Excavator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022002970-A1
Application number	US-202117448411-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 27, 2019
Publication date	Jan 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An excavator includes a lower traveling body; an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body; an acquisition device mounted to the upper turning body and configured to acquire information including a status around the excavator; and a control device configured to recognize a reference object that is in a stopped state or at a fixed position around the excavator based on the information acquired by the acquisition device, and to estimate a turning angle of the upper turning body based on a change in a position of the reference object as viewed from the upper turning body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An excavator comprising:
a lower traveling body; an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body; an acquisition device mounted to the upper turning body and configured to acquire information including a status around the excavator; and a control device configured to recognize a reference object that is in a stopped state or at a fixed position around the excavator based on the information acquired by the acquisition device, and to estimate a turning angle of the upper turning body based on a change in a position of the reference object as viewed from the upper turning body.

2 . The excavator according to claim 1 , wherein the control device controls a turning motion of the upper turning body so as to front-face an aim object around the excavator, based on the estimated turning angle, the aim object being predetermined.

3 . The excavator according to claim 2 , wherein information relating to the predetermined aim object is included in work information.

4 . The excavator according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an input device configured to accept an operation input of a selection of an object corresponding to the predetermined aim object from among a plurality of objects around the excavator recognized by the control device.

5 . The excavator according to claim 4 , wherein the control device causes the upper turning body to front-face the predetermined aim object while estimating the turning angle of the upper turning body, based on the change in the position of the predetermined aim object that is the reference object as viewed from the upper turning body.

6 . The excavator according to claim 1 , wherein
the acquisition device is a plurality of acquisition devices, and the control device recognizes the change in the position of one reference object corresponding to the reference object, based on output information of two or more of the acquisition devices configured to acquire information relating to the one reference object.

7 . The excavator according to claim 1 , wherein the control device estimates the turning angle of the upper turning body based on the change in the position of a plurality of the reference objects as viewed from the upper turning body.

8 . An excavator comprising:
a lower traveling body; an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body; an acquisition device mounted to the upper turning body and configured to acquire information including a status around the excavator; and a control device configured to recognize an object around the excavator and to identify a position of the excavator with respect to the object, based on the information acquired by the acquisition device.

9 . The excavator according to claim 8 , wherein the control device generates and holds map information representing the position of the excavator with respect to the object.

10 . The excavator according to claim 9 , wherein the control device updates the map information based on information relating to the object acquired by the acquisition device with high accuracy greater than or equal to a predetermined reference.

11 . The excavator according to claim 8 , wherein the control device generates and holds information associating the position of the excavator with respect to the object, with a position of an aim of work corresponding to work information.

12 . The excavator according to claim 8 , wherein the control device generates and holds information associating the position of the excavator with respect to the object, with a position of a predetermined work target.

13 . The excavator according to claim 8 , wherein
the acquisition device includes
an imaging device configured to acquire an image of an area around the excavator, and
a distance information acquisition device configured to acquire distance information representing a distance to the object within an imaging range of the imaging device, and wherein
the control device recognizes the object around the excavator and identifies the position of the excavator with respect to the object, based on the image and the distance information.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kurosawa Ryota

Classifications

• E02F9/22

  Hydraulic or pneumatic drives {(for dipper or bucket arm position control E02F3/43, for blade position control for graders E02F3/844; for turntables E02F9/121; for fork-lift trucks B66F9/22)} · CPC title

• E02F9/2033

  Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin (sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123) · CPC title

• E02F9/262 Primary

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

• E02F9/265

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

• E02F9/264

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title