CONSTRUCTION MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM, CONSTRUCTION MACHINE, CONSTRUCTION MACHINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND CONSTRUCTION MACHINE CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20170124862A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Ryuman, Mitsuhiro, Tojima, Masanori, Sakai, Atsushi, Nishijima, Akiharu
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 : Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 : with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A construction machine control system (30) includes: a GPS receiver (31) that detects a GPS position of a dump truck; a laser sensor (24B) that detects a position of an object around the dump truck; and a position measurement controller (33) that detects a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from the surface of the travel route from the detection result of the GPS receiver (31) and the detection result of the laser sensor (24B) when the dump truck travels along the travel route and stores the detected position of the vertical projection in a map storage database (36) as map information of the travel route. The position measurement controller (33) determines whether the dump truck is in a state that decreases the accuracy of the map information, continues storing the map information of the travel route in a period in which it is determined that the dump truck is not in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information, and stops storing the map information of the travel route in a period in which it is determined that the dump truck is in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information.

Claims

1. A construction machine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, comprising:

a position detection unit that detects a position of the construction machine;

a non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine; and

a measurement output unit that detects a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a detection result of the position detection unit and a detection result of the non-contact sensor and stores the detected position of the vertical projection in a map information storage unit as map information, wherein

the measurement output unit determines whether the construction machine is in a state that decreases accuracy of the map information, and

when it is determined that the construction machine is in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information, the measurement output unit stops storing the map information.

2. The construction machine control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route position storage unit that stores information that designates the travel route;

a determination unit that determines whether an error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error; and

a travel control unit that allows the construction machine to travel along the travel route stored in the route position storage unit based on the position of the construction machine detected by the position detection unit when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error.

3. The construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein

the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information of the travel route stored by the map information storage unit to specify the position of the construction machine when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit exceeds the predetermined error, and

the travel control unit allows the construction machine to travel along the travel route stored in the route position storage unit based on the position of the construction machine specified by the measurement output unit.

4. The construction machine control system according to claim 3, wherein

the measurement output unit determines whether the construction machine is in a state that decreases position measurement accuracy, and

the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to stop specifying the position of the construction machine when it is determined that the construction machine is in the state that decreases the position measurement accuracy.

5. The construction machine control system according to claim 2, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to specify the position of the construction machine and determines whether it is appropriate to allow the construction machine to travel along the travel route based on the position of the construction machine specified by the measurement output unit.

6. The construction machine control system according to claim 5, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit detects and stores a distance between the position detected by the position detection unit and the position of the construction machine obtained by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit.

7. A construction machine comprising:

the construction machine control system according to claim 1; and

a vehicle body that travels along a travel route provided in a mine.

8. A construction machine management system comprising:

the construction machine according to claim 7; and

a management device that is disposed in a control facility provided in a mine and transmits information that designates a travel route provided in the mine to a construction machine control system of the construction machine.

11. The construction machine control system according to claim 3, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to specify the position of the construction machine and determines whether it is appropriate to allow the construction machine to travel along the travel route based on the position of the construction machine specified by the position measurement unit.

12. The construction machine control system according to claim 11, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the measurement output unit detects and stores a distance between the position detected by the position detection unit and the position of the construction machine obtained by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit.

9. A construction machine control method for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, comprising:

detecting a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a position of the construction machine and a detection result of a non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine when the construction machine travels along the travel route;

storing the detected position of the vertical projection as map information of the travel route; and

stopping storing the map information of the travel route when the construction machine is in a state that decreases accuracy of the map information.

10. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer provided in a construction machine that travels along a travel route, cause the computer to perform:

determining whether the construction machine is in a state that decreases accuracy of map information of the travel route, indicating a position of a vertical projection that protrudes vertically when the construction machine travels along the travel route;

detecting the position of the vertical projection from the position of the construction machine and a detection result of a non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine when it is determined that the construction machine is not in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information to store the detected position of the vertical projection in a map information storage unit as the map information of the travel route; and

stopping storing the map information of the travel route when it is determined that the construction machine is in the state that decreases the accuracy of the map information.