Construction machine, in particular a crane, and method for the control thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11599092-B2
Application number	US-202117473084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2021
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A construction machine, in particular in the form of a crane such as a revolving tower crane, having a control apparatus for controlling at least one piece of work equipment of the construction machine using a structure data model that includes digital information on a structure to be erected and/or to be worked. A method of controlling such a construction machine with the aid of digital data from such a structure data model. The construction machine has a data exchange module connectable to the master construction site computer for the exchange of digital data with a master construction site computer, with the data exchange module having reading and/or writing means for reading and/or writing access to the master construction site computer. The construction machine carries out at least individual work steps such as the traveling of a construction element in automated manner using digital data from the master construction site computer. A control module that can be positioned at the load suspension means and/or at the construction element to be traveled and that can be configured as a wearable, in particular in the form of gloves having integrated movement control sensors is provided for the fine positioning.

First claim

I claim:

1. A construction machine having a construction machine control apparatus for controlling working equipment of the construction machine comprising:
a travel control module having one or more operating elements with actuation axes for controlling travel axes of the working equipment of the construction machine;
wherein the travel control module comprises a mobile control unit configured to be positioned in direct proximity to a mobile control unit site and in a predefined mobile control unit orientation;
wherein the mobile control unit site is selected from the group consisting of a suspended load, a load suspension means for picking up the suspended load, and a combination thereof; and
wherein the predefined mobile control unit orientation is one in which the actuation axes of the one or more operating elements coincide with the travel axes of the working equipment of the construction machine.

2. The construction machine of claim 1 further comprising temporary attachment means for temporary attachment of the mobile control unit to an attachment surface of the mobile control unit site.

3. The construction machine of claim 2 further comprising:
a data communication device connected to a master construction site computer and configured to receive and process digital information from a structure data model to which the master construction site computer has access; and
a control configuration module configured to influence at least one control function of the construction machine control apparatus in dependence on the digital information from the structure data model.

4. The construction machine of claim 3 , wherein the control configuration module is further configured to:
determine an orientation of the attachment surface of the mobile control unit site from the digital information from the structure data model;
determine an alignment of the actuation axes with the travel axes from the determined orientation of the attachment surface; and
convert actuation of the one or more operating elements about and/or along the actuation axes into an adjustment movement of the working equipment of the construction machine on the basis of the determined alignment of the actuation axes with the travel axes.

5. The construction machine of claim 4 further comprising a tablet;
wherein the control configuration module is further configured to:
determine an orientation of the attachment surface of the mobile control unit site from the digital information from the structure data model; and
convert a swiping movement on the tablet into an adjustment movement of the working equipment of the construction machine on the basis of the determined orientation of the attachment surface.

6. The construction machine of claim 1 further comprising:
a data communication device connected to a master construction site computer and configured to receive and process digital information from a structure data model to which the master construction site computer has access; and
a load suspension means for picking up a suspended load;
wherein the suspended load is a construction element.

7. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising:
a construction element localization module for localizing the construction element to be picked up by the load suspension means with reference to the digital information from the structure data model of the master construction site computer; and
a travel module for automated traveling of the construction element with reference to position coordinates of the construction element provided by the master construction site computer.

8. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising a detection apparatus for detecting and/or identifying the construction element located in a pick-up region and/or working range of the construction machine;
wherein the data communication device is further configured to provide digital information relating to the working of the detected and/or identified construction element in dependence on the detected and/or identified construction element from the structure data model to the construction machine control apparatus; and
wherein the control configuration module is further configured to automatically carry out a working step relating to the detected and/or identified construction element on the basis of the digital information from the structure data model.

9. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising a coupling part that is automatic and/or actuable by external energy and that is automatically releasable and/or closable by the construction machine control apparatus.

10. The construction machine of claim 6 , wherein the construction machine control apparatus is configured to automatically travel the construction element from a load pick-up point to an installation point or place-down point using position data from the master construction site computer; and
wherein the position data comprise location coordinates in a three-dimensional coordinate system and an angle coordinate that indicates the orientation of the construction element about an upright axis of rotation.

11. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising a rotational apparatus for rotating the load suspension means of the construction machine about an upright axis of rotation;
wherein the construction machine control apparatus is configured to actuate the rotational apparatus with reference to the digital information from the structure data model.

12. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising a travel control module that can be positioned at the load suspension means of the construction machine and/or at the construction element and has at least one operating element whose actuation axis coincides with a travel axis of the construction machine.

13. The construction machine of claim 6 , wherein the control configuration module is further configured to one or more of:
display a virtual representation of a structure being worked by the construction machine 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 a display apparatus that is arranged at the construction machine in dependence on the digital information from the structure data model in dependence on a determined construction phase; and
display a virtual representation of a next construction element to be worked and an installed position of the next construction element at the structure in dependence on digital data from the structure data model.

14. The construction machine of claim 6 , wherein the control configuration module is further configured to change a working range boundary function taken into account by the construction machine control apparatus in dependence on the digital information from the structure data model.

15. The construction machine of claim 6 further comprising:
at least one detection device for detecting an actual state of a structure being worked by the construction machine; and
a construction phase determination module for comparing the detected actual state of the structure with digital information from the structure data model and for determining a construction phase in dependence on the comparing;
wherein the data communication device is further configured to provide specific digital information from the structure data model to the construction machine control apparatus in dependence on the determined construction phase.

16. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein the mobile control unit is further configured for temporary attachment to a

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Biberach Gmbh
• Liebherr Components Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Stanger Norbert

Classifications

• B66C13/18 Primary

  Control systems or devices (exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40) · CPC title

• E02F9/262 Primary

  with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller · CPC title

• B66C15/045

  electrical · CPC title

• G05B19/4155 Primary

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title

• B66C13/48

  Automatic control of crane drives for producing a single or repeated working cycle; Program control · CPC title