Display system in an excavator and method for controlling same

• US 9,435,106 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Ando, Masao, Fukano, Ryo, Nomura, Azumi, Kurihara, Takashi, Fujita, Etsuo, Koide, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh
• Application Number:
  US13/819,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 701/34.4, 701/50, 701/29.1, 701/1, 701/104, 701/2, 701/32.3, 701/33.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/43 Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/22 Hydraulic or pneumatic drives for dipper or bucket arm position control E02F3/43, for blade position control for graders E02F3/844; for turntables E02F9/121; for fork-lift trucks B66F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2221 Control of flow rate; Load sensing arrangements E02F9/2203 take precedence over E02F9/2221
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• 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: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

In a display system in an excavator, a position of an upper boundary line and a position of a lower boundary line are calculated. The upper boundary line indicates a height of a top of a cross section of a display object surface. The lower boundary line indicates a height of a bottom of the cross section of the display object surface. When the current position of the excavator is between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line, a predetermined reference point of a display range is set to a predetermined position between the upper and lower boundary lines. When the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line, the reference point is set above the predetermined position. When the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line, the reference point is set below the predetermined position.

Claims

1. A display system in an excavator for displaying a guidance picture showing a current position of the excavator and a display object surface indicating a part of a target land shape of an object of excavation, the system comprising:

a storage unit configured and arranged to store land shape data indicating a position of the display object surface;

a position detector unit including a global positioning system configured and arranged to detect a current position of the excavator;

a calculation unit configured to

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

calculate a position of an upper boundary line indicating a height of a top of a cross section of the display object surface and a position of a lower boundary line indicating a height of a bottom of a cross section of the display object surface based on the land shape data and the current position of the excavator,

set a predetermined reference point indicating a predetermined position in the guidance picture to a predetermined height position between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line,

set the predetermined reference point above the predetermined height position when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line, and

set the predetermined reference point below the predetermined height position when the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line; and

a display unit configured and arranged to display a guidance picture showing a cross section of the display object surface included in the predetermined display range as seen from a side of the excavator, and the current position of the excavator.

2. The display system in the excavator according to claim 1, wherein:

the calculation unit is configured to set the predetermined reference point to a position higher than the predetermined height position by a distance between the current position of the excavator and the upper boundary line when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line, and to set the predetermined reference point to a position lower than the predetermined height position by a distance between the current position of the excavator and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line.

3. An excavator comprising the display system in the excavator according to claim 1.

5. The display system in the excavator according to claim 1, wherein

the detected current position of the excavator is a position of a main vehicle body of the excavator.

6. The display system in the excavator according to claim 5, wherein

the position of the main vehicle body is a position of the boom pin.

4. A method for controlling a display system in an excavator for displaying a guidance picture showing a current position of the excavator and a display object surface indicating part of a target land shape of an object of excavation, the method comprising:

detecting the current position of the excavator using a global positioning system;

setting a predetermined display range displayed as the guidance picture for land shape data indicating a position of the display object surface;

calculating a position of an upper boundary line indicating a height of a top of a cross section of the display object surface as seen from a side of the excavator and a position of a lower boundary line indicating a height of a bottom of a cross section of the display object surface as seen from the side, based on the land shape data and the current position of the excavator;

setting a predetermined reference point indicating a predetermined position in the guidance picture to a predetermined height position between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line;

setting the predetermined reference point above the predetermined height position when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line;

setting the predetermined reference point below the predetermined position when the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line; and

displaying the guidance picture showing a cross section of the display object surface included in the predetermined display range as seen from the side, and the current position of the excavator.

7. A display system in an excavator for displaying a guidance picture showing a current position of the excavator and a display object surface indicating a part of a target land shape of an object of excavation, the system comprising:

a storage unit configured and arranged to store land shape data indicating a position of the display object surface;

a position detector unit including a global positioning system configured and arranged to detect a current position of the excavator;

a calculation unit configured to

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

calculate a position of an upper boundary line indicating a height of a top of a cross section of the display object surface and a position of a lower boundary line indicating a height of a bottom of a cross section of the display object surface based on the land shape data and the current position of the excavator,

set a predetermined reference point indicating a predetermined position in the guidance picture to a predetermined height position between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line,

set the predetermined reference point above the predetermined height position by a distance between the current position of the excavator and the upper boundary line when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line when the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line, and

set the predetermined reference point below the predetermined height position by a distance between the current position of the excavator and the lower boundary line when the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line; and

a display unit configured and arranged to display a guidance picture showing a cross section of the display object surface included in the predetermined display range as seen from a side of the excavator, and the current position of the excavator.