Control system for work machine, work machine, and management system for work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119830-B2
Application number	US-201615305669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A control system includes: a detector detecting a position of a work machine running on a running path; a non-contact sensor detecting an object at a side of the running path; a generator generating map data of a work site based on detection data from the detector and the non-contact sensor; a first storage storing past map data generated in the generator based on the detection data from the detector and the non-contact sensor acquired in a predetermined period in a past; a second storage storing current map data generated in the generator based on the detection data from the detector and the non-contact sensor; a first calculator calculating integrated map data by integrating the past map data and the current map data; and a second calculator by matching the integrated map data and the detection data from the non-contact sensor, calculates the position of the work machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for a work machine, comprising:
a position detecting device that detects a position of a work machine that runs on a running path of a work site of a mine of which a current landform changes day by day;
a non-contact sensor that detects, in a non-contact manner, an object at a side of the running path on which the work machine runs;
a map data generating unit that generates map data that indicates a map of a work site based on detection data from the position detecting device and detection data from the non-contact sensor;
a first storage unit that stores a plurality of past map data generated by the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor acquired at different predetermined periods in a past, each of the plurality of past map data being generated at a different predetermined period;
a second storage unit that stores current map data generated in the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor;
an integrated map data calculation unit that calculates integrated map data by integrating a predetermined number of past map data from the plurality of the past map data stored in the first storage unit and the current map data stored in the second storage unit, the predetermined number being greater than one; and
a position calculation unit that by matching the integrated map data calculated by the integrated map data calculation unit and the detection data from the non-contact sensor, calculates the position of the work machine.

2. The control system for a work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the past map data and the current map data are each defined by a plurality of grids,
the grids include binary data that indicate a presence/absence of the object, and
the integration of the past map data and the current map data includes calculation of a logical sum of the binary data of the grids that indicate specific positions of the work site in the past map data, and the binary data of the grids that indicate the specific positions of the work site in the current map data.

3. The control system for a work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
when the current map data is stored in the first storage unit, at least one of the plurality of past map data stored in the first storage unit is deleted.

4. The control system for a work machine according to claim 3 , comprising
an updating unit that, when a sum of the number of the current map data and the number of the past map data stored in the first storage unit exceeds a predefined value, deletes at least one of the plurality of past map data stored in the first storage unit and stores the current map data in the first storage unit.

5. A work machine comprising a control system, the control system including:
a position detecting device that detects a position of a work machine that runs on a running path of a work site of a mine of which a current landform changes day by day;
a non-contact sensor that detects, in a non-contact manner, an object at a side of the running path on which the work machine runs;
a map data generating unit that generates map data that indicates a map of a work site based on detection data from the position detecting device and detection data from the non-contact sensor;
a first storage unit that stores a plurality of past map data generated by the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor acquired at different predetermined periods in a past, each of the plurality of past map data being generated at a different predetermined period;
a second storage unit that stores current map data generated in the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor;
an integrated map data calculation unit that calculates integrated map data by integrating a predetermined number of past map data from the plurality of the past map data stored in the first storage unit and the current map data stored in the second storage unit, the predetermined number being greater than one; and
a position calculation unit that by matching the integrated map data calculated by the integrated map data calculation unit and the detection data from the non-contact sensor, calculates the position of the work machine.

6. A management system for a work machine, comprising:
a work machine comprising a control system that includes:
a position detecting device that detects a position of a work machine that runs on a running path of a work site of a mine of which a current landform changes day by day,
a non-contact sensor that detects, in a non-contact manner, an object at a side of the running path on which the work machine runs,
a map data generating unit that generates map data that indicates a map of a work site based on detection data from the position detecting device and detection data from the non-contact sensor,
a first storage unit that stores a plurality of past map data generated by the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor acquired at different predetermined periods in a past, each of the plurality of past map data being generated at a different predetermined period,
a second storage unit that stores current map data generated in the map data generating unit based on the detection data from the position detecting device and the detection data from the non-contact sensor,
an integrated map data calculation unit that calculates integrated map data by integrating a predetermined number of past map data from the plurality of the past map data stored in the first storage unit and the current map data stored in the second storage unit, the predetermined number being greater than one, and
a position calculation unit that by matching the integrated map data calculated by the integrated map data calculation unit and the detection data from the non-contact sensor, calculates the position of the work machine; and

a management device that outputs course data that defines the running path to the work machine.

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Atsushi
• Tanaka Daisuke
• Ryuman Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• G01C21/3667 Primary

  Display of a road map (G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635) · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• G01C21/3859

  Differential updating map data · CPC title

• G01C21/3848

  Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors · CPC title