Operation instruction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371882-B2
Application number	US-202017642428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A point generating unit of a mobile terminal generates teaching point information associating a teaching position that teaches the work machine a position of the attachment in a series of movements to be performed by the work machine with orientation information indicating a target orientation at the teaching position, based on a slewing angle of an upper slewing body and on orientation information on the attachment. A point changing unit changes the generated teaching point information. When the teaching point information is changed, an instruction generating unit of the work machine generates an automatic operation instruction for automatically operating a slewing device and the attachment, based on the changed teaching point information. An operation control unit of the work machine automatically operates the slewing device and the attachment, based on the automatic operation instruction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operation instruction system comprising:
a work machine including a controller; and
a mobile terminal capable of communicating with the work machine,
wherein the controller includes an information generating unit that generates orientation information on the work machine, and an instruction generating unit that generates an instruction for operating the work machine,
wherein the work machine includes:
a lower travelling body;
an upper slewing body attached rotatably to top of the lower travelling body;
a slewing device capable of causing the upper slewing body to slew;
an attachment attached rotatably to the upper slewing body;
a slewing angle detection device that detects a slewing angle of the upper slewing body relative to the lower travelling body; and
an orientation detection device that detects an orientation of the attachment,
wherein the controller includes an operation control unit that operates the slewing device and the attachment, based on the instruction generated by the instruction generating unit,
the information generating unit generates the orientation information, based on a slewing angle of the upper slewing body, the slewing angle being detected by the slewing angle detection device, and on an orientation of the attachment, the orientation being detected by the orientation detection device,
the mobile terminal includes:
a point generating unit that generates, based on the orientation information generated by the information generating unit, teaching point information associating a teaching position that teaches the work machine a position of the attachment in a series of movements to be performed by the work machine with the orientation information indicating a target orientation at the teaching position; and
a point changing unit that changes the teaching point information generated by the point generating unit,
the instruction generating unit generates an automatic operation instruction for automatically operating the slewing device and the attachment, based on the teaching point information generated by the point generating unit,
when the teaching point information is changed by the point changing unit, the instruction generating unit generates the automatic operation instruction, based on the changed teaching point information, and
the operation control unit automatically operates the slewing device and the attachment, based on the automatic operation instruction generated by the instruction generating unit,
the work machine further includes:
an operation lever operated by an operator to operate the slewing device and the attachment; and
an operation amount detection device that continuously detects a type and an operation amount of operation of the operation lever,

the slewing angle detection device continuously detects the slewing angle of the upper slewing body, the slewing angle being changed continuously by an operation of the operation lever,
the orientation detection device continuously detects the orientation of the attachment, the orientation being changed continuously by an operation of the operation lever,
the information generating unit continuously generates the orientation information that associates the type and the operation amount of operation of the operation lever, the type and the operation amount being detected continuously by the operation amount detection device, the slewing angle of the upper slewing body, the slewing angle being detected continuously by the slewing angle detection device, and the orientation of the attachment, the orientation being detected continuously by the orientation detection device, with each other,
the point generating unit extracts a first operation pattern and a second operation pattern of the operation lever, based on the orientation information generated continuously by the information generating unit, and generates first teaching point information associating a first teaching position that teaches a position of the attachment with the orientation information indicating a target orientation at the first teaching position when the first operation pattern is switched to the second operation pattern, and second teaching point information associating a second teaching position that teaches a position of the attachment with the orientation information indicating a target orientation at the second teaching position when the first operation pattern and the second operation pattern are respectively continued,
the first teaching position of the first teaching point information includes an excavation start position, an excavation end position, a contact avoiding position, and a soil discharge position,
the second teaching position of the second teaching point information includes a position between the excavation start position and the excavation end position, a position between the excavation end position and the contact avoiding position, a position between the contact avoiding position and the soil discharge position, and a position between the soil discharge position and the excavation start position, and
the point generating unit generates the first teaching point information when the attachment is at the excavation start position, the excavation end position, the contact avoiding position, and the soil discharge position, and generates the second teaching point information when the attachment is at the position between the excavation start position and the excavation end position, the position between the excavation end position and the contact avoiding position, the position between the contact avoiding position and the soil discharge position, and the position between the soil discharge position and the excavation start position.

2. The operation instruction system according to claim 1 , wherein
the point generating unit classifies the orientation information indicating the series of movements into a plurality of pieces of orientation information, based on information on a type and an operation amount of operation of the operation lever, the information being included in the orientation information, and
the instruction generating unit generates the automatic operation instruction for each of the plurality of pieces of orientation information classified by the point generating unit.

3. The operation instruction system according to claim 1 , wherein
the mobile terminal further includes a change acceptance unit that accepts a change of the teaching point information generated by the point generating unit, the change being made by a worker, and
the point changing unit changes the teaching point information, based on contents of the change accepted by the change acceptance unit.

4. The operation instruction system according to claim 1 , further comprising a surrounding condition acquiring device that acquires surrounding conditions of a work site,
wherein the point changing unit changes the teaching point information, based on the surrounding conditions acquired by the surrounding condition acquiring device.

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamimura Yusuke
• Noda Daisuke
• Yamazaki Yoichiro

Classifications

• G05D1/20

  Control system inputs · CPC title

• E02F9/261

  Surveying the work-site to be treated · CPC title

• E02F9/205

  Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/265 Primary

  with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool) · CPC title

• E02F3/437

  providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant · CPC title