Control system for work machine, work machine, and control method for work machine

• US 10,120,388 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakai, Atsushi, Ryuman, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/316,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058

Abstract

A control system for a work machine includes a non-contact sensor, a position output device, a correction position calculation unit, and a control device. The non-contact sensor detects a periphery of a work machine. The position output device determines a position of the work machine based on at least a detection result of the non-contact sensor, and outputs information of the position. The correction position calculation unit corrects the position determined by the position output device based on delay time including at least a delay in communication with the position output device. The control device generates a command for controlling the work machine using the corrected position corrected by the correction position calculation unit.

Claims

1. A control system for a work machine, comprising:

a non-contact sensor configured to detect a periphery of a work machine;

a gyro sensor configured to detect an orientation or an orientation change amount of the work machine;

a speed sensor configured to detect a traveling speed of the work machine;

a control device mounted on the work machine, and configured to receive detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor; and

a position output device mounted on the work machine, and configured to receive the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor from the control device, determine a position of the work machine based on a detection result of the non-contact sensor, map information including the position of an object existing in a mine in advance, the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor from the control device, and output information of the position to the control device;

wherein

the control device and the position output device exchange information by communicating with one another via a signal line,

the control device defines time when the control device transmits the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor to the position output device as first time,

the control device defines time when the control device starts to control the traveling of the work machine based on the position of the work machine as second time,

the control device defines a difference between the first time and the second time as delay time,

the control device includes;

a correction position calculation unit that corrects the position determined by the position output device, based on the delay time; and

a traveling control unit that generates a command for controlling the work machine based on a corrected position corrected by the correction position calculation unit.

2. The control system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the position output device determines the position of the work machine based on the detection result of the non-contact sensor, the map information including the position of the object existing in the mine in advance, the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor from the control device, by using scan matching navigation, and outputs information of the position to the control device, and

the control device determines a position to which the work machine has moved, during the delay time, based on the position from the position output device and corresponding to the first time, the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor, and the delay time, by using dead reckoning navigation, and defines the determined position as the corrected position.

3. The control system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the control device reduces an influence of at least one of

the delay caused by the communication between the control device and the position output device,

the delay caused by instantaneous interruption of the communication between the control device and the position output device,

the delay caused by a difference in the control cycles between the control device and the position output device, and

the delay caused by the processing in the position output device,

by controlling the work machine based on the corrected position.

4. A work machine comprising:

the control system for a work machine according to claim 1; and

a traveling device controlled by the control device included in the control system for the work machine.

5. A control method for a work machine, comprising:

detecting a periphery of a work machine by a non-contact sensor;

detecting an orientation or an orientation change amount of the work machine by a gyro sensor;

detecting a traveling speed of the work machine by a speed sensor;

defining time when detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor are transmitted from an on-board control device to an on-board position output device via a signal line as first time;

determining a position of the work machine based on a detected result of the non-contact sensor, map information including the position of an object existing in a mine in advance, and the detection results of the gyro sensor and the speed sensor, and outputting information of the position from the on-board position output device to the on-board control device via the signal line;

defining time when controlling the traveling of the work machine based on the position of the work machine is started as second time;

defining a difference between the first time and the second time as delay time;

correcting the position of the work machine based on the output information of the position and the delay time; and

generating a command for controlling the work machine based on a corrected position of the work machine.