Control system for construction machine

• US 9,932,719 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topcon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Topcon Corporation
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Fumio, Kumagai, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Isaac G
• Application Number:
  US15/620,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/783 using amplitude comparison of signals derived from static detectors or detector systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0236 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

The invention provides a control system for a construction machine comprises a construction machine and a measuring instrument, wherein the construction machine comprises at least two targets, a tilt detecting component, a driving unit, a machine control unit and a machine communication unit, wherein the measuring instrument comprises a distance measuring unit, an optical axis deflecting unit for deflecting the optical axes, a projecting direction detecting unit for detecting a deflection angle and a deflecting direction and a measurement control unit for determining a measuring point and transmitting a measurement result, wherein the measurement control unit allows the distance measuring unit to alternately measure the targets and calculates a direction and front-back and left-right tilts of the construction machine based on three-dimensional positions of the targets and a detection result of the tilt detecting component, and the machine control unit controls the driving unit based on a calculation result.

Claims

1. A control system for a construction machine comprising:

a construction machine for performing a civil engineering work and a measuring instrument for measuring a position and an attitude of said construction machine,

wherein said construction machine comprises at least two targets installed at positions as required on said construction machine, a tilt detecting component for detecting a tilt in a front-back direction, a driving unit for driving said construction machine, a machine control unit for controlling said driving unit and a machine communication unit capable of communicating with said measuring instrument,

wherein said measuring instrument comprises a distance measuring unit for projecting a distance measuring light, receiving a reflected distance measuring light and performing a distance measurement, an optical axis deflecting unit provided in a common optical path of the distance measuring light and the reflected distance measuring light and for deflecting the optical axes of the distance measuring light and the reflected distance measuring light at the same deflecting angle in the same direction, a projecting direction detecting unit for detecting a deflection angle and a deflecting direction provided by said optical axis deflecting unit and a measurement control unit for determining a three-dimensional position of a measuring point based on a distance measurement result of said distance measuring unit and a detection result of said projecting direction detecting unit and transmitting a measurement result to said machine control unit, wherein said measurement control unit controls said optical axis deflecting unit, allows said distance measuring unit to alternately sight said targets and alternately measure said targets by time division and calculates a direction and front-back and left-right tilts of said construction machine based on three-dimensional positions of said targets and a detection result of said tilt detecting component, and said machine control unit controls said driving unit based on a calculation result of said measurement control unit.

2. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said tilt detecting component is a tilt sensor provided on a body frame of said construction machine.

3. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said targets are provided at three positions on said construction machine, said measuring instrument measures three-dimensional positions of said three targets, and said measurement control unit calculates a direction and front-back and left-right tilts of said construction machine based on said three-dimensional positions of said three targets.

4. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said measuring instrument comprises a target detecting light projecting unit for projecting a target detecting light, a target detecting light receiving unit for receiving a reflected target detecting light, and a tracking unit for detecting and tracking said targets by receiving the reflected target detecting light, and said tracking unit allows said distance measuring unit to detect and sight said target of an object to be measured every time said target of the object to be measured is switched over.

5. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said measuring instrument comprises a measuring instrument main body for accommodating said distance measuring unit, said optical axis deflecting unit, said projecting direction detecting unit and said measurement control unit, a support unit for supporting said measuring instrument main body to be rotatable in an up-and-down direction and in a left-right direction, a rotation driving unit for rotating said measuring instrument main body in the up-and-down direction and in the left-right direction and an angle detector for detecting an up-and-down angle and a left-right angle of said measuring instrument main body.

6. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit has a distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at a central portion and deflects a distance measuring light at an angle as required and in a direction as required, and a reflected distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at an outer circumferential portion and deflects a reflected distance measuring light at the same deflection angle in the same direction as the deflection angle and the direction of said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit.

7. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 6, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit is constituted of a pair of optical prisms designed in a disk-like shape which overlap one another, and each of said optical prisms is independently rotatable.

8. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 7, wherein said optical prisms constituting said optical axis deflecting unit are a Fresnel prism.

9. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising an image pickup unit having an image pickup optical axis which is parallel to an optical axis of a distance measuring light and has a known relation, wherein said image pickup unit is configured so that a deflection range of the distance measuring light deflected by said optical axis deflecting unit coincides or approximately coincides with a field angle of said image pickup unit.

10. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said measuring instrument comprises a measuring instrument main body for accommodating said distance measuring unit, said optical axis deflecting unit, said projecting direction detecting unit and said measurement control unit, a support unit for supporting said measuring instrument main body to be rotatable in an up-and-down direction and in a left-right direction, a rotation driving unit for rotating said measuring instrument main body in the up-and-down direction and in the left-right direction and an angle detector for detecting an up-and-down angle and a left-right angle of said measuring instrument main body.

11. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit has a distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at a central portion and deflects a distance measuring light at an angle as required and in a direction as required, and a reflected distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at an outer circumferential portion and deflects a reflected distance measuring light at the same deflection angle in the same direction as the deflection angle and the direction of said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit.

12. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit has a distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at a central portion and deflects a distance measuring light at an angle as required and in a direction as required, and a reflected distance measuring optical axis deflecting component which is formed at an outer circumferential portion and deflects a reflected distance measuring light at the same deflection angle in the same direction as the deflection angle and the direction of said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit.

13. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 11, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit is constituted of a pair of optical prisms designed in a disk-like shape which overlap one another, and each of said optical prisms is independently rotatable.

14. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 12, wherein said optical axis deflecting unit is constituted of a pair of optical prisms designed in a disk-like shape which overlap one another, and each of said optical prisms is independently rotatable.

15. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 13, wherein said optical prisms constituting said optical axis deflecting unit are a Fresnel prism.

16. The control system for a construction machine according to claim 14, wherein said optical prisms constituting said optical axis deflecting unit are a Fresnel prism.