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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548768-B2
Application number	US-201716345159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a remote control device for a crane, a construction machine and/or an industrial truck, comprising a mobile end device in the form of a tablet computer that has a screen having a touch-screen function and at least one input means for inputting control commands in the form of a touch-screen display means, as well as a signal transmission device for transmitting the input control commands to the control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine and/or of the industrial truck. It is proposed to use the screen of the tablet computer not only to input and display control commands, but also to present actual images and/or desired images of the working environment of the machine so that, on an inputting of control commands via the touchscreen function of the screen, the machine operator can simultaneously monitor the working environment there.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A remote control device for a crane having a mobile end device in the form of a tablet computer;
the mobile end device comprising:
a screen comprising a display device having a touchscreen function, the screen further comprising at least one input device for inputting control commands, and
a signal transmission device for transmitting the input control commands to a control apparatus of the crane;

wherein the mobile end device is further configured to:
receive image data from a camera, and/or receive digital data from a building information model;
display a representation of an environment of the crane on the screen with reference to the received data of the camera, and/or to the digital data from the building information model; and
display the input device for inputting control commands at least simultaneously with the representation of the environment on the screen.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1 , wherein the input device for inputting control commands is faded into the representation of the crane environment in a superimposed manner, or is displayed on the screen in a window next to the representation of the crane environment.

3. The remote control device according to claim 2 , wherein the mobile end device includes a graphical simulation module for calculating a virtual representation of the environment, and the graphical simulation module includes a data interface for importing building information and/or construction site information; and
the mobile end device further comprises an image processing device for generating and/or adapting the virtual representation of the crane environment based on imported construction site information and/or building information.

4. The remote control device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the data interface is a CAD interface and the image processing device is configured for generating and/or adapting the virtual representation of the machine environment based on the CAD data imported via the CAD interface and/or is an image data interface and the image processing device is configured for generating and/or adapting the virtual representation of the machine environment based on the image data, imported via the image data interface.

5. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mobile end device has a display control apparatus for generating a superimposed screen representation in a manner of a virtual reality image on the screen that is assembled from the received image data of the camera and the received digital data from the building information model (BIM) and thus from a camera image of the machine environment and from a virtual representation of the machine environment and/or of a building.

6. The remote control device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to display a camera selection menu for selecting the camera image of one of a plurality of cameras on its screen and to display the camera image after the selection of a camera.

7. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one live camera is provided for providing a live image of the work tool and/or of the machine environment; and wherein the mobile end device has at least one image receiver for receiving the live image of the camera, which live image is based on the representation displayed on the screen.

8. The remote control device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one live camera is installed on a remote-controlled aerial drone; and the touchscreen display device further includes a position control device to remotely control the aerial drone to fly in different desired positions relative to the crane.

9. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one camera for providing a live image of the machine environment is installed in an operator's cabin at the crane, at the construction machine, or at the industrial truck, having a direction of view at least approximately toward the work tool; and wherein the tablet computer has camera control device in the form of a touchscreen display device for the remote control of the angle of view and/or the zoom setting of the camera.

10. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to display a touchscreen control device for controlling the focal length and/or the field of view of a camera.

11. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to display a virtual representation of the structure in accordance with a determined actual state and/or a virtual representation of a next work task to be carried out by the construction machine on the screen of the tablet computer based on digital information from the building information model based on a specific construction phase; and/or to display a virtual representation of a next construction element to be worked and the installed position of the construction element at the building on the screen of the tablet computer based on digital data from the building information model.

12. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to change a working region boundary function taken into account by the construction machine control apparatus based on digital information from the building information model; and to dynamically display the changed working region boundary in the representation of the machine environment on the screen, and wherein the tablet computer is configured to automatically update and/or to automatically adapt cyclically or continuously the working region boundary function based on construction progresses at the building to be erected and/or to be worked while taking account of digital information from the building information model.

13. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer has a configuration module for a selective preconfiguration for adapting the input device in the form of the touchscreen display device to a selected machine type for one of a plurality of machine types.

14. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to communicate with different machines to be remote controlled over a network;
to display a selection menu for selecting one of a plurality of machines that are connected to the network; and to send generated control commands to the selected machine after selecting one of the plurality of machines on the screen.

15. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one further electronic module, separate from the tablet computer, is provided for inputting control commands and is wearable and/or fastenable to a body of a machine operator.

16. The remote control device in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the additional electronic module is configured as a wristwatch or as a wristband computer and has a screen having a touchscreen function.

17. The remote control device in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the tablet computer and the at least one further electronic module provide at least partially mutually overlapping control functions for execution such that a control command desired by the machine operator can selectively be input on the tablet computer or on the further electronic module.

18. The remote control device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the tablet computer is configured to identify a machine part to be adjusted or to be traveled by tapping the representation of the machine part on the screen

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Albrecht Benjamin

Classifications

• B66F9/0755

  Position control; Position detectors · CPC title

• E02F9/261

  Surveying the work-site to be treated · CPC title

• B66C13/16 Primary

  Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices (in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08) · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

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

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title