Electronic control systems for construction machine

• US 20040133327A1
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kurosawa, Takao, Ishimoto, Hidefumi, Eguchi, Yoshinori, Ogura, Hiroshi, Narisawa, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2228 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2235 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump

Abstract

In an electronic control system for a construction machine, a governor control unit (17), an excavator body control unit (23), and an electric lever control unit (33) are interconnected for transmission and reception of data. The electronic control system comprises a universal communication line (40) connected to the governor control unit (17) and adapted for an interface in conformity with universal communication standards, a dedicated communication line (39) connected to the excavator body control unit (23) and the electric lever control unit (33) and adapted for an interface in conformity with dedicated communication standards different from the universal communication standards, and a communication relay control unit (100) connected to the universal communication line (40) and the dedicated communication line (39), converting communication data received from one of two systems of the communication lines to be in conformity with the communication standards of the other communication line, and transmitting converted data to the other communication line. As a result, a satisfactory electronic control function can be developed even when the present invention is applied to a recent construction machine having an interface in conformity with the universal communication standards.

Claims

1. An electronic control system for a construction machine, which is equipped in a construction machine (1) comprising a prime mover (14), a plurality of working devices (2, 3, 7), and plural pieces of hydraulic equipment (11, 12, 13, 18) generating hydraulic power based on driving forces of said prime mover (14) and driving said working devices (2, 3, 7), said electronic control system having a plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) including at least one of a prime mover control unit (17) for controlling said prime mover (14) and hydraulic equipment control units (23, 33) for controlling said hydraulic equipment (11, 12, 13, 18), said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) being interconnected for transmission and reception of data, said electronic control system further comprising:

a universal communication line (40) connected to a particular one (17) of said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) and adapted for an interface in conformity with universal communication standards;

a dedicated communication line (39) connected to other ones (23, 33) of said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) than said particular one and adapted for an interface in conformity with dedicated communication standards different from the universal communication standards; and

a communication relay control unit (100, 100′

) connected to said universal communication line (40) and said dedicated communication line (39), converting communication data received from one of two systems of said communication lines (40, 39) to be in conformity with the communication standards of the other communication line, and transmitting converted data to the other communication line.

3. An electronic control system for a construction machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) includes both of said prime mover control unit (17) and said hydraulic equipment control units (23, 33), said universal communication line (40) is connected to said prime mover control unit (17), and said dedicated communication line (39) is connected to said hydraulic equipment control units (23, 33).

4. An electronic control system for a construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one monitor (45, 46) connected to said dedicated communication line (39) and monitoring operating status of said construction machine.

5. An electronic control system for a construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a plurality of sensors (41, 42, 43, 44) for detecting status variables related to operating status of said construction machine, and at least one (46) of said control units (17, 23, 33) or said monitors (45, 46) includes collection means for collecting detected signals from said sensors (41, 42, 43, 44).

6. An electronic control system for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said control units (17, 23, 33) or said monitors (45, 46) for collecting the detected signals include information creating means for creating operating information data or failure information data for each of components of said construction machine (1) based on the detected signals collected.

2. An electronic control system for a construction machine, which is equipped in a construction machine (1) comprising a prime mover (14), a plurality of working devices (2, 3, 7), and plural pieces of hydraulic equipment (11, 12, 13, 18) generating hydraulic power based on driving forces of said prime mover (14) and driving said working devices (2, 3, 7), said electronic control system having a plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) including at least one of a prime mover control unit (17) for controlling said prime mover (14) and hydraulic equipment control units (23, 33) for controlling said hydraulic equipment (11, 12, 13, 18), said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) being interconnected for transmission and reception of data, said electronic control system further comprising:

a universal communication line (40) connected to a particular one (17) of said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) and adapted for an interface in conformity with universal communication standards;

a dedicated communication line (39) connected to other ones (23, 33) of said plurality of control units (17, 23, 33) than said particular one and adapted for an interface in conformity with dedicated communication standards different from the universal communication standards; and

a communication management control unit (100′

) connected to said universal communication line (40) and said dedicated communication line (39), and comprising storage means for temporarily storing communication data received from two systems of said communication lines (40, 39), and conversion means for, when a transmission request for communication data received from one of the two systems of said communication lines and stored in the storage means is received via the other communication line, converting the stored communication data to be adapted for the communication standards of the other communication line and outputting the converted data.