Work machine, control system for work machine, and control method for work machine

• US 9,324,200 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Ito, Fumiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/353,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.3, 345/629
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

A work machine includes a tank that stores liquid. The work machine includes a calculation unit configured to obtain a difference between an amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at a first timing and an amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at a second timing after the first timing, and a notification unit configured to notify abnormality information indicating occurrence of abnormality related to the tank in the case where an operating time of the work machine during a period from the first timing to the second timing is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also the difference is equal to or larger than a second threshold, and further configured not to notify the abnormality information in the case where the operating time is larger than a second threshold.

Claims

1. A work machine including a tank which stores liquid, the work machine comprising:

a calculation unit configured to obtain a liquid amount difference which is a difference between an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a first timing when the work machine stops operating and an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a second timing after a timing when a key switch of the work machine is turned ON for a first time after the first timing, wherein in a case where the calculation unit is not able to acquire the amount of the liquid due to malfunction occurred in an in-vehicle signal line after the first timing, the second timing is a timing when the calculation unit comes to be able to acquire the amount of the liquid after the malfunction of the in-vehicle signal line is resolved; and

a notification unit configured to notify abnormality information indicating occurrence of abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where an operating time difference of the work machine during a period from the first timing to the second timing is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than a second threshold, and further configured not to notify the abnormality information in a case where the operating time difference of the work machine during the period from the first timing to the second timing is larger than the first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation unit acquires the amount of the liquid inside the tank at a plurality of different timings at the second timing and obtains a differences between the amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at the first timing and the amount of the liquid acquired at each of the different timings at the second timing, and

the notification unit notifies the abnormality information indicating occurrence of the abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in the case where the operating time of the work machine is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also at least two or more differences consecutively acquired in time series among the acquired plurality of differences are equal to or larger than the second threshold.

3. The work machine according to claim 1, comprising a communication device configured to communicate with outside of the work machine,

wherein the notification unit notifies the outside of the work machine of the abnormality information via the communication device.

4. The work machine according to claim 1, comprising a position detector configured to detect a position of the work machine,

wherein the notification unit notifies the outside of the work machine of positional information detected by the position detector together with the abnormality information.

5. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the first timing is when the key switch of the work machine is turned OFF, and the second timing is when the key switch is turned ON for the first time after the key switch is turned OFF.

6. A work machine including a tank which stores liquid, comprising:

a calculation unit configured to obtain a liquid amount difference which is a difference between an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a first timing when a key switch of the work machine is turned OFF and an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a second timing after a timing when the key switch is turned ON for a first time after the key switch was turned OFF, wherein in a case where the calculation unit is not able to acquire the amount of the liquid due to malfunction occurred in an in-vehicle signal line after the first timing, the second timing is a timing when the calculation unit comes to be able to acquire the amount of the liquid after the malfunction of the in-vehicle signal line is resolved;

a notification unit configured to notify abnormality information indicating occurrence of abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where an operating time difference of the work machine during a period from the first timing to the second timing is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than a second threshold, and further configured not to notify the abnormality information in a case where the operating time difference of the work machine during the period from the first timing to the second timing is larger than the first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold;

a position detector configured to detect a position of the work machine; and

a communication device configured to communicate with outside of the work machine,

wherein the notification unit notifies the outside of the work machine of the abnormality information and the positional information via the communication device.

7. A control system for a work machine, comprising:

a work machine including

a tank configured to store liquid,

a calculation unit configured to obtain a liquid amount difference which is a difference between an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a first timing and an amount of the liquid inside the tank detected at a second timing after the first timing, wherein in a case where the calculation unit is not able to acquire the amount of the liquid due to malfunction occurred in an in-vehicle signal line after the first timing, the second timing is a timing when the calculation unit comes to be able to acquire the amount of the liquid after the malfunction of the in-vehicle signal line is resolved,

a first notification unit configured to notify abnormality information indicating occurrence of abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where an operating time difference of the work machine from the first timing to the second timing is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and the liquid amount difference is equal to and larger than a second threshold, and also configured not to notify the abnormality information in a case where the operating time difference of the work machine during the period from the first timing to the second timing is larger than the first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold, and

a first communication device configured to transmit the abnormality information notified by the notification unit; and

a control device including

a second communication device configured to receive the abnormality information transmitted from the first communication device, and

a second notification unit configured to notify the abnormality information received by the second communication device.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein

the calculation unit acquires an amount of the liquid inside the tank at least at a plurality of different timings at the second timing and obtains a difference between the amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at the first timing and the amount of the liquid acquired at each of the different timings at the second timing, and

the first notification unit notifies the abnormality information indicating occurrence of the abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where the operating time of the work machine is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also at least two or more differences consecutively acquired in time series among the acquired plurality of differences are equal to or larger than the second threshold.

9. The control system for the work machine according to claim 7, wherein the work machine includes a position detector configured to detect a position of the work machine itself, and

the first notification unit notifies the positional information detected by the position detector together with the abnormality information.

10. A control method for a work machine including a tank which stores liquid, comprising:

obtaining a liquid amount difference which is a difference between an amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at a first timing and an amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at a second timing after the first timing, wherein in a case where the calculation unit is not able to acquire the amount of the liquid due to malfunction occurred in an in-vehicle signal line after the first timing, the second timing is a timing when the calculation unit comes to be able to acquire the amount of the liquid after the malfunction of the in-vehicle signal line is resolved;

notifying abnormality information indicating occurrence of abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where an operating time difference of the work machine during a period from the first timing to the second timing is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than a second threshold; and

not notifying the abnormality information in a case where the operating time difference of the work machine during the period from the first timing to the second timing of the work machine is larger than the first threshold and also the liquid amount difference is equal to or larger than the second threshold.

11. The control method for a work machine according to claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring an amount of the liquid inside the tank at a plurality of different timings at the second timing;

obtaining a difference between the amount of the liquid inside the tank acquired at the first timing and the amount of the liquid acquired at each of the different timings at the second timing; and

notifying the abnormality information indicating occurrence of the abnormal reduction of the liquid inside the tank in a case where the operating time of the work machine is equal to or smaller than a first threshold and also at least two or more differences consecutively acquired in time series among the acquired plurality of differences are equal to or larger than the second threshold.

12. The control method for a work machine according to claim 10, comprising notifying positional information of the work machine together with the abnormality information.