JP2024065876A - Excavator and excavator control system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The burden on the operator can be reduced.
[Solution] A shovel according to one embodiment comprises a lower running body, an upper rotating body mounted on the lower running body so as to be freely rotatable, an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a bucket provided at the tip of the attachment, an operating device, a communication device configured to be able to send and receive information between an operating device and an external device, and a control device configured to be able to switch between a first control that controls at least one of the upper rotating body, the attachment, and the bucket in accordance with first operation information received by the operating device, and a second control that receives a control signal from the external device that controls at least one of the upper rotating body, the attachment, and the bucket, and controls in accordance with the received control signal.
[Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

This disclosure relates to an excavator and an excavator control system.

In recent years, so-called ICT (Information and Communication Technology) shovels have been proposed that semi-automate or fully automate operation based on location information from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and three-dimensional design information. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an ICT shovel that can provide construction support according to items set on a settings screen.

International Publication No. 2018/164152

However, for example, an ICT shovel such as that described in Patent Document 1 is expensive because it needs to be equipped with various sensors and a controller with high processing performance to calculate the position of the ICT shovel's working area based on the detection results of the sensors and to perform control based on the calculation results. This is not limited to ICT shovels that perform semi-automatic or fully automatic control such as that described in Patent Document 1, but applies to any ICT shovel that achieves advanced control, such as remote control.

In view of the above issues, we propose a technology that enables advanced control with the support of an external device, even for standard excavators that are not equipped with controllers and other equipment with high processing performance like ICT excavators, thereby reducing the burden on the operator.

In order to achieve the above object, a shovel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body mounted on the lower traveling body so as to be freely rotatable, an attachment attached to the upper rotating body, a bucket provided at the tip of the attachment, an operation device, a communication device configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving information between an external device, and a control device configured to be capable of switching between a first control that controls at least one of the upper rotating body, the attachment, and the bucket according to first operation information received by the operation device, and a second control that receives a control signal from the external device that controls at least one of the upper rotating body, the attachment, and the bucket, and controls according to the received control signal.

According to the above-described embodiment, by making it possible to switch between the first control and the second control, the burden on the operator can be reduced by switching the control depending on the work situation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a shovel control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the shovel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drive control system of the shovel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a hydraulic system of the excavator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing details of the configuration related to the machine control function of the shovel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the shovel control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a virtual work site space generated by the work site space generating unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation performed by the shovel according to the first embodiment in accordance with a received control signal. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow when semi-automatic control of a shovel is performed in the shovel control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow when performing full automatic control of a shovel in the shovel control system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a shovel control system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow when semi-automatic control of a shovel is performed by remote operation in the shovel control system according to the third embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, identical or corresponding components in each drawing are denoted by identical or corresponding reference numerals, and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

First Embodiment
First, an overview of an excavator control system SYS will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an excavator control system SYS according to a first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the excavator control system SYS according to the first embodiment includes an excavator 100, a management device 300 (an example of an external device), and a fixed-point measurement device 400. The excavator 100, the management device 300, and the fixed-point measurement device 400 are capable of transmitting and receiving information via a communication line NW.

The shovel control system SYS may include one or more shovels 100. The shovel control system SYS can control each of the multiple shovels 100.

The excavator control system SYS may include one or more management devices 300. This allows the excavator control system SYS to achieve various functions in a distributed manner using multiple management devices 300.

The excavator control system SYS may include one or more fixed-point measurement devices 400. This allows the excavator control system SYS to measure the space of the work site where the excavator 100 performs work using the multiple fixed-point measurement devices 400, and to recognize the overall situation of the work site based on the measurement results. Note that, in this embodiment, an example using the fixed-point measurement device 400 will be described as an example of a spatial recognition device that measures the work site, but a drone or a spatial recognition device owned by the worker may also be used.

<Outline of the excavator>
An overview of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side view of the shovel 100 as an excavator according to the first embodiment. An upper rotating body 3 is rotatably mounted on a lower traveling body 1 of the shovel 100 via a rotating mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment. The end attachment may be a slope bucket, a dredging bucket, or the like.

The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6. The excavation attachment may be provided with a bucket tilt mechanism.

The boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4. In this embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the boom angle, which is the rotation angle of the boom 4 relative to the upper rotating body 3. For example, the boom angle is at its minimum when the boom 4 is lowered to the lowest, and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

The arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5. In this embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the arm angle, which is the rotation angle of the arm 5 relative to the boom 4. For example, the arm angle is at its smallest when the arm 5 is fully closed, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

The bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In this embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the bucket angle, which is the rotation angle of the bucket 6 relative to the arm 5. For example, the bucket angle is at its smallest when the bucket 6 is fully closed, and increases as the bucket 6 opens.

The boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 may be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, or a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin. The boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 constitute a posture sensor that detects the posture of the excavation attachment.

The upper rotating body 3 is provided with a cabin 10 which is a driver's cab, and is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11. The upper rotating body 3 is also equipped with a vehicle tilt sensor S4 and a rotation angular velocity sensor S5. The upper rotating body 3 is also equipped with a communication device T1 and a positioning device S6.

The machine body inclination sensor S4 is configured to detect the inclination of the upper rotating body 3 relative to a predetermined plane. In this embodiment, the machine body inclination sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination angle about the fore-aft axis and the lateral axis of the upper rotating body 3 relative to the horizontal plane. The fore-aft axis and the lateral axis of the upper rotating body 3 are, for example, mutually perpendicular and pass through the shovel center point, which is a point on the rotation axis of the shovel 100.

The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is configured to detect the rotation angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may be a resolver or a rotary encoder, etc. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may detect the rotation speed. The rotation speed may be calculated from the rotation angular velocity.

The communication device T1 is a device that controls communication between the shovel 100 and the outside. The communication device T1 controls, for example, wireless communication between the shovel 100 and an external GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) surveying system. The shovel 100 can acquire design data via wireless communication by using the communication device T1. However, the shovel 100 may also acquire the design data using a semiconductor memory or the like. The design data includes three-dimensional design data.

The positioning device S6 is configured to acquire information related to the position of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the positioning device S6 is configured to measure the position and orientation of the shovel 100. Specifically, the positioning device S6 is a GNSS receiver incorporating an electronic compass, and measures the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current position of the shovel 100, and measures the orientation of the shovel 100. The position information acquired by the positioning device S6 is expressed in a reference coordinate system. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the Earth, the X axis in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator, the Y axis in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z axis in the direction of the North Pole.

Inside the cabin 10, an input device D1, a sound output device D2, a display device D3, a memory device D4, a gate lock lever D5, and a controller 30 are installed.

The controller 30 functions as a main control unit that controls the drive of the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the controller 30 is configured with an arithmetic processing device including a CPU and an internal memory. The various functions of the controller 30 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the internal memory.

The input device D1 is a device that allows the operator of the shovel 100 to input various information to the controller 30. In this embodiment, the input device D1 is a membrane switch that is attached to the periphery of the display device D3. The input device D1 may be individually installed in correspondence with each display device D3. In this case, the input device D1 may be a touch panel.

The sound output device D2 outputs various types of audio information in response to a sound output command from the controller 30. In this embodiment, the sound output device D2 is an in-vehicle speaker directly connected to the controller 30. The sound output device D2 may also be an alarm such as a buzzer.

The display device D3 outputs various image information in response to commands from the controller 30. In this embodiment, the display device D3 is an in-vehicle liquid crystal display that is directly connected to the controller 30.

The storage device D4 is a device for storing various types of information. In this embodiment, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory is used as the storage device D4. The storage device D4 stores design data and the like. The storage device D4 may also store various types of information output by the controller 30 and the like.

The gate lock lever D5 is a mechanism that prevents the excavator 100 from being operated erroneously. In this embodiment, the gate lock lever D5 is disposed between the door of the cabin 10 and the driver's seat 10S. When the gate lock lever D5 is pulled up, the various operating devices become operable. On the other hand, when the gate lock lever D5 is pushed down, the various operating devices become inoperable.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the drive control system of the excavator 100 in Figure 2. In Figure 3, the mechanical power transmission system is shown by double lines, the hydraulic oil lines are shown by thick solid lines, the pilot lines are shown by dashed lines, and the electric drive and control system is shown by dotted lines.

The drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes an engine 11, a regulator 13, a main pump 14, and a control valve 17. As described above, the hydraulic drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes hydraulic actuators such as the travel hydraulic motors 1L, 1R, the swing hydraulic motor 2A, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, and the bucket cylinder 9 that hydraulically drive the lower travel structure 1, the upper swing structure 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6, respectively.

The engine 11 is the main power source in the hydraulic drive system, and is mounted, for example, at the rear of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the engine 11 rotates at a constant speed at a preset target speed under direct or indirect control by the controller 30 (described later), and drives the main pump 14 and pilot pump 15. The engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine that uses diesel as fuel.

The regulator 13 controls the discharge volume of the main pump 14. For example, the regulator 13 adjusts the angle (tilt angle) of the swash plate of the main pump 14 in response to a control command from the controller 30. The regulator 13 includes, for example, regulators 13L and 13R, as described below.

The main pump 14 is mounted on the rear of the upper rotating body 3, for example, like the engine 11, and supplies hydraulic oil to the control valve 17 through a high-pressure hydraulic line. The main pump 14 is driven by the engine 11 as described above. The main pump 14 is, for example, a variable displacement hydraulic pump, and as described above, under the control of the controller 30, the tilt angle of the swash plate is adjusted by the regulator 13 to adjust the stroke length of the piston and control the discharge flow rate (discharge pressure). The main pump 14 includes, for example, main pumps 14L and 14R, as described below.

The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system in the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the control valve 17 includes control valves 171 to 176. The control valve 175 includes control valve 175L and control valve 175R, and the control valve 176 includes control valve 176L and control valve 176R. The control valve 17 is configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14 to one or more hydraulic actuators through the control valves 171 to 176. The control valves 171 to 176 control, for example, the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuators and the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the hydraulic actuators to a hydraulic oil tank. The hydraulic actuators include a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, traveling hydraulic motors 1L and 1R, and a swing hydraulic motor 2A. More specifically, control valve 171 corresponds to left traveling hydraulic motor 1L, control valve 172 corresponds to right traveling hydraulic motor 1R, and control valve 173 corresponds to swing hydraulic motor 2A. Control valve 174 corresponds to bucket cylinder 9, control valve 175 corresponds to boom cylinder 7, and control valve 176 corresponds to arm cylinder 8. Control valve 175 includes control valves 175L and 175R, for example, as described below, and control valve 176 includes control valves 176L and 176R, for example, as described below. Details of control valves 171 to 176 will be described later.

The pilot pump 15 is an example of a pilot pressure generating device, and is configured to supply hydraulic oil to hydraulic control devices via a pilot line. In this embodiment, the pilot pump 15 is a fixed displacement hydraulic pump. However, the pilot pressure generating device may be realized by the main pump 14. That is, the main pump 14 may have a function of supplying hydraulic oil to various hydraulic control devices via a pilot line, in addition to a function of supplying hydraulic oil to the control valve 17 via a hydraulic oil line. In this case, the pilot pump 15 may be omitted.

The operating device 26 is a device that an operator uses to operate the actuator. The actuator includes at least one of a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator.

The discharge pressure sensor 28 is configured to detect the discharge pressure of the main pump 14. In this embodiment, the discharge pressure sensor 28 outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The discharge pressure sensor 28 includes, for example, discharge pressure sensors 28L and 28R, as described below.

The operation sensor 29 is configured to detect the operation content of the operator using the operating device 26. In this embodiment, the operation sensor 29 detects the operation direction and operation amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to each actuator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. In this embodiment, the controller 30 controls the opening area of the proportional valve 31 according to the output of the operation sensor 29. Then, the controller 30 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17. The pressure of the hydraulic oil (pilot pressure) supplied to each pilot port is, in principle, a pressure according to the operation direction and operation amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. In this way, the operating device 26 is configured to be able to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17.

The proportional valve 31, which functions as a control valve for machine control, is disposed in a pipe connecting the pilot pump 15 and the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve 17, and is configured so that the flow area of the pipe can be changed. In this embodiment, the proportional valve 31 operates in response to a control command output by the controller 30. Therefore, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve 17 via the proportional valve 31, regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 by the operator. The proportional valve 31 includes, for example, proportional valves 31AL, 31AR, 31BL, 31BR, 31CL, and 31CR, as described below.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can operate the hydraulic actuator corresponding to a specific operating device 26 even when no operation is being performed on that specific operating device 26.

For example, the controller 30 sets a target rotation speed based on a work mode that is preset by a specific operation by an operator or the like, and performs drive control to rotate the engine 11 at a constant speed.

For example, the controller 30 also outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as necessary to change the discharge rate of the main pump 14.

For example, the controller 30 also controls a machine guidance function that guides the operator in manually operating the shovel 100 through the operating device 26. For example, the controller 30 also controls a machine control function that automatically assists the operator in manually operating the shovel 100 through the operating device 26.

Note that some of the functions of the controller 30 may be realized by other controllers (control devices). That is, the functions of the controller 30 may be realized in a distributed manner by multiple controllers. For example, the machine guidance function and the machine control function may be realized by a dedicated controller (control device).

[Excavator hydraulic system]
Next, the hydraulic system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a hydraulic system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment.

In Figure 4, the mechanical power system, hydraulic oil lines, pilot lines, and electrical control system are shown by double lines, solid lines, dashed lines, and dotted lines, respectively, as in Figure 3, etc.

The hydraulic system realized by this hydraulic circuit circulates hydraulic oil from each of the main pumps 14L, 14R driven by the engine 11 through the center bypass oil passages C1L, C1R and the parallel oil passages C2L, C2R to the hydraulic oil tank.

The center bypass oil passage C1L starts at the main pump 14L, passes through the control valves 171, 173, 175L, and 176L arranged in the control valve 17, and reaches the hydraulic oil tank.

The center bypass oil passage C1R starts at the main pump 14R, passes through the control valves 172, 174, 175R, and 176R arranged in the control valve 17, and reaches the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valve 171 is a spool valve that supplies hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14L to the travel hydraulic motor 1L and discharges hydraulic oil discharged by the travel hydraulic motor 1L into the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valve 172 is a spool valve that supplies hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14R to the traveling hydraulic motor 1R and discharges hydraulic oil discharged by the traveling hydraulic motor 1R to the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valve 173 is a spool valve that supplies hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14L to the swing hydraulic motor 2A and discharges hydraulic oil discharged by the swing hydraulic motor 2A into the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valve 174 is a spool valve that supplies hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14R to the bucket cylinder 9 and also discharges the hydraulic oil in the bucket cylinder 9 to the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valves 175L and 175R are spool valves that supply hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L and 14R to the boom cylinder 7 and discharge the hydraulic oil in the boom cylinder 7 to the hydraulic oil tank.

The control valves 176L, 176R supply hydraulic oil discharged by the main pumps 14L, 14R to the arm cylinder 8, and also discharge the hydraulic oil in the arm cylinder 8 to the hydraulic oil tank.

Control valves 171, 172, 173, 174, 175L, 175R, 176L, and 176R each adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil supplied to or discharged from the hydraulic actuator and switch the flow direction according to the pilot pressure acting on the pilot port.

The parallel oil passage C2L supplies hydraulic oil of the main pump 14L to the control valves 171, 173, 175L, and 176L in parallel with the center bypass oil passage C1L. Specifically, the parallel oil passage C2L branches off from the center bypass oil passage C1L upstream of the control valve 171, and is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil of the main pump 14L in parallel to each of the control valves 171, 173, 175L, and 176R. This allows the parallel oil passage C2L to supply hydraulic oil to a more downstream control valve when the flow of hydraulic oil through the center bypass oil passage C1L is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 171, 173, and 175L.

The parallel oil passage C2R supplies hydraulic oil of the main pump 14R to the control valves 172, 174, 175R, and 176R in parallel with the center bypass oil passage C1R. Specifically, the parallel oil passage C2R branches off from the center bypass oil passage C1R upstream of the control valve 172, and is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil of the main pump 14R in parallel to each of the control valves 172, 174, 175R, and 176R. The parallel oil passage C2R can supply hydraulic oil to a more downstream control valve when the flow of hydraulic oil through the center bypass oil passage C1R is restricted or blocked by any of the control valves 172, 174, and 175R.

Regulators 13L and 13R adjust the discharge volume of main pumps 14L and 14R by adjusting the tilt angle of the swash plates of main pumps 14L and 14R, respectively, under the control of controller 30.

The discharge pressure sensor 28L detects the discharge pressure of the main pump 14L, and a detection signal corresponding to the detected discharge pressure is input to the controller 30. The same is true for the discharge pressure sensor 28R. This allows the controller 30 to control the regulators 13L, 13R according to the discharge pressures of the main pumps 14L, 14R.

Negative control throttles (hereinafter "negative control throttles") 18L, 18R are provided in the center bypass oil passages C1L, C1R between the hydraulic oil tank and the most downstream control valves 176L, 176R, respectively. As a result, the flow of hydraulic oil discharged by the main pumps 14L, 14R is restricted by the negative control throttles 18L, 18R. The negative control throttles 18L, 18R then generate a control pressure (hereinafter "negative control pressure") for controlling the regulators 13L, 13R.

The negative control pressure sensors 19L and 19R detect the negative control pressure, and the detection signal corresponding to the detected negative control pressure is input to the controller 30.

The controller 30 may control the regulators 13L, 13R in response to the discharge pressure of the main pumps 14L, 14R detected by the discharge pressure sensors 28L, 28R to adjust the discharge volume of the main pumps 14L, 14R. For example, the controller 30 may control the regulator 13L in response to an increase in the discharge pressure of the main pump 14L, and reduce the discharge volume by adjusting the swash plate tilt angle of the main pump 14L. The same applies to the regulator 13R. This allows the controller 30 to control the total horsepower of the main pumps 14L, 14R so that the absorption horsepower of the main pumps 14L, 14R, which is expressed as the product of the discharge pressure and the discharge volume, does not exceed the output horsepower of the engine 11.

The controller 30 may also adjust the discharge rate of the main pumps 14L, 14R by controlling the regulators 13L, 13R according to the negative control pressure detected by the negative control pressure sensors 19L, 19R. For example, the controller 30 decreases the discharge rate of the main pumps 14L, 14R as the negative control pressure increases, and increases the discharge rate of the main pumps 14L, 14R as the negative control pressure decreases.

Specifically, when the excavator 100 is in a standby state (as shown in FIG. 4) in which none of the hydraulic actuators are being operated, the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R passes through the center bypass oil passages C1L, C1R to the negative control throttles 18L, 18R. The flow of hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R increases the negative control pressure generated upstream of the negative control throttles 18L, 18R. As a result, the controller 30 reduces the discharge rate of the main pumps 14L, 14R to the minimum allowable discharge rate, suppressing the pressure loss (pumping loss) that occurs when the discharged hydraulic oil passes through the center bypass oil passages C1L, C1R.

On the other hand, when any of the hydraulic actuators is operated through the operating device 26, the hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R flows into the hydraulic actuator to be operated through the control valve corresponding to the hydraulic actuator to be operated. The flow of hydraulic oil discharged from the main pumps 14L, 14R reduces or eliminates the amount of hydraulic oil reaching the negative control throttles 18L, 18R, lowering the negative control pressure generated upstream of the negative control throttles 18L, 18R. As a result, the controller 30 increases the discharge amount of the main pumps 14L, 14R, circulates sufficient hydraulic oil to the hydraulic actuator to be operated, and can reliably drive the hydraulic actuator to be operated.

The operating device 26 includes a left operating lever 26L, a right operating lever 26R, and a driving lever 26D. The driving lever 26D includes a left driving lever 26DL and a right driving lever 26DR.

The left operating lever 26L is used for rotation operation and operation of the arm 5. When the left operating lever 26L is operated in the forward/backward direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the amount of lever operation into the pilot port of the control valve 176. When the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left/right direction, the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 is used to introduce a control pressure according to the amount of lever operation into the pilot port of the control valve 173.

Specifically, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 176R. When the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm opening direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and introduces hydraulic oil to the right pilot port of the control valve 176R. When the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left turning direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 173, and when operated in the right turning direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the right pilot port of the control valve 173.

The right operating lever 26R is used to operate the boom 4 and the bucket 6. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the forward/backward direction, it uses the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to introduce a control pressure according to the amount of lever operation into the pilot port of the control valve 175. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the left/right direction, it uses the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to introduce a control pressure according to the amount of lever operation into the pilot port of the control valve 174.

Specifically, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom lowering direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom raising direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and also introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the bucket closing direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the right pilot port of the control valve 174, and when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the bucket opening direction, it introduces hydraulic oil to the left pilot port of the control valve 174.

In the following, the left operating lever 26L operated in the left-right direction may be referred to as the "swing operating lever," and the left operating lever 26L operated in the front-rear direction may be referred to as the "arm operating lever." In addition, the right operating lever 26R operated in the left-right direction may be referred to as the "bucket operating lever," and the right operating lever 26R operated in the front-rear direction may be referred to as the "boom operating lever."

The left travel lever 26DL is used to operate the left crawler 1CL. It may be configured to be linked to the left travel pedal. When the left travel lever 26DL is operated in the forward/backward direction, it uses the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to introduce a control pressure corresponding to the lever operation amount into the pilot port of the control valve 171. The right travel lever 26DR is used to operate the right crawler 1CR. It may be configured to be linked to the right travel pedal. When the right travel lever 26DR is operated in the forward/backward direction, it uses the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to introduce a control pressure corresponding to the lever operation amount into the pilot port of the control valve 172.

The operation sensor 29 is configured to detect the operation of the operation device 26 by the operator. In this embodiment, the operation sensor 29 detects the operation direction and operation amount of the operation device 26 corresponding to each actuator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The operation sensor 29 includes operation sensors 29LA, 29LB, 29RA, 29RB, 29DL, and 29DR. The operation sensor 29LA detects the content of the operation of the left operating lever 26L in the forward/rearward direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The content of the operation includes, for example, the lever operation direction, the lever operation amount (lever operation angle), etc.

Similarly, the operation sensor 29LB detects the operation of the left operating lever 26L in the left-right direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29RA detects the operation of the right operating lever 26R in the forward-backward direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29RB detects the operation of the right operating lever 26R in the left-right direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29DL detects the operation of the left travel lever 26DL in the forward-backward direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30. The operation sensor 29DR detects the operation of the right travel lever 26DR in the forward-backward direction by the operator, and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The controller 30 receives the output of the operation sensor 29, and outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as necessary, thereby changing the discharge volume of the main pump 14. The controller 30 also receives the output of the control pressure sensor 19 provided upstream of the orifice 18, and outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as necessary, thereby changing the discharge volume of the main pump 14. The orifice 18 includes a left orifice 18L and a right orifice 18R, and the control pressure sensor 19 includes negative control pressure sensors 19L and 19R.

[Configuration details for excavator machine control function]
Next, the configuration regarding the machine control function of the shovel 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Figure 5 shows a portion of the hydraulic system. Specifically, Figure 5(A) shows the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the arm cylinder 8, and Figure 5(B) shows the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the boom cylinder 7. Figure 5(C) shows the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the bucket cylinder 9, and Figure 5(D) shows the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the swing hydraulic motor 2A.

As shown in FIG. 5, the hydraulic system includes a proportional valve 31. The proportional valve 31 includes proportional valves 31AL to 31DL and 31AR to 31DR.

The proportional valve 31 functions as a control valve for machine control. The proportional valve 31 is disposed in a pipe connecting the pilot pump 15 and the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17, and is configured to be able to change the flow area of the pipe. In this embodiment, the proportional valve 31 operates in response to a control command output by the controller 30. Therefore, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve 17 via the proportional valve 31, regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 by the operator. Then, the controller 30 can apply the pilot pressure generated by the proportional valve 31 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can operate the hydraulic actuator corresponding to a specific operating device 26 even when no operation is being performed on that specific operating device 26. Furthermore, the controller 30 can forcibly stop the operation of the hydraulic actuator corresponding to that specific operating device 26 even when an operation is being performed on that specific operating device 26.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the left operating lever 26L is used to operate the arm 5. Specifically, the left operating lever 26L uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure corresponding to operation in the forward and backward directions to the pilot port of the control valve 176. More specifically, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm closing direction (rearward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R. Also, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the arm opening direction (forward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R.

The operation device 26 is provided with a switch SW. In this embodiment, the switch SW includes a switch SW1 and a switch SW2. The switch SW1 is a push button switch provided at the tip of the left operation lever 26L. The operator can operate the left operation lever 26L while pressing the switch SW1. The switch SW1 may be provided on the right operation lever 26R or at another position in the cabin 10. The switch SW2 is a push button switch provided at the tip of the left travel lever 26DL. The operator can operate the left travel lever 26DL while pressing the switch SW2. The switch SW2 may be provided on the right travel lever 26DR or at another position in the cabin 10.

The operation sensor 29LA detects the forward/rearward operation of the left operating lever 26L by the operator and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The proportional valve 31AL operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31AL adjusts the pilot pressure by hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AL. The proportional valve 31AR operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31AR adjusts the pilot pressure by hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AR. The proportional valve 31AL can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 176L and the control valve 176R can be stopped at any valve position. Similarly, the proportional valve 31AR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 176L and the control valve 176R can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AL in response to the arm closing operation by the operator. Furthermore, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AL, regardless of the arm closing operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can close the arm 5 in response to the arm closing operation by the operator or regardless of the arm closing operation by the operator.

In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AR in response to the arm opening operation by the operator. In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R via the proportional valve 31AR, regardless of the arm opening operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can open the arm 5 in response to the arm opening operation by the operator or regardless of the arm opening operation by the operator.

In addition, with this configuration, even if the operator is performing an arm closing operation, the controller 30 can, if necessary, reduce the pilot pressure acting on the pilot ports on the closing side of the control valve 176 (the left pilot port of the control valve 176L and the right pilot port of the control valve 176R) to forcibly stop the closing operation of the arm 5. The same applies to the case where the opening operation of the arm 5 is forcibly stopped when the operator is performing an arm opening operation.

Even if the operator is performing an arm closing operation, the controller 30 may, if necessary, control the proportional valve 31AR to increase the pilot pressure acting on the opening pilot port of the control valve 176 (the right pilot port of the control valve 176L and the left pilot port of the control valve 176R) opposite the closing pilot port of the control valve 176, and forcibly return the control valve 176 to the neutral position, thereby forcibly stopping the closing operation of the arm 5. The same applies to the case where the opening operation of the arm 5 is forcibly stopped when the operator is performing an arm opening operation.

Although the explanation with reference to the following Figures 5(B) to 5(D) is omitted, the same applies to the case where the operation of the boom 4 is forcibly stopped when the operator is performing a boom-raising or boom-lowering operation, the case where the operation of the bucket 6 is forcibly stopped when the operator is performing a bucket-closing or bucket-opening operation, and the case where the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 3 is forcibly stopped when the operator is performing a rotation operation.

The same applies when the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1 is forcibly stopped while the operator is performing traveling operations.

As shown in FIG. 5(B), the right operating lever 26R is used to operate the boom 4. Specifically, the right operating lever 26R uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure corresponding to operation in the forward and backward directions to the pilot port of the control valve 175. More specifically, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom-up direction (rearward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R. When the right operating lever 26R is operated in the boom-down direction (forward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the operation amount to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R.

The operation sensor 29RA detects the forward/rearward operation of the right operating lever 26R by the operator and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The proportional valve 31BL operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31BL adjusts the pilot pressure by hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BL. The proportional valve 31BR operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. The proportional valve 31BR adjusts the pilot pressure by hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BR. The proportional valve 31BL can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valves 175L and 175R can be stopped at any valve position. The proportional valve 31BR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 175R can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BL in response to the boom-raising operation by the operator. Furthermore, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175L and the left pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BL, regardless of the boom-raising operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can raise the boom 4 in response to the boom-raising operation by the operator or regardless of the boom-raising operation by the operator.

In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BR in response to the boom lowering operation by the operator. In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 175R via the proportional valve 31BR, regardless of the boom lowering operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can lower the boom 4 in response to the boom lowering operation by the operator or regardless of the boom lowering operation by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 5(C), the right operating lever 26R is also used to operate the bucket 6. Specifically, the right operating lever 26R uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure corresponding to left/right operation to the pilot port of the control valve 174. More specifically, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the bucket closing direction (leftward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the left pilot port of the control valve 174. Also, when the right operating lever 26R is operated in the bucket opening direction (rightward), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the right pilot port of the control valve 174.

The operation sensor 29RB detects the left/right operation of the right operating lever 26R by the operator and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The proportional valve 31CL operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. It adjusts the pilot pressure by the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CL. The proportional valve 31CR operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. It adjusts the pilot pressure by the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CR. The proportional valve 31CL can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 174 can be stopped at any valve position. Similarly, the proportional valve 31CR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 174 can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CL in response to the bucket closing operation by the operator. The controller 30 can also supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CL, regardless of the bucket closing operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can close the bucket 6 in response to the bucket closing operation by the operator or regardless of the bucket closing operation by the operator.

In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CR in response to the bucket opening operation by the operator. In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 174 via the proportional valve 31CR, regardless of the bucket opening operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can open the bucket 6 in response to the bucket opening operation by the operator or regardless of the bucket opening operation by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 5(D), the left operating lever 26L is also used to operate the turning mechanism 2. Specifically, the left operating lever 26L uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure corresponding to operation in the left and right directions to the pilot port of the control valve 173. More specifically, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left turning direction (left direction), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the left pilot port of the control valve 173. Also, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the right turning direction (right direction), it applies pilot pressure corresponding to the amount of operation to the right pilot port of the control valve 173.

The operation sensor 29LB detects the left/right operation of the left operating lever 26L by the operator and outputs the detected value to the controller 30.

The proportional valve 31DL operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. It adjusts the pilot pressure by the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DL. The proportional valve 31DR operates in response to a control command (current command) output by the controller 30. It adjusts the pilot pressure by the hydraulic oil introduced from the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DR. The proportional valve 31DL can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 173 can be stopped at any valve position. Similarly, the proportional valve 31DR can adjust the pilot pressure so that the control valve 173 can be stopped at any valve position.

With this configuration, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DL in response to a left rotation operation by the operator. The controller 30 can also supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DL, regardless of a left rotation operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can rotate the rotation mechanism 2 to the left in response to a left rotation operation by the operator or regardless of a left rotation operation by the operator.

In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DR in response to a right turning operation by the operator. In addition, the controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 173 via the proportional valve 31DR, regardless of a right turning operation by the operator. In other words, the controller 30 can rotate the turning mechanism 2 to the right in response to a right turning operation by the operator or regardless of a right turning operation by the operator.

The left travel lever 26DL is used to operate the left crawler 1CL. Specifically, the left travel lever 26DL uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure to the pilot port of the control valve 171 according to the forward/rearward operation. The operation sensor 29DL electrically detects the forward/rearward operation of the left travel lever 26DL by the operator and outputs a current command indicating the detected value to the controller 30. This causes the controller 30 to operate according to the current command.

The controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 171 via a proportional valve (not shown) in the same manner as in the configuration described above. In other words, the left crawler 1CL can be moved forward. The controller 30 can also supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 171 via a proportional valve (not shown). In other words, the left crawler 1CL can be moved backward.

The right travel lever 26DR is used to operate the right crawler 1CR. Specifically, the right travel lever 26DR uses hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to apply pilot pressure to the pilot port of the control valve 172 according to the forward/rearward operation. The operation sensor 29DR electrically detects the forward/rearward operation of the right travel lever 26DR by the operator, and outputs a current command indicating the detected value to the controller 30. This causes the controller 30 to operate according to the current command.

The controller 30 can supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the right pilot port of the control valve 172 via the proportional valve 31, in the same manner as in the configuration described above. In other words, the right crawler 1CR can be moved forward. The controller 30 can also supply hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the left pilot port of the control valve 172 via the proportional valve 31. In other words, the right crawler 1CR can be moved backward.

The excavator 100 may also be configured to automatically operate the bucket tilt mechanism. In this case, the hydraulic system portion related to the bucket tilt cylinder that constitutes the bucket tilt mechanism may be configured in the same manner as the hydraulic system portion related to the operation of the boom cylinder 7, etc.

Although the description has been given of an electric control lever as the form of the operating device 26, a hydraulic operating lever may be used instead of an electric operating lever. In this case, the lever operation amount of the hydraulic operating lever may be detected in the form of pressure by a pressure sensor and input to the controller 30. In addition, a solenoid valve may be disposed between the operating device 26 as a hydraulic operating lever and the pilot port of each control valve. The solenoid valve is configured to operate in response to an electric signal from the controller 30. With this configuration, when manual operation is performed using the operating device 26 as a hydraulic operating lever, the operating device 26 can move each control valve by increasing or decreasing the pilot pressure in response to the lever operation amount. In addition, each control valve may be configured as an electromagnetic spool valve. In this case, the electromagnetic spool valve operates in response to an electric signal from the controller 30 corresponding to the lever operation amount of the electric operating lever.

Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the excavator control system SYS according to this embodiment. The configurations of the management device 300 and the fixed point measurement device 400 will be described. Note that the configuration of the excavator 100 is as described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

<Configuration of Management Device>
The management device (an example of an external device) 300 includes a communication device 301 , a storage device 302 , and a controller 303 .

The communication device 301 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the excavator 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400 via the communication line NW. The communication device 301 may be, for example, a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G.

The controller 303 performs control related to the management device 300. The functions of the controller 303 may be realized, for example, by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The controller 303 may be configured, for example, mainly with a computer including a processor device such as a CPU, a memory device (main storage device) such as a RAM, an auxiliary storage device such as a ROM, and an interface device with the outside. For example, the controller 303 realizes various functions by loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing the program on the CPU. The program data is obtained by the controller 303 from a specified storage medium, for example, through a specified external interface, and installed in the auxiliary storage device.

The storage device 302 is a readable/writable non-volatile storage medium. The storage device 302 includes a construction information storage unit 321 and a work site information storage unit 322.

The construction information storage unit 321 stores construction information for the excavator 100 to perform work at a work site. The construction information is three-dimensional data that represents the shape of the soil and sand present at the work site after construction. The construction information represents the three-dimensional shape and position of the object after construction in the reference coordinate system described above.

The work site information storage unit 322 stores work site information that represents the three-dimensional shape of a virtual work site space generated based on measurement information from the fixed point measurement device 400. The work site information holds the three-dimensional shape and position of the current object at the work site in the reference coordinate system described above.

<Configuration of fixed point measurement device>
The fixed point measurement device 400 includes a communication device 401 , a position information storage unit 402 , a spatial recognition device 403 , and a controller 404 .

The communication device 401 is an interface for communicating with the outside, such as the excavator 100 and the management device 300, via the communication line NW. The communication device 401 may be, for example, a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G.

The position information storage unit 402 stores the position information of the fixed point measurement device 400. The position information is expressed in a reference coordinate system similar to the position information acquired by GNSS, for example. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the world geodetic system described above.

The spatial recognition device 403 uses LIDAR to detect objects present at the work site where the shovel 100 is working. The LIDAR measures the distance between the LIDAR and, for example, one million or more points within the monitoring range. Note that this embodiment is not limited to a method using LIDAR, and any spatial recognition device capable of measuring the distance to an object may be used. For example, a stereo camera may be used, or a distance measuring device such as a distance image camera or a millimeter wave radar may be used. When a millimeter wave radar or the like is used as the spatial recognition device 403, a number of signals (laser light, etc.) may be emitted from the spatial recognition device 403 toward the object, and the reflected signals may be received, from which the distance and direction of the object may be derived.

The controller 404 performs control related to the fixed point measurement device 400. The functions of the controller 404 may be realized, for example, by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The controller 404 may be configured, for example, mainly with a computer including a processor device such as a CPU, a memory device (main storage device) such as a RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as a ROM. For example, the controller 404 realizes various functions by loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing the program on the CPU.

[Description of services provided for excavators]
The shovel 100 according to this embodiment is not equipped with a spatial recognition device or the like, and the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 is not equipped with a program for advanced control such as semi-automatic control that operates in accordance with construction information when a specified lever is tilted on the operating device 26.

This is because excavators capable of implementing the semi-automatic control described above are often not introduced due to their high cost.

However, even with the excavator 100, there are cases where semi-automatic control, etc., may be required depending on the work process.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the management device 300 provides support such as semi-automatic control to the excavator 100 so that it operates according to the construction information.

Specifically, the fixed point measurement device 400 measures the work site of the shovel 100 and transmits the measurement results to the management device 300. This allows the management device 300 to recognize the situation around the shovel 100 in three-dimensional form. In other words, the management device 300 can recognize the situation around the shovel 100 even if the shovel 100 is not equipped with a spatial recognition device. Note that in this embodiment, the device that measures the situation around the shovel 100 is not limited to the fixed point measurement device 400, but may be a drone, etc.

The shovel 100 also transmits the position information measured by the positioning device S6 to the management device 300. This allows the management device 300 to recognize the position of the shovel 100 at the work site.

Furthermore, the management device 300 holds construction information that represents the three-dimensional shape of the soil and sand after construction. As a result, when the management device 300 receives an operation signal from the shovel 100, it generates a control signal in response to the operation signal for performing work according to the construction information and transmits it to the shovel 100.

As described above, the shovel 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with an electric operating lever as the operating device 26. Therefore, when the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 receives a control signal from the management device 300, it can perform semi-automatic control of at least one of the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 based on the control signal.

In other words, the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 according to this embodiment realizes switching between manual control (an example of a first control) in which at least one of the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 is operated according to operation information (an example of a first operation information) received by the operating device 26, and network control (an example of a second control) in which a control signal is received from the management device 300 and semi-automatic control or the like is performed according to the received control signal. The manual control and network control will be described later.

Next, the functional blocks of the controller 404 of the fixed point measurement device 400, the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100, and the controller 303 of the management device 300 will be described.

<<Functional blocks of fixed point measurement device>>
Each functional block in the controller 404 of the fixed point measurement device 400 will be described. Each functional block in the controller 404 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. All or part of each functional block can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed by each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic.

The transmission control unit 411 associates the measurement information obtained by the spatial recognition device 403 with the location information stored in the location information storage unit 402 and transmits the associated information to the management device 300. The transmission control unit 411 transmits the measurement information at predetermined time intervals. For example, the transmission control unit 411 may transmit the measurement information every time the spatial recognition device 403 obtains the measurement information (e.g., every time a frame is updated).

<<Excavator functional blocks>>
Each functional block in the shovel controller (an example of a first control device) 50 of the shovel 100 will be described. Each functional block in the shovel controller 50 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. It is possible to configure all or a part of each functional block by distributing and integrating it functionally or physically in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed in each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic. The shovel controller 50 includes a switching control unit 501, a transmission control unit 502, a reception control unit 503, and a signal output unit 504 by implementing a program.

The switching control unit 501 switches between manual control and network control in accordance with an input operation on the input device D1.

Manual control (an example of a first control) refers to control for operating the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, or the bucket 6 in accordance with the operation received by the operating device 26. For example, when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the forward or backward direction, the control operates the arm 5 in the closing direction, or the arm 5 in the opening direction. In other words, the control operates the configuration assigned to the operating direction of the operating lever according to the amount of tilt. In this way, manual control does not include control of the excavator 100 based on construction information indicating the three-dimensional shape of the construction target.

Network control (an example of second control) refers to control that receives a control signal from the management device 300 and operates at least one of the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 based on the control signal. For example, the control signal transmitted from the management device 300 by network control may be a signal that controls the excavator 100 (e.g., semi-automatically or fully automatically) to form a three-dimensional shape of the construction target based on the construction information.

For example, the network control receives control signals for operating each of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 to raise the boom 4 while maintaining the horizontal state of the opening surface of the bucket 6 so as to maintain the load of soil in the bucket 6 by transmitting operation information indicating an operation in the direction of opening the boom 4 to the management device 300 after soil has been loaded into the bucket 6, and operates each of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 based on the control signals.

As another example of network control, when forming a three-dimensional shape determined for a construction target according to construction information, for example, when forming a slope in soil and sand, operation information indicating an operation in a direction to open the arm 5 is sent to the management device 300, and control signals are received to operate each of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 so that the bottom surface of the bucket 6 moves along the slope, and semi-automatic control is performed to operate the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 based on the control signals.

The network control is not limited to the above-mentioned control, but may be any control in which the management device 300 provides semi-automatic control or other assistance in response to operations received by the operation device 26.

The transmission control unit 502 controls the transmission of various information to the management device 300 via the communication device T1. For example, when the switching control unit 501 has switched to network control, the transmission control unit 502 transmits to the management device 300 operation information (an example of second operation information) indicating the operation received by the operation device 26, detection information indicating the detection results from various sensors provided in the shovel 100, and position information (including orientation) of the shovel 100 acquired by the positioning device S6. The detection information includes, for example, information for identifying the positions of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 (attachments), such as the rotation angle of the boom 4 detected by the boom angle sensor (an example of a detection device) S1, the rotation angle of the arm 5 detected by the arm angle sensor (an example of a detection device) S2, and the rotation angle of the bucket 6 detected by the bucket angle sensor (an example of a detection device) S3.

The receiving control unit 503 controls the reception of various information from the management device 300 via the communication device T1. For example, when the transmission control unit 502 transmits operation information, the receiving control unit 503 receives a control signal from the management device 300 for semi-automatic control of the shovel 100 in accordance with the operation information. Also, when detection information is transmitted to the management device 300, the control signal becomes a control signal for performing control based on the positions of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 determined from the detection information, in other words, the current operating status of the shovel 100.

The signal output unit 504 outputs a control signal to the hydraulic system, etc., for controlling the hydraulic system, etc. For example, when the switching control unit 501 has switched to manual control, the signal output unit 504 outputs a control signal to the hydraulic system in response to the operation received by the operating device 26, for operating a configuration corresponding to the direction of the operation.

For example, when the switching control unit 501 has switched to network control, the signal output unit 504 outputs a control signal received from the management device 300 to the hydraulic system. This makes it possible to realize semi-automatic control based on support from the management device 300.

<<Functional blocks of the management device>>
Each functional block in the controller (an example of a second control device) 303 of the management device 300 will be described. Each functional block in the controller 303 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. It is possible to configure all or a part of each functional block by distributing and integrating it functionally or physically in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed in each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware by wired logic. By realizing the program, the controller 303 includes a reception control unit 331, a work site space generation unit 332, a movement trajectory generation unit 333, a signal generation unit 334, and a transmission control unit 335.

The management device 300 is a device provided to support the work performed by the excavator 100. The management device 300 may be realized by a device such as a server. Note that the management device 300 is not limited to being provided by a server or the like, and may be realized by a cloud service.

When the shovel 100 is switched to network control, the management device 300 generates control commands to perform work and performs control to transmit the generated control commands to the shovel 100.

The management device 300 may provide control assistance for the shovel 100, for example, as a paid service. For example, the management device 300 may measure the time from when the shovel 100 is switched to network control until the network control ends. The administrator of the management device 300 may then bill the administrator of the shovel 100 for an amount corresponding to the measured time. The billing method may be any method, and may be a flat rate on a daily or monthly basis.

The reception control unit 331 controls the reception of various information from each of the fixed point measurement device 400 and the excavator 100 via the communication device T2.

For example, the reception control unit 331 receives measurement information and location information from the fixed point measurement device 400.

As another example, the reception control unit 331 receives position information, detection information, and operation information from the shovel 100. The detection information includes the detection results of various sensors. The detection results of various sensors include, for example, the rotation angle of the boom 4 detected by the boom angle sensor S1, the rotation angle of the arm 5 detected by the arm angle sensor S2, and the rotation angle of the bucket 6 detected by the bucket angle sensor S3. Since the management device 300 holds the sizes of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 in advance, it can recognize the current status of the attachment of the shovel 100, including the position of the bucket 6. Therefore, the management device 300 can grasp the current position of the shovel 100 and the current operating status including the attachment. The detection information may further include the detection results of each of the machine body inclination sensor S4 and the swing angular velocity sensor S5. When the detection results are included, the management device 300 can generate a control signal taking into account the detection results.

The work site space generation unit 332 generates a virtual work site space that represents the three-dimensional shape of the work site based on the measurement information and position information received by the reception control unit 331 from the fixed point measurement device 400. The measurement information is a measurement result that indicates the distance to an object at the work site based on the fixed point measurement device 400. In other words, the measurement information and position information make it possible to recognize the distance to the object from the position indicated by the position information. Therefore, the work site space generation unit 332 can generate a three-dimensional map that represents the position and shape of an object present at the work site from the position information and measurement information from each of the multiple fixed point measurement devices 400 placed at the work site. The generated three-dimensional map is stored in the work site information storage unit 322.

When network control is selected in the excavator 100, the movement trajectory generation unit 333 generates a movement trajectory for the movement of one or more of the bucket 6, upper rotating body 3, and lower running body 1 of the excavator 100.

For example, when the bucket 6 is loaded with soil or sand and operation information indicating raising the boom 4 is received, the movement trajectory generating unit 333 generates a movement trajectory of the bucket 6 for raising the boom 4 while maintaining the opening surface of the bucket 6 approximately horizontal.

As another example, a movement trajectory of the bucket 6 may be generated to convert the shape of the soil and sand shown on the 3D map into the shape indicated in the construction information.

The signal generating unit 334 generates a control signal for moving the bucket 6, upper rotating body 3, or lower running body 1 of the shovel 100 along the generated movement trajectory based on the current state of the shovel 100 indicated by the detection information. The generated control signal is a signal for operating one or more of the boom 4, arm 5, bucket 6, upper rotating body 3, and lower running body 1.

The transmission control unit 335 transmits the control signal generated by the signal generation unit 334 to the shovel 100. This allows the shovel 100 to perform semi-automatic control according to the movement trajectory generated by the management device 300.

<Explanation of specific tasks>
Next, a description will be given of the process for generating a control signal by the management device 300. Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the virtual work site space generated by the work site space generation unit 332.

The three-dimensional map of the virtual work site space 1701 shown in FIG. 7 is generated based on the measurement information and position information from the fixed point measurement device 400. The construction information indicates that a slope 1702 is to be constructed.

The work site space generation unit 332 can identify position coordinates P (x L , y L , z L ) indicating the position 1713 of the bucket 6 in the body coordinate system 1712 of the shovel 100 based on the sizes of each component of the shovel 100, as well as the rotation angle of the boom 4, the rotation angle of the arm 5, and the rotation angle of the _bucket 6 contained in _the detection _information .

The management device 300 receives, from the shovel 100, position information (including orientation) of the shovel 100 acquired by the positioning device S6. The position information (including orientation) indicates the position and orientation of the shovel 100 in the reference coordinate system 1711, in other words, the relative positional relationship between the reference coordinate system 1711 and the machine body coordinate system 1712. Therefore, the work site space generation unit 332 can identify position coordinates P (xG _{, yG} , _zG ) indicating the position 1713 of the bucket 6 in the reference coordinate system 1711, based on the relative position between the reference coordinate system 1711 and the machine body coordinate system 1712.

The movement trajectory generation unit 333 can generate a movement trajectory for moving the bucket 6 to construct the slope 1702, starting from the current position of the bucket 6.

Next, the control signal transmitted to the shovel 100 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation performed by the shovel 100 according to this embodiment in accordance with the received control signal. In the example shown in FIG. 8, a movement trajectory 1802 of the bucket 6 of the shovel 100 is generated in order to construct a slope 1801.

The management device 300 generates and transmits control signals to rotate the bucket 6 in a rotation direction 1811, to rotate the arm 5 in a rotation direction 1812, and to rotate the boom 4 in a rotation direction 1813 in order to move the bucket 6 along the movement trajectory 1802.

When the reception control unit 503 of the shovel 100 receives a control signal, the signal output unit 504 outputs the received control signal to a hydraulic system, etc. In this way, in this embodiment, it is possible to provide semi-automatic control, etc., for the shovel 100.

<Processing flow in the excavator control system SYS>
Next, a process flow will be described when the shovel control system SYS according to this embodiment performs semi-automatic control of the shovel 100. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow when the shovel control system SYS according to this embodiment performs semi-automatic control of the shovel 100.

First, the fixed-point measuring device 400 uses the spatial recognition device 403 to measure objects and the like present in the surrounding area (S1801). Then, the transmission control unit 411 of the fixed-point measuring device 400 transmits measurement information, which is the measurement result, to the management device 300 (S1802).

Then, the work site space generation unit 332 of the management device 300 generates a three-dimensional map of the virtual work site space 1701 based on the received measurement information (S1803). Note that the processes of S1801 to S1803 may update the three-dimensional map stored in the work site information storage unit 322 each time the fixed point measurement device 400 performs a measurement.

Then, in the excavator 100, the switching control unit 501 switches to network control in accordance with the operation received from the input device D1 (S1804).

Then, the transmission control unit 502 of the excavator 100 notifies the management device 300 that it has switched to network control (S1805).

In response to the notification of the switch, the movement trajectory generation unit 333 of the management device 300 reads the construction information of the excavator 100 from the construction information storage unit 321 (S1806).

The shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 acquires detection information indicating the detection results of the various sensors and position information from the positioning device S6 (S1807). The detection information and position information are acquired periodically. Then, the transmission control unit 502 transmits the detection information and position information to the management device 300 (S1808).

Then, the movement trajectory generating unit 333 of the management device 300 generates a movement trajectory for performing construction work from the current position of the excavator 100 according to the construction information (S1809).

Again, the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 acquires detection information indicating the detection results of the various sensors and position information from the positioning device S6 (S1810). Furthermore, the shovel controller 50 accepts operations from the operating device 26 (S1811).

Then, the transmission control unit 502 transmits the location information, detection information, and operation information (S1812).

Then, in the management device 300, when the reception control unit 331 receives the position information, detection information, and operation information, the signal generation unit 334 generates a control signal for moving the lower traveling body 1 or the bucket 6, etc. from the current position along the movement trajectory (S1813).

The transmission control unit 335 transmits the control signal generated by the signal generation unit 334 to the excavator 100 (S1814).

The signal output unit 504 outputs the received control signal to the hydraulic system (S1815). In this embodiment, the processes of S1810 to S1815 are repeated to operate the excavator 100 along the movement trajectory.

In the above-described embodiment, the management device 300 transmits a control signal to the shovel 100, so that the shovel 100 can achieve advanced control such as semi-automatic control. This reduces the operational burden on the operator.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the management device 300 recognizes the current position and current operating status of the shovel 100 (for example, the position of the bucket 6) by receiving position information and detection information from the shovel 100. However, the above-described embodiment does not limit the method of recognizing the current position and current operating status of the shovel 100 to a method based on position information and detection information from the shovel 100. In the modified example, an example will be described in which the position and operating status of the shovel 100 are identified based on measurement information from the fixed point measurement device 400.

The fixed point measuring device 400 according to this modified example transmits measurement information. The measurement information includes information indicating the distance to the object, and therefore also includes the position of the shovel 100 relative to the fixed point measuring device 400 and the shape of the shovel 100. Therefore, the work site space generating unit 332 recognizes the position and shape of the shovel 100 based on the received measurement information. The shape of the shovel 100 allows the position of the attachment to be recognized. In other words, the management device 300 according to this modified example can identify the position of the shovel 100 and the operating status of the shovel 100 (for example, the position of the bucket 6) from the measurement information.

The fixed point measurement device 400 may also be provided with an imaging device. The fixed point measurement device 400 may then transmit image information captured by the imaging device to the management device 300. The work site space generation unit 332 of the management device 300 may then identify the position and operating status of the excavator 100 based on a combination of the measurement information and the image information.

(Modification 2 of the First Embodiment)
In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the management device 300 performs control based on the measurement information of the fixed point measurement device 400. However, the above-described embodiment is not limited to a case in which the fixed point measurement device 400 performs measurement. For example, a detachable spatial recognition device may be provided for the shovel 100.

Then, before performing network control, a spatial recognition device is attached to the shovel 100. Then, the communication device T1 of the shovel 100 may transmit measurement information, which is the measurement result of the spatial recognition device, to the management device 300.

Furthermore, the components that can be attached and detached to the excavator 100 are not limited to the spatial recognition device, and any one or more of the positioning device S6, boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 may be detachable.

In other words, in this modified example, the positioning device S6, boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 are attached to the excavator 100 along with the spatial recognition device, thereby achieving the same control as in the above-described embodiment.

The spatial recognition device, positioning device S6, boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 may be borrowed, for example, from a designated vendor. Then, these components borrowed from the designated vendor may be attached to the excavator 100.

In this modified example, while there is a problem that costs will be high if sensing-related configuration is provided as standard equipment on the shovel 100, there is also a desire to perform semi-automatic control using the sensing-related configuration. Therefore, in this modified example, a method is proposed in which sensing-related configuration is attached to the shovel 100 as needed. Therefore, even if the fixed-point measurement device 400 is not installed at the work site as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the management device 300 can provide support for controlling the shovel 100. This reduces the workload of the operator.

Second Embodiment
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the management device 300 performs so-called semi-automatic control in which the management device 300 generates and transmits a control signal when it receives operation information from the shovel 100. However, the present invention is not limited to the example of performing semi-automatic control as in the above-described embodiment, and the management device 300 may perform fully automatic control of the shovel 100. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a case in which the shovel 100 is fully automatic will be described. Note that the configurations of the management device 300 and the shovel 100 are similar to those in the above-described embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

<Processing flow in the excavator control system SYS>
Next, a process flow will be described for the case where the shovel control system SYS according to this embodiment performs semi-automatic control of the shovel 100. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow for the case where the shovel control system SYS according to this embodiment performs fully automatic control of the shovel 100.

First, the management device 300 generates a 3D map of the work site by performing the same processes as S1801 to S1803 described above (S2001 to S2003). Note that the processes of S2001 to S2003 may update the 3D map each time the fixed point measuring device 400 performs a measurement.

Then, in the excavator 100, the switching control unit 501 switches to network control in accordance with the operation received from the input device D1 (S2004). In this embodiment, an example is given in which fully automatic control is performed when switching to network control. Note that the present invention is not limited to this switching method, and when switching to network control, the user may be able to select between the semi-automatic control shown in the first embodiment and the fully automatic control shown in this embodiment.

Note that this embodiment is not limited to the method of switching to network control by operation from the input device D1. For example, the switching control unit 501 may switch to network control according to operation information received from a communication terminal owned by the manager of the work site. In this way, in this embodiment, it is possible to switch to network control even if the person is not on board the excavator 100.

Then, the management device 300 performs the same process as S1805 to S1809, up to generating a movement trajectory for the excavator to perform work (S2005 to S2009).

The shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 acquires detection information indicating the detection results of the various sensors and position information from the positioning device S6 (S2010). Then, the transmission control unit 502 transmits the detection information and position information to the management device 300 (S2011).

When the reception control unit 331 of the management device 300 receives the position information and detection information, the signal generation unit 334 generates a control signal for moving the lower traveling body 1 or the bucket 6, etc. from the current position along the movement trajectory (S2012).

The transmission control unit 335 transmits the control signal generated by the signal generation unit 334 to the excavator 100 (S2013).

The signal output unit 504 outputs the received control signal to the hydraulic system (S2014). In this embodiment, the processes of S2010 to S2014 are repeated to operate the excavator 100 along the movement trajectory.

In other words, in this embodiment, a control signal for moving the shovel 100 is generated and transmitted based on the position information and detection information received from the shovel 100. This allows construction to be performed by fully automatic control using the shovel 100, even if an operator is not on board the shovel 100.

Third Embodiment
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which semi-automatic control or fully automatic control is performed by the shovel 100. However, the control that can be realized by the shovel 100 is not limited to semi-automatic control or fully automatic control. Therefore, in the third embodiment, a case in which remote control is performed by the shovel 100 will be described.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an excavator control system SYS1 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 11, the excavator 100, the management device 300, the fixed point measurement device 400, and the remote control room RC are connected via a communication line NW. Note that the configurations of the excavator 100 and the management device 300 are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment.

The fixed-point measuring device 400 may be provided with an imaging device. The fixed-point measuring device 400 may then transmit measurement information, including image information captured by the imaging device, to the management device 300.

In the shovel 100, the switching control unit 501 can switch between network control and manual control. The network control in this embodiment indicates remote control. When switching the network control, it may be possible to select any one of semi-automatic control of the shovel 100, fully automatic control of the shovel 100, and remote control of the shovel 100.

When the control is switched to network control, remote control by the remote control room RC is started. Note that the switching to network control is not limited to operations received from the input device D1 of the excavator 100, but may be based on operation information from the communication terminal of the manager at the work site.

When the switching control unit 501 switches to network control, the communication device T1 provided in the shovel 100 is used to transmit detection information from various sensors provided in the shovel 100 to the management device 300.

The work site space generation unit 332 of the management device 300 generates a three-dimensional map of the work site, and generates a display screen showing the surroundings of the shovel 100 from the position of the shovel 100 based on the three-dimensional map and the received image information. The display screen may be a virtual display screen showing the surroundings of the shovel 100 from the viewpoint of the cabin 10 of the shovel 100, an overhead display screen showing the surroundings of the shovel 100, a virtual three-dimensional map of the work site, or a combination of these. Then, the transmission control unit 335 transmits the generated display screen to the remote control room RC.

The remote control room RC of the excavator control system SYS1 according to this embodiment is provided with a display device DR, an operating device D1R, a pressure sensor D2R, an operating seat DS, a remote controller 80, and a communication device T2. An operator OP sits in the operating seat DS.

The remote controller (an example of a remote control device) 80 performs overall control of the remote control room RC.

The communication device T2 transmits and receives information between the management device 300 and the excavator 100.

The display device DR displays the display screen received from the management device 300 via the communication device T2. This allows the operator OP at the operator's seat DS to check the situation around the excavator 100 even when he or she is in the remote control room RC.

An operator OP present at the operating seat DS in the remote control room RC operates an operating device (an example of a remote operating device) D1R. Then, the pressure sensor D2R detects the operation content received by the operating device D1R.

In this embodiment, the excavator 100 may be manually controlled or semi-automatically controlled from the remote control room RC.

When performing manual control, the remote controller 80 generates a control signal corresponding to the detected operation content. For example, one operating lever of the operating device D1R is used for rotation operation and operation of the arm 5. When the operating lever is operated in the forward/backward direction, the remote controller 80 generates a control signal that operates the arm cylinder 8 with a control pressure according to the amount of lever operation. In this way, the remote controller 80 generates a control signal for performing manual control of the shovel 100 according to the amount of operation of the operating lever. Then, the communication device T2 transmits the generated control signal to the shovel 100. By transmitting the control signal, the remote controller 80 can realize remote manual control of the shovel 100.

Note that the remote operation of the excavator 100 from the remote operation room RC according to this embodiment is not limited to the manual control described above, and may be semi-automatic control with support from the management device 300. Next, a case where semi-automatic control is performed will be described.

<Processing flow in the excavator control system SYS1>
Next, a process flow will be described when semi-automatic control is performed by the shovel 100 in the shovel control system SYS1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing a process flow when semi-automatic control of the shovel 100 is performed by remote operation in the shovel control system SYS1 according to this embodiment.

First, the fixed point measuring device 400 uses the spatial recognition device 403 to measure objects present in the surrounding area (S2201). In this embodiment, an image capturing device may be used to capture an image of the surrounding area. Then, the transmission control unit 411 of the fixed point measuring device 400 transmits measurement information, which is the measurement result, to the management device 300 (S2202). The measurement information also includes captured image information.

Then, the work site space generation unit 332 of the management device 300 generates a three-dimensional map of the virtual work site space 1701 based on the received measurement information (S2203). The work site space generation unit 332 may attach image information to the generated three-dimensional shape. The processes of S2201 to S2203 may update the three-dimensional map stored in the work site information storage unit 322 each time the fixed point measurement device 400 performs a measurement.

Then, in the excavator 100, the switching control unit 501 switches to network control (remote control) according to the input operation received from the input device D1 or the operation information received from the communication terminal (S2204). In the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 12, settings are made for semi-automatic control.

Then, the transmission control unit 502 of the excavator 100 notifies the management device 300 that it has switched to network control (S2205).

Then, the work site space generation unit 332 of the management device 300 generates a display screen that can be viewed from the position of the excavator 100 based on the three-dimensional map of the work site and the image information (S2206).

The transmission control unit 335 of the management device 300 transmits the generated display screen to the remote control room RC (S2207).

The remote controller 80 in the remote operation room RC displays the received display screen on the display device DR (S2208).

Meanwhile, the movement trajectory generation unit 333 of the management device 300 reads the construction information of the excavator 100 from the construction information storage unit 321 (S2209).

The shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 acquires detection information indicating the detection results of the various sensors and position information from the positioning device S6 (S2210). The detection information and position information are acquired periodically. Then, the transmission control unit 502 transmits the detection information and position information to the management device 300 (S2211).

Then, the movement trajectory generating unit 333 of the management device 300 generates a movement trajectory for performing construction work from the current position of the excavator 100 according to the construction information (S2212).

Meanwhile, the shovel controller 50 of the shovel 100 acquires detection information indicating the detection results of the various sensors and position information from the positioning device S6 (S2213). Then, the transmission control unit 502 transmits the position information and detection information (S2214).

Meanwhile, the remote controller 80 receives operation from the operating device D1R via the pressure sensor D2R (S2215).

Then, the remote controller 80 uses the communication device T2 to transmit operation information (an example of remote operation information) indicating the accepted operation (S2216).

Then, in the management device 300, the reception control unit 331 receives the position information and detection information, and when operation information is received, the signal generation unit 334 generates a control signal for moving the lower traveling body 1 or the bucket 6, etc. from the current position along the movement trajectory in accordance with the operation (S2217).

The transmission control unit 335 transmits the control signal generated by the signal generation unit 334 to the shovel 100 (S2218).

The signal output unit 504 outputs the received control signal to the hydraulic system (S2219). In this embodiment, the processes of S2213 to S2219 are repeated to operate the excavator 100 along the movement trajectory.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the remote control room RC and the management device 300 are provided separately. However, this embodiment is not limited to an example in which the remote control room RC and the management device 300 are provided separately, and the management device 300 may be provided in the remote control room RC.

In this embodiment, the shovel 100 can be controlled from a remote location by performing operations in the remote control room RC. Therefore, even if the work site is in a remote location, it is easy to secure an operator for the shovel 100.

<Action>
The shovel 100 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example is provided with the above-described configuration, and is therefore capable of switching between manual control and network control. In other words, the shovel 100 can perform work by manual control when advanced control using sensing is not required, and can perform work by network control with support from the management device 300 when advanced control is required. This can reduce the workload of the operator.

In the above-described embodiment, the work site is visualized by the fixed-point measuring device 400, so the management device 300 can grasp the situation at the work site. Therefore, even if the shovel 100 is not equipped with advanced sensing-related configuration, it can perform work based on the situation at the work site by operating according to control signals from the management device 300. For example, the shovel 100 can operate the bucket 6 according to the control signals from the management device 300 to form a three-dimensional shape of the work site according to the construction information held by the management device 300.

In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, even if the excavator does not have a sensing-related configuration such as a spatial recognition device or a controller capable of implementing MC (machine control), it is possible to achieve advanced control such as semi-automatic control, fully automatic control, or remote control as described above, thereby achieving cost reduction.

Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 100 Shovel 1 Lower travelling body 2 Swivel mechanism 3 Upper swing body 4 Boom 5 Arm 6 Bucket 7 Boom cylinder 8 Arm cylinder 9 Bucket cylinder S1 Boom angle sensor S2 Arm angle sensor S3 Bucket angle sensor S4 Machine body inclination sensor S5 Swivel angular velocity sensor S6 Positioning device T1 Communication device 50 Shovel controller 501 Switching control unit 502 Transmission control unit 503 Reception control unit 504 Signal output unit 400 Fixed point measurement device 401 Communication device 402 Position information storage unit 403 Space recognition device 404 Controller 411 Transmission control unit 300 Management device 301 Communication device 302 Storage device 321 Construction information storage unit 322 Work site information storage unit 303 Controller 331 Reception control unit 332 Work site space generation unit 333 Movement trajectory generation unit 334 Signal generation unit 335 Transmission control unit RC Remote control room DR Display device D1R Operation device D2R Pressure sensor 80 Remote controller T2 Communication device

Claims (8)

A lower running body;
An upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body;
An attachment attached to the upper rotating body;
An operating device having an electric operating lever;
A communication device configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from an external device;
a control device that is configured to be able to switch between a first control that controls at least one of the lower traveling body, the upper rotating body, and the attachment in accordance with first operation information received by the operation device, and a second control that receives a control signal that controls at least one of the lower traveling body, the upper rotating body, the upper rotating body, and the attachment from the external device, and controls in accordance with the received control signal;
An excavator equipped with When performing the second control, the communication device transmits second operation information accepted by the operation device to the external device, and receives the control signal based on the second operation information from the external device.
The shovel according to claim 1. Further comprising a detection device for detecting the position of the attachment;
When performing the second control, the communication device transmits a position detection result by the detection device to the external device, and receives the control signal for controlling the attachment based on the detection result from the external device.
A shovel as claimed in claim 1. The first control does not include control of the shovel based on construction information indicating a three-dimensional shape of a construction target,
The second control includes control of the shovel to form a three-dimensional shape of a construction target based on the construction information.
A shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A shovel control system including a shovel, an external device, and a spatial recognition device,
The spatial recognition device includes a first communication device that transmits measurement information obtained by measuring the periphery of the shovel to the external device,
The shovel is
the control device is configured to be switchable between a first control for controlling at least one of the lower traveling body, the upper rotating body, and the attachment in accordance with first operation information received by the operation device, and a second control for receiving a control signal for controlling at least one of the lower traveling body, the upper rotating body, and the attachment from the external device, and controlling in accordance with the received control signal;
The external device is
A third communication device that receives the measurement information from the spatial recognition device; and a second control device that generates the control signal based on the measurement information,
the third communication device transmits the control signal to the second communication device;
Excavator control system. The shovel further includes a detection device for detecting a position of the attachment,
When performing the second control, the second communication device transmits a result of the position detection by the detection device to the external device, and receives the control signal for controlling the attachment based on the detection result from the external device.
The second control device of the external device generates the control signal based on the detection result and the measurement information.
The excavator control system according to claim 5. The external device is
Further, a storage device is provided for storing construction information indicating a three-dimensional shape of a construction object,
The second control device further generates the control signal based on the detection result, the measurement information, and the construction information.
The excavator control system according to claim 6. The shovel control system further includes a remote control device,
The remote control device includes a fourth communication device and a remote operation device,
The fourth communication device transmits remote operation information received by the remote operation device to the external device;
The second control device further generates the control signal based on the remote operation information.
A shovel control system according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

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