Construction machine control system, construction machine, construction machine management system, and construction machine control method and program

• US 10,026,308 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakai, Atsushi, Ryuman, Mitsuhiro, Tojima, Masanori, Nishijima, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US15/122,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 : Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 : with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A construction machine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, includes: a position detection unit that detects a position of the construction machine; a non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine; and a measurement output unit that detects a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a detection result of the position detection unit and a detection result of the non-contact sensor and stores the detected position of the vertical projection in a map information storage unit as map information, wherein the measurement output unit determines whether the construction machine is in a state that decreases accuracy of the map information, and when it is determined that the construction machine is in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information, the measurement output unit stops storing the map information.

Claims

1. A construction machine used in a mine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route in a mine, comprising:

a position detection unit that detects a position of the construction machine;

a non-contact sensor that detects a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a surface of the travel route and that is around the construction machine; and

a measurement output unit that detects the position of the construction machine detected by the position detection unit and the position of the vertical projection detected by the non-contact sensor, and stores the detected position of the vertical projection in a map information storage unit as map information, wherein

the measurement output unit determines whether the position detection unit provides a position with low accuracy because the construction machine is in the stopped state or because an error in position exceeds a predetermined error, and

when it is determined that the position detection unit is indicating a position with low accuracy, the measurement output unit stops storing the map information.

2. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route position storage unit that stores information that designates the travel route in the mine;

a determination unit that determines whether an error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error; and

a travel control unit that allows the construction machine to travel along the travel route in the mine stored in the route position storage unit based on the position of the construction machine detected by the position detection unit when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error.

3. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 2, wherein

the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information of the travel route in the mine stored by the map information storage unit to calculate the position of the construction machine when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit exceeds the predetermined error, and

the travel control unit allows the construction machine to travel along the travel route in the mine stored in the route position storage unit based on the position of the construction machine calculated by the measurement output unit.

4. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 3, wherein

the measurement output unit stops calculating the position of the construction machine when it is determined that the position detection unit is indicating a position with low accuracy.

5. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 2, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to calculate the position of the construction machine and determines whether it is appropriate to allow the construction machine to travel along the travel route in the mine based on the position of the construction machine calculated by the measurement output unit.

6. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 5, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit detects and stores a distance between the position detected by the position detection unit and the position of the construction machine obtained by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit.

7. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 1;

wherein

a vehicle body travels along the travel route provided in the mine.

8. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 7;

wherein

a management device that is disposed in a control facility is provided in the mine and transmits information that designates a travel route provided in the mine to the construction machine used in the mine control system of the construction machine.

9. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 3, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to calculate the position of the construction machine and determines whether it is appropriate to allow the construction machine to travel along the travel route in the mine based on the position of the construction machine calculated by the position measurement unit.

12. The construction machine used in the mine control system according to claim 9, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit calculates and stores a distance between the position detected by the position detection unit and the position of the construction machine obtained by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit.

10. A construction machine used in a mine control method for a construction machine used in a mine that travels along a travel route in the mine, comprising:

detecting a position of the construction machine from a position detection unit;

detecting a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a surface of the travel route around the construction machine from a non-contact sensor when the construction machine travels along the travel route in the mine;

storing the detected position of the vertical projection as map information of the travel route in the mine; and

stopping storing the map information of the travel route in the mine when the construction machine is in a stopped state or when the position detection unit provides an error in position that exceeds a predetermined error.

11. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer provided in a construction machine used in a mine that travels along a travel route in the mine, cause the computer to perform:

determining the position of the construction machine in the mine from a position detection unit;

detecting the position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a surface of the travel route around the construction machine from a detection result of a non-contact sensor;

storing the detected position of the vertical projection in a map information storage unit as the map information of the travel route in the mine; and

stopping storing the map information of the travel route in the mine when it is determined that the construction machine is in a stopped state or when the position detection unit provides a position with low accuracy that exceeds a predetermined error.