Display system in an excavator and method for controlling same

• US 10,267,020 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukano, Ryo, Nomura, Azumi, Kurihara, Takashi, Fujita, Etsuo, Ando, Masao, Koide, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh K
• Application Number:
  US15/237,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20160356022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 701 344, 701 50, 701 291, 701 1, 701104, 701 2, 701 323, 701 337
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/43 Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations
• 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 9/22 Hydraulic or pneumatic drives for dipper or bucket arm position control E02F3/43, for blade position control for graders E02F3/844; for turntables E02F9/121; for fork-lift trucks B66F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2221 Control of flow rate; Load sensing arrangements E02F9/2203 take precedence over E02F9/2221
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

In a display system in an excavator, a position of an upper boundary line and a position of a lower boundary line are calculated. The upper boundary line indicates a height of a top of a cross section of a display object surface. The lower boundary line indicates a height of a bottom of the cross section of the display object surface. A predetermined reference point of a display range is set based on a positional relationship in an up-and-down direction between the current position of the excavator and the upper boundary line or between the current position of the excavator and the lower boundary line. A guidance picture showing a cross section of the display object surface included in the predetermined display range as seen from a side of the excavator, and the current position of the excavator, is displayed.

Claims

1. A display system in an excavator for displaying a guidance picture showing a current position of the excavator and a display object surface indicating a part of a target land shape of an object of excavation, the system comprising:

a storage unit configured and arranged to store land shape data indicating a position of the display object surface;

a position detector unit configured and arranged to detect a current position of the excavator;

a display controller configured to

set a predetermined display range displayed as the guidance picture for the land shape data,

calculate a position of an upper boundary line indicating a height of a top of a cross section of the display object surface and a position of a lower boundary line indicating a height of a bottom of a cross section of the display object surface based on the land shape data and the current position of the excavator, and

display the guidance picture showing a side view of a cross section of the display object surface included in the display range and the current position of the excavator; and

a display unit configured to display the guidance picture so that the cross section of the display object surface does not move when the current position of the excavator is different in an up-and-down direction between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line and the display range moves following the excavator when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line or below the lower boundary line by the display controller.

2. An excavator comprising the display system in the excavator according to claim 1.

4. The display system in the excavator according to claim 1, wherein

the display controller displays the guidance picture so that the display range is moved upwards based on the distance between the current position of the excavator and the upper boundary line when the current position of the excavator is located above the upper boundary line and the display range is moved downwards based on the distance between the current position of the excavator and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is located below the lower boundary line.

3. A method for controlling a display system in an excavator for displaying a guidance picture showing a current position of the excavator and a display object surface indicating part of a target land shape of an object of excavation, the method comprising:

detecting the current position of the excavator;

setting a predetermined display range displayed as the guidance picture for land shape data indicating a position of the display object surface;

calculating a position of an upper boundary line indicating a height of a top of a cross section of the display object surface as seen from a side of the excavator and a position of a lower boundary line indicating a height of a bottom of a cross section of the display object surface as seen from the side, based on the land shape data and the current position of the excavator;

displaying the guidance picture showing a side view of a cross section of the display object surface included in the display range and the current position of the excavator; and

displaying the guidance picture so that the cross section of the display object surface does not move when the current position of the excavator is different in an up-and-down direction between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line and the display range moves following the excavator when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line or below the lower boundary line.

5. The method for controlling the display system in the excavator according to claim 3, wherein

the guidance picture is displayed so that the display range is moved upwards based on the distance between the current position of the excavator and the upper boundary line when the current position of the excavator is located above the upper boundary line and the display range is moved downwards based on the distance between the current position of the excavator and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is located below the lower boundary line.