JP7809562B2 - Work machinery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work machine.

There is technology for sensing the environment surrounding work machinery. Traditionally, work machine operators (pilots) operated the machinery solely based on their own field of vision from the driver's seat. However, to further improve work efficiency and safety, work machines are now equipped with external recognition devices, allowing operators to operate the machinery while recognizing information about the surroundings acquired by the external recognition devices, even information that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Operators can also now operate the machinery from a remote location (remote control) while recognizing information about the surroundings acquired by the external recognition devices installed on the machinery. This has also led to the need for maintenance, such as cleaning, of the external recognition devices.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a camera is used as an external recognition device to provide the operator with visual information about the area behind the work machine. Furthermore, by also equipping the camera with an automatic cleaning device, the technology prevents a deterioration in visibility without the operator having to interrupt work to clean the camera.

Patent No. 6169509

However, in Patent Document 1, if an operator is visually monitoring the camera footage during automatic cleaning, cleaning fluid or the like may adhere to the camera, causing the cleaning process itself to obstruct the operator's view and causing the work to be interrupted.

The present invention was created in consideration of and to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a work machine that can clean dirt from the external environment recognition device and maintain recognition performance without interfering with the operator's work, even when checking camera footage.

In order to solve the above problems, the working machine of the present invention is a working machine comprising an external environment recognition device, a washing device that washes the external environment recognition device, and a washing control device that outputs a washing command to the washing device to automatically wash the external environment recognition device, wherein the washing control device has a state recognition unit that recognizes the working state of the working machine, a washing permission determination unit that determines whether the external environment recognition device can be washed based on the working state of the working machine recognized by the state recognition unit, and an automatic washing command unit that outputs a washing command to the washing device to automatically wash the external environment recognition device according to the determination result of the washing permission determination unit , and the washing device comprises a liquid washing device that uses washing liquid and a wind pressure washing device that uses air, and the state recognition unit acquires a signal from an operation lever for swing operation of the working machine, and when a swing operation is input to the operation lever, the washing permission determination unit determines that the liquid washing device is prohibited from washing the external environment recognition device and that the wind pressure washing device is permitted to wash the external environment recognition device, and the external environment recognition device is washed by the wind pressure washing device . Further, a work machine of the present invention is a work machine comprising an external environment recognition device, a cleaning device that cleans the external environment recognition device, and a cleaning control device that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device, wherein the cleaning control device has a state recognition unit that recognizes the working state of the work machine, a cleaning permission determination unit that determines whether the external environment recognition device can be cleaned based on the working state of the work machine recognized by the state recognition unit, and an automatic cleaning command unit that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device according to the determination result of the cleaning permission determination unit, and the cleaning device comprises a liquid cleaning device that uses cleaning liquid and a wind pressure cleaning device that uses air, and the state recognition unit acquires a signal from a travel lever of the work machine, and when there is an input to the travel lever, the cleaning permission determination unit determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is prohibited for the liquid cleaning device and that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted for the wind pressure cleaning device, and the external environment recognition device is cleaned by the wind pressure cleaning device.

This invention makes it possible to clean dirt from the external environment recognition device and maintain recognition performance without interfering with the operator's work, even while the operator is still working.

Other issues, configurations, and advantages will become clear from the description of the following embodiments.

A diagram of the hydraulic excavator and remote control system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a controller for controlling a hydraulic excavator together with a hydraulic drive unit. Detailed view of the solenoid valve unit. FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic device. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the cleaning control device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of a cleaning permission determination calculation process according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a cleaning control device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a calculation process for determining whether to allow cleaning according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a cleaning control device according to a third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a calculation process for determining whether to allow cleaning according to the third embodiment; FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a cleaning control device according to a fourth embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a cleaning permission determination calculation process according to the fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of a cleaning control device according to a fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a calculation process for determining whether to allow cleaning according to the fifth embodiment;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a hydraulic excavator equipped with a bucket 8 as a work implement at the tip of the working device, as shown in Figure 1, will be used as an example of a remotely controlled object. However, the present invention can also be applied to other working machines besides hydraulic excavators, as long as they have a multi-joint working device configured by connecting multiple link members (attachments, arms, booms, etc.).

Furthermore, in the following explanations of this article, when there are multiple identical components, an alphabet will be added to the end of the reference number (number), but the alphabet may be omitted to refer to the multiple components collectively. For example, when there is one travel hydraulic motor 4a on the left and one on the right, these may be collectively referred to as travel hydraulic motor 4.

[First embodiment]
<Basic configuration>
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of remote control of a work machine 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the remote control, the work machine 1 is remotely operated from a remote control station 200. In this embodiment, the work machine 1 is a hydraulic excavator. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a controller for the hydraulic excavator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a hydraulic drive system, and Fig. 3 is a detailed diagram of a solenoid valve unit 160 in Fig. 2.

In Figure 1, the hydraulic excavator 1 is composed of an articulated front work unit 2 and a traveling unit 3. The traveling unit 3 consists of a lower traveling unit 3a that travels using left and right traveling hydraulic motors 4a, 4b (right traveling hydraulic motor 4a, left traveling hydraulic motor 4b), and an upper rotating unit 3b that is attached to the lower traveling unit 3a and rotates using a swing hydraulic motor 5. The front work unit 2 is composed of multiple connected driven members (boom 6, arm 7, and bucket 8) that each rotate vertically.

The base end of the boom 6 is rotatably supported via a boom pin at the front of the upper rotating section 3b. The arm 7 is rotatably connected to the tip of the boom 6 via an arm pin, and the bucket 8 is rotatably connected to the tip of the arm 7 via a bucket pin. The boom 6 is driven by a boom cylinder 61, the arm 7 is driven by an arm cylinder 71, and the bucket 8 is driven by a bucket cylinder 81. To measure the rotation of the boom 6, arm 7, and bucket 8, a boom angle sensor 62 is attached to the boom pin, an arm angle sensor 72 is attached to the arm pin, and a bucket angle sensor 82 is attached to the bucket link 9. A vehicle tilt angle sensor 31 is attached to the upper rotating section 3b to detect the tilt angle of the upper rotating section 3b relative to a reference plane (e.g., a horizontal plane). Note that the angle sensors 62, 72, and 82 can each be replaced with angle sensors relative to a reference plane (e.g., a horizontal plane). A swing angle sensor 32 is attached to the swing center axis to measure the relative angle between the upper rotating section 3b and the lower running section 3a. An operating device 10 for operating the hydraulic excavator 1 is installed inside the operator's cab 12 provided in the upper rotating section 3b.

The operating device 10 is composed of a right operating lever 10a for operating the boom cylinder 61 (boom 6) and bucket cylinder 81 (bucket 8), a left operating lever 10b for operating the arm cylinder 71 (arm 7) and swing hydraulic motor 5 (upper swing section 3b), a right traveling lever 10c for operating the right traveling hydraulic motor 4a (lower traveling section 3a), and a left traveling lever 10d for operating the left traveling hydraulic motor 4b (lower traveling section 3a). In the following, the right operating lever 10a, left operating lever 10b, right traveling lever 10c, and left traveling lever 10d may be collectively referred to as the operating device 10.

As shown in Figure 2, the engine 11, which is the prime mover mounted on the upper rotating section 3b, drives hydraulic pumps 20a, 20b and pilot pump 30. Hydraulic pumps 20a, 20b are variable displacement pumps whose displacements are controlled by regulators 20aa, 20ba, while pilot pump 30 is a fixed displacement pump. Hydraulic pump 20 and pilot pump 30 draw hydraulic oil from tank 170. In this embodiment, control signals output from control controller 40, which serves as a control device, are input to regulators 20aa, 20ba. Although detailed configurations of regulators 20aa, 20ba are omitted, the discharge flow rates of hydraulic pumps 20a, 20b are controlled in accordance with the control signals. Pump line 143, which is the discharge piping of pilot pump 30, passes through lock valve 39 and then connects to each solenoid proportional valve in solenoid valve unit 160. In this example, the lock valve 39 is an electromagnetic switching valve, and its electromagnetic driver is electrically connected to a gate lock lever position detector 105 (FIG. 5) located in the operator's cab 12 (FIG. 1). The position of the gate lock lever is detected by the gate lock lever position detector 105, which inputs a signal corresponding to the position of the gate lock lever to the lock valve 39. When the gate lock lever is in the locked position, the lock valve 39 closes and the pump line 143 is cut off. When the gate lock lever is in the unlocked position, the lock valve 39 opens and the pump line 143 is opened. In other words, when the pump line 143 is cut off, operation by the operating device 10 is disabled, and operations such as traveling, swinging, and excavation are prohibited. The operating device 10 is an electric lever type that generates an electric signal corresponding to the amount and direction of operation by the operator. The electric signal thus generated is input to the control controller 40, which then outputs an electric signal to the solenoid valve unit 160 to drive the electromagnetic proportional valves 54 to 59 (see FIG. 3; 57 to 59 are not shown) corresponding to the operation input to the operation device 10. This electric signal is input to the hydraulic drive units 150a to 155b via pilot lines 144a to 149b. The pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 20 is supplied to the right traveling hydraulic motor 4a, the left traveling hydraulic motor 4b, the swing hydraulic motor 5, the boom cylinder 61, the arm cylinder 71, and the bucket cylinder 81 via flow control valves 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e, and 15f (FIG. 2 or 3) that operate in response to the input electric signal. The supplied pressure oil causes the boom cylinder 61, the arm cylinder 71, and the bucket cylinder 81 to extend and retract, thereby rotating the boom 6, the arm 7, and the bucket 8, respectively, and changing the position and attitude of the bucket 8. In addition, the supplied pressure oil rotates the swing hydraulic motor 5, causing the upper swing unit 3b to swing relative to the lower running unit 3a. The supplied pressure oil then rotates the right traveling hydraulic motor 4a and the left traveling hydraulic motor 4b, causing the lower running unit 3a to travel.

The boom cylinder 61, arm cylinder 71, and bucket cylinder 81 are equipped with load detection devices 16a to 16f to detect their cylinder pressure. In this embodiment, the load detection device 16 is a pressure sensor that detects the pressure on the bottom side and rod side of each of the boom cylinder 61, arm cylinder 71, and bucket cylinder 81, and outputs the results as an electrical signal to the controller 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a communication device 90, on-board cameras 91a and 91b, and LiDARs 92a to 92c. The on-board cameras 91a and 91b and LiDARs 92a to 92c constitute an external environment recognition device that senses the environment surrounding the hydraulic excavator 1 (in other words, acquires information about the surroundings or external world of the hydraulic excavator 1).

The communication device 90 connects the hydraulic excavator 1 to the remote control room 200 via a network. The communication device 90 transmits camera images from the onboard cameras 91a and 91b, detection information from LiDARs 92a-92c, and vehicle body information from each sensor (angle sensors 62, 72, 82, 32 and load detection devices 16a-16f) to the communication device 205 of the remote control room 200, and receives control signals from the communication device 205 of the remote control room 200 and transmits them to the operating device 10.

The onboard cameras 91a and 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c are equipped with a cleaning control device 100 and cleaning devices 101a-101e to maintain detection accuracy (recognition accuracy).

The cleaning devices 101a-101e are used to clean the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c, respectively. The cleaning devices 101a-101e operate in response to control commands (cleaning commands) output from the cleaning control device 100, thereby automatically cleaning the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c, respectively.

The cleaning control device 100 outputs control commands (cleaning commands) to the cleaning devices 101a-101e, controlling the operating state of the cleaning devices 101a-101e (whether or not automatic cleaning is performed) and cleaning the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c. Here, the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c are each required to be cleaned at the appropriate time to avoid interruptions to operation.

For this reason, the cleaning control device 100 acquires the working status of the hydraulic excavator 1 and determines whether cleaning is permitted or prohibited (permitted or prohibited) using the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c based on the acquired working status of the hydraulic excavator 1. Depending on the determination result (specifically, whether cleaning is permitted in the cleaning permission determination), the cleaning control device 100 outputs a control command (cleaning command) to the cleaning devices 101a-101e associated with the on-board cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c, thereby controlling the operating status (whether automatic cleaning is performed) of each of the cleaning devices 101a-101e (details will be explained later).

The remote control room 200 is composed of an electronic device 201 with communication and processing capabilities with the hydraulic excavator 1, a display device 202 that displays images, a right operating lever 203a for operating the boom cylinder 61 (boom 6) and bucket cylinder 81 (bucket 8), a left operating lever 203b for operating the arm cylinder 71 (arm 7) and swing hydraulic motor 5 (upper swing section 3b), a right traveling lever 203c for operating the right traveling hydraulic motor 4a (lower traveling section 3a), a left traveling lever 203d for operating the left traveling hydraulic motor 4b (lower traveling section 3a), a driver's seat 204, and a communication device 205. In the following, the right operating lever 203a, left operating lever 203b, right traveling lever 203c, and left traveling lever 203d may be collectively referred to as the remote control device 203. The remote control device 203 inputs an operation signal to the electronic device 201, and the electronic device 201 transmits a control signal (according to the amount and direction of operation) to the communication device 90 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1 via the communication device 205. The display device 202 displays an image from the electronic device 201. The operator in the operator's seat 204 can operate the hydraulic excavator 1 using the remote control device 203 while checking the image displayed on the display device 202.

<Solenoid valve unit (front control hydraulic unit) 160>
As shown in FIG. 3, solenoid valve unit 160 (only the front control hydraulic unit portion is shown in FIG. 3) has a primary port side connected to pilot pump 30 via pump line 143, and includes solenoid proportional valves 54a to 56b that reduce the pilot pressure from pilot pump 30 and output it to pilot lines 144a to 146b, and solenoid proportional valves 57a to 59b that similarly reduce the pilot pressure from pilot pump 30 and output it to pilot lines 147a to 149b, although these are omitted from FIG. 3 due to space limitations.

When not energized, the electromagnetic proportional valves 54a to 59b have a minimum opening, and the opening increases as the current, which is the control signal from the controller 40, increases. In this way, the opening of each electromagnetic proportional valve 54a to 59b corresponds to the control signal from the controller 40.

In the solenoid valve unit 160 configured as described above, when a control signal is output from the control controller 40 to drive the solenoid proportional valves 54a-59b, pilot pressure can be generated even when the corresponding operating device 10 is not operated by an operator, thereby forcibly causing operation of each actuator (4, 5, 61, 71, 81).

<Electronic equipment 201>
4 is a system configuration diagram of an electronic device 201 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the electronic device 201 has a communication interface unit 211, a central processing unit (CPU) 212 which is a processor, a read-only memory (ROM) 213 and a random access memory (RAM) 214 which are storage devices, an input interface unit 215, and an output interface unit 216.

The communication interface unit 211 sends and receives signals to the communication device 90 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1 via the communication device 205. The communication interface unit 211 receives camera images from the onboard cameras 91a and 91b of the hydraulic excavator 1, as well as recognition information and vehicle body information from the LiDARs 92a to 92c, and inputs this information to the CPU 212. The communication interface unit 211 also sends control signals from the remote control device 203 to the communication device 90.

The CPU 212 performs predetermined arithmetic processing on signals received from the communication interface unit 211, ROM 213, and RAM 214 based on a control program stored in ROM 213. ROM 213 is a recording medium that stores a control program for executing control content, including processing related to the flowcharts described below, as well as various information necessary for executing the flowcharts.

The input interface unit 215 receives a control signal from the remote control device 203 as an input signal and outputs it to the communication interface unit 211.

The output interface unit 216 creates an output signal based on the calculation results of the CPU 212 and displays that signal on the screen of the display device 202.

<Cleaning control device 100>
5 is a system configuration diagram of the cleaning control device 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 5, the cleaning control device 100 includes a state recognition unit 102, a cleaning permission determination unit 103, and an automatic cleaning command unit 104.

The state recognition unit 102 receives a signal from the gate lock lever position detector 105, and when the state changes depending on whether the gate lock lever is in the locked position or the unlocked position, it outputs that state to the cleaning permission determination unit 103.

The cleaning permission determination unit 103 receives the gate lock lever position transition signal from the state recognition unit 102 and determines whether to permit or prohibit cleaning of the external environment recognition device. The cleaning permission determination unit 103 outputs the result of its determination to the automatic cleaning command unit 104. Details of the determination made by the cleaning permission determination unit 103 will be described later.

The automatic cleaning command unit 104 generates a cleaning flag at regular intervals from the start of the cleaning control device 100, receives a signal (a cleaning permission signal or a cleaning prohibition signal, described below) from the cleaning permission judgment unit 103, and outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning devices 101a to 101e if the cleaning flag is true and the cleaning permission judgment is permission. On the other hand, if the cleaning flag is false or the cleaning permission judgment is prohibition, no cleaning command is output. The automatic cleaning command unit 104 may also be, for example, an automatic cleaning means as described in Patent Document 1.

<Calculation flow of the cleaning permission determination unit 103>
6 shows a calculation flow performed by the cleaning permission determination unit 103 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment. This control flow is performed when a signal from the state recognition unit 102 shown in FIG.

In S600, an input signal from the state recognition unit 102 is detected, and the process proceeds to S610.

In S610, if the input signal detected in S600 indicates that the gate lock lever is in the locked position, proceed to S620. Otherwise, proceed to S630.

In S620, the external environment recognition device determines that cleaning is permitted, sends a cleaning permission signal to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and ends the process.

In S630, the external environment recognition device determines that cleaning is prohibited, sends a cleaning prohibition signal to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and ends processing.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 of this embodiment, the cleaning control device 100 includes: a state recognition unit 102 that recognizes (acquires) the working state of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1; a cleaning permission determination unit 103 that determines whether or not the external environment recognition device can be cleaned based on the working state of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 recognized by the state recognition unit 102; and an automatic cleaning command unit 104 that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning devices 101a to 101e to automatically clean the external environment recognition device according to the determination result of the cleaning permission determination unit 103.

In addition, the state recognition unit 102 acquires a signal from the gate lock lever of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and the cleaning permission determination unit 103 determines that the external environment recognition device is permitted to clean if the gate lock lever is in the locked position.

In the remote control system for the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 configured as described above, when the gate lock lever is in the locked position, automatic cleaning is permitted, and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. When the gate lock lever is not in the locked position, automatic cleaning is prohibited, and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are not automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. This allows the remote operator to work without being interrupted by automatic cleaning. In other words, even while the remote operator is working, dirt on the external environment recognition device can be cleaned without interfering with the work, maintaining recognition performance.

Second Embodiment
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Cleaning control device 100>
Unlike the first embodiment, the state recognition unit 702 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to acquire signals from the right operating lever 203 a, the left operating lever 203 b, the right traveling lever 203 c, and the left traveling lever 203 d. Figure 7 is a system configuration diagram of the cleaning control device 100 according to this embodiment.

The state recognition unit 702 receives signals from the right operating lever 203a, left operating lever 203b, right traveling lever 203c, and left traveling lever 203d, and outputs a state signal indicating whether the state is neutral or non-neutral to the cleaning permission determination unit 703.

The cleaning permission determination unit 703 receives the status signals of each lever from the status recognition unit 702 and determines whether cleaning of the external environment recognition device should be permitted in full, permitted in part (prohibited in part), or prohibited in full. The cleaning permission determination unit 703 outputs the result of its determination to the automatic cleaning command unit 104. Details of the determination made by the cleaning permission determination unit 703 will be described later.

<Calculation flow of the cleaning permission determination unit 703>
8 shows a calculation flow performed by the cleaning permission determination unit 703 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment. This control flow is performed when a signal is input from the state recognition unit 702 shown in FIG.

In S800, the lever state signal from the state recognition unit 702 is detected, and the process proceeds to S810.

In S810, if the input signal detected in S800 is a travel lever signal indicating a neutral state, proceed to S820. Otherwise (i.e., if there is an input to the travel lever), proceed to S860.

In S820, if the input signal detected in S800 is an operating lever signal that drives the swing hydraulic motor 5 (i.e., if a swing operation is input to the operating lever), the process proceeds to S860. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S830.

In S830, if the input signal detected in S800 is an operating lever signal that drives the bucket cylinder 81 (i.e., if the operating lever has a bucket dump or bucket cloud input), the process proceeds to S840. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S850.

In S840, it is determined that cleaning is prohibited for the external environment recognition device used for bucket operation (in other words, the area in front of the hydraulic excavator 1 is the recognition target range) and that cleaning is permitted for the other external environment recognition devices, and a cleaning prohibition signal for the cleaning device of the external environment recognition device used for bucket operation and a cleaning permission signal for the cleaning device of the other external environment recognition devices are sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and processing ends.

In S850, it is determined that cleaning is permitted for all external environment recognition devices, and a cleaning permission signal for all cleaning devices is sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and processing ends.

In S860, it is determined that cleaning is prohibited for all external environment recognition devices, and a cleaning prohibition signal for all cleaning devices is sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and processing ends.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 of this embodiment, the state recognition unit 702 acquires a signal from the operation lever for swing operation of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and the cleaning permission determination unit 703 determines that the external environment recognition device is prohibited from being cleaned when a swing operation is input to the operation lever.

The state recognition unit 702 also acquires a signal from the operating lever for bucket operation of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and the cleaning permission determination unit 703 determines that the external environment recognition device used for the bucket operation (in other words, the area in front of the hydraulic excavator 1 as its recognition target range) is prohibited from cleaning when the operating lever receives a bucket dump or bucket cloud input. In other words, the cleaning permission determination unit 703 determines that the external environment recognition devices other than the external environment recognition device used for the bucket operation are permitted for cleaning, and the automatic cleaning command unit 104 outputs a control command to the cleaning device that cleans the external environment recognition device determined to be permitted for cleaning by the cleaning permission determination unit 703, depending on the determination result of the cleaning permission determination unit 703, to automatically clean the external environment recognition device.

In addition, the state recognition unit 702 acquires a signal from the travel lever of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and the cleaning permission determination unit 703 determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is prohibited if there is an input to the travel lever.

In the remote control system for hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 configured as described above, when the work machine is traveling or rotating, automatic cleaning is prohibited, and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are not automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. Otherwise, automatic cleaning is permitted (partially or entirely), and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. This allows the remote operator to operate the machine while traveling or rotating without interrupting work due to automatic cleaning. In other words, even when the remote operator is working, it is possible to clean dirt from the external environment recognition device without interfering with the work, thereby maintaining recognition performance.

[Third embodiment]
The third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Cleaning control device 100>
Unlike the first and second embodiments, the hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment includes a dirt detection device 106 for the onboard cameras 91a and 91b and the LiDARs 92a to 92c of the external environment recognition device. Examples of dirt detection methods used by the dirt detection device 106 include a method in which, when the external environment recognition device is the onboard cameras 91a and 91b, dirt is detected by the external environment recognition device when an area (edge) where the brightness change in the camera image is greater than a predetermined threshold is present, and a method in which, when the external environment recognition device is the LiDARs 92a to 92c, dirt is detected by the external environment recognition device when an area where the distribution (deviation) of detection information (distance information) is greater than a predetermined threshold is present, for example. Furthermore, other conventionally known methods can also be used as the dirt detection method used by the dirt detection device 106. The dirt detection device 106 may be provided in the electronic device 201 of the remote control room 200. The state recognition unit 902 of the cleaning control device 100 is configured to be able to acquire a dirt detection signal from the dirt detection device 106, and the cleaning permission determination unit 903 is configured to be able to output a gate lock lever position signal to the lock valve 39. Fig. 9 is a system configuration diagram of the cleaning control device 100 according to this embodiment.

The status recognition unit 902 receives a dirt detection signal from the dirt detection device 106 and outputs a dirt status signal indicating whether the state is dirty or not to the cleaning permission determination unit 903.

The cleaning permission determination unit 903 receives the dirt state signal from the state recognition unit 902 and determines whether to permit or prohibit cleaning of the external environment recognition device. Based on the result of its determination, the cleaning permission determination unit 903 outputs the determination result to the automatic cleaning command unit 104 and a gate lock lever position signal to the lock valve 39. Details of the determination made by the cleaning permission determination unit 903 will be described later.

<Calculation flow of the cleaning permission determination unit 903>
10 shows a calculation flow performed by the cleaning permission determination unit 903 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment. This control flow is performed when a signal is input from the state recognition unit 902 shown in FIG.

In S1000, a dirt status signal is detected from the status recognition unit 902, and the process proceeds to S1010.

In S1010, if the input signal detected in S1000 is a dirt detection signal indicating the dirt state of the in-vehicle cameras 91a and 91b and the LiDARs 92a to 92c, the process proceeds to S1020. Otherwise, the process ends.

In S1020, a gate lock lever position signal (lock position state signal) indicating that the gate lock lever is in the locked position is output to the lock valve 39, and the process proceeds to S1030. In this case, the cleaning permission determination of the external environment recognition device (described below) can be output to the lock valve 39 as a gate lock lever stop signal. This prohibits (stops) operations such as traveling, swinging, and excavation of the hydraulic excavator 1.

In S1030, the external environment recognition device determines that cleaning is permitted, sends a cleaning permission signal to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and ends processing.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 of this embodiment, the state recognition unit 902 acquires the dirt detection result of the dirt detection device, and the cleaning permission determination unit 903 determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted when dirt on the external environment recognition device is detected.

In addition, the control controller 40, which serves as a control device, enables or prohibits (stops) the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 from operating based on a signal from the gate lock lever, and the cleaning permission determination unit 903 outputs a determination of whether cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted when dirt on the external environment recognition device is detected as a stop signal for the gate lock lever (to the lock valve 39), thereby stopping the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1.

In addition, the cleaning permission determination unit 903 stops the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 until dirt on the external environment recognition device is no longer detected.

In the remote control system for the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 configured as described above, if the onboard cameras 91a, 91b or LiDARs 92a-92c are dirty, the work machine can be stopped until automatic cleaning is complete (until dirt is no longer detected). This allows the remote operator to work using clean onboard cameras 91a, 91b or LiDARs 92a-92c. In other words, even while the remote operator is working, dirt on the external recognition device can be cleaned without interfering with the work, maintaining recognition performance. Furthermore, by intervening in the operation of the gate lock lever, the work machine can be stopped during cleaning, preventing it from operating until automatic cleaning is complete, thereby improving safety.

[Fourth embodiment]
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Cleaning control device 100>
The cleaning devices of this embodiment include liquid cleaning devices 110a to 110e that use cleaning liquid and wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e that use air. The automatic cleaning command unit 104 of the cleaning control device 100 is configured to be able to output cleaning commands to the liquid cleaning devices 110a to 110e and the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e, respectively. The hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment also includes a dirt detection device 106 similar to that of the third embodiment. Figure 11 is a system configuration diagram of the cleaning control device 100 according to this embodiment.

The state recognition unit 1102 receives signals from the right operating lever 203a, left operating lever 203b, right traveling lever 203c, and left traveling lever 203d, and outputs a state signal indicating whether the state is neutral or non-neutral to the cleaning permission determination unit 1103. The state recognition unit 1102 also receives a dirt detection signal from the dirt detection device 106, and outputs a dirt state signal indicating whether the state is dirty or not to the cleaning permission determination unit 1103.

The cleaning permission determination unit 1103 receives the status signals of each lever and the dirt status signal from the status recognition unit 1102, and determines whether to permit or prohibit cleaning of the external environment recognition device. The cleaning permission determination unit 1103 outputs the result of its determination to the automatic cleaning command unit 104. Details of the determination made by the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 will be described later.

<Calculation flow of the cleaning permission determination unit 1103>
12 shows a calculation flow performed by the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment. This control flow is performed when a signal is input from the state recognition unit 1102 shown in FIG.

In S1200, the status signals of each lever and the dirt status signal from the status recognition unit 1102 are detected, and the process proceeds to S1210.

In S1210, if the input signal detected in S1200 is a dirt detection signal indicating dirt on the in-vehicle cameras 91a and 91b and the LiDARs 92a to 92c, the process proceeds to S1220. Otherwise, the process ends.

In S1220, if the input signal detected in S1200 is a travel lever signal indicating a neutral state, the process proceeds to S1230. Otherwise (i.e., if there is an input to the travel lever), the process proceeds to S1250.

In S1230, if the input signal detected in S1200 is an operating lever signal that drives the swing hydraulic motor 5 (i.e., if a swing operation is input to the operating lever), the process proceeds to S1250. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1240.

In S1240, it is determined that cleaning of the external environment recognition device by the liquid cleaning device is permitted, a cleaning permission signal for the liquid cleaning device is sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and the process proceeds to S1260.

In S1250, it is determined that cleaning of the external environment recognition device by the liquid cleaning device is prohibited, a cleaning prohibition signal for the liquid cleaning device is sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and the process proceeds to S1260.

In S1260, it is determined that cleaning of the external environment recognition device by a wind pressure washer is permitted, a cleaning permission signal for the wind pressure washer is sent to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and processing ends. The reason for determining in S1260 that cleaning by a wind pressure washer is that the wind pressure washer 111a-111e, which use air, do not obstruct visibility, and also because, when using liquid cleaning devices 110a-110e, which use cleaning liquid (S1240), the cleaning liquid in the liquid cleaning devices 110a-110e is washed away by the air (wind pressure) of the wind pressure washer 111a-111e.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 of this embodiment, the state recognition unit 1102 acquires a signal from the operation lever for swing operation of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and when a swing operation is input to the operation lever, the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 determines that the liquid cleaning devices 110a to 110e are prohibited from cleaning the external environment recognition device and that the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e are permitted to clean the external environment recognition device, and cleans the external environment recognition device by the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e.

In addition, the status recognition unit 1102 acquires a signal from the travel lever of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and when there is an input to the travel lever, the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 determines that the liquid cleaning devices 110a to 110e are prohibited from cleaning the external environment recognition device and that the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e are permitted to clean the external environment recognition device, and cleans the external environment recognition device using the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e.

In other words, the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 determines (switches) whether the external environment recognition device is permitted to clean the liquid cleaning devices 110a-110e and the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a-111e, or the external environment recognition device is permitted to clean only the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a-111e, based on the working state of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 recognized by the state recognition unit 1102.

In this embodiment, too, the cleaning permission determination unit 1103 cleans the external environment recognition device using both the liquid cleaning devices 110a to 110e and the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e, or only the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a to 111e, until dirt on the external environment recognition device is no longer detected.

In the remote control system for the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 configured as described above, by switching between devices with different cleaning methods depending on the state of the work machine (specifically, by switching between using and not using the liquid cleaning devices 110a-110e, and switching between using both the liquid cleaning devices 110a-110e and the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a-111e, or using only the wind pressure cleaning devices 111a-111e), dirt on the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDAR 92a-92c can be automatically cleaned without interrupting the work of the remote operator. In other words, even while the remote operator is working, dirt can be cleaned from the external environment recognition device without interfering with the work, thereby maintaining recognition performance.

Fifth Embodiment
The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Cleaning control device 100>
Unlike the first embodiment, the state recognition unit 1302 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to acquire the on/off signal of the activation device from the activation device on/off signal detector 1305. Fig. 13 is a system configuration diagram of the cleaning control device 100 according to this embodiment.

The state recognition unit 1302 receives the on/off signal of the activation device from the activation device on/off signal detector 1305, and outputs the state change result to the cleaning permission determination unit 1303 when the on/off state changes depending on whether the activation device is in the on or off state.

The cleaning permission determination unit 1303 receives the on/off state transition signal from the state recognition unit 1302 and determines whether to permit or prohibit cleaning of the external environment recognition device. The cleaning permission determination unit 1303 outputs the result of its determination to the automatic cleaning command unit 104. Details of the determination made by the cleaning permission determination unit 1303 will be described later.

<Calculation flow of the cleaning permission determination unit 1303>
14 shows a calculation flow performed by the cleaning permission determination unit 1303 of the cleaning control device 100 of this embodiment. This control flow is performed when a signal is input from the state recognition unit 1302 shown in FIG.

In S1400, an input signal from the state recognition unit 1302 is detected, and the process proceeds to S1410.

In S1410, if the input signal detected in S1400 is a signal indicating a change from an ON signal to an OFF signal or an OFF signal to an ON signal of the activation device, proceed to S1420. Otherwise, proceed to S1430.

In S1420, the external environment recognition device determines that cleaning is permitted, sends a cleaning permission signal to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and ends processing.

In S1430, the external environment recognition device determines that cleaning is prohibited, sends a cleaning prohibition signal to the automatic cleaning command unit 104, and ends processing.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 of this embodiment, the state recognition unit 1302 acquires an on/off signal of a starting device of the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1, and the cleaning permission determination unit 1303 determines that cleaning is permitted for the external environment recognition device when the on signal of the starting device transitions to an off signal or the off signal transitions to an on signal.

In the remote control system for the hydraulic excavator (work machine) 1 configured as described above, when the activation device is switched from on to off or from off to on, automatic cleaning is permitted, and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. Otherwise, automatic cleaning is prohibited, and the onboard cameras 91a, 91b and LiDARs 92a-92c of the external environment recognition device are not automatically cleaned by the cleaning devices 101a-101e. This allows the remote operator to automatically clean the vehicle when starting and shutting down. In other words, even if the remote operator is working, it is possible to clean dirt from the external environment recognition device and maintain recognition performance without interfering with the work.

In the above embodiment, an operator controls (remotely controls) the work machine 1 from the remote control room 200 using the remote control device 203 while checking the image displayed on the display device 202. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which an operator in the cab 12 controls the work machine 1 using the operation device 10 while checking the image displayed on the display device provided in the cab 12 (peripheral information acquired by the external environment recognition device).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

Furthermore, each function of the controller in the above-described embodiments may be implemented in hardware, for example by designing some or all of it as an integrated circuit. Alternatively, each function may be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements the function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a storage device within the controller, a hard disk, a solid-state drive (SSD), or other recording medium, such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

1... Hydraulic excavator (work machine)
2...work front 3...traveling body 4...traveling hydraulic motor 5...swing hydraulic motor 6...boom 7...arm 8...bucket 9...bucket link 10...operating device 11...engine 12...operator's cab 15...flow control valve 16...load detection device 20...hydraulic pump 30...pilot pump 31...vehicle body inclination angle sensor 32...swing angle sensor 39...lock valve 40...controller (control device)
54 to 59...Electromagnetic proportional valve 61...Boom cylinder 62...Boom angle sensor 71...Arm cylinder 72...Arm angle sensor 81...Bucket cylinder 82...Bucket angle sensor 90...Communication devices 91a, 91b...In-vehicle camera (external environment recognition device)
92a-92c...LiDAR (external world recognition device)
100... cleaning control device 101a to 101e... cleaning device 102, 702, 902, 1102, 1302... status recognition unit 103, 703, 903, 1103, 1303... cleaning permission determination unit 104... automatic cleaning command unit 105... gate lock lever position detector 106... dirt detection device 1305... starting device on/off signal detector 143... pump line 144a to 149b... pilot line 150a to 155b... hydraulic drive unit 160... solenoid valve unit 170... tank 200... remote control room 201... electronic equipment 202... display device 203... remote control device 204... cockpit 205... communication device 211... communication interface unit 212... central processing unit (CPU)
213...Read-only memory (ROM)
214...Random Access Memory (RAM)
215...input interface section 216...output interface section

Claims (7)

An external recognition device,
A cleaning device that cleans the external environment recognition device;
A cleaning control device that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device,
The cleaning control device includes:
a state recognition unit that recognizes the working state of the work machine;
a cleaning permission determination unit that determines whether or not the external environment recognition device can be cleaned based on the working state of the work machine recognized by the state recognition unit;
An automatic cleaning command unit that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device according to the judgment result of the cleaning permission judgment unit ,
The cleaning device includes a liquid cleaning device that uses cleaning liquid and a wind pressure cleaning device that uses air,
The state recognition unit acquires a signal from an operation lever for swing operation of the work machine,
When a rotation motion is input to the operation lever, the cleaning permission determination unit determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is prohibited for the liquid cleaning device and that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted for the wind pressure cleaning device, and cleans the external environment recognition device with the wind pressure cleaning device . An external recognition device,
A cleaning device that cleans the external environment recognition device;
A cleaning control device that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device,
The cleaning control device includes:
a state recognition unit that recognizes the working state of the work machine;
a cleaning permission determination unit that determines whether or not the external environment recognition device can be cleaned based on the working state of the work machine recognized by the state recognition unit;
An automatic cleaning command unit that outputs a cleaning command to the cleaning device to automatically clean the external environment recognition device according to the judgment result of the cleaning permission judgment unit ,
The cleaning device includes a liquid cleaning device that uses cleaning liquid and a wind pressure cleaning device that uses air,
The state recognition unit acquires a signal from a travel lever of the work machine,
When the travel lever is input, the cleaning permission determination unit determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is prohibited for the liquid cleaning device and that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted for the wind pressure cleaning device, and cleans the external environment recognition device by the wind pressure cleaning device . The state recognition unit acquires a signal from a gate lock lever of the work machine,
3. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning permission determining unit determines that the external environment recognition device is permitted to clean when the gate lock lever is in the locked position. the state recognition unit acquires an on/off signal of a starting device of the work machine,
3. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning permission determination unit determines that the external environment recognition device is permitted to be cleaned when an ON signal of the activation device transitions to an OFF signal or an OFF signal transitions to an ON signal. A dirt detection device for the external environment recognition device is provided,
the state recognition unit acquires a dirt detection result from the dirt detection device,
The work machine according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the cleaning permission determination unit determines that cleaning of the external environment recognition device is permitted when dirt on the external environment recognition device is detected. The work machine is operable or stopped in response to a signal from a gate lock lever,
The work machine according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning permission determination unit outputs a determination of permission to clean the external environment recognition device when dirt on the external environment recognition device is detected as a stop signal for the gate lock lever to stop the work machine. The work machine according to claim 5 , wherein the cleaning permission determination unit stops the work machine until dirt on the external environment recognition device is no longer detected.