Work machine with machine control that stores snapshot data for equipment abnormality diagnosis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146293-B2
Application number	US-202017275368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2020
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

In a hydraulic excavator including a controller configured to calculate the magnitude of a position difference in a height direction between a construction target surface and a front work implement on the basis of the position of the construction target surface, the position of a machine main body which is calculated by a GNSS receiver, and the posture of the front work implement which is detected by a posture sensor. The controller records snapshot data of information about an operation sensor, a pressure sensor, the posture sensor, the GNSS receiver, and a radio in a predetermined period that is determined based on a time at which the magnitude of the position difference exceeds a predetermined value when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value, and diagnoses a cause of the magnitude of the position difference exceeding the predetermined value, on the basis of the snapshot data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine comprising:
a work implement attached to a machine main body, the work implement including a bucket;
an operation sensor that detects an operation of the work implement by an operator;
a hydraulic actuator that drives the work implement;
a pressure sensor that detects a pressure on the hydraulic actuator;
a posture sensor that detects a posture of the work implement;
an antenna that is attached to the machine main body and receives satellite signals from a plurality of positioning satellites;
a receiver configured to calculate a position of the machine main body on a basis of the satellite signals received by the antenna;
a first communication device that receives, from a base station, a correction signal used when the receiver calculates the position of the machine main body; and
a controller having a storage device storing a position of a construction target surface, the construction target surface set by construction target surface data input from outside, and configured to calculate magnitude of a position difference in a height direction between the construction target surface and the work implement on a basis of the position of the construction target surface stored in the storage device, the position of the machine main body calculated by the receiver, and the posture of the work implement detected by the posture sensor, and
the controller being configured to make the work implement perform excavation by machine control that controls the hydraulic actuator such that the distal end of the bucket is retained above the construction target surface, on a basis of the position of the construction target surface stored in the storage device, the position of the machine main body calculated by the receiver, and the posture of the work implement detected by the posture sensor,
during performing excavation by the machine control, the controller being configured to record, in the storage device, snapshot data of information about the operation sensor, the pressure sensor, the posture sensor, the receiver, and the first communication device related to the machine control in a predetermined period determined based on a time at which the magnitude of the position difference exceeds a predetermined value when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value, and diagnose a cause of the magnitude of the position difference exceeding the predetermined value, on a basis of the snapshot data.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to diagnose presence or absence of a failure in at least one piece of equipment among the operation sensor, the pressure sensor, the posture sensor, the receiver, and the first communication device on a basis of the snapshot data recorded in the storage device when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value, and
the controller is configured to, when no failure is detected in the at least one piece of equipment, diagnose whether a cause is an abnormality related to a state of communication of the first communication device with the base station and diagnose whether the cause is an abnormality related to positioning by the receiver.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second communication device that transmits information stored in the storage device to an external server, wherein
the controller is configured to transmit the snapshot data to the server via the second communication device when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value.

4. The work machine according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller is configured to transmit, via the second communication device to a controller of another work machine located in surroundings of the work machine, a command to transmit snapshot data in the other work machine to the server when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value.

5. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera that photographs surroundings of the machine main body, wherein
the snapshot data includes an image photographed by the camera in the predetermined period determined based on the time at which the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value.

6. The work machine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a monitor that displays a diagnosis result obtained by the controller.

7. A work machine management system comprising:
a server connected so as to be capable of two-way communication with a work machine,
the work machine management system in which the server diagnoses an abnormality caused in the work machine,
an operation sensor that detects an operation of a work implement of the work machine by an operator,
a pressure sensor that detects a pressure on a hydraulic actuator that drives the work implement of the work machine,
a posture sensor that detects a posture of the work implement of the work machine,
an antenna that receives satellite signals from a plurality of positioning satellites,
a receiver configured to calculate a position of the machine main body of the work machine on a basis of the satellite signals received by the antenna,
a first communication device that receives, from a base station, a correction signal used when the receiver calculates the position of the machine main body of the work machine, and
a controller having a storage device storing a position of a construction target surface, the construction target surface set by construction target surface data input from outside, and configured to calculate magnitude of a position difference in a height direction between the construction target surface and the work implement of the work machine on a basis of the position of the construction target surface stored in the storage device, the position of the machine main body of the work machine calculated by the receiver, and the posture of the work implement of the work machine detected by the posture sensor,

the controller being configured to make the work implement perform excavation by machine control that controls the hydraulic actuator such that the work implement of the work machine is retained above the construction target surface, and to, during a performing excavation by the machine control, record, in the storage device, snapshot data of information about the operation sensor, the pressure sensor, the posture sensor, the receiver, and the first communication device related to the machine control in a predetermined period determined based on a time at which the magnitude of the position difference exceeds a predetermined value when the magnitude of the position difference exceeds the predetermined value, and transmit the snapshot data to the server, and
the server diagnosing a cause of the magnitude of the position difference exceeding the predetermined value in the work machine on a basis of the snapshot data transmitted from the controller.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Izumi Shiho
• Hayakawa Naoki
• NAKAGI Kenta
• Kanari Yasuhiko

Classifications

• E02F9/267

  Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles · CPC title

• E02F9/268

  with failure correction follow-up actions · CPC title

• E02F3/43 Primary

  Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations · CPC title

• G07C3/00

  Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles · CPC title

• E02F9/26

  Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)} · CPC title