Construction machine control system

• US 9,540,786 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ogawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CASS, JEAN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US14/204,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20140271074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/436 for keeping the dipper in the horizontal position, e.g. self-levelling
• 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 9/02 Details

Abstract

The invention provides a construction machine control system comprising a working tool (7), a working arm (5) for supporting the working tool and for operating the working tool as required, a machine body (2) for supporting the working arm and for being rotatable, a rotating direction acquiring unit (13, 14) provided on the machine body, a control unit having a storage unit and a display unit, wherein the working arm is configured by two or more links with length already known respectively which are connected in a bendable manner, wherein there are further provided a two-axis tilt sensor on the machine body for detecting a horizontal position, a working arm tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of each links of the working arm, and a working tool tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of the working tool, wherein the control unit displays a guidance screen on the display unit based on a working data stored in the storage unit and where a working position and a design gradient are set, based on a direction of the machine body acquired from the rotating direction acquiring unit, and based on detection results of the two-axis tilt sensor, the working arm tilt sensor and the working tool tilt sensor, and the guidance screen displays a guiding information for guiding the working tool to the working position.

Claims

1. A construction machine control system, comprising a working tool, a working arm for supporting said working tool and for operating said working tool as required, a machine body for supporting said working arm and for being rotatable, a rotating direction acquiring unit provided on said machine body, a control unit having a storage unit and a display unit, wherein said working arm is configured by two or more links with length already known respectively which are connected in a bendable manner, wherein there are further provided a two-axis tilt sensor on said machine body for detecting a horizontal position, a working arm tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of each links of said working arm, and a working tool tilt sensor for detecting a tilting of said working tool, wherein said control unit displays a guidance screen on said display unit based on a working data stored in said storage unit and where a working position and a design gradient are set, based on a direction of said machine body acquired from said rotating direction acquiring unit, and based on detection results of said two-axis tilt sensor, said working arm tilt sensor and said working tool tilt sensor, and said guidance screen displays a guiding information for guiding said working tool to the working position, wherein a working position mark and a bucket mark having predetermined shapes are displayed on said guidance screen as guiding information, a condition of said working tool with respect to the working position is indicated depending on a change of the shape of said bucket mark and on a difference of position with respect to said working position mark, and said working tool is guided to the working position so that the shape and the position of said working position mark and said bucket mark coincide with each other.

2. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said rotating direction acquiring unit further comprises a position acquiring means for acquiring absolute coordinates of said machine body, and an operating position of said machine body is acquired by said position acquiring means.

3. A construction machine control system according to claim 2, wherein said position acquiring means is provided on said machine body, absolute coordinates are acquired by said position acquiring means while said machine body rotates, absolute coordinates of a rotation center is acquired based on the absolute coordinates acquired at the time of rotation, and direction of said machine body is acquired from absolute coordinates of said rotation center and from absolute coordinates of said position acquiring means.

4. A construction machine control system according to claim 2, wherein said position acquiring means comprises a prism disposed at a position as required of said machine body, and a total station installed at a known position.

5. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said bucket mark indicates the difference between the design gradient and a gradient of said working tool by the change of shape with respect to said working position mark, and shows the difference between the position of said working tool and said working position by the change of position of said bucket mark with respect to said working position mark.

6. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said working position mark and said bucket mark are in polygonal shape, two vertexes of polygon of said bucket mark are controlled in a displaceable manner, and the gradient of said working tool with respect to the design gradient is displayed by a distance between said two vertexes.

7. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said working position mark and said bucket mark are in circular or elliptical shape, the length of one diameter of said bucket mark is constant, the length of a diameter perpendicularly crossing said diameter is controlled variably, and the gradient of said working tool with respect to the design gradient is displayed, depending on the length of said diameter perpendicularly crossing each other.

8. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said guidance screen further displays numeral value information.

9. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said guidance screen further displays an arrowmark to indicate a direction of the working position and a rotating direction up to the design gradient.

10. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said guidance screen further displays a direction of said working tool, a height of said working tool, and the gradient of said working tool.

11. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said guidance screen further displays a GPS condition.

12. A construction machine control system according to claim 1, wherein said guidance screen further displays the working data.

13. A construction machine control system according to claim 5, wherein said working position mark and said bucket mark are in polygonal shape, two vertexes of polygon of said bucket mark are controlled in a displaceable manner, and the gradient of said working tool with respect to the design gradient is displayed by a distance between said two vertexes.

14. A construction machine control system according to claim 5, wherein said working position mark and said bucket mark are in circular or elliptical shape, the length of one diameter of said bucket mark is constant, the length of a diameter perpendicularly crossing said diameter is controlled variably, and the gradient of said working tool with respect to the design gradient is displayed, depending on the length of said diameter perpendicularly crossing each other.

15. A construction machine control system according to claim 8, wherein said guidance screen further displays an arrowmark to indicate a direction of the working position and a rotating direction up to the design gradient.

16. A construction machine control system according to claim 8, wherein said guidance screen further displays a direction of said working tool, a height of said working tool, and the gradient of said working tool.

17. A construction machine control system according to claim 8, wherein said guidance screen further displays a GPS condition.

18. A construction machine control system according to claim 8, wherein said guidance screen further displays the working data.

19. The construction machine control system of claim 1, wherein said working position mark is displayed as fixed at a center of said guidance screen, and a bucket mark shows a present situation, said working position mark shows said working data, a difference between the design gradient and a gradient of said working tool is shown by a change of shape of said bucket mark with respect to said working position mark, a difference of position of said working tool with respect to said working position is displayed by a difference of position of said bucket mark with respect to said working position mark, and

a direction of said working tool with respect to said working position is shown by a direction of a deviation of position of said bucket mark from said working position mark.