Shovel connectable with an information terminal

• US 9,540,792 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo (S.H.I.) Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo (S.H.I.) Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/591,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20150114731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/33.2, 180/53.8, 180/89.12, 379/07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/16 Cabins, platforms, or the like, for drivers for motor vehicles in general B62D33/06, for cranes B66C13/54
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces

Abstract

A shovel performing a work by being operated by a driver includes a lower running body, an upper turning body mounted on the lower running body and a control device that controls an operation of a hydraulic actuator in response to an operation applied to an operation lever. A cabin is provided in the upper turning body. An attaching part is provided in the cabin and is capable of attaching a multifunctional portable information terminal having a display and input function, a wireless communication function and a voice recognition function. The attaching part includes a connecting part connected to the multifunctional portable information terminal. The control device performs data communication with the multifunctional portable information terminal through the connecting part, and supplies electric power from an electric accumulation part of the shovel to the multifunctional portable information terminal through the connecting part.

Claims

1. A shovel performing a work by being operated by a driver, comprising:

a lower running body;

an upper turning body mounted on said lower running body;

an engine arranged on said upper turning body;

a hydraulic pump discharging an operating oil by a power of said engine;

a hydraulic actuator driven by the operating oil discharged by said hydraulic pump;

a control device controlling an operation of said hydraulic actuator in response to an operation applied to an operation lever;

a cabin provided in said upper turning body; and

an attaching part provided in said cabin and configured to be capable of attaching a multifunctional portable information terminal having a display and input function, a wireless communication function, and a voice recognition function that converts a voice signal from a microphone into a command,

wherein said attaching part includes a connecting part connected to said multifunctional portable information terminal,

said control device receives the command transmitted from said multifunctional portable information terminal through the connecting part, and supplies electric power from an electric accumulation part of said shovel to said multifunctional portable information terminal through said connecting part, and

said control device executes a predetermined function in response to receiving the command, the predetermined function including a function executable by manually operating an input device other than the operation lever, the input device being provided in the cabin.

2. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said multifunctional portable information terminal has a calling function, an image taking function, a vibration measuring function, an orientation determining function, a GPS function and a map displaying function.

3. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said control device determines that an abnormality occurs in said shovel, said control device sends and displays physical amount data and input amount data to and on said multifunctional portable information terminal, the physical amount data representing a physical amount acquired by detecting a state of said shovel, the input amount data representing an input amount input to said control device, during a period from a time before the time at which the determination of the occurrence of the abnormality was made until the time at which the determination of the occurrence of the abnormality was made.

4. The shovel as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control device causes said multifunctional portable information terminal to send the input amount data and the physical amount data, which are sent to said multifunctional portable information terminal, by wireless.

5. The shovel as claimed in claim 4, wherein a destination of said sending by wireless is selected by a display and input part of said multifunctional portable information terminal.

6. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control device causes a voice recognition device of said multifunctional portable information terminal to recognize the voice signal input with a voice of a driver, and to determine the command corresponding to the input voice signal.

7. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a switch to turn ON/OFF a voice input function of said multifunctional portable information terminal is provided to the operation lever of said shovel.

8. The shovel as claimed in claim 7, wherein a signal is transmitted to the control device in response to the switch being operated to turn ON the voice input function, and the control device sends a control signal to the multifunctional portable information terminal based on the transmitted signal to turn ON the voice input function.

9. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control device causes a display and input part of said multifunctional portable information terminal to display an image taken by a camera mounted on a cover of said shovel.

10. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vibration suppressing mechanism is provided to said attaching part.

11. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said attaching part is attached to a right front frame from among frames constituting said cabin of said shovel.

12. The shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device starts cooperating with the multifunctional portable information terminal to be ready to receive the command from the multifunctional portable information terminal, in response to the multifunctional portable information terminal being attached to the attaching part and authenticated by the control device.

13. A shovel performing a work by being operated by a driver, comprising:

a lower running body;

an upper turning body mounted on said lower running body;

an engine arranged on said upper turning body;

a hydraulic pump discharging an operating oil by a power of said engine;

a hydraulic actuator driven by the operating oil discharged by said hydraulic pump;

a control device controlling an operation of said hydraulic actuator in response to an operation applied to an operation lever;

a cabin provided in said upper turning body; and

an attaching part provided in said cabin and configured to be capable of attaching a multifunctional portable information terminal having a display and input function, a wireless communication function, and a voice recognition function that converts a voice signal from a microphone into a command,

wherein said attaching part includes a connecting part connected to said multifunctional portable information terminal,

said control device receives the command transmitted from said multifunctional portable information terminal through the connecting part, and supplies electric power from an electric accumulation part of said shovel to said multifunctional portable information terminal through said connecting part,

the operation lever includes a pair of operation levers provided on opposite sides of a driver'"'"'s seat, and

said control device executes a predetermined function in response to receiving the command, so that the driver is enabled to execute the predetermined function without releasing the pair of operation levers, while the driver is being seated on the driver'"'"'s seat, during an operation of the shovel.