loading soil and sand into a dump truck using a hydraulic excavator, the operator must focus on the image, which can cause more fatigue than operating the hydraulic excavator from the driver's cab.

In this embodiment, the current operation mode and the next operation mode of the hydraulic excavator 1 (working machine) are predicted according to the detection result of the state recognition sensor, and the control mode is selectively switched according to the predicted current and next operation modes. The selectively switched control modes include a manual operation mode in which the working device 4 is operated according to the operation of the operating lever 7a (operating device), an assist mode in which the working device 4 is operated semi-automatically by intervening in the operation of the working device 4 according to the operation of the operating lever 7a (operating device), and an automatic operation mode in which the working device 4 is operated without the operation of the operating lever 7a (operating device). In other words, according to this embodiment, the automatic operation operation can be changed more easily and accurately according to the situation at the work site, and the fatigue of the operator can be reduced while suppressing a decrease in productivity, so that productivity can be stabilized at a high level for a long time.

For example, tasks that have a large impact on productivity (such as digging and dumping) can be performed by the operator, while other tasks that have a small impact on productivity (such as loading and returning) can be automated or semi-automated. In addition, tasks such as loading, which can be very tiring to operate remotely, can be automated or semi-automated to reduce fatigue. This makes it possible to utilize the advanced judgment of the operator for digging and dumping, while automating other tasks, thereby maintaining a high level of productivity while reducing operator fatigue.

In addition, for tasks other than excavation and loading, manual operation (manual operation mode) can be set for tasks where the operator's planning contributes to productivity, and other tasks can be performed automatically or semi-automatically.

In addition, if the terrain changes significantly during operation, i.e. if automatic excavation operation would affect work efficiency, the excavation state control mode can be switched from automatic operation mode to manual operation mode. In other words, the control mode can be changed appropriately to an appropriate mode for maintaining productivity.

In addition, depending on the operator's level of proficiency, the control mode can be changed to an appropriate control mode to maintain productivity, raising the overall productivity of the work site. For example, for highly skilled operators, high productivity can be achieved by setting a higher proportion of manual operation (manual operation mode). On the other hand, for operators with relatively low levels of proficiency, productivity can be improved by setting a higher proportion of automatic/semi-automatic (assisted mode, automatic operation mode).

In addition, for example, when an automated function that can substitute for the judgment of an operation mode that previously required manual operation due to a high level of judgment on the part of the operator is obtained, the automated function can be easily improved by updating the software of the vehicle body control device 6 and changing the control mode setting for that operation mode from manual driving mode to automatic driving mode. In other words, the development costs of the machine can be reduced.

In addition, since the display device 13 is configured to display information about the control mode, the operator can seamlessly perform operations in accordance with the transition of a series of excavation and loading operation modes. For example, in an excavation and loading operation in which automatic and manual operation modes are mixed as the operation modes, an operation corresponding to the next operation mode is required immediately after a state transition condition is satisfied. In this embodiment, the display device 13 displays information about the state transition condition and the operation in the next operation mode to notify the operator, so that the operator can check the trigger even if he or she does not know the trigger corresponding to the operation mode, thereby suppressing delays in the start of the next operation and suppressing declines in productivity.

In addition, if the operator continues to operate the machine for a certain period of time, i.e., if the operator's intended operation is clear, the control mode is quickly switched to the manual operation mode so that the hydraulic excavator does not perform an operation that differs significantly from the operator's intention even during automated operation, thereby preventing a decline in productivity.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In this embodiment, the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the state transition information (transition information and state transition conditions) generated by the operation mode transition generation unit 10b and the transition condition generation unit 10c is updated based on information from the operating lever 7a and the state recognition sensor 9.

Figure 8 is a functional block diagram showing the processing contents of the vehicle control device in this embodiment.

In FIG. 8, the vehicle control device 6A includes a manual operation unit 6a, an automatic control command generation unit 6b (assist control unit 6c, automatic driving unit 6d), a control mode selection unit 6e, and an operation mode prediction unit 10A.

The operation mode prediction unit 10 includes an operation mode storage unit 10a, an operation mode transition generation unit 10b, a transition condition generation unit 10c, a current operation mode estimation unit 10d, a prediction unit 10e, and an operation mode transition update unit 10f.

The operation mode transition update unit 10f receives signals from the operating lever 7a and the state recognition sensor 9, and updates the transition information generated by the operation mode transition generation unit 10b.

The operation mode transition generation unit 10b reads the setting information stored in the operation mode storage unit 10a, and generates transition information indicating the transition state of the operation mode based on the setting information. In addition, the operation mode transition update unit 10f updates the transition information according to the newly generated operation mode transition information.

The transition condition generation unit 10c sets state transition conditions between transition states based on the transition information generated by the operation mode transition generation unit 10b.

In this way, in this embodiment, state transition information (transition information and state transition conditions) is updated in response to changes in the work environment.

The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.

The effects of this embodiment configured as above are explained below.

The operation mode transition update unit 10f collects operation history information of the operating lever 5a during manual operation by the operator and work information of the hydraulic excavator 1 from the state recognition sensor 9 at that time. The operation mode transition update unit 10f classifies the time series data of the collected work information and generates a new operation mode. As a classification method, for example, a statistical clustering algorithm such as Support Vector Machine can be used. In addition, when updating the transition information, a state transition condition corresponding to the information on the transition state of the newly generated operation mode (transition information) is set based on the information of the state recognition sensor 9.

The operation mode set by the presetting device 8 and the initial information of the state transition information generated by the operation mode transition generating unit 10b are preset in the vehicle control device 6. However, since the environments in which the hydraulic excavator 1 works are diverse, if the state transition information is left as the initial information while work is being performed, it is possible that the excavator 1 will not be able to adequately respond to the work environment when the control mode becomes the automatic operation mode.

In this embodiment, the work information of the hydraulic excavator 1 is analyzed based on the operation history information of the operating lever 7a during manual operation by the operator and the detection result of the state recognition sensor 9 at that time, and the operation mode transition update unit 10f is configured to add or modify an operation mode suitable for the work environment and update the state transition information. In other words, the operation mode transition generation unit 10b generates appropriate transition information for an operation mode suitable for the work environment, and the state transition information including the state transition conditions generated by the transition condition generation unit 10c can be updated. As a result, automated and semi-automated operations that are fully suited to the new work environment can be obtained, and both productivity and reduction in operator fatigue can be achieved.

<Additional Notes>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications and combinations within the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a hydraulic excavator is used as an example of a work machine, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to an electrically driven work machine driven by an electric motor or the like.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given of notifying the operator of information by displaying it on the display device 13, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to cases where information is notified to the operator by a method other than display, such as audio, for example.

In the above embodiment, the control lever 7a, switch 7b, presetting device 8, display device 13, etc., which are components related to the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine) by the operator, are arranged in the cab 3a, and the vehicle body control device 6, 6A is provided with the automatic control command generation unit 6b (assist control unit 6c, automatic driving unit 6d), control mode selection unit 6e, operation mode prediction unit 10, 10A, etc., which are functional units related to the control of automatic driving and semi-automatic driving. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the configuration related to the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 (work machine) and the functional units related to the control of automatic driving and semi-automatic driving may be arranged in a remote control room provided outside the hydraulic excavator 1 and configured to be able to communicate with the hydraulic excavator 1 by a wireless device.

The present invention is not limited to having all of the configurations described in the above embodiments, but also includes configurations in which some of the configurations are omitted. Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by designing, for example, an integrated circuit. Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

1...hydraulic excavator, 2...lower traveling body, 2a...traveling hydraulic motor, 3...upper rotating body, 3a...operator cab, 4...working device, 4a...boom, 4b...arm, 4c...bucket, 5...hydraulic circuit control device, 5a...operation lever, 5b...switch, 6, 6A...vehicle body control device, 6a...manual operation unit, 6b...automatic control command generation unit, 6c...assist control unit, 6d...automatic driving unit, 6e...control mode selection unit, 7a...operation lever, 7b...switch, 8...presetting device, 9...state recognition sensor, 10, 10A...operation mode prediction unit, 10a...operation mode storage unit, 10b...operation mode transition generation unit generation unit, 10c...transition condition generation unit, 10d...current operation mode estimation unit, 10e...prediction unit, 10f...operation mode transition update unit, 11...setting screen, 13...display device, 13a...machine state area, 13b...trigger operation display area, 13c...transition condition area, 13d...control mode, 14a...boom cylinder, 14b...arm cylinder, 14c...bucket cylinder, 15...dump truck, C0 to C9...state transition conditions, S0...manual operation state, S1...earth dumping state, S2...return state, S3...digging state, S4...loading state, S5...traveling state, S6...linked state, Start...starting state

Claims (8)

A work machine including a working device that operates in response to an operation of an operating device, and a controller that controls the operation of the working device,
A state recognition sensor is provided to detect a state of the working device,
The controller:
predicting a current operation mode and a next operation mode of the work machine from a plurality of operation modes indicating types of operations classified in advance in the work machine according to a detection result of the condition recognition sensor;
a control mode indicating a type of operational control of the work machine from among a manual operation mode in which the work device is operated in response to operation of the operating device, an assist mode in which the work device is operated semi-automatically by intervening in the operation of the work device in response to operation of the operating device, and an automatic operation mode in which the work device is operated automatically without operation of the operating device, is selected to a control mode corresponding to the next operation mode when the work machine is in a state of transitioning from the current operation mode to the next operation mode, and operational control of the work machine is started. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
A lower traveling body provided to be capable of traveling;
an upper rotating body rotatably provided on an upper portion of the lower traveling body, the upper rotating body having the work device for excavating and transporting an object mounted thereon. 3. The work machine according to claim 2,
The plurality of operation modes include:
an excavation operation mode in which an excavation operation is performed to excavate an object by the working device at an excavation position;
a loading operation mode in which the object excavated by the excavation operation is moved by the working device to a predetermined soil release position for a transport vehicle that transports the object;
a dumping operation mode in which an object is dumped from the working device to the transport vehicle at a dumping position;
a return operation mode in which the working implement is returned from the release position to the excavation position;
a travel operation mode in which the position of the work machine is changed by a travel device;
A work machine comprising a coordinated operation mode for performing coordinated operation between the work machine and the transport vehicle. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
a control mode corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes is preset based on an input from an operator, and the control mode is switched based on the preset control mode and a predicted operation mode. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
a display device for presenting information to an operator;
The controller:
The conditions required to move to the next operating mode,
and an operation content required of the operator in the next operation mode is displayed on the display device. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
a control device that controls the operation of the control mode from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode until the control mode is changed from the current operation mode to the next operation mode, when the operation device is operated while the control mode is in the automatic operation mode. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
A work machine characterized in that the condition recognition sensor includes a posture sensor, a vehicle detection sensor, and a payload sensor that measures a weight of a substance held by the work device. 2. The work machine according to claim 1,
A work machine characterized in that the controller has a function of learning past manual operations and adding and overwriting state transition settings including information used to predict the next operation mode.

Images