Display system in hydraulic shovel and control method therefor

• US 8,903,604 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukano, Ryo, Kurihara, Takashi, Fujita, Etsuo, Ando, Masao, Koide, Toshihiro, Nomura, Azumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/819,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/51, 701/36, 701/432, 701/457, 701/1
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool

Abstract

A calculation unit of a hydraulic shovel display system sets a predetermined display range displayed as a guidance picture for land shape data. The guidance picture shows a cross section of a target surface included in a display range as seen from a side of a main vehicle body, and a current position of the hydraulic shovel. The calculation unit calculates a position of a start point nearest the main vehicle body and a position of an end point set apart from the start point by a maximum reach length of the work machine in the cross section of the target surface as seen from the side based on land shape data, work machine data and a current position of the main vehicle body. The calculation unit calculates a predetermined reference point of the display range based on the positions of the start point and the end point.

Claims

1. A display system of a hydraulic shovel having a main vehicle body and a work machine attached to the main vehicle body, the display system being configured to display a guidance picture showing a current position of the hydraulic shovel and a target surface selected from a plurality of design surfaces constituting a design land shape, the display system comprising:

a position detector unit configured and arranged to detect the current position of the main vehicle body;

a display controller operatively arranged to receive a signal from the position detector unit, the display controller including;

a land shape data storage unit configured and arranged to store land shape data indicating a position of the target surface,

a work machine data storage unit configured and arranged to store work machine data indicating a maximum reach length of the work machine,

a calculation unit configured to set a predetermined display range for the land shape data to be displayed as the guidance picture, to calculate a position of a start point nearest the main vehicle body and a position of an end point set apart from the start point by the maximum reach length of the work machine among points constituting a cross section of the target surface as seen from a side of the main vehicle body based on the land shape data, the work machine data, and the current position of the main vehicle body, and to calculate a position of a reference point predetermined in the display range based on the relative positions of the start point and the end point with respect to the current position of the main vehicle body; and

a display unit configured and arranged to display the guidance picture showing the cross section of the target surface included in the display range as seen from the side, and the current position of the hydraulic shovel, based on the reference point.

2. The display system for the hydraulic shovel according to claim 1, wherein

the end point is positioned outside the target surface when the cross section of the target surface is smaller than the maximum reach length.

3. The display system for the hydraulic shovel according to claim 1, wherein

the display range has a rectangular shape, and

the calculation unit is configured to determine whether a short side of the display range is a vertical side or a horizontal side based on a screen aspect ratio of a part of the display unit displaying the guidance picture, and to determine a reduced scale of the display range so that a predetermined range of the guidance picture falls within a range of the short side of the display range.

4. A hydraulic shovel comprising:

a main vehicle body;

a work machine attached to the main vehicle body; and

a display system configured to display a guidance picture showing a current position of the hydraulic shovel and a target surface selected from a plurality of design surfaces constituting a design land shape, the display system including

a position detector unit configured and arranged to detect the current position of the main vehicle body,

a display controller operatively arranged to receive a signal from the position detector unit, the display controller having

a land shape data storage unit configured and arranged to store land shape data indicating a position of the target surface,

a work machine data storage unit configured and arranged to store work machine data indicating a maximum reach length of the work machine,

a calculation unit configured;

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

to calculate;

a position of a start point nearest the main vehicle body and

a position of an end point set apart from the start point by the maximum reach length of the work machine among points constituting a cross section of the target surface as seen from a side of the main vehicle body based on the land shape data, the work machine data, and the current position of the main vehicle body, and

to calculate a position of a reference point predetermined in the display range based on the relative positions of the start point and the end point with respect to the current position of the main vehicle body, and

a display unit configured and arranged to display the guidance picture showing the cross section of the target surface included in the display range as seen from the side, and the current position of the hydraulic shovel, based on the reference point.

5. A method of controlling a display system of a hydraulic shovel having a main vehicle body and a work machine attached to the main vehicle body, the display system being configured to display a guidance picture showing a current position of the hydraulic shovel and a target surface selected from a plurality of design surfaces constituting a design land shape, the method comprising:

detecting a current position of the main vehicle body by a sensor of the display system;

setting a predetermined display range for land shape data indicating a position of the target surface to be displayed as the guidance picture by a display controller of the display system;

calculating a position of a start point nearest the main vehicle body and a position of an end point set apart from the start point by a maximum reach length of the work vehicle among points constituting a cross section of the target surface as seen from a side of the main vehicle body based on the land shape data, work machine data indicating the maximum reach length of the work machine, and the current position of the main vehicle body by the display controller;

calculating a position of a reference point predetermined in the display range based on the relative positions of the start point and the end point with respect to the current position of the main vehicle body by the display controller; and

causing a display device to display the guidance picture showing the cross section of the target surface included in the display range as seen from the side, and the current position of the hydraulic shovel, based on the reference point by the display controller.