Work machine control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331483-B2
Application number	US-202118016504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2021
Priority date	Aug 5, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A work machine control system includes: a monitoring apparatus that detects a position and an action of a person in a monitored area set around a hydraulic excavator; and a controller that generates a control signal for limiting an action of the hydraulic excavator on the basis of a positional relation between the hydraulic excavator and a detected person detected by the monitoring apparatus, and controls the hydraulic excavator on the basis of the control signal. The controller determines which of a cooperating worker and a non-cooperating worker the detected person is, on the basis of an action of the detected person; and changes an allowable velocity of the work machine at a time of limiting an action of the work machine on the basis of a result of the determination or on the basis of the result of the determination and the action of the work machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine control system comprising:
a monitoring apparatus that detects a position of a person in a predetermined area set around a work machine; and
a controller configured to generate a control signal for limiting an action of the work machine on a basis of a positional relation between the work machine and a detected person who is a person detected by the monitoring apparatus, and control the work machine on a basis of the control signal, wherein
the monitoring apparatus further detects an action of the detected person,
the controller is configured to
determine whether the detected person is a cooperating worker or a non-cooperating worker by using information about the action of the detected person detected by the monitoring apparatus,
change an allowable velocity of the work machine at a time of limiting an action of the work machine on a basis of whether the detected person is a cooperating worker or a non-cooperating worker, or on a basis of whether the detected person is a cooperating worker or a non-cooperating worker and of the action of the work machine, wherein
the allowable velocity of the work machine is changed on a basis of a plurality of mathematical relations including a first mathematical relation and a second mathematical relation each of which specifies a correspondence between the allowable velocity of the work machine and the positional relation between the detected person and the work machine,
the second mathematical relation is specified such that the allowable velocity of the work machine is faster than in the first mathematical relation in terms of comparison under a condition where the positional relation between the detected person and the work machine is a same,
the second mathematical relation is specified such that a boundary of a deceleration area where the limiting of the allowable velocity of the work machine begins and a boundary of the stopping area where the allowable velocity of the work machine becomes zero are each closer to the work machine than the first mathematical relation, and wherein the controller is configured to:
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area, and when any one of only front-implement operation, only swing operation, combined operation of front-implement operation and swing operation, and only travel operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine,
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the first mathematical relation when it is determined that the predetermined area includes the non-cooperating worker, and
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the first mathematical relation when it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area, and when any one of combined operation of travel operation and swing operation, combined operation of travel operation and front-implement operation, and combined operation of travel operation, swing operation and front-implement operation is input to the operation device.

2. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when any one of only front-implement operation, only swing operation, combined operation of front-implement operation and swing operation, and only travel operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine after it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped, and
keep the work machine stopped when any one of combined operation of travel operation and swing operation, combined operation of travel operation and front-implement operation, and combined operation of travel operation, swing operation, and front-implement operation is input to the operation device after it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped.

3. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
keep the work machine stopped when any one of only travel operation, only swing operation, combined operation of travel operation and swing operation, combined operation of travel operation and front-implement operation, combined operation of swing operation and front-implement operation, and combined operation of travel operation, swing operation, and front-implement operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine after it is determined that the non-cooperating worker is included in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped.

4. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the first mathematical relation when only front-implement operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine after it is determined that the non-cooperating worker is included in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped.

5. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
compute a velocity vector of the work machine on a basis of detected values of a plurality of sensors attached to the work machine,
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area, when any one of only front-implement operation, only swing operation, and combined operation of front-implement operation and swing operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine, and when the velocity vector is not oriented to the cooperating worker, and
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area, when only travel operation is input to the operation device, when the velocity vector is not oriented to the cooperating worker, and when an operation amount of the travel operation is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold.

6. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
compute a velocity vector of the work machine on a basis of detected values of a plurality of sensors attached to the work machine,
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when any one of only front-implement operation, only swing operation, and combined operation of front-implement operation and swing operation is input to an operation device for operating the work machine, and when the velocity vector is not oriented to the cooperating worker, after it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped, and
decide the allowable velocity of the work machine on a basis of the second mathematical relation when it is determined that there is only the cooperating worker in the predetermined area while the work machine has been stopped, when only travel operation is input to the operation device, and when the velocity vector is not oriented to the cooperating worker.

7. The work machine control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to
compute a velocity vector of the work machine on a basis of detected values of a plurality of sensors attached to the work machine,
decide the allowable velocity of

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Narikawa Ryu
• Moriki Hidekazu
• Imura Shinya
• Yamamoto Shinjirou

Classifications

• E02F9/261

  Surveying the work-site to be treated · CPC title

• E02F9/24 Primary

  Safety devices {, e.g. for preventing overload (E02F9/226 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E02F9/2296

  Systems with a variable displacement pump · CPC title

• E02F9/2292

  Systems with two or more pumps · CPC title

• E02F9/2285

  Pilot-operated systems · CPC title