IP Library Granted Patent US 11,425,857
Granted Patent B2
US 11,425,857 · App. 16/455,746 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Work machine, control device and control program

Inventors: Satoshi Haneda (Saitama, JP); Takamasa Udagawa (Saitama, JP); Makoto Yamamura (Saitama, JP); Masato Fujiwara (Saitama, JP); Ryuichi Kimata (Tokyo, JP); Satoshi Onodera (Tokyo, JP); Yutaka Tsuji (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Isegawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
A01D34/008A01D34/73A01D34/82G05D1/021A01D2101/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,425,857
App. No.
16/455,746
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work machine having an autonomous travel function may include: a cutting section that cuts a work target of the work machine; an image-capturing section that captures an image of the work target cut by the cutting section; and a judging section that judges a state of the cutting section based on the image captured by the image-capturing section. The judging section may judge whether maintenance of or a check on the cutting section is necessary or not based on a result of judgment about the state of the cutting section.

Claims (63)

1. A work machine having an autonomous travel function, comprising:

a cutter for cutting a work target of the work machine;

an image-capturing section that captures an image of the work target cut by the cutter; and

a judging section that judges a state of the cutter based on the image captured by the image-capturing section.

2. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the judging section judges whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not based on a result of judgment about the state of the cutter.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a specification information acquiring section that acquires specification information about a specification of the cutter, wherein

the judging section judges the state of the cutter based on the specification information acquired by the specification information acquiring section and the image captured by the image-capturing section.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a notifying section that notifies a result of judgment by the judging section to a user of the work machine.

5. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a positional information acquiring section that acquires positional information indicating a position where the image-capturing section has captured the image, wherein

the judging section outputs, in association with each other, the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring section and information indicating a result of judgment at the position indicated by the positional information.

6. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a travel control section that controls travel of the work machine based on a result of judgment by the judging section.

7. The work machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a work control section that controls operation of the cutter based on a result of judgment by the judging section.

8. A control device that controls a work machine having an autonomous travel function, wherein

the work machine has:

a cutter for cutting a work target of the work machine; and

an image-capturing section that captures an image of the work target cut by the cutter, and

the control device comprises:

a judging section that judges a state of the cutter based on the image captured by the image-capturing section; and

a control section that controls the work machine based on a result of judgment by the judging section.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a program for controlling a work machine having an autonomous travel function, wherein

the work machine has:

a cutter for cutting a work target of the work machine; and

an image-capturing section that captures an image of the work target cut by the cutter, and

the program causes a computer to execute, by performing operations:

a judgment procedure of judging a state of the cutter based on the image captured by the image-capturing section; and

a control procedure of controlling the work machine based on a result of judgment by in judgment procedure.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein

the work machine further has a processor, and

the computer is the processor of the work machine.

11. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the work target is a plant,

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

the judging section judges the state of the cutter by analyzing the image based on a predetermined determination criterion or a learning model, a factor of which includes at least one of (i) a characteristic of veins at a cutting surface of the plant, (ii) presence or absence, or degree of burrs at the cutting surface of the plant and (iii) presence or absence, or degree of liquid droplets at the cutting surface of the plant.

12. The work machine according to claim 5 , wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing.

13. The work machine according to claim 6 , wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

if a state of the cutter does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the travel control section controls the travel of the work machine such that a travel speed of the work machine becomes lower as compared with a case where the state of the cutter satisfies the predetermined condition.

14. The work machine according to claim 7 , wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

if a state of the cutter does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the work control section controls the travel of the work machine such that a work strength of the work machine is increased as compared with a case where the state of the cutter satisfies the predetermined condition.

15. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the cutter includes a blade.

16. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein

the work target is a plant,

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

the judging section judges the state of the cutter by analyzing the image based on a predetermined determination criterion or a learning model, a factor of which includes at least one of (i) a characteristic of veins at a cutting surface of the plant, (ii) presence or absence, or degree of burrs at the cutting surface of the plant and (iii) presence or absence, or degree of liquid droplets at the cutting surface of the plant.

17. The control device according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a positional information acquiring section that acquires positional information indicating a position where the image-capturing section has captured the image; wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

the judging section outputs, in association with each other, the positional information acquired by the positional information acquiring section and information indicating a result of judgment at the position indicated by the positional information.

18. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing, and

the control device further comprises:

a travel control section that controls travel of the work machine based on a result of judgment by the judging section; wherein

if a state of the cutter does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the travel control section controls the travel of the work machine such that a travel speed of the work machine becomes lower as compared with a case where the state of the cutter satisfies the predetermined condition.

19. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein

the state of the cutter includes at least one of (i) the cutting performance of the cutter, (ii) whether maintenance of or a check on the cutter is necessary or not and (iii) recommended timing of maintenance of or a check on the cutter, or time left until the timing,

the control device further comprises:

a work control section that controls operation of the cutter based on a result of judgment by the judging section, wherein

if a state of the cutter does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the work control section controls the travel of the work machine such that a work strength of the work machine is increased as compared with a case where the state of the cutter satisfies the predetermined condition.

20. The control device according to claim 8 , wherein

the cutter includes a blade.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2019
From: HANEDA, SATOSHI; UDAGAWA, TAKAMASA; YAMAMURA, MAKOTO; FUJIWARA, MASATO; KIMATA, RYUICHI; ONODERA, SATOSHI; TSUJI, YUTAKA; ISEGAWA, HIROYUKI
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049636/0832 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-257002 · Dec 28, 2016 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2017045000 · Dec 14, 2017
Related Publication 20190320580A1 · Oct 24, 2019