Remote operation assistance server, remote operation assistance system, and remote operation assistance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023167626-A1
Application number	US-202117922635-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2020
Publication date	Jun 1, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A remote operation assistance server, or the like, capable of providing an operator of a work machine with information about influence of various regional weather conditions, such as precipitation and temperature, on the transfer and work of the work machine includes a first operation reference information Img(info 1 ), representing weather conditions (actual measurement values or analytic values) over a first designated period in the past and weather conditions (predictive values) over a second designated period in the future at a designated area A where a work machine 40 is present, which is output to a remote output interface 220 of a remote operation apparatus 20.

First claim

1 . A remote operation assistance server configured to assist remote operation of a work machine by an operator through a remote operation apparatus, the server comprising:
a first assistance processing element configured to refer to a weather information database to recognize weather conditions over a first designated period in a past at a designated area where the work machine is present; and a second assistance processing element configured to
generate first work reference information indicating the weather conditions over the first designated period in the past at the designated area recognized by the first assistance processing element and
cause an output interface of the remote operation apparatus to output the first work reference information based on communication with the remote operation apparatus.

2 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first assistance processing element refers to the weather information database to recognize, in addition to the weather conditions over the first designated period in the past at the designated area, predicted weather conditions over a second designated period in a future; and the second assistance processing element generates the first work reference information indicating, in addition to the weather conditions over the first designated period in the past at the designated area recognized by the first assistance processing element, the predicted weather conditions over the second designated period in the future, and causes the output interface of the remote operation apparatus to output the first work reference information based on the communication with the remote operation apparatus.

3 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first assistance processing element acquires a taken image of the work machine and a peripheral environment of the work machine acquired through an actual machine imaging device, and causes the output interface to output a work environment image corresponding to data on the taken image based on the communication with the remote operation apparatus; and the first assistance processing element generates the first work reference information, with an area included in the work environment image output to the output interface as the designated area, and causes the output interface to output the first work reference information together with the work environment image.

4 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 3 , wherein the output interface is caused to output the first work reference information together with the work environment image, without compromising visibility of color or luminance of a ground in the work environment image.

5 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first assistance processing element refers to a ground information database to recognize inherent properties of a ground at the designated area; and the second assistance processing element estimates changes occurring in the inherent properties of the ground at the designated area recognized by the first assistance processing element, in response to the weather conditions at the designated area recognized by the first assistance processing element, generates second work reference information indicating the properties of the ground at the designated area after the changes, and causes the output interface of the remote operation apparatus to output the second work reference information based on the communication with the remote operation apparatus.

6 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 5 , wherein
the second assistance processing element generates the second work reference information indicating whether or not an index value representing hardness or water content of the ground, as the properties of the ground at the designated area, is equal to or more than a first threshold that is set from a perspective of stable transfer of the work machine.

7 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 5 , wherein
the second assistance processing element generates the second work reference information indicating whether or not an index value representing hardness or water content of the ground, as the properties of the ground at the designated area, is equal to or less than a second threshold that is set from a perspective of easy work of the work machine.

8 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 5 , wherein:
the first assistance processing element acquires a taken image of the work machine and a peripheral environment of the work machine acquired through an actual machine imaging device, and causes the output interface to output a work environment image corresponding to data on the taken image based on the communication with the remote operation apparatus; and the first assistance processing element generates the second work reference information, with an area included in the work environment image output to the output interface as the designated area, and causes the output interface to output the second work reference information together with the work environment image.

9 . The remote operation assistance server according to claim 8 , wherein
the output interface is caused to output the second work reference information together with the work environment image, without compromising visibility of color or luminance of a ground in the work environment image.

10 . A remote operation assistance system, comprising:
the remote operation assistance server according to claim 1 ; and the remote operation apparatus.

11 . A remote operation assistance method for assisting remote operation of a work machine by an operator through a remote operation apparatus, the method comprising:
a first assistance processing step of referring to a weather information database to recognize weather conditions over a first designated period in a past at a designated area where the work machine is present; and a second assistance processing step of generating first work reference information indicating the weather conditions over the first designated period in the past at the designated area recognized in the first assistance processing step and causing an output interface of the remote operation apparatus to output the first work reference information based on communication with the remote operation apparatus.

Assignees

• Kobelco Constr Mach Co Ltd

Inventors

• Otani Masaki
• Sasaki Hitoshi
• Saiki Seiji
• Yamazaki Yoichiro

Classifications

• G06Q50/08

  Construction · CPC title

• G06Q10/063

  Operations research, analysis or management · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• E02F3/435

  for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like · CPC title

• E02F9/205 Primary

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