Construction machine control system, construction machine, construction machine management system, and construction machine control method and program

• US 9,869,555 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakai, Atsushi, Ryuman, Mitsuhiro, Tojima, Masanori, Nishijima, Akiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): MELTON, TODD M
• Application Number:
  US15/123,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20170122741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/04 with a tipping movement of load-transporting element dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/43 using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A construction machine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, includes: a position detection unit that detects a position of the construction machine; a determination unit that determines whether an error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error; a non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine; and a map information storage unit that extracts a detection result related to a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from a detection result of the non-contact sensor and stores the extracted detection result related to the vertical projection as map information when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error.

Claims

1. A construction machine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, comprising:

a position detection unit including an antenna and configured to detect a position of the construction machine in communication with outside;

a determination unit implemented in a controller and configured to determine whether an error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error;

a non-contact sensor configured to detect a position of an object around the construction machine; and

a map information storage unit including a map database and configured to extract data related to a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from the surface of the travel route, from a detection result of the non-contact sensor, store the extracted data related to the vertical projection as map information when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, and never store data from a detection result of the non-contact sensor when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit exceeds the predetermined error.

2. The construction machine control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position measurement unit implemented in a controller and configured to specify the position of the construction machine by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit exceeds the predetermined error.

3. The construction machine control system according to claim 2, wherein

the position measurement unit stops specifying the position of the construction machine by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit when a stopped state of the construction machine is detected.

4. The construction machine control system according to claim 2, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the position measurement unit compares the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information stored by the map information storage unit to specify the position of the construction machine and determines whether it is appropriate to allow the construction machine to travel along the travel route based on the position of the construction machine specified by the position measurement unit.

5. The construction machine control system according to claim 4, wherein

when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, the position measurement unit detects and stores a distance between the position detected by the position detection unit and the position of the construction machine obtained by comparing the detection result of the non-contact sensor and the map information of the travel route stored by the map information storage unit.

6. A construction machine comprising:

the construction machine control system according to claim 1; and

a vehicle body that travels along a travel route provided in a mine.

7. A construction machine management system comprising:

the construction machine according to claim 6; and

a management device implemented in a computer disposed in a control facility provided in a mine, and configured to transmit information on a travel route provided in the mine to a construction machine control system of the construction machine.

8. A construction machine control system for a construction machine that travels along a travel route, comprising:

a position detection unit including an antenna and configured to detect a position of the construction machine in communication with outside;

a determination unit implemented in a controller and configured to determine whether an error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error;

a non-contact sensor configured to detect a position of an object around the construction machine; and

a map information storage unit including a map database and configured to extract data related to a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from the surface of the travel route, from a detection result of the non-contact sensor, and store the extracted data related to the vertical projection as map information when the determination unit determines that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error, wherein

the map information storage unit stops storing the map information when a stopped state of the construction machine is detected.

9. A construction machine control method for controlling a construction machine that travels along a travel route, comprising:

allowing the construction machine to travel along the travel route based on a position of the construction machine detected by a position detection unit communicated with outside;

extracting data related to a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from the surface of the travel route, from a detection result of the non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine when an error in the detected position of the construction machine is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error;

storing the extracted data related to the vertical projection as map information of the travel route; and

never storing data from a detection result of the non-contact sensor when the error in the detected position of the construction machine exceeds the predetermined error.

10. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions,

wherein when the instructions are executed by a computer provided in a construction machine that travels along a travel route provided in a mine based on a position detected by a position detection unit communicated with outside, the instructions cause the computer to perform:

determining whether an error in the position of the construction machine detected using the position detection unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined error;

extracting data related to a vertical projection that protrudes vertically from the surface of the travel route, from a detection result of the non-contact sensor that detects a position of an object around the construction machine when it is determined that the error in the detected position is equal to or smaller than the predetermined error;

storing the extracted data related to the vertical projection in a map information storage unit including a map database as map information of the travel route; and

never storing data from a detection result of the non-contact sensor when it is determined that the error in the position detected by the position detection unit exceeds the predetermined error.