Work Machine Monitoring System and Work Machine Monitoring Method

The present disclosure relates to a work machine monitoring system and a work machine monitoring method.

In a technical field related to work machines, a work vehicle as disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is known.

There is a possibility of a work machine capable of smoothly performing work by monitoring a situation and a work environment of the work machine during the work. A measurement device is used to monitor a situation and a working environment of a work machine. When the reception surface of the measurement device is contaminated, there is a possibility that the situation and the working environment of the work machine cannot be appropriately monitored. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique capable of recognizing presence or absence of contamination of the reception surface of the measurement device.

An object of the present disclosure is to recognize presence or absence of contamination of a reception surface of a measurement device.

In order to achieve an aspect of the present invention, a monitoring system of a work machine comprises: a measurement data acquisition unit mounted on the work machine and configured to acquire measurement data of a measurement device that measures a target; a vehicle body data acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle body data indicating a state of the work machine; a state determination unit configured to determine the state of the work machine based on the vehicle body data; a processing unit configured to process the measurement data and recognize the target; and a contamination determination unit configured to determine presence or absence of contamination of a reception surface of the measurement device based on the state of the work machine determined by the state determination unit and a recognition result of the target by the processing unit.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to recognize presence or absence of contamination of the reception surface of the measurement device.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments. Constituent elements in the embodiments to be described below can be combined as appropriate. Some of the constituent elements may not be used in some cases.

is a side view illustrating a work machineaccording to an embodiment.is a top view illustrating the work machineaccording to the embodiment.is a front view illustrating the work machineaccording to the embodiment.

The work machineworks at a work site. In the embodiment, the work machineis a wheel loader which is a kind of articulated work machine. The work machineperforms an excavation operation of excavating an excavation target and a loading operation of loading an excavated object excavated by the excavation operation onto a loading target.

As illustrated in, the work machineincludes a vehicle body, a drive cab, a traveling apparatus, a front fender, a support member, a housing, working equipment, and an angle sensor.

The vehicle bodyincludes a front vehicle bodyF and a rear vehicle bodyR. The front vehicle bodyF and the rear vehicle bodyR are connected via a joint mechanismA.

The drive cabis supported by the vehicle body. A drive room is provided in the drive cab. A drive seat is provided in the drive room. The work machineis operated by a driver getting on the drive cab.

The traveling apparatussupports the vehicle bodyand travels on a groundof a work site. The traveling apparatusincludes wheelsand tires. The tiresare installed in the wheels. The wheelsinclude front wheelsF supported by the front vehicle bodyF and rear wheelsR supported by the rear vehicle bodyR. The tiresinclude front tiresF attached to the front wheelsF and rear tiresR attached to the rear wheelsR.

The front wheelsF and the front tiresF are rotatable about a rotation axis FX. The rear wheelR and the rear tireR are rotatable about the rotation axis RX.

In the embodiment, a direction parallel to the rotation axis FX of the front wheelF is appropriately referred to as a vehicle width direction. A direction orthogonal to a ground contact surface of the front tireF coming into contact with the groundis appropriately referred to as an up-down direction. A direction orthogonal to both the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction is appropriately referred to as a front-rear direction. When the vehicle bodyof the work machinetravels straight, the rotation axes FX and RX are parallel to each other.

In the embodiment, a position or a direction close to the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machineis appropriately referred to as an inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a position or a direction away from the center CL is appropriately referred to as an outer side in the vehicle width direction.

One side of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction is the left, and the opposite side of the left is the right. A position or a direction close to the working equipmentwhen a drive seat of the drive cabin the front-rear direction is a reference is the front, and the opposite side of the front is the rear. A position or a direction close to the ground contact surface of the front tireF in the up-down direction is the lower side, and the opposite side of the lower side is the upper side.

The rear vehicle bodyR is disposed behind the front vehicle bodyF. The front vehicle bodyF is bent leftward and rightward with respect to the rear vehicle bodyR. The rear wheelR is disposed behind the front wheelF. The rear tireR is disposed behind the front tireF. The front wheelF and the front tireF are disposed on the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The rear wheelR and the rear tireR are disposed on the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine.

The tireis a rotating member that rotates while coming into contact with the ground. The work machinetravels on the groundby the rotation of the tires. The front tireF is a front rotating member that rotates while coming into contact with the ground. The rear tireR is a rear rotating member that is disposed behind the front tireF and rotates while coming into contact with the ground.

The front fenderprevents earth and sand scattered from the groundduring traveling of the work machinefrom hitting the vehicle bodyand the drive cab. A part of the front fenderis disposed above the front tireF. A part of the front fenderis disposed on the rear side of the front tireF. The front fenderis disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The front fenderincludes a front fenderL disposed on the left side of the center CL and a front fenderR disposed on the right side of the center CL. The left front fenderL is attached to a left portion of the front vehicle bodyF. The right front fenderR is attached to a right portion of the front vehicle bodyF.

The support memberis a rodlike member. The lower end of the support memberis fixed to the front vehicle bodyF. The support memberis inclined upward toward the front side and outward in the vehicle width direction. The support memberis disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The support memberincludes a support memberL disposed on the left side of the center CL and a support memberR disposed on the right side of the center CL. The lower end of the left support memberL is fixed to the left portion of the front vehicle bodyF. The left support memberL is inclined frontward and leftward toward the upper side. The lower end of the right support memberR is fixed to the right portion of the front vehicle bodyF. The right support memberR is inclined to the front and right sides upwards.

The housingis fixed to the upper end of the support member. The housingis supported by the front vehicle bodyF via the support member. In the front-rear direction, the housingis disposed between the joint mechanismA and the front end of the front vehicle bodyF. In the up-down direction, the housingis disposed between the upper end of the drive caband the upper end of the front vehicle bodyF. The housingis disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The housingincludes a housingL disposed on the left side of the center CL and a housingR disposed on the right side of the center CL. The left housingL is fixed to the upper end of the left support memberL. The right housingR is fixed to the upper end of the right support memberR. The left housingL is disposed above the left front fenderL. The right housingR is disposed above the right front fenderR.

The working equipmentoperates in excavation work and loading work. The working equipmentis connected to the front vehicle bodyF. At least a part of the working equipmentis disposed in front of the front wheelF. The working equipmentincludes a boom, the bucket, a bell crank, and a bucket link.

The boomis rotatably connected to the front vehicle bodyF. The boomconnects the front vehicle bodyF and the bucket. The boomis operated by a driving force generated by a boom cylinder. The boom cylinderis a hydraulic cylinder. One end of the boom cylinderis connected to the front vehicle bodyF. The other end of the boom cylinderis connected to the boom. The boom cylinderis disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine.

The bucketexcavates an excavation target. The bucketis rotatably connected to a distal end of the boom. The bucketis disposed in front of the front wheelF. The bucketis operated by a driving force generated by a bucket cylinder. The bucket cylinderis a hydraulic cylinder. A central portion of the bell crankis rotatably connected to the boom. One end of the bucket cylinderis connected to the front vehicle bodyF. The other end of the bucket cylinderis connected to one end of the bell crank. The other end of the bell crankis connected to the bucketvia a bucket link. One bucket cylinderis disposed at the center in the vehicle width direction.

The bucketincludes a bucket body, bucket teeth, and inter-tooth protectors.

The bucket bodyholds an excavated object. The bucket bodyincludes a bottom plate portionA, an upper plate portionB, a left plate portionC, and a right plate portionD. An accommodation space in which an excavated object is accommodated is formed by the bottom plate portionA, the upper plate portionB, the left plate portionC, and the right plate portionD. The distal end of the bottom plate portionA and the distal end of the upper plate portionB extend in the vehicle width direction. Each of the distal end of the left plate portionC and the distal end of the right plate portionD extends in the up-down direction or the front-rear direction. An openingM of the bucketis defined by the distal end of the bottom plate portionA, the distal end of the upper plate portionB, the distal end of the left plate portionC, and the distal end of the right plate portionD. The excavated object can enter the accommodation space of the bucketthrough the openingM.

As illustrated in, the endsE on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the bucket bodyare disposed outside of the tirein the vehicle width direction of the bucket body. The distance in the vehicle width direction between the left endE and the right endE is larger than the distance in the vehicle width direction between the left side surface of the left tireand the right side surface of the right tire.

The bucket teethconfigure a blade edge of the bucket. The bucket teethare attached to the bucket body. The bucket teethare attached to the distal end of the bottom plate portionA. The plurality of bucket teethare attached to the bucket body. The plurality of bucket teethare disposed at intervals in the vehicle width direction.

The bucket teethare exchangeable members which are exchangeably attached to the bucket body. The bucket teethare fixed to the bucket bodyby bolts, for example. When the fixing by the bolt is released, the bucket teethcan be separated from the bucket body.

In the embodiment, eight bucket teethare disposed at intervals in the vehicle width direction. The bucket teethinclude a bucket toothdisposed on the leftmost side, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, a bucket toothdisposed on the left side following the bucket tooth, and a bucket toothdisposed on the rightmost side.

The inter-tooth protectorsprotect the leading end of the bottom plate portionA. The inter-tooth protectorsare attached to the bucket body. The inter-tooth protectorsare disposed between pairs of bucket teethadjacent to each other. The inter-tooth protectorsare attached to the leading end of the bottom plate portionA. The plurality of inter-tooth protectorsare attached to the bucket body. The plurality of inter-tooth protectorsare disposed at intervals in the vehicle width direction.

The inter-tooth protectoris a replacement member that is exchangeably attached to the bucket body. The inter-tooth protectoris fixed to the bucket bodywith, for example, a bolt. When the fixing by the bolt is released, the inter-tooth protectorcan be separated from the bucket body.

In the embodiment, seven inter-tooth protectorsare disposed at intervals in the vehicle width direction. The inter-tooth protectorsinclude an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the leftmost side, an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the left side following the inter-tooth protector, an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the left side following the inter-tooth protector, an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the left side following the inter-tooth protector, an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the left side following the inter-tooth protector, an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the left side following the inter-tooth protector, and an inter-tooth protectordisposed on the rightmost side.

The angle sensoris an attitude sensor that detects an attitude of the working equipment. The attitude of the working equipmentincludes an angle of the working equipment. The angle sensoris included in the working equipment. The angle sensorincludes a boom angle sensorthat detects an angle of the boomand a bucket angle sensorthat detects an angle of the bucket. The boom angle sensordetects, for example, an angle of the boomwith respect to a reference axis of a vehicle body coordinate system defined in the front vehicle bodyF. The bucket angle sensordetects an angle of the bucketwith respect to the boom. A potentiometer is exemplified as the angle sensor. The attitude sensor that detects an attitude of the working equipmentmay be a stroke sensor that detects a stroke of a hydraulic cylinder (the boom cylinderand the bucket cylinder).

is a diagram illustrating a drive room of the drive cabaccording to the embodiment.is a view schematically illustrating a scene viewed from a drive seated on a drive seat in a drive cab.

In the drive room, a driving operation device, an operation panel, a monitor device, a rear view monitor device, an output device, and an input deviceare disposed. The driving operation deviceis operated by a driver. The driving operation deviceincludes an accelerator pedalA and a pair of brake pedalsB. Although not illustrated, the driving operation deviceincludes a steering lever, a shift lever, a forward or backward switching lever, and a work lever. When the accelerator pedalA is operated, the traveling speed of the work machineincreases. When the brake pedalB is operated, the traveling speed of the work machinedecreases or the traveling of the work machinestops. When the steering lever is operated, the work machineswings. When the shift lever is operated, a speed stage of the work machineis changed. When the forward or backward switching lever is operated, the traveling direction of the work machineis switched between the forward direction and the backward direction. When the working lever is operated, the working equipmentis operated.

The output devicesupplies output data to the driver. The output data includes a warning. The output deviceincludes a display deviceA and a sounding deviceB.

The display deviceA supplies display data as output data to the driver. As the display deviceA, a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence display (OELD) is exemplified.

The sounding deviceB supplies sound data as output data to the driver. As the sounding deviceB, a buzzer or a speaker is exemplified.

The input deviceis operated by the driver to generate input data. As the input device, a button or a keyboard is exemplified. Note that the input devicemay include, for example, a touch panel.

A windshield is provided in a front portion of the drive room. The windshield is attached to a pillarof the drive room. In the embodiment, the output deviceis supported by the pillar.

is an enlarged front view illustrating a part of the work machineaccording to the embodiment. As illustrated in, the work machineincludes a headlight, a blinker lamp, a first measurement device, and a second measurement device.

The headlightemits illumination light forward to illuminate an illumination area in front of the front vehicle bodyF. The headlightis held by the housing. The headlightis disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The headlightincludes a headlightL disposed on the left side of the center CL and a headlightR disposed on the right side of the center CL. The left headlightL is held by the left housingL. The right headlightR is held by the right housingR.

The blinker lampsare turned on or off to display the turning direction of the work machine. The blinker lampsare held by the housing. The blinker lampsare disposed on the left and right sides of the center CL of the work machinein the vehicle width direction of the work machine. The blinker lampsinclude a blinker lampL disposed on the left side of the center CL and a blinker lampR disposed on the right side of the center CL. The left blinker lampL is held by the left housingL. The right blinker lampR is held by the right housingR. The blinker lampsare disposed outside of the headlightsin the vehicle width direction of the work machine.

The first measurement devicemeasures a predetermined target. A target to be measured by the first measurement deviceincludes the working equipment. The first measurement devicemeasures the working equipment. The first measurement deviceacquires measurement data of the working equipment. In the embodiment, the first measurement deviceis an imaging device that images the working equipment. The measurement data of the working equipmentincludes image data of the working equipment. In the following description, the first measurement deviceis appropriately referred to as a first imaging device.

The second measurement devicemeasures a predetermined target. A target to be measured by the second measurement deviceincludes the groundon which the traveling apparatustravels. The second measurement devicemeasures the groundon which the work machinetravels. The second measurement deviceacquires measurement data of the ground. In the embodiment, the second measurement deviceis an imaging device that images the ground. The measurement data of the groundincludes image data of the ground. In the following description, the second measurement deviceis appropriately referred to as a second imaging device.

Each of the first imaging deviceand the second imaging deviceincludes an optical system and an image sensor on which light having passed through the optical system is incident. Examples of the image sensor include a couple charged device (CCD) image sensor and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

The first imaging deviceand the second imaging deviceare each disposed in the housing. In the vehicle width direction of the work machine, the first imaging deviceand the second imaging deviceare each disposed outside of the headlights. In the housing, the second imaging deviceis disposed above the first imaging device.