Remote control system and remote setting system for construction machinery

• US 20030147727A1
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kurenuma, Tooru, Ogura, Hiroshi, Fujishima, Kazuo, Ishibashi, Hideto
• Granted Patent: US 6,782,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/200
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/437 providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• 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: E02F 9/2833 Retaining means, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/10 using single different frequencies

Abstract

A hydraulic excavator 1 has an area limiting excavation control function for controlling operation of a front working device so as to form a target work plane. A remote control terminal 102 for wirelessly maneuvering the hydraulic excavator 1 is provided in a management office so that entry of setting information of a target excavation plane and remote maneuvering can be performed from the side of the remote control terminal 102. A display unit 71b for displaying a positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator 1 and the target excavation plane is further provided in the remote control terminal. An operator can remotely set the target excavation plane while looking at a screen of the display unit 71b, and also form the target excavation plane by remotely maneuvering the front working device 7 using a joystick 72 with the aid of a control function of an area limiting excavation controller. As a result, the remote setting of the target excavation plane and the remote maneuvering of the hydraulic excavator 1 can be easily performed.

Claims

1. A remote control system for a construction machine (1;

1A;

1B) comprising a plurality of driven members including a plurality of vertically rotatable front members (8, 9, 10) which constitute a multi-articulated front working device (7), a plurality of hydraulic actuators (11, 12, 13) for driving respectively said plurality of driven members, a plurality of hydraulic control valves (24, 25, 26) for controlling flow rates of a hydraulic fluid supplied to said plurality of hydraulic actuators, and front control means (53,56;

633;

633B) for controlling said plurality of hydraulic control valves and controlling operation of said front working device so as to form a preset target work plane, wherein;

the system includes machine-side control means (101;

101A;

101B) equipped in said construction machine (1;

1A;

1B) and a remote control terminal (102;

102A;

102B) for wirelessly maneuvering said construction machine,

said remote control terminal comprises remote control means (72) for outputting wireless maneuvering signals to instruct operations of said plurality of driven members (8, 9, 10), input means (71,71c;

71A,645;

71B,645) for inputting setting information of the target work plane, first wireless communicating means (73,74;

73A,74) for transmitting the wireless maneuvering signals and the setting information to said construction machine, and display means (71,71b;

71A,644;

71B,644) for displaying a positional relationship between said-construction machine and the target work plane,

said machine-side control means includes second wireless communicating means (54;

54A) for receiving the wireless maneuvering signals and the setting information from said remote control terminal, and

said front control means (53,56;

633;

633B) controls said hydraulic control valves (24, 25, 26) based on the wireless maneuvering signals and the setting information, thereby controlling the operation of said front working device (7) so as to form the target work plane.

2. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein:

said input means (71,71c;

71A,645;

71B,645) of said remote control terminal (102;

102A;

102B) is means for inputting the setting information correlated to an external reference (R;

Σ

_G) for said construction machine (1;

1A;

1B), and said display means (71,71b;

71A,644;

71B,644) is means for displaying the positional relationship between said construction machine and the target work plane in correlation to the external reference,

one of said machine-side control means (101;

101A;

101B) and said remote control terminal (102;

102A;

102B) further includes setting information converting means (52,53,55,55d;

531,532,643,S510-S550;

725,762,764,643B, S710-S790) for converting the setting information of the target work plane correlated to the external reference for said construction machine into the positional relationship between said construction machine and the target work plane, and

said front control means (53,56;

633;

633B) controls said hydraulic control valves (24, 25, 26) based on the wireless maneuvering signals and the setting information converted into the positional relationship between said construction machine and the target work plane, thereby controlling the operation of said front working device (7) so as to form the target work plane.

3. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the external reference (R) is a laser reference plane formed by a laser beam emitted from a laser beam stand (51), said input means (71,71c) is means for inputting, as the setting information, a positional relationship between the laser reference plane and the target work plane, and said setting information converting means (52, 53, 55, 55d) comprises measuring means (52, 55b) for measuring a positional relationship between said construction machine (1) and the laser reference plane, and computing means (55d) for determining the positional relationship between said construction machine and the target work plane by using the positional relationship between the laser reference plane and the target work plane inputted through said setting means and the positional relationship between said construction machine and the laser reference plane measured by said measuring means.

4. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

said display means (71b) of said remote control terminal (102) operates in a switchable manner between a setting mode and a remote control mode, displays a positional relationship among the external reference (R), the target work plane and said construction machine (1) when the setting mode is selected, and displays a positional relationship between the target work plane and said front working device (7) when the remote control mode is selected.

5. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein:

the external reference (Σ

_G) is an external coordinate system set outside said construction machine (1A;

1B) and having a known position and posture,

said input means (71A,644;

71B,644) is means for inputting, as the setting information, working data correlated to the external coordinate system, and

said setting information converting means (531,532,643, S510-S550;

725,762,764,643B,S710-S790) is means provided in said remote control terminal (102A;

102B), creating setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system from the working data, and converting the created setting information into the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of a machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) set on said construction machine.

6. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein:

the external coordinate system (Σ

_G) is an orthogonal coordinate system having the origin set to the center of an ellipsoid representing the globe.

7. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein:

said setting information converting means (531,532, 643,S510-S550;

725,762,764,643B,S710-S790) comprises machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (531,532,S510-S530;

725,762,764,S710-S770) for determining the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) as values on the external coordinate system (Σ

_G), and setting information computing means (S550;

S790) for converting the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system into the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the machine body coordinate system by using the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system on the basis of the external coordinate system determined by said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means.

8. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 7, wherein:

said setting information converting means (643,S510-S550;

643B,S710-S790) further comprises means (S540;

S780) for comparing the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) on the basis of the external coordinate system (Σ

_G) with the working data, extracting a part of the working data with respect to the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system, and creating the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system from the part of the working data.

9. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 7,

wherein said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (531,532,S510-S530) comprises:

at least two GPS receiving means (531, 532) installed on said construction machine (1A) at different positions, and

coordinate position computing means (S510-S530) for determining the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB), as values on the external coordinate system (Σ

_G), based on information received by said two GPS receiving means.

10. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 9, wherein:

said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (531, 532, S510-S530) further comprises inclination measuring means (524) for measuring an inclination of said construction machine, and

said coordinate position computing means (S510-S530) determines the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB), as values on the external coordinate system (Σ

_G), based on information received by said two GPS receiving means (531, 532) and a result measured by said inclination measuring means.

11. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 9, wherein:

said construction machine (1A) comprises a lower travel structure (2) and an upper swing structure (3) mounted on said lower travel structure in a swingable manner with said front working device (7) being mounted to said upper swing structure in a vertically rotatable manner,

said two GPS receiving means (531, 532) have two GPS antennas installed on said upper swing structure at different positions,

the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) is an orthogonal coordinate system fixedly set on said lower travel structure at a position near a rotation axis of said upper swing structure,

said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (531, 532, S510-S530) further comprises angle measuring means (520) for measuring a rotational angle of said upper swing structure relative to said lower travel structure, and

said coordinate position computing means (S510-S530) determines the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system, as values on the external coordinate system (Σ

_G), based on the information received by said two GPS receiving means and a result measured by said angle measuring means.

12. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 7,

wherein said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (725, 762, 764, S710-S770) comprises:

three-dimensional position measuring means (762) installed at a particular position on a ground, which has a known positional relationship relative to the external coordinate system (Σ

_G), and measuring a distance and azimuth of the particular position on the ground relative to a particular position on said construction machine (1B),

a laser beam receiver (725) installed on said construction machine,

a laser beam stand (764) for emitting a laser beam toward said laser beam receiver, and

coordinate position computing means (S710-S790) for computing a positional relationship between the particular position on the ground and the laser beam upon a trigger issued when said laser beam receiver receives the laser beam emitted from said laser beam stand, and determining the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) with respect to the particular position on the ground based on a thus-computed result and a result measured by said three-dimensional position measuring means.

13. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein:

said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (725, 762, 764, S710-S770) further comprises inclination measuring means (524) for measuring an inclination of said construction machine (1B), and

said coordinate position computing means (S710-S790) determines the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) with respect to the particular position on the ground based on the result of computing the positional relationship between the particular position on the ground, the laser beam and the result measured by said three-dimensional position measuring means (762), and a result measured by the inclination measuring means.

14. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein:

said construction machine (1B) comprises a lower travel structure (2) and an upper swing structure (3) mounted on said lower travel structure in a swingable manner with said front working device (7) being mounted to said upper swing structure in a vertically rotatable manner,

the particular position of said construction machine, at which the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) is set, is located near a rotation axis of said upper swing structure,

the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) is an orthogonal coordinate system fixedly set on said lower travel structure,

said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (725, 762, 764, S710-S770) further comprises angle measuring means (520) for measuring a rotational angle of said upper swing structure relative to said lower travel structure, and

said coordinate position computing means (S710-S790) determines the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) with respect to the particular position on the ground based on the result of computing the positional relationship between the particular position on the ground and the laser beam, the result measured by said three-dimensional position measuring means (762), and a result measured by said angle measuring means.

15. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 14, wherein:

said laser beam receiver (725) is provided on said front working device (7),

said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (725, 762, 764, S710-S770) further comprises position/posture measuring means (34, 35, 36) for measuring positions and postures of said plurality of front members constituting said front working device, and

said coordinate position computing means (S710-S790) determines the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) with respect to the particular position on the ground based on the result of computing the positional relationship between the particular position on the ground and the laser beam, the result measured by said three-dimensional position measuring means (762), the result measured by said angle measuring means, and a result measured by said position/posture measuring means.

16. A remote control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein:

said three-dimensional position measuring means (762) is a laser tracking device for tracking a reflector (761) installed at the particular position of said construction machine and measuring a distance to and azimuth of said reflector (761).

17. A remote setting system for a construction machine (1A, 1B) comprising a plurality of driven members including a plurality of vertically rotatable front members (8, 9, 10) which constitute a multi-articulated front working device (7), a plurality of hydraulic actuators (11, 12, 13) for driving respectively said plurality of driven members, a plurality of hydraulic control valves (24, 25, 26) for controlling flow rates of a hydraulic fluid supplied to said plurality of hydraulic actuators, and front control means (633;

633B) for controlling said plurality of hydraulic control valves and controlling operation of said front working device so as to form a preset target work plane, wherein;

the system includes machine-side control means (101A;

101B) equipped in said construction machine (1A;

1B) and a remote control terminal (102A;

102B),

said remote control terminal comprises input means (71A,645;

71B,645) for inputting working data correlated to an external coordinate system that is set outside said construction machine (1A;

1B) and has a known position and posture;

setting information converting means (531,532, 643,S510-S550;

725,762,764,643B,S710-S790) for creating setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system from the working data, and converting the created setting information into setting information of the target work plane on the basis of a machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) set on said construction machine;

first wireless communicating means (73A, 74) for transmitting the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) to said construction machine; and

display means (71A,644;

71B,644) for displaying a positional relationship between said construction machine and the target work plane in correlation to the external coordinate system,

said machine-side control means includes second wireless communicating means (54A) for receiving the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) from said remote control terminal, and

said front control means (53,56;

633;

633B) controls said hydraulic control valves (24, 25, 26) based on the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB), thereby controlling the operation of said front working device (7) so as to form the target work plane.

18. A remote setting system for a construction machine according to claim 17, wherein:

the external coordinate system (Σ

_G) is an orthogonal coordinate system having the origin set to the center of an ellipsoid representing the globe.

19. A remote setting system for a construction machine according to claim 17, wherein:

said setting information converting means (531,532, 643,S510-S550;

725,762,764,643B,S710-S790) comprises machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means (531,532,S510-S530;

725,762,764,S710-S770) for determining a position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) as values on the external coordinate system (Σ

_G) and setting information computing means (S550;

S790) for converting the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system into the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the machine body coordinate system by using the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system on the basis of the external coordinate system determined by said machine-body coordinate measuring and computing means.

20. A remote setting system for a construction machine according to claim 19, wherein:

said setting information converting means (643,S510-S550;

643B,S710-S790) further comprises means (S540;

S780) for comparing the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system (Σ

_SB) on the basis of the external coordinate system (Σ

_G) with the working data, extracting a part of the working data with respect to the position and posture of the machine body coordinate system, and creating the setting information of the target work plane on the basis of the external coordinate system from the part of the working data.