Remote control device for a crane, a construction machine and/or for a pallet truck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850949-B2
Application number	US-201816155534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a remote control device for a crane, for a construction machine and/or for a pallet truck comprising a control station that has at least one input means for inputting control commands and that has a signal transmission device for transmitting the input control commands to the control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine, or of the pallet truck; and a display apparatus for displaying a representation of the machine surroundings and/or of a piece of working equipment such as a boom or a lifting hook, wherein a movement determination unit is provided for determining movements and/or deformations of the machine components in dependence on the input control commands. It is proposed to present crane reactions or machine reactions to control commands input at the control station, for example in the form of crane movements and/or of crane deformations not only in the form of a representation on the display apparatus, but to convert them into an actual movement of the control station of the remote control accompanying the crane reaction or machine reaction to allow the remote control user to have the dynamic machine reactions communicated to him more realistically and to experience them more realistically.

First claim

We claim:

1. A remote control device for a machine comprising at least one of a crane, a construction machine, or a pallet truck, comprising:
a control station comprising an inputter for inputting control commands, and a signal transmission device for transmitting control commands input at the control station to a control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine, or of the pallet truck;
a display apparatus for displaying a representation of a piece of working equipment and/or of a surroundings about the machine; and
a movement determination module for determining movements and/or deformations of machine components of the machine in dependence on the control commands input at the control station,
wherein the control station is movably supported and a movement control apparatus is provided for moving the control station in dependence on the movements and/or deformations determined by the movement determination module,
wherein the movement determination module comprises a determination device for determining deformations of structural elements of the machine to be simulated in dependence on the control commands input at the control station, and wherein the determination device comprises a processing unit for calculating the deformations with reference to a stored deformation model of the structural elements.

2. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the control station is movably supported in a multi-axial manner, and wherein a drive apparatus has a plurality of movement axes comprising a plurality of rotational movement axes and/or a plurality of translatory movement axes that are actuable in dependence on the control commands input at the control station.

3. The remote control device of claim 2 , wherein the control station is supported on a movement platform, and wherein the drive apparatus is integrated with the movement platform.

4. The remote control device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one camera for providing a live image of the piece of working equipment and/or of the surroundings; and wherein the control station has at least one image receiver for receiving the live image from the at least one camera, and wherein the live image underlies the representation displayed on the display apparatus.

5. The remote control device of claim 4 , wherein a remote control aerial drone comprises the at least one camera.

6. The remote control device of claim 5 , further comprising a position control apparatus for controlling a position of the remote control aerial drone, wherein the position control apparatus has an automatic follow control module for controlling the remote control aerial drone in dependence on a position of the machine and/or on a position of the piece of working equipment such that the remote control aerial drone automatically follows movements of the machine and/or the piece of working equipment and maintains a desired position relative to the machine and/or the piece of working equipment during movements of the piece of working equipment.

7. The remote control device of claim 6 , wherein the position control apparatus comprises an autonomous control module for autonomous remote control of the remote control aerial drone such that different desired positions relative to the machine and/or the piece of working equipment are flyable to by the remote control aerial drone.

8. The remote control device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one camera is provided at the crane, at the construction machine, or at the pallet truck with a direction of view at least approximately toward the piece of working equipment or wherein the at least one camera is provided at an operator's cab of the crane, of the construction machine, or of the pallet truck with a direction of view at least approximately toward the piece of working equipment.

9. The remote control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one camera for detecting live images at the control station; and
a superposition device associated with the display apparatus, said superposition device being provided to superpose the representation of the surroundings and/or of the piece of working equipment with the live images detected by the at least one camera on the display apparatus.

10. The remote control device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one camera has a head holder for wearing the at least one camera on the head of a remote control device user and/or is configured as a head camera and/or helmet camera.

11. The remote control device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one camera is configured as a stereoscopic camera for providing stereoscopic images at least approximately in a direction of view toward a remote control device user.

12. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus has a head holder for wearing on the head of a remote control device user and/or is configured as display glasses comprising virtual reality glasses with an integrated camera.

13. The remote control device of claim 1 , further comprising a graphical simulation module for calculating a virtual representation of the surroundings and/or of machine components visible from the control station, and wherein the graphical simulation module comprises a data interface for importing structure data and/or construction site data and comprises an image processing device for generating and/or adapting the virtual representation of the surroundings in dependence on the imported construction site data and/or structure data.

14. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein a graphical simulation module is configured for generating a virtual representation of the surroundings and/or of machine components in dependence on the calculated deformations of the structural elements and/or wherein the movement control apparatus is configured for controlling a drive apparatus in dependence on the calculated deformations of the structural elements.

15. A system comprising:
the remote control device of claim 1 ;
a crane; a construction machine; or a pallet truck; and
wherein the crane, the construction machine and/or the pallet truck have a communication connection with the remote control device through which the control commands input at the control station of the remote control device are transmittable to the control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine and/or of the pallet truck.

16. A remote control device for a machine comprising at least one of a crane, a construction machine, or a pallet truck, comprising:
a control station comprising an inputter for inputting control commands, and a signal transmission device for transmitting control commands input at the control station to a control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine, or of the pallet truck;
a display apparatus for displaying a representation of a piece of working equipment and/or of a surroundings about the machine; and
a movement determination module for determining movements and/or deformations of machine components of the machine in dependence on the control commands input at the control station,
wherein the control station is movably supported and a movement control apparatus is provided for moving the control station in dependence on the movements and/or deformations determined by the movement determination module,
wherein the control station comprises an operator's cab wall in which viewing windows are formed, wherein the viewing windows are tinted in a certain color, wherein the remote control device further comprises a camera, a graphical simulation module and/or a superposition device, and wherein the graphical simulation module and/or

Assignees

• Liebherr Components Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Palberg Michael
• Resch Jürgen
• Fenker Oliver

Classifications

• G09B9/05 Primary

  the view from a vehicle being simulated (G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence) · CPC title

• B66C13/40 Primary

  Applications of devices for transmitting control pulses; Applications of remote control devices (control in general G05) · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title

• E02F9/166

  movable, tiltable or pivoting, e.g. movable seats, dampening arrangements of cabins (seats for vehicles in general B60N2/00) · CPC title

• E02F9/264

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title