Map generation device

• US 10,253,481 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Katou, Manabu, Morizane, Hiroto, Kawamata, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/509,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• 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 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

The present invention includes: a map information storage unit 18 storing map data 18A representing a travelable area for a dump truck 7; a work machine information accumulation unit 19 accumulating position data 6A and operational data 6B of a hydraulic excavator 6; an operational range arithmetic processing unit 21 calculating an operational range of the hydraulic excavator 7 on the basis of the position data 6A and the operational data 6B accumulated in the work machine information accumulation unit 19; and a map information update unit 22 verifying the operational range of the hydraulic excavator 6 calculated by the operational range arithmetic processing unit 21 against the map data 18A stored in the map information storage unit 18 in order to correct the boundary 18a of the loading site 1 in the map data 18A and then update the map data 18A.

Claims

1. A map generation device which generates travelable map information representing an area capable of being traveled by work machines, including a haulage vehicle hauling a load, the travelable map information being defined as inside an area of a boundary of a working site,

the map generation device being configured by connecting a controller including a CPU;

a storage device; and

a communication device,

wherein the storage device stores programs that when executed by the CPU configure the CPU to;

store the travelable map information in the storage device and input/output the travelable map information to/from the storage device,

receive and transmit, with the communication device, position information obtained by positioning devices equipped on the work machines between the controller and the work machines,

wirelessly communicate the travelable map information stored in the storage device with the work machines including the haulage vehicle and a loading machine loading a load onto the haulage vehicle with the communication device;

accumulate position information representing a position of one of the work machines and operational information representing an operational status of the one work machine as the one work machine travels in the working site;

calculate an operational range of the one work machine on the basis of the position information and the operational information;

calculate a gravity center position as a reference point of the operational range of the one work machine on the basis of the position information;

and

verify the operational range of the one work machine against the travelable map information by determining that the one work machine is within the boundary of the working site when a distance between the gravity center position and a position closest to the gravity center position on the boundary of the working site is greater than a predetermined threshold;

correct boundary information of the working site in the travelable map information to decrease an area of the working site when the gravity center position is determined in the verifying of the operational range of the one work machine to be located within the boundary of the working site;

correct the boundary information of the working site in the travelable map information to increase the area of the working site when the gravity center position is determined in the verifying of the operational range of the one work machine to be either located on the boundary or outside the boundary of the working site;

and then update the travelable map information with the corrected boundary information.

2. The map generation device according to claim 1, wherein the programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to

calculate an operational range of the loading machine as the one work machine from a predetermined operational status of the loading machine in the operational information, and a position of the loading machine associated with the predetermined operational status in the position information.

3. The map generation device according to claim 2, wherein

the programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to calculate the operational range of the haulage vehicle as the one machine from a position of the haulage vehicle associated with the predetermined operational status in the position information, and

to verify the operational ranges of the loading machine and the haulage vehicle against the travelable map information in order to correct the boundary of the working site in the travelable map information and then update the travelable map information.

4. The map generation device according to claim 1, wherein programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to

determine whether or not to update the travelable map information based on a kind of dumping work of dumping the load by the haulage vehicle.

5. The map generation device according to claim 4, wherein

programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to, in paddock dumping in which the load is dumped while the haulage vehicle changes from one dumping position to another, and

when the haulage vehicle dumps the load at a same point of the working site a predetermined number of times, determine to update the travelable map information, and

when the haulage vehicle does not dump the load at the same point of the working site the predetermined number of times, determine not to update the travelable map information.

6. The map generation device according to claim 1, wherein the programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to

connect to a management system that transmits an operational instruction for operating the work machines and manages the operational status of the work machines;

collect contents of the operational instruction transmitted from the management system to the work machines,

and accumulate the contents of the operational instruction thus collected in the work machines.

7. The map generation device according to claim 1, wherein programs stored in the storage device when executed by the CPU further configure the CPU to, when the gravity center position of the loading machine is located on the boundary or outside the boundary of the working site in the travelable map information, transmit a confirmation instruction for confirming the boundary of the working site to the work machine before the boundary information of the working site in the travelable map information is corrected to increase the area of the working site.