阅读说明：本技术 控制装置及控制方法 (Control device and control method ) 是由 皆川真范 大山康博 丁琦 于 2018-10-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种控制装置,对具备工作装置的作业车辆进行控制,具备：路径获取部,其获取搬运车辆的行驶路径；区域设定部,其沿行驶路径设定限制工作装置侵入的限制区域；信号输出部,其基于限制区域与工作装置之间的关系,输出控制作业车辆或搬运车辆的信号。(A control device for controlling a work vehicle equipped with a work implement, comprising: a route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of a transport vehicle; an area setting unit that sets a restriction area for restricting intrusion of the work implement along the travel path; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the work vehicle or the transport vehicle based on a relationship between the work implement and the restricted area.)

1. A control device for controlling a work vehicle provided with a work implement, comprising:

a route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of a transport vehicle;

an area setting unit that sets a restriction area for restricting intrusion of the work implement along the travel path;

and a signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the work vehicle or the transport vehicle based on a relationship between the work implement and the restricted area.

2. The control device according to claim 1,

the signal output unit outputs an operation signal for restricting movement of the work implement into the restriction area.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2,

the signal output unit outputs an operation signal for moving the work implement outside the restricted area when at least a part of the work implement is present in the restricted area.

4. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the signal output unit outputs a stop signal for stopping the transport vehicle when at least a part of the work implement is present in the restricted area.

5. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the signal output section outputs a control signal for prohibiting the working device from turning around when the height of the working device is smaller than the height of the restriction area.

6. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the signal output unit outputs the signal based on a relationship between the restricted area and the work implement when the transport vehicle is located in a predetermined area in which the work vehicle is located.

7. A control method is provided with:

receiving a position of a work implement provided in a work vehicle;

outputting a signal for controlling the work implement or the transport vehicle based on a relationship between a restricted area along a travel path of the transport vehicle and a position of the work implement.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control device and a control method for controlling a work vehicle or a transport vehicle in a work site where the work vehicle and the transport vehicle are installed.

The present application claims priority to Japanese patent application No. 2017-194689 filed in Japan on 10/4/2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses the following technique: an entering object entering into a working area of the working vehicle is detected, and the turning operation of the working device is limited based on the position of the detected entering object.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

On the other hand, if only the control described in patent document 1 is used, the turning operation is not restricted when the work implement is located near the stop position of the transport vehicle, and therefore, there is a possibility that the operator of the work vehicle operates the work vehicle while paying attention to the transport vehicle, thereby reducing productivity. Therefore, it is desirable to control the work implement or the transport vehicle before the transport vehicle enters within the working radius of the work vehicle.

The invention aims to provide a control device and a control method for controlling a work device or a transport vehicle so as not to contact the work device with the transport vehicle.

Means for solving the problems

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control device for controlling a work vehicle including a work implement, includes: a route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of a transport vehicle; an area setting unit that sets a restriction area for restricting intrusion of the work implement along the travel path; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal for controlling the work vehicle or the transport vehicle based on a relationship between the work implement and the restricted area.

Effects of the invention

According to the above aspect, the control device can control the work implement or the transport vehicle so that the work implement and the transport vehicle do not contact each other.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a remote operation system according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an external view of the remote working vehicle according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the management device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a travel route.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the remote cab control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the limited area.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section of the confinement region.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for setting a restricted area by the remote cab control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between the bucket position and the restriction in the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a remote cab control device according to a second embodiment.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

[ remote operation System ]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the work system according to the first embodiment.

The work system 1 includes a work vehicle 100 that is operated by remote operation, one or more transport vehicles 200, a management device 300, and a remote cab 500 that remotely operates the work vehicle 100.

The transport vehicle 200 performs the automated travel based on the route data (for example, speed information and coordinates at which the automated guided vehicle should enter) received from the management device 300. The transport vehicle 200 and the management device 300 are connected by communication via the access point 360. The management device 300 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle from the transport vehicle 200, and generates route data for the transport vehicle 200 to travel based on them. The management device 300 transmits the route data to the transport vehicle 200. The transport vehicle 200 performs unmanned traveling based on the received route data. That is, the work system 1 includes an unmanned conveyance system including the conveyance vehicle 200 and the management device 300. Note that although the work system 1 of the first embodiment includes the unmanned conveyance system, in another embodiment, some or all of the vehicles may be manned. In this case, the management device 300 does not need to transmit the route data and the loading instruction, but acquires the position and the orientation of the transportation vehicle.

Work vehicle 100 performs remote operation in response to an operation signal transmitted from remote cab 500. Work vehicle 100 and remote cab 500 are connected by communication via access point 360. The control device 540 of the remote cab 500 receives an operation of the work vehicle 100 from an operator, and transmits an operation signal to the work vehicle 100. Work vehicle 100 operates in accordance with an operation signal received from remote cab 500. That is, work system 1 includes a remote operation system including work vehicle 100 and remote cab 500.

The work vehicle 100 and the transport vehicle 200 are installed at a work site (e.g., a mine or a quarry). The remote cab 500 is provided at a place (e.g., an urban area, a work site) away from the work vehicle 100 and the carrier vehicle 200.

[ transport vehicle ]

The transport vehicle 200 of the first embodiment is an off-road dump truck provided with a vessel body. Note that the transport vehicle 200 according to another embodiment may be a transport vehicle other than a dump truck.

The transport vehicle 200 includes a position and orientation calculator 210 and a control device 220. The position and orientation calculator 210 calculates the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 200. The position and orientation calculator 210 includes two receivers that receive positioning signals from satellites constituting a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). An example of the GNSS is a GPS (Global Positioning System). The two receivers are respectively provided at different positions of the carrying vehicle 200. The position and orientation calculator 210 detects the position of the transport vehicle 200 in the on-site coordinate system based on the positioning signal received by the receiver. The position and orientation calculator 210 calculates the orientation in which the transport vehicle 200 is oriented as the relationship between the installation position of one receiver and the installation position of the other receiver, using the positioning signals received by the two receivers. Note that, in another embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transport vehicle 200 may be provided with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), for example, and calculate the bearing based on the Measurement result of the Inertial Measurement Unit. In this case, the deviation of the measurement device can be corrected based on the travel locus of the transport vehicle 200. When the direction is calculated using the inertia measuring device, the carrying vehicle 200 may be provided with a calculating device.

The control device 220 transmits the position and the orientation detected by the position and orientation arithmetic unit 210 to the management device 300. The controller 220 receives the route data and the discharging instruction from the management device 300, the approach instruction to the loading point P3, and the start instruction to start from the loading point P3. The control device 220 causes the transport vehicle 200 to travel according to the received route data, or causes the dump body of the transport vehicle 200 to move up and down according to the discharge instruction.

[ working vehicle ]

Fig. 2 is an external view of the work vehicle according to the first embodiment.

The work vehicle 100 of the first embodiment is a hydraulic excavator. Note that work vehicle 100 according to another embodiment may be a work vehicle other than a hydraulic excavator.

Work vehicle 100 includes work implement 110 that is operated by hydraulic pressure, revolving structure 120 that supports work implement 110, and traveling structure 130 that supports revolving structure 120.

The work implement 110 includes an arm 111, an arm 112, a bucket 113, an arm cylinder 114, an arm cylinder 115, a bucket cylinder 116, an arm angle sensor 117, an arm angle sensor 118, and a bucket angle sensor 119.

The base end of the boom 111 is attached to the front portion of the rotator 120 via a pin.

The small arm 112 connects the large arm 111 and the bucket 113. The base end of the small arm 112 is attached to the tip end of the large arm 111 via a pin.

The bucket 113 includes a tooth for excavating earth and sand and a container for transporting the excavated earth and sand. The base end of the bucket 113 is attached to the tip end of the arm 112 via a pin.

The boom cylinder 114 is a hydraulic cylinder for operating the boom 111. The base end of the boom cylinder 114 is attached to the rotator 120. The front end of the boom cylinder 114 is attached to the boom 111.

The arm cylinder 115 is a hydraulic cylinder for operating the arm 112. The base end of the boom cylinder 115 is attached to the boom 111. The front end of the arm cylinder 115 is attached to the arm 112.

The bucket cylinder 116 is a hydraulic cylinder for operating the bucket 113. The base end of the bucket cylinder 116 is attached to the boom 111. The front end of the bucket cylinder 116 is attached to the bucket 113.

The boom angle sensor 117 is attached to the boom 111, and detects the tilt angle of the boom 111.

The arm angle sensor 118 is attached to the arm 112 and detects the tilt angle of the arm 112.

The bucket angle sensor 119 is attached to the bucket 113 and detects the tilt angle of the bucket 113.

The boom angle sensor 117, the arm angle sensor 118, and the bucket angle sensor 119 of the first embodiment detect the tilt angle with respect to the ground plane. Note that the angle sensor of the other embodiment is not limited to this, and may detect an inclination angle with respect to another reference plane. For example, in another embodiment, the angle sensor may detect a relative angle with respect to the mounting portion, or may detect a tilt angle by measuring a stroke of each cylinder and converting the stroke of the cylinder into an angle.

The revolving structure 120 includes a cab 121. An imaging device 122 is provided in an upper portion of the cab 121. The imaging device 122 is disposed in front of and above the cab 121. The photographing device 122 photographs the front of the cab 121 through the front glass of the front surface of the cab 121. Examples of the imaging Device 122 include an imaging Device using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. Note that, in another embodiment, the imaging device 122 need not be provided in the cab 121, and the imaging device 122 may be provided at a position where at least the work object and the work implement 110 can be imaged.

The work vehicle 100 includes an imaging device 122, a position and orientation calculator 123, an inclination measuring device 124, and a control device 125.

The position and orientation calculator 123 calculates the position of the rotator 120 and the orientation of the rotator 120. The position and orientation calculator 123 includes two receivers 1231 that receive positioning signals from satellites constituting GNSS. The two receivers 1231 are respectively provided at different positions of the rotator 120. The position and orientation calculator 123 detects the position of the representative point of the revolving unit 120 (the revolving center of the revolving unit 120) in the field coordinate system based on the positioning signal received by the receiver 1231.

The position and orientation calculator 123 calculates the orientation of the rotator 120 using the positioning signals received by the two receivers 1231 as the relationship between the installation position of one receiver 1231 and the installation position of the other receiver 1231.

The inclination detector 124 measures the acceleration and angular velocity of the rotator 120, and detects the posture (e.g., yaw angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle) of the rotator 120 based on the measurement results. The inclination measuring unit 124 is provided on the lower surface of the rotator 120, for example. The tilt measuring device 124 can use, for example, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).

The control device 125 transmits the image captured by the imaging device 122, the revolving speed, position, and orientation of the revolving unit 120, the inclination angles of the boom 111, the boom 112, and the bucket 113, the traveling speed of the traveling unit 130, and the posture of the revolving unit 120 to the remote cab 500. Hereinafter, the image, the turning speed, position, and orientation of the turning body 120, the inclination angles of the boom 111, the arm 112, and the bucket 113, the traveling speed of the traveling body 130, and the posture of the turning body 120 are referred to as vehicle information. Note that the vehicle information of the other embodiments is not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle information according to another embodiment may not include any of the turning speed, position, azimuth, inclination angle, traveling speed, and attitude, may include a value detected by another sensor, and may include a value calculated from the detected value.

The control device 125 receives an operation signal from the remote cab 500. The control device 540 operates the work implement 110, the revolving unit 120, or the traveling unit 130 in response to the received operation signal.

[ management device ]

Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the management device according to the first embodiment.

The management device 300 manages the travel of the transport vehicle 200.

The management device 300 is a computer including a processor 3100, a main memory 3200, a memory 3300, and an interface 3400. Memory 3300 stores program p 3. Processor 3100 reads program p3 from memory 3300, expands it in main memory 3200, and executes processing according to program p 3. The management apparatus 300 is connected to a network via an interface 3400.

The memory 3300 has storage areas as a travel route storage unit 3301 and a position information storage unit 3302. Examples of the Memory 3300 include an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic Disk, an optical Disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), a semiconductor Memory, and the like. The memory 3300 may be an internal medium directly connected to the public communication line of the management apparatus 300, or may be an external medium connected to the management apparatus 300 via the interface 3400. Memory 3300 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a travel route.

The travel route storage unit 3301 stores a travel route R for each transport vehicle 200. The travel route R includes a preset connection route R1 connecting two areas a (for example, a loading area a1 and a dump area a2), an entrance route R2 as a route in the area a, an approach route R3, and an exit route R4. The entry route R2 is a route that connects the standby point P1, which is one end of the connection route R1, to the predetermined turnaround point P2 in the area a. The approach path R3 is a path connecting the turning point P2 in the area a with the loading point P3 or the discharging point P4. The exit path R4 is a path connecting the loading point P3 or the discharging point P4 in the area a to the exit point P5 which is the other end of the connection path R1. The loading point P3 is a point set by an operation of the operator of the work vehicle 100. The returning point P2 is set by the management device 300 according to the position of the loading point P3. The management device 300 receives a loading point instruction signal designated by the coordinates of the loading point P3 from the operator, and sets the loading point P3 based on the loading point instruction signal. The management apparatus 300 calculates the entry route R2, the approach route R3, and the exit route R4 each time the loading point P3 is set.

The position information storage unit 3302 stores position information and direction information of each transport vehicle 200.

The processor 3100 includes a position information collection unit 3101, a travel route generation unit 3102, and a transmission unit 3103 according to execution of the program p 3.

The position information collection unit 3101 receives position information and direction information from the transport vehicle 200 via the access point 360. The position information collection unit 3101 stores the received position information and orientation information in the position information storage unit 3302.

The travel route generation unit 3102 generates route data indicating an area where the transport vehicle 200 is permitted to move, based on the travel route stored in the travel route storage unit 3301 and the position information and the azimuth information stored in the position information storage unit 3302, and transmits the route data to the transport vehicle 200. The route data is, for example, information indicating an area where the transport vehicle 200 can travel at a predetermined speed within a certain time and does not overlap with the travel route of another transport vehicle 200. When receiving the stop signal of the transport vehicle 200 from the remote cab 500, the travel route generation unit 3102 transmits the stop signal to the transport vehicle 200.

The transmission unit 3103 transmits the positional information of the transport vehicle 200 collected by the positional information collection unit 3101 to the remote cab 500. The transmission unit 3103 receives an operation signal for the transport vehicle 200 from the remote cab 500 and transmits the operation signal to the transport vehicle 200 via the access point 360. The operation signals to the transport vehicle 200 include an entry instruction signal, a loading completion signal, and a travel restart signal. The entry instruction signal is a signal for instructing the conveying vehicle 200 to enter the loading point P3. The loading completion signal is a signal indicating that the transport vehicle 200 has exited from the loading point P3 due to completion of loading. The travel restart signal is a signal for canceling the stop of the transport vehicle 200.

[ remote operator's cab ]

The remote cab 500 includes a driver seat 510, a display device 520, a first operation device 530, a second operation device 531, and a control device 540.

Display device 520 is disposed in front of driver seat 510. The display device 520 is positioned in front of the operator when the operator is seated on the driver seat 510. As shown in fig. 1, the display device 520 may be configured by a plurality of displays arranged in parallel, or may be configured by one large display. The display device 520 may project an image on a curved surface or a spherical surface by a projector or the like.

The first operation device 530 is an operation device for a remote driving system. The first operating device 530 receives inputs of an operation signal of the boom cylinder 114, an operation signal of the arm cylinder 115, an operation signal of the bucket cylinder 116, a turning operation signal of the turning body 120 to the left and right, and a travel operation signal for advancing and retracting the travel body 130. The first operation device 530 is composed of, for example, an electric lever and an electric pedal.

The second handling device 531 is a handling device for an unmanned conveyance system. The second operation device 531 receives inputs of a loading point instruction signal, an entry instruction signal, a loading completion signal, and a traveling restart signal to the transport vehicle 200. The second manipulation device 531 is constituted by a touch panel or the like, for example. The second operation device 531 transmits the input operation signal to the management device 300.

The first operation device 530 and the second operation device 531 are disposed near the driver seat 510. The first operating device 530 and the second operating device 531 are located within a range that can be operated by the operator when the operator is seated on the driver seat 510.

The control device 540 displays an image (for example, a moving image) received from the work vehicle 100 on the display device 520, and transmits an operation signal indicating an operation on the first operation device 530 to the work vehicle 100.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the remote cab control device according to the first embodiment.

The control device 540 is a computer including a processor 5100, a main memory 5200, a memory 5300, and an interface 5400. The memory 5300 stores a program p 5. The processor 5100 reads the program p5 from the memory 5300, expands it in the main memory 5200, and executes processing according to the program p 5. The control device 540 is connected to a network via the interface 5400.

Examples of the memory 5300 include an HDD, an SSD, a magnetic disk, an optical magnetic disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a semiconductor memory. The memory 5300 may be an internal medium directly connected to the public communication line of the control device 540 or an external medium connected to the control device 540 via the interface 5400. Memory 5300 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

The processor 5100 includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 5101, a display control unit 5102, a position information acquisition unit 5103, a route acquisition unit 5104, an area setting unit 5105, a work device position specifying unit 5106, a limitation determination unit 5107, an operation signal input unit 5108, an operation signal limitation unit 5109, an operation signal output unit 5110, and a stop signal output unit 5111 in accordance with the execution of the program p 5.

The vehicle information obtaining unit 5101 obtains vehicle information from the work vehicle 100 via the access point 360.

The display control unit 5102 generates a display signal for displaying an image included in the vehicle information received by the vehicle information acquisition unit 5101, and outputs the display signal to the display device 520.

The position information obtaining unit 5103 obtains the position of each transport vehicle 200 from the management device 300.

The route acquirer 5104 acquires the travel route of each transport vehicle 200 from the management device 300.

The area setting unit 5105 sets a restriction area L that restricts entry of the work vehicle 100, based on the travel route acquired by the route acquisition unit 5104. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the limited area. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section of the confinement region. The limit area L is a space extending along the travel route R (the entry route R2, the approach route R3, and the exit route R4) in the loading yard a1, and is a space having a cross section determined by the height H _ v of the transport vehicle 200 and the width W _ v of the transport vehicle 200 plus a predetermined width (an error in autonomous driving) W _ err. The limited area L is a space related to the excavator coordinate system. That is, the area setting unit 5105 converts the travel route R acquired by the route acquisition unit 5104 from the site coordinate system to the excavator coordinate system based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 5101, and sets the restriction area L based on the converted travel route R. Note that in other embodiments, the predetermined width may not be an error of the automatic driving. In other embodiments, the excavator coordinate system may be converted to a site coordinate system, or the excavator coordinate system may be converted to a trajectory coordinate system.

Work implement position specifying unit 5106 specifies the position of the lowermost point of bucket 113 based on the vehicle information received by vehicle information obtaining unit 5101. The position of the lowermost point of bucket 113 is a position related to the excavator coordinate system of work vehicle 100. Specifically, the work implement position specifying unit 5106 obtains a vertical component and a horizontal component of the length of the boom 111 based on the inclination angle of the boom 111 and the known length of the boom 111. Similarly, the work implement position specifying unit 5106 obtains a vertical component and a horizontal component of the length of the arm 112. Work implement position determination unit 5106 determines, as the position of the tip of arm 112, the position of the vertical component and the sum of the horizontal components that are offset from the position of work vehicle 100 in the direction determined by the azimuth and attitude of work vehicle 100 by the length of arm 111 and arm 112. Work implement position specifying unit 5106 specifies the lowest point in the vertical direction of bucket 113 based on the position of the tip of arm 112, the inclination angle of bucket 113, and a known bucket shape.

The limit determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is within or directly above the limit area, and also determines whether or not the height of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is equal to or greater than the height of the limit area.

The operation signal input unit 5108 receives an input of an operation signal from the first operation device 530. The operation signals include an operation signal of the boom cylinder 114, an operation signal of the arm cylinder 115, an operation signal of the bucket cylinder 116, a turning operation signal of the turning body 120 to the left and right, and a travel operation signal for advancing and retracting the travel body 130.

The operation signal limiting unit 5109 limits the operation signal input to the operation signal input unit 5108 based on the determination result of the limitation determination unit 5107. Specifically, when the restriction determination unit 5107 determines that the position of the lowest point of the bucket 113 is within the restriction area or directly above, the operation signal restriction unit 5109 cancels the operation signal for operating the boom 111, the arm 112, and the bucket 113 downward, and holds the position of the lowest point of the bucket 113. At this time, the operation signal limiting unit 5109 generates operation signals for operating the boom cylinder 114, the arm cylinder 115, and the bucket cylinder 116 so that the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 does not fall due to the self weight of the work implement 110. Note that the operation signal limiting unit 5109 may contract only the large arm cylinder 114, may contract only the small arm cylinder 115, and may control both the large arm cylinder 114 and the small arm cylinder 115. When the restriction determination unit 5107 determines that the height of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is smaller than the height of the restricted area, the operation signal restriction unit 5109 cancels the operation signal for turning the turning body 120 in the direction inside the restricted area.

The operation signal output unit 5110 outputs the operation signal input to the operation signal input unit 5108 or the operation signal restricted by the operation signal restricting unit 5109 to the work vehicle 100.

When the restriction determination unit 5107 determines that the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is within the restriction area, the stop signal output unit 5111 outputs a stop signal for stopping the transport vehicle 200 to the management device 300.

[ method ]

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for setting a restricted area by the remote cab control device according to the first embodiment.

The control device 540 executes the process of setting the restricted area shown in fig. 8 at regular intervals.

The position information acquirer 5103 acquires the position information of the work vehicle 100 and the plurality of transport vehicles 200 from the management device 300 (step S1). The route acquirer 5104 acquires the travel route R of each transport vehicle 200 from the management device 300 (step S2). The area setting unit 5105 determines whether or not there is a transport vehicle 200 traveling in the loading bay a1 among the plurality of transport vehicles 200 (step S3).

If there is a transport vehicle 200 traveling in the yard a1 (yes in step S3), the area setting unit 5105 sets the restricted area L based on the travel route R associated with the transport vehicle 200 traveling in the yard a1, from among the travel routes R acquired in step S2 (step S4). At this time, when the plurality of transport vehicles 200 travel in the loading yard a1, the restriction area L is set for each transport vehicle 200. At this time, the area setting unit 5105 does not set the restricted area L for the transport vehicle 200 that is located in the loading yard a1 but is not traveling (for example, the transport vehicle 200 stopped at the loading point P3).

For example, the area setting unit 5105 determines the height and width of the restriction area L based on the height of the transport vehicle 200 and the width obtained by adding the error of the automated driving to the width of the transport vehicle 200. The area setting unit 5105 determines an area including a trajectory in which a rectangle having the determined height and width is moved along the travel path R in the loading yard a1, as the restricted area L. Note that, in other embodiments, the cross section of the limiting region L is not limited to a rectangle. For example, the cross section of the limiting region L in other embodiments may have other shapes such as a trapezoid, a semicircle, and the like.

Thus, the controller 540 can set the limit area L in the loading bay a 1.

When region setting unit 5105 sets restricted region L (step S4), or when there is no transport vehicle 200 traveling in loading bay a1 (no in step S3), vehicle information acquisition unit 5101 acquires vehicle information from work vehicle 100 via access point 360 (step S5). Based on the acquired vehicle information, work implement position determination unit 5106 determines the position of the lowermost point of bucket 113 (step S6).

The limit determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is within the limit area L (step S7). When the lowest point of the bucket 113 is located within the limit area L (yes in step S7), the stop signal output unit 5111 transmits a stop signal for stopping the transport vehicle 200 associated with the limit area to the management device 300 (step S8). Upon receiving the stop signal, the management device 300 outputs the stop signal to the transport vehicle 200 to be stopped. Thereby, the transport vehicle 200 stops. While the stop signal is received, the management device 300 outputs an operation signal to stop the transport vehicle 200 to the transport vehicle 200. Thereafter, the operator operates the second operation device 531 to input a travel resumption signal, and when the management device 300 transmits the travel resumption signal to the transport vehicle 200, the transport vehicle 200 resumes travel based on the route data. Note that, in another embodiment, the transportation vehicle 200 may be decelerated on the route by receiving the deceleration signal from the management device 300.

When the position of the lowermost point is not within the limit area L (no in step S7), or when the stop signal output unit 5111 outputs the stop signal, the operation signal input unit 5108 receives an input of the operation signal from the first operation device 530 (step S9).

The restriction determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is within the restriction area or directly above the restriction area (step S10). That is, the restriction determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the lowermost point is present in the restriction area in a top view seen from above.

When the lowest point is located within or directly above the restricted area (yes in step S10), the operation signal limiting unit 5109 limits the operation signal for extending or retracting the cylinder of the work implement 110 among the input operation signals, with the signal for maintaining the height of the work implement 110 as the lower limit value (step S11). The signal for maintaining the height of the work implement 110 is an operation signal for canceling downward movement of the work implement 110 due to its own weight. Here, the value of the operation signal for moving the work implement 110 downward (in the excavation direction) is a negative number, and the value of the operation signal for moving the work implement 110 upward (in the unloading direction) is a positive number. In this case, the value of the signal of the height of the working device 110 is kept negative near 0. For example, since the boom cylinder 114 extends to raise the boom 111, the operation signal for extending the boom cylinder 114 has a positive value, and the operation signal for retracting the boom cylinder 114 has a negative value. That is, the operation signal of the boom cylinder 114 for maintaining the height of the work implement 110 is a signal for slightly extending the boom cylinder 114.

Therefore, when the input operation signal is a signal for moving the work implement 110 upward, the operation signal limiting unit 5109 passes the operation signal. When the input operation signal is a signal for causing the work implement 110 to move downward or not, the operation signal limiting unit 5109 limits the value of the operation signal to the value of a signal for maintaining the height of the work implement 110.

When the operation signal is restricted by the operation signal restricting unit 5109, or when the lowermost point is not within the restricted area and is directly above the restricted area (no in step S10), the restriction determining unit 5107 determines whether or not the height of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is smaller than the height of the restricted area (step S12). When the height of the lowermost point is smaller than the height of the regulation area (yes in step S12), the regulation determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is within the regulation area L (step S13). When the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is located within the limit area L (yes in step S13), the operation signal limiting unit 5109 cancels the turning operation signal for turning the turning body 120, out of the input operation signals (step S14). That is, operation signal limiting unit 5109 limits the swing operation signal to zero, thereby prohibiting the swing operation of work vehicle 100. Note that, in another embodiment, the operation signal limiting unit 5109 may reduce the swing operation of the work vehicle 100 by limiting the swing operation signal.

When the position of the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is not within the limit area L (no in step S13), the limit determination unit 5107 determines whether or not the input swing operation signal is a signal indicating a swing operation in the direction inside the limit area L, that is, a swing operation in the direction approaching the limit area L (step S15). When the turning operation signal is a turning operation in the direction inside the restricted area L, the operation signal restricting unit 5109 cancels the turning operation signal for turning the turning body 120 among the input operation signals (step S14).

On the other hand, when the height of the lowermost point is equal to or greater than the height of the regulated area (no in step S12), or when the position of the lowermost point is not within the regulated area L and is a signal indicating a swing operation in the direction outside the regulated area L (no in step S15), the operation signal limiting unit 5109 passes the swing operation signal.

If the operation signal limiting unit 5109 determines whether or not the swing operation signal is to be canceled, the operation signal output unit 5110 outputs the operation signal limited by the operation signal limiting unit 5109 (the operation signal input without being limited in steps S11 and S13) to the work vehicle 100 via the management device 300 (step S16).

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between the bucket position and the restriction in the first embodiment.

By the above-described setting process of the restricted area, the operation of work vehicle 100 and transport vehicle 200 is restricted as follows.

When the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is located within the regulated area L, that is, when the lowermost point is located within the regulated area L and the height of the lowermost point is smaller than the height of the regulated area L in a plan view from above, the transport vehicle 200 is stopped in step S8, the lowering of the work implement 110 is prohibited in step S11, and the rotation is prohibited in step S14.

When the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is not within the limit area L, and when the lowermost point is within the limit area L in a plan view as viewed from above, lowering of the work implement 110 is prohibited in step S11.

When the lowermost point of the bucket 113 is not within the limit area L and when the height of the lowermost point is smaller than the height of the limit area L, the rotation in the inward direction of the limit area L is prohibited in step S14.

When the lowermost point is located outside the regulated area L and the height of the lowermost point is equal to or greater than the height of the regulated area L in a plan view seen from above, the operation of the work vehicle 100 and the transport vehicle 200 is not limited.

[ Effect and Effect ]

According to the first embodiment, the control device 540 sets the restricted area L along the travel path R of the transport vehicle 200, and outputs a signal for controlling the work vehicle 100 or the transport vehicle 200 based on the relationship between the restricted area L and the work implement 110. Thus, the control device 540 can control the work vehicle 100 so that the work implement 110 is not positioned on the travel path R of the transport vehicle 200. Further, the control device 540 may stop the travel of the transport vehicle 200 when the work implement 110 is positioned on the travel route R of the transport vehicle 200. Therefore, the control device 540 can control the work vehicle 100 or the transport vehicle 200 so that the work implement 110 and the transport vehicle 200 do not contact each other.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the lowermost point of the work implement 110 is located within the limited region L or directly above the limited region L, the control device 540 restricts the operation of moving the work implement 110 downward. When the height of the lowermost point of the work implement 110 is smaller than the height of the limit area L, the control device 540 limits the turning operation of the work implement 110. That is, as shown in fig. 9, the control device 540 according to the first embodiment restricts the movement of the working device 110 into the restricted area L. This can prompt the operator to move the work implement 110 outside the restricted area L.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the lowermost point of the work implement 110 is located within the limit area L, the control device 540 outputs a stop signal for stopping the transport vehicle 200. Thus, the control device 540 can prevent the transport vehicle 200 from traveling toward the work implement 110 when the work implement 110 is located on the travel path R.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the transport vehicle 200 is located in the loading bay a1 where the work vehicle 100 is located, the control device 540 outputs a signal based on the relationship between the restricted area L and the work implement 110. Thus, the control device 540 can prevent unnecessary restriction from being applied when the possibility that the work vehicle 100 and the transport vehicle 200 are sufficiently separated from each other and come into contact with each other is low.

< second embodiment >

The control device 540 of the first embodiment prompts the operator to move the work implement 110 outside the restricted area L by restricting the movement of the work implement 110 into the restricted area L. In contrast, the controller 540 according to the second embodiment automatically moves the working device 110 outside the limited area L when a part of the working device 110 is located inside the limited area L.

Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a remote cab control device according to a second embodiment.

The control device 540 according to the second embodiment includes an operation signal covering unit 5112 instead of the operation signal limiting unit 5109.

When the lowermost point of the work implement 110 is located within the limited region L, the operation signal covering section 5112 covers the operation signal input to the operation signal input section 5108 with the operation signal for moving the work implement 110 out of the limited region L. That is, when the lowermost point of the work implement 110 is located within the limited region L, the operation signal covering section 5112 automatically generates an operation signal for moving the work implement 110 upward.

Thus, the control device 540 according to the second embodiment can quickly avoid the work implement 110 from the travel route R of the transport vehicle 200 so that the work implement 110 does not contact the transport vehicle 200.

< other embodiment >

While one embodiment has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above configuration, and various design changes and the like can be made.

For example, in the work system 1 according to the above embodiment, the control device 540 of the remote cab 500 controls the work vehicle 100 or the transport vehicle 200 based on the relationship between the work implement 110 and the restricted area L, but is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, the management device 300 may control the work vehicle 100 or the transport vehicle 200 based on the relationship between the work equipment 110 and the limited area L. In another embodiment, the control device 125 of the work vehicle 100 may control the work vehicle 100 based on the relationship between the work implement 110 and the restricted area L.

The restriction region L of the above embodiment is a three-dimensional region having a width and a height, but is not limited thereto. For example, the confinement region L of other embodiments may be a planar region having no height. In this case, the controller 540 compares the position of the bucket 113 in a plan view as viewed from above with the limit area L.

In the above embodiment, the communication between the work vehicle 100 and the carrier vehicle 200 and the communication between the management device 300 and the remote cab 500 are connected via one access point 360, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, an access point for communication between the work vehicle 100 and the transport vehicle 200 and an access point for communication between the management device 300 and the remote cab 500 may be provided independently of each other.

In the work system 1 according to the above embodiment, the control device 540 of the remote cab 500 limits the operation signal, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the work system 1 according to another embodiment, the control device 125 of the work vehicle 100 may limit the operation signal received from the remote cab 500 based on the positional information of the transport vehicle 200 stored in the management device 300. In this case, the program p5 is stored in the memory of the control device 125.

In the work system 1 of the above embodiment, whether or not the restriction is performed by the restriction area L is determined according to whether or not the transport vehicle 200 is located in the loading yard a1, but is not limited to this. For example, in the work system 1 according to another embodiment, whether or not to perform the restriction by the restriction area L may be determined based on whether or not the distance between the transport vehicle 200 and the work vehicle 100 is within a predetermined distance. That is, in the work system 1 of the other embodiment, whether or not to perform the restriction by the restriction area L may be determined based on an area centered on the position of the work vehicle 100 and having a radius of a predetermined distance. In another embodiment, when the transport vehicle 200 does not reach the loading yard a1, the remote cab 500 may generate a warning sound based on the restricted area L to prompt the operator to notice when the distance between the transport vehicle 200 and the work vehicle 100 is within a predetermined distance.

The work system 1 according to the above embodiment performs the restriction based on the restriction area L based on the positional information of the transport vehicle 200 collected by the management device 300, but is not limited thereto. For example, the work system 1 according to another embodiment may limit the work area L based on the distance measurement result obtained by image recognition using the sensor or the imaging device 122 provided in the work vehicle 100.

In the work system 1 of the above embodiment, the restriction by the restriction area L is performed while the transport vehicle 200 travels in the loading yard a1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the work system 1 according to another embodiment, the restriction of the restriction area L relating to the transport vehicle 200 may be cancelled in order to alleviate the impact on the tilting body of the transport vehicle 200 during the period from when the transport vehicle 200 stops at the loading point P3 to when the vehicle starts to move. In another embodiment, a restriction release button or the like may be provided in the second operation device 531 of the remote cab 500, and the restriction of the restriction area L may be released on condition that the restriction release button is pressed.

In the control device 540 of the above embodiment, the case where the program p5 is stored in the memory 5300 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments, the program p5 may be sent to the control device 540 over a communication line. In this case, the control device 540 that has received the transmission expands the program p5 in the main memory 5200 and executes the processing described above.

Further, the program p5 may be a program for realizing a part of the above functions. For example, the program p5 may be combined with another program p5 stored in the memory 5300 or another program p5 installed in another device to implement the above functions.

The control Device 125, the management Device 300, and the control Device 540 may be provided with a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. As examples of PLDs, PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) can be cited. In this case, a portion of the functions implemented by the processor may be implemented using the PLD.

Industrial applicability

According to the above aspect, the control device can control the work implement or the transport vehicle so that the work implement and the transport vehicle do not contact each other.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … remote operation system

100 … work vehicle

200 … transport vehicle

300 … management device

3101 … position information collecting unit

3102 … the operation signal generating unit

3103 … the conveying part

3301 … travel route storage unit

3302 … position information storage unit

500 … remote cab

510 … driver's seat

520 … display device

530 … first operating device

540 … control device

5101 … vehicle information acquisition unit

5102 … display control unit

5103 … position information acquiring unit

5104 … route acquisition unit

5105 … area setting unit

5106 … working device position determining unit

5107 … Limit determination unit

5108 … operation signal input unit

5109 operation signal limiting unit 5109 …

5110 … operation signal output unit

5111 … stop signal output unit

5112 … operation signal cover