IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,460,388
Granted Patent B2
US 12,460,388 · App. 17/251,458 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Control device and control method for work machine

Inventors: Takeshi Oi (Tokyo, JP); Tomoki Konda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
E02F9/261E02F3/43E02F9/2033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,460,388
App. No.
17/251,458
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control device for a work machine includes a three-dimensional map acquisition unit, a boundary specification unit, and an excavation start point determination unit. The work machine includes a travel body, a swing body supported by the travel body, and work equipment provided to the swing body and having a bucket. The three-dimensional map acquisition unit acquires a three-dimensional map indicating a shape around the work machine. The boundary specification unit specifies a traveling road boundary line in terrain shown by the three-dimensional map. The traveling road boundary line is a boundary line between a traveling road surface on which a transport vehicle is capable of traveling, and an excavation target by the work equipment. The excavation start point determination unit determines a point on the traveling road boundary line or a point above the traveling road boundary line as an excavation start point by the work equipment.

Claims (43)

1 . A control device for a work machine including a travel body, a swing body supported by the travel body and being capable of swinging about a swing central axis, and work equipment provided to the swing body and having a bucket, the control device comprising:

a memory in which a program is loaded; and

a processor configured to execute the program,

the processor including, by executing the program,

a three-dimensional map acquisition unit configured to acquire a three-dimensional map indicating a shape around the work machine:

an available excavation range specification unit configured to specify an available excavation range in which a rotation figure obtained by rotating a movable range of the work equipment about the swing central axis of the swing body and the three-dimensional map overlap each other when viewed in a direction along the swing central axis, the available excavation range being a range in which the work machine is capable of excavating without traveling:

a boundary specification unit configured to specify a traveling road boundary line in terrain shown by the three-dimensional map, the traveling road boundary line being a boundary line between

a traveling road surface on which a transport vehicle different from the work machine is capable of traveling, and

an excavation target by the work equipment, the excavation target being excluded from the traveling road surface by the traveling road boundary line; and

an excavation position specification unit configured to determine an excavation start point by the work equipment from among a plurality of points on or above the traveling road boundary line for each azimuth direction with respect to the swing central axis in the available excavation range, based on a distance between the swing central axis and the traveling road boundary line.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the excavation position specification unit is configured to determine, as the excavation start point, a point that is on the traveling road boundary line and at which a distance between the point and a rear boundary line is the shortest, the rear boundary line being a boundary line of the available excavation range on a rear side in a movement direction of the bucket at the time of excavation.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the excavation position specification unit is configured to determine, as the excavation start point, a point on the traveling road boundary line and outside a prohibited excavation area that spreads obliquely downward from a position of the work machine.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor further includes, by executing the program,

an operation signal output unit configured to output an operation signal usable to operate the swing body and the work equipment based on the excavation start point.

5 . A control device for a work machine including a travel body, a swing body supported by the travel body and being capable of swinging about a swing central axis, and work equipment provided to the swing body and having a bucket, the control device comprising:

a memory in which a program is loaded; and

a processor configured to execute the program,

the processor including, by executing the program,

a three-dimensional map acquisition unit configured to acquire a three-dimensional map indicating a shape around the work machine:

an available excavation range specification unit configured to specify a range in which the work machine is capable of excavating without traveling as an available excavation range in terrain shown by the three-dimensional map:

a boundary specification unit configured to specify a traveling road boundary line in terrain shown by the three-dimensional map, the traveling road boundary line being a boundary line between

a traveling road surface on which a transport vehicle is capable of traveling, and

an excavation target by the work equipment:

an excavation position specification unit configured to determine an excavation start point by the work equipment from among a plurality of points on or above the traveling road boundary line for each azimuth direction with respect to the swing central axis in the available excavation range, based on a distance between the swing central axis and the traveling road boundary line:

a bucket position specification unit configured to specify a position of teeth of the bucket; and

a height complementary unit configured to complement a height of a hidden portion hidden by the excavation target in the three-dimensional map based on a history of a position of teeth of the bucket,

the boundary specification unit being configured to specify the traveling road boundary line based on a three-dimensional map in which the height of the hidden portion is complemented.

6 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the excavation position specification unit is configured to determine a point at which a point on the traveling road boundary line is offset upward by a predetermined height, as an excavation start point.

7 . A control method for a work machine including a travel body, a swing body supported by the travel body and being capable of swinging about a swing central axis, and work equipment provided to the swing body and having a bucket, the control method comprising:

acquiring a three-dimensional map showing a shape around the work machine;

specifying an available excavation range in which a rotation figure obtained by rotating a movable range of the work equipment about the swing central axis of the swing body and the three-dimensional map overlap each other when viewed in a direction along the swing central axis, the available excavation range being a range in which the work machine is capable of excavating without traveling:

specifying a traveling road boundary line in terrain shown by the three-dimensional map, the traveling road boundary line being a boundary line between

a traveling road surface that is a surface on which a transport vehicle different from the work machine is capable of traveling, and

an excavation target by the work equipment, the excavation target being excluded from the traveling road surface by the traveling road boundary line; and

determining an excavation start point by the work equipment from among a plurality of points on or above the traveling road boundary line for each azimuth direction with respect to the swing central axis in the available excavation range, based on a distance between the swing central axis and the traveling road boundary line.

8 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the excavation position specification unit is configured to determine a point on or above the traveling road boundary line as the excavation start point, based on the available excavation range specified by the available excavation range specification unit and the traveling road boundary line specified by the boundary specification unit.

9 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the excavation position specification unit determines, as the excavation start point, a point on the traveling road boundary line at which a distance between the traveling road boundary line and the swing central axis is longest or one of a plurality of points on the traveling road boundary line at which the distance is longest.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2020
From: OI, TAKESHI; KONDA, TOMOKI
To: KOMATSU LTD.
Reel/Frame 054617/0542 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-163643 · Aug 31, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210254312A1 · Aug 19, 2021
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