JP2024087600A - Shovel and shovel management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To properly display values of an hour meter.SOLUTION: A shovel with an hour meter has a transmitting part which acquires the value of the hour meter and transmits it to a management device, and a control part which, upon receiving a request from the management device to rewrite the value of the hour meter, rewrites the value of the hour meter in response to the rewrite request.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a shovel and a method for managing a shovel.

Conventionally, excavators have been known that are provided with a display device inside the cabin that displays various information, including the value of the hour meter.

International Publication No. 2018/159742

In the conventional excavators described above, the hour meter value displayed on the display device in the cabin is the value of the hour meter installed on the display device and is managed by the display device. For this reason, for example, if the display device is replaced due to a breakdown or deterioration, the hour meter value displayed on the display device becomes an initialized value, which may deviate from the operating time of the excavator.

In view of the above issues, the aim is to properly display the hour meter value.

The shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention is an shovel having an hour meter, a transmission unit that acquires the value of the hour meter and transmits it to a management device, and a control unit that, upon receiving a request from the management device to rewrite the value of the hour meter, rewrites the value of the hour meter in response to the rewrite request.

The method for managing an excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing an excavator having an hour meter, in which the excavator acquires the value of the hour meter and transmits it to a management device, and upon receiving a request from the management device to rewrite the value of the hour meter, rewrites the value of the hour meter in response to the rewrite request.

The hour meter value can be displayed properly.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a management system for a shovel. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of each device in the excavator management system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functions of each device in the excavator management system. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the excavator management system. FIG. 11 is a first diagram showing an example of a display on a management device. FIG. 13 is a second diagram showing an example of the display of the management device.

The excavator management system of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an excavator management system. In this embodiment, an excavator 100 will be described as an example of a work machine.

The excavator management system SYS of this embodiment includes an excavator 100 and a management device 200. In the following description, the construction machine management system SYS will be referred to simply as the management system SYS.

In the management system SYS of this embodiment, the shovel 100 and the management device 200 are connected via a network or the like. In addition to the shovel 100 and the management device 200, the management system SYS of this embodiment may also include a support device that supports the shovel 100.

In this embodiment, the excavator 100 acquires operation information indicating the operation status of the excavator itself, transmits the information to the management device 200, and receives various information from the management device 200.

Specifically, the operation information of the shovel 100 includes position information indicating the current position of the shovel, orientation information indicating the orientation of the shovel, attitude information indicating the attitude of the shovel, work content information indicating the work content, load rate information indicating the load rate, operation time information indicating the operation time of the shovel 100, fuel information including the amount of fuel injected, _CO2 emissions, work volume, etc.

In this embodiment, the operating time of the shovel 100 is the cumulative time that the engine of the shovel 100 has been operating since the shovel 100 was assembled in a factory or the like until the present. The operating time of the shovel 100 in this embodiment may be indicated, for example, by a plurality of hour meters, which will be described later. The operating time of the shovel 100 in this embodiment is used as a guide for determining the timing to perform maintenance on the shovel 100.

When the shovel 100 of this embodiment is an electric shovel, the hour meter counts while the electric motor is rotating. An electric shovel is a shovel 100 that uses a storage battery as a drive source instead of an engine 11.

The shovel 100 of this embodiment may use an electric motor as a prime mover, rather than an engine. In this case, a power storage device is also installed to supply power to the electric motor. The power storage device is a device for storing power, such as an electric double layer capacitor, a lithium ion battery, or a nickel-metal hydride battery. In this case, the shovel 100 uses an inverter to control the electric motor, thereby rotating and driving the main pump 14 (see FIG. 2) with the power stored in the power storage device.

The management device 200 of this embodiment stores the operation information received from the excavator 100. The management device 200 also displays the stored operation information.

In the example of FIG. 1, the management device 200 is realized by one information processing device, but this is not limited to the above. The management device 200 may be realized by multiple information processing devices. In other words, the functions realized by the management device 200 may be realized by multiple information processing devices.

Next, the configuration of the shovel 100 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 shows a side view of the shovel 100.

The shovel 100 has a lower traveling body 1, a slewing mechanism 2, and an upper rotating body 3. In the shovel 100, the upper rotating body 3 is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 1 via the slewing mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment.

The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment. The boom 4 is driven by a boom cylinder 7, the arm 5 is driven by an arm cylinder 8, and the bucket 6 is driven by a bucket cylinder 9. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6.

The boom angle sensor S1 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the boom 4. In this embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the boom 4 relative to the upper rotating body 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "boom angle"). For example, the boom angle is at its minimum when the boom 4 is lowered to the lowest, and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

The arm angle sensor S2 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the arm 5. In this embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the arm 5 relative to the boom 4 (hereinafter referred to as the "arm angle"). For example, the arm angle is at its smallest when the arm 5 is fully closed, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

The bucket angle sensor S3 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In this embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6 relative to the arm 5 (hereinafter referred to as the "bucket angle"). For example, the bucket angle is at its minimum when the bucket 6 is fully closed, and increases as the bucket 6 is opened.

The boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 may each be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, a gyro sensor, or a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, etc.

A boom rod pressure sensor S7R and a boom bottom pressure sensor S7B are attached to the boom cylinder 7. An arm rod pressure sensor S8R and an arm bottom pressure sensor S8B are attached to the arm cylinder 8.

A bucket rod pressure sensor S9R and a bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B are attached to the bucket cylinder 9. The boom rod pressure sensor S7R, the boom bottom pressure sensor S7B, the arm rod pressure sensor S8R, the arm bottom pressure sensor S8B, the bucket rod pressure sensor S9R and the bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B are collectively referred to as the "cylinder pressure sensors."

The boom rod pressure sensor S7R detects the pressure in the rod side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 7 (hereafter referred to as "boom rod pressure"), and the boom bottom pressure sensor S7B detects the pressure in the bottom side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 7 (hereafter referred to as "boom bottom pressure"). The arm rod pressure sensor S8R detects the pressure in the rod side oil chamber of the arm cylinder 8 (hereafter referred to as "arm rod pressure"), and the arm bottom pressure sensor S8B detects the pressure in the bottom side oil chamber of the arm cylinder 8 (hereafter referred to as "arm bottom pressure").

The bucket rod pressure sensor S9R detects the pressure in the rod side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder 9 (hereinafter referred to as "bucket rod pressure"), and the bucket bottom pressure sensor S9B detects the pressure in the bottom side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder 9 (hereinafter referred to as "bucket bottom pressure").

The upper rotating body 3 is provided with a cabin 10 serving as a driver's cab, and is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11. In addition, a sensor for detecting the amount of _CO2 emissions may be provided near the exhaust mechanism of the engine 11.

Furthermore, the upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a controller 30, a display device 40, an operation unit 42, an audio output device 43, a memory device 47, a positioning device P1, an aircraft tilt sensor S4, a rotation angular velocity sensor S5, an imaging device S6, and a communication antenna T1.

The upper rotating body 3 may be equipped with a power storage unit that supplies electric power, and a motor generator that generates electricity using the rotational driving force of the engine 11. The power storage unit is, for example, a capacitor or a lithium ion battery. The motor generator may function as an electric motor to drive a mechanical load, or may function as a generator to supply electric power to an electrical load.

The controller 30 functions as a main control unit that controls the drive of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the controller 30 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The various functions of the controller 30 are realized, for example, by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM. The various functions may include, for example, at least one of a machine guidance function that guides (guides) the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator, and a machine control function that automatically assists the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator.

The display device 40 is configured to display various information. The display device 40 may be connected to the controller 30 via a communication network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), or may be connected to the controller 30 via a dedicated line.

The operation unit 42 is configured to allow the operator to input various information to the controller 30. The operation unit 42 includes at least one of a touch panel, a knob switch, a membrane switch, etc., installed in the cabin 10.

The audio output device 43 is configured to output audio. The audio output device 43 may be, for example, an in-vehicle speaker connected to the controller 30, or an alarm such as a buzzer. In this embodiment, the audio output device 43 is configured to output various information by audio in response to an audio output command from the controller 30.

The storage device 47 is configured to store various information. The storage device 47 is, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory. The storage device 47 may store information output by various devices during operation of the shovel 100, or may store information obtained via various devices before operation of the shovel 100 is started.

The storage device 47 may store data regarding the target construction surface acquired, for example, via the communication antenna T1. The target construction surface may be set by the operator of the shovel 100, or may be set by a construction manager, etc.

The positioning device P1 is configured to measure the position of the upper rotating body 3. The positioning device P1 may be configured to measure the orientation of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the positioning device P1 is, for example, a GNSS compass, which detects the position and orientation of the upper rotating body 3 and outputs the detection value to the controller 30. Therefore, the positioning device P1 can also function as an orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the upper rotating body 3. The orientation detection device may be a compass attached to the upper rotating body 3.

The machine body inclination sensor S4 is configured to detect the inclination of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the machine body inclination sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the longitudinal inclination angle about the longitudinal axis and the lateral inclination angle about the lateral axis of the upper rotating body 3 relative to a virtual horizontal plane. The longitudinal axis and lateral axis of the upper rotating body 3 are perpendicular to each other at, for example, the shovel center point, which is a point on the rotation axis of the shovel 100.

The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is configured to detect the rotation angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may be configured to detect or calculate the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may also be a resolver, a rotary encoder, etc.

The imaging device S6 is an example of a spatial recognition device, and is configured to acquire images of the periphery of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the imaging device S6 includes a front camera S6F that images the space in front of the shovel 100, a left camera S6L that images the space to the left of the shovel 100, a right camera S6R that images the space to the right of the shovel 100, and a rear camera S6B that images the space behind the shovel 100.

The imaging device S6 is, for example, a monocular camera having an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS, and outputs the captured image to the display device 40. The imaging device S6 may be a stereo camera, a distance imaging camera, etc. Furthermore, the imaging device S6 may be replaced with other spatial recognition devices such as a three-dimensional distance image sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a LIDAR, or an infrared sensor, or may be replaced with a combination of another spatial recognition device and a camera.

The front camera S6F is attached, for example, to the ceiling of the cabin 10, i.e., inside the cabin 10. However, the front camera S6F may also be attached to the outside of the cabin 10, such as the roof of the cabin 10 or the side of the boom 4. The left camera S6L is attached to the left end of the top surface of the upper rotating body 3, the right camera S6R is attached to the right end of the top surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the rear camera S6B is attached to the rear end of the top surface of the upper rotating body 3.

The communication antenna T1 is configured to control communication with an external device outside the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the communication antenna T1 controls communication with an external device via a satellite communication network, a mobile phone communication network, an Internet network, or the like. The external device is, for example, a management device 200 such as a server installed in an external facility, or a support device such as a smartphone carried by a worker near the shovel 100.

Next, the hardware configuration of each device in the management system SYS will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining the hardware configuration of each device in the excavator management system.

First, the basic system installed in the excavator 100 will be described. In FIG. 2, mechanical power transmission lines are indicated by double lines, hydraulic oil lines by thick solid lines, pilot lines by dashed lines, power lines by thin solid lines, and electrical control lines by dashed lines.

As shown in FIG. 2, the basic system of the excavator 100 mainly includes an engine 11, a main pump 14, a pilot pump 15, a control valve 17, an operating device 26, an operating pressure sensor 29, a controller 30, a switching valve 60, a display device 40, an engine speed adjustment dial 75, an output characteristic changeover switch 76, a telematics control unit (TCU) 90, and the like.

Engine 11 is a diesel engine that employs isochronous control to maintain a constant engine speed regardless of load changes. The amount of fuel injected into engine 11, fuel injection timing, boost pressure, etc. are controlled by an engine control unit (ECU 74).

The engine 11 is connected to a main pump 14 and a pilot pump 15, which serve as hydraulic pumps. The main pump 14 is connected to a control valve 17 via a hydraulic oil line.

The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system of the excavator 100. The control valve 17 is connected to hydraulic actuators such as the left traveling hydraulic motor, the right traveling hydraulic motor, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, the bucket cylinder 9, and the swing hydraulic motor.

Specifically, the control valve 17 includes multiple spool valves corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. Each spool valve is configured to be displaceable according to the pilot pressure so that the opening area of the PC port and the opening area of the CT port can be increased or decreased. The PC port is a port that connects the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuator. The CT port is a port that connects the hydraulic actuator to the hydraulic oil tank.

The pilot pump 15 is connected to the operating device 26 via a pilot line. The operating device 26 includes, for example, a left operating lever, a right operating lever, and a travel operating device. The travel operating device includes, for example, a travel lever and a travel pedal. In this embodiment, each of the operating devices 26 is a hydraulic operating device and is connected to the pilot port of the corresponding spool valve in the control valve 17 via a pilot line. However, the operating device 26 may be an electric operating device.

The operating pressure sensor 29 detects the operation of the operating device 26 in the form of pressure. The operating pressure sensor 29 outputs the detected value to the controller 30. However, the operation of the operating device 26 may also be detected electrically.

The switching valve 60 is configured to be able to switch between an enabled state and an disabled state of the operating device 26. The enabled state of the operating device 26 is a state in which the operator can operate the hydraulic actuator using the operating device 26. The disabled state of the operating device 26 is a state in which the operator cannot operate the hydraulic actuator using the operating device 26. In this embodiment, the switching valve 60 is a gate lock valve configured to operate in response to a command from the controller 30.

Specifically, the switching valve 60 is disposed in a pilot line connecting the pilot pump 15 and the operating device 26, and is configured to be able to switch between open and closed states of the pilot line in response to commands from the controller 30. The operating device 26 is enabled, for example, when the gate lock lever D4 is pulled up and the switching valve 60 (gate lock valve) is opened, and disabled, when the gate lock lever D4 is pushed down and the switching valve 60 (gate lock valve) is closed.

The display device 40 is configured to display various types of information. The information displayed on the display device 40 may include the value of an hour meter in the control unit 40a of the display device 40.

The display device 40 may be connected to the controller 30 via a communication network such as a CAN, or may be connected to the controller 30 via a dedicated line. In this embodiment, the display device 40 is configured to be able to display one or more captured images captured by the imaging device S6 and a menu screen. The display device 40 operates by receiving power from the storage battery 70. The display device 40 has a control unit 40a, an image display unit 41, and an operation unit 42.

The control unit 40a controls the images displayed on the image display unit 41. In this embodiment, the control unit 40a is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU, RAM, NVRAM, ROM, etc. In this case, the control unit 40a reads out a program corresponding to each functional element from the ROM and loads it into the RAM, and causes the CPU to execute the corresponding process. However, each functional element may be configured as hardware, or as a combination of software and hardware. In addition, the image displayed on the image display unit 41 may be controlled by the controller 30 or the imaging device S6.

The image display unit 41 displays an image captured by at least one of the imaging devices S6 and a menu screen. The captured image may be, for example, a rear image captured by the rear camera S6B, a left image captured by the left camera S6L, or a right image captured by the right camera S6R. The captured image may also be, for example, an overhead image obtained by combining images captured by the rear camera S6B, the left camera S6L, and the right camera S6R. The captured image may also be two or more images selected from the rear image, the left image, the right image, and the overhead image. The menu screen includes a status screen showing the status of the shovel 100 and a setting screen showing various settings of the shovel 100.

The operation unit 42 is a switch panel including hardware switches. The operation unit 42 may be a touch panel. In this embodiment, the operation unit 42 is disposed below the image display unit 41, and includes a switch (e.g., a menu switch) for changing the image displayed by the image display unit 41. However, the arrangement of the operation unit 42 is not limited to the above example, and may be disposed, for example, on an operation lever, or on the left or right console of the seat on both the left and right sides of the driver's seat. Here, in addition to the operation unit 42 provided on the display device 40, a driver's seat side operation unit 50 having the same function as the operation unit 42 may be disposed on at least one of the operation lever, the left console of the seat, and the right console of the seat.

In this embodiment, when the menu switch of the operation unit 42 is operated while the image display unit 41 is displaying the overhead image and rear image captured by the imaging device S6, the image display unit 41 displays a menu screen. For example, the image display unit 41 reduces the size of the rear image and displays a screen for selecting a detailed menu item without changing the size of the overhead image before and after the menu switch of the operation unit 42 is operated. Then, when a predetermined switch of the operation unit 42 is operated while the screen for selecting a detailed menu item is displayed, the image display unit 41 switches the rear image to a menu screen such as a status screen showing the status of the shovel 100 or a setting screen showing various settings of the shovel 100. At this time, the image display unit 41 displays the overhead image without changing its size.

The image display unit 41 may be configured to display a menu screen when the menu switch of the operation unit 42 is operated, regardless of whether the shovel 100 is in an operable state or an inoperable state. The image display unit 41 may be configured to display a menu screen when the menu switch of the operation unit 42 is operated, only when the shovel 100 is in an inoperable state.

These may also be configured to be switchable by a switching means such as a change-over switch. The state in which the shovel 100 can be operated is, for example, a state in which the gate lock lever D4 is pulled up and the change-over valve 60 is opened, making the operation device 26 active. The state in which the shovel 100 cannot be operated is, for example, a state in which the gate lock lever D4 is pushed down and the change-over valve 60 is closed, making the operation device 26 inactive.

The storage battery 70 is charged with electricity generated by, for example, the alternator 11a. The power of the storage battery 70 is also supplied to the controller 30, etc. For example, the starter 11b of the engine 11 is driven by the power from the storage battery 70 to start the engine 11.

The ECU 74 transmits data on the state of the engine 11, such as the cooling water temperature, to the controller 30. The regulator 14a of the main pump 14 transmits data on the swash plate tilt angle to the controller 30. The discharge pressure sensor 14b transmits data on the discharge pressure of the main pump 14 to the controller 30. The oil temperature sensor 14c, which is provided in the line between the hydraulic oil tank and the main pump 14, transmits data on the temperature of the hydraulic oil flowing through that line to the controller 30. The operating pressure sensor 29 transmits data on the pilot pressure generated when the operating device 26 is operated to the controller 30. The controller 30 stores these data in a temporary storage unit (memory) and can transmit them to the display device 40 when necessary.

The engine speed adjustment dial 75 accepts an operation input for adjusting the speed of the engine 11 (hereinafter, "engine speed"). The engine speed adjustment dial 75 is configured to allow the user to adjust the engine speed in 10 predetermined stages. As a result, for example, in light-load work, the engine speed level can be adjusted to be relatively low, thereby improving the fuel efficiency of the excavator 100. In addition, for example, when lifting work or loading soil into a dump truck is performed, the engine speed level can be set relatively low to suppress the occurrence of load swaying and collapse of the soil on the loading platform. In addition, for example, in the case of a new operator with relatively low operating skills of the excavator 100, the engine speed can be adjusted to be relatively low in order to suppress the impact on the work of unreasonable operation or operating errors.

An output signal corresponding to the input received by the engine speed adjustment dial 75 is taken into the controller 30. Note that instead of adjusting the engine speed level through the engine speed adjustment dial 75, the engine speed itself may be adjustable. For example, the engine speed may be adjustable continuously or in predetermined increments using the engine speed adjustment dial 75.

The alarm device 49 is a device for attracting the attention of people working with the shovel 100. The alarm device 49 is, for example, composed of a combination of an indoor alarm device and an outdoor alarm device. The indoor alarm device is a device for attracting the attention of the operator of the shovel 100 inside the cabin 10, and includes, for example, at least one of a sound output device, a vibration generating device, and a light emitting device provided inside the cabin 10. The indoor alarm device may be a display device 40.

The outdoor alarm device is a device for calling the attention of workers working around the excavator 100, and includes, for example, at least one of a sound output device and a light emitting device provided outside the cabin 10. The sound output device as the outdoor alarm device includes, for example, a traveling alarm device attached to the bottom surface of the upper rotating body 3. The outdoor alarm device may also be a light emitting device provided on the upper rotating body 3. However, the outdoor alarm device may be omitted. The alarm device 49 may, for example, notify a person involved in work with the excavator 100 when the imaging device S6 functioning as an object detection device detects a specific object.

The TCU 90 is a device that performs two-way communication with an external device using a mobile network, and is used for two-way communication between the excavator 100 and the management device 200. The TCU 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91, a memory 92, etc.

Next, the hardware configuration of the management device 200 of this embodiment will be described. The management device 200 of this embodiment is a computer having a CPU 201, a storage device 202, a communication device 203, an input device 204, and a display device 205, which are all interconnected by a bus.

The CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the management device 200. The storage device 202 stores programs executed by the CPU 201 and various information related to the shovel 100. The communication device 203 communicates with the shovel 100 and the support device via a network.

The input device 204 is used to input information to the management device 200, and is realized by, for example, a keyboard or a pointing device. The display device 205 displays various information output from the management device 200, and is realized by, for example, a display.

Next, the functions of each device in the management system SYS of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining the functions of each device in the excavator management system.

First, the functions of the shovel 100 will be explained.

In the excavator 100 of this embodiment, the display device 40, the ECU 74, and the controller 30 each have their own hour meter. In addition, the display device 40, the ECU 74, and the controller 30 of this embodiment each manage their own hour meter.

In other words, the excavator 100 of this embodiment has multiple hour meters, and further has multiple devices (display device 40, ECU 74, controller 30) that respectively manage the multiple hour meters.

The control unit 40a of the display device 40 of the excavator 100 has a meter management unit 40b that acquires the value of the hour meter of the display device 40. The ECU 74 has a meter management unit 74a that acquires the value of the hour meter of the ECU 74. The controller 30 has a meter management unit 30a that acquires the value of the hour meter of the controller 30.

In this embodiment, "acquiring the hour meter value" means acquiring the value output from the hour meter at a predetermined interval and holding the value until the next value is acquired. Therefore, the meter management units 40b, 74a, and 30a each hold the hour meter value of the display device 40, the hour meter value of the ECU 74, and the hour meter value of the controller 30.

In the display device 40, the meter management unit 40b outputs the acquired hour meter value to the controller 30. In the ECU 74, the meter management unit 74a outputs the acquired hour meter value to the controller 30.

When the hour meter values are input from the meter management unit 40b and the meter management unit 74a, the controller 30 outputs the three types of hour meter values to the TCU 90 along with the hour meter value acquired by the meter management unit 30a. Here, the hour meter values output to the TCU 90 may be part of the operation information.

The TCU 90 holds the values of the three types of hour meters obtained from the controller 30 and periodically transmits them to the management device 200.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the values of three types of hour meters may be transmitted to the management device 200 every 24 hours. Also, in this embodiment, the values of three types of hour meters may be transmitted to the management device 200 during hours such as nighttime.

The TCU 90 of this embodiment also has a replacement determination unit 90a and a rewrite instruction unit 90b. The replacement determination unit 90a determines whether the display device 40 has been replaced. In other words, the replacement determination unit 90a determines whether the hour meter of the display device 40 has been replaced.

Specifically, the TCU 90 holds the value of the hour meter of the display device 40 that was previously sent to the management device 200. Then, the TCU 90 uses the replacement determination unit 90a to compare the value of the hour meter of the display device 40 that is to be newly sent to the management device 200 with the value of the hour meter held in the TCU 90.

In other words, the TCU 90 holds the value of one of the multiple hour meters sent to the management device 200. In other words, in this embodiment, the TCU 90 holds only the value of the hour meter of the device that is to be determined as having been replaced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent an increase in the memory capacity required of the TCU 90.

Then, if the difference between the results of the comparison is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the replacement determination unit 90a determines that the display device 40 has been replaced.

When the TCU 90 determines that the display device 40 has been replaced, it outputs a notification to the management device 200 indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced.

Thus, in this embodiment, if the difference between the value of one hour meter and the value of one hour meter previously sent to the management device 200 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the device having the hour meter has been replaced, and a notification is sent to the management device 200 indicating that the device having the hour meter has been replaced.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the administrator of the management device 200 can be made aware that the hour meter has been replaced.

In addition, in this embodiment, by making one hour meter the hour meter that the display device 40 has, it is possible to determine whether the display device 40 has been replaced.

The predetermined value in this embodiment may be, for example, a value indicating a period equal to or longer than the interval at which the values of the three types of hour meters are transmitted to the management device 200. For example, the predetermined value may be approximately 50 hours when the values of the three types of hour meters are transmitted to the management device 200 every 24 hours.

The rewrite instruction unit 90b instructs the display device 40 to rewrite the value of the hour meter possessed by the display device 40. Specifically, when the rewrite instruction unit 90b receives input of the hour meter value from the management device 200, it outputs a rewrite instruction to the controller 30 to rewrite the value of the hour meter possessed by the display device 40 to the input hour meter value.

In this way, when a rewrite request is input from the management device 200, the excavator 100 of this embodiment outputs an instruction to rewrite the value of one hour meter to a device having an hour meter, so that the value of the hour meter corresponding to the rewrite request can be rewritten.

The controller 30 outputs this rewrite instruction to the display device 40. In response to this rewrite instruction, the display device 40 rewrites the value of the hour meter that the display device 40 has.

The replacement determination unit 90a may determine whether the ECU 74 or the controller 30 has been replaced, in addition to determining whether the display device 40 has been replaced. In other words, the replacement determination unit 90a may determine whether the hour meter of the ECU 74 or the hour meter of the controller 30 has been replaced.

Similarly, the rewrite instruction unit 90b may instruct the ECU 74 to rewrite the value of the hour meter that the ECU 74 has, or may instruct the controller 30 to rewrite the value of the hour meter that the controller 30 has.

In this way, in the excavator 100 of this embodiment, the TCU 90 is an example of a transmission unit that transmits the value of the hour meter from the excavator 100 to the management device 200, and the control unit 40a having the meter management unit 40b is an example of a control unit that rewrites the value of the hour meter of the display device 40.

Next, the functions of the management device 200 will be described. The management device 200 has a storage control unit 210, a display control unit 220, and a notification unit 230.

The storage control unit 210 stores the values of the three types of hour meters obtained from the excavator 100 in the memory device 202, etc.

The display control unit 220 controls the display on the display device 205 of the management device 200. The notification unit 230 generates various notifications and outputs the generated notifications to the administrator of the management device 200, the engineer who manages the excavator 100, etc.

Next, the operation of the management system SYS of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram that explains the operation of the excavator management system.

The operation shown in FIG. 4 may be the operation performed when the excavator 100 periodically transmits the values of three types of hour meters to the management device 200.

In the management system SYS of this embodiment, the controller 30 of the excavator 100 acquires the value of the hour meter (step S401).

Specifically, the shovel 100 acquires the value of the hour meter of the display device 40 through the meter management unit 40b and outputs the value to the controller 30. The shovel 100 also acquires the value of the hour meter of the ECU 74 through the meter management unit 74a and outputs the value to the controller 30.

The excavator 100 also acquires the hour meter values of the controller 30 via the meter management unit 30a. When the controller 30 acquires the three types of hour meter values, it outputs the three types of hour meter values to the TCU 90.

Next, the excavator 100 determines whether the display device 40 needs to be replaced (step S402).

Specifically, the excavator 100 uses the replacement determination unit 90a to compare the hour meter value stored in the TCU 90 with the hour meter value of the display device 40 acquired in step S401, and calculates the difference. Then, when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the replacement determination unit 90a determines that the display device 40 has been replaced.

The following steps S403 to S408 show the processing that is performed when it is determined in step S402 that the display device 40 has been replaced.

When the TCU 90 determines that the display device 40 has been replaced, it transmits the values of the three types of hour meters and a notification indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced to the management device 200 (step S403).

In this embodiment, a notification indicating that a device having an hour meter has been replaced is sent to the management device 200 along with the values of multiple hour meters, allowing the administrator of the management device 200 to understand that one of the multiple hour meters has been replaced.

The management device 200 stores the three types of hour meter values received from the excavator 100 in the storage device 202 or the like via the storage control unit 210 (step S404).

Next, the management device 200 causes the display control unit 220 to display on the display device 205 a notification indicating that the display device 40 of the excavator 100 has been replaced (step S405).

At this time, the management device 200 may generate a notification indicating that the display device 40 of the shovel 100 has been replaced by the notification unit 230, and output the notification to the administrator of the management device 200 or a specific terminal device. The specific terminal device may be, for example, a terminal device used by an engineer or the like who manages the shovel 100.

Next, the management device 200 accepts input of the hour meter value of the display device 40 (step S406). The hour meter value input here is the value to be written to the hour meter of the replaced display device 40, and may be a value derived from the values of the other two types of hour meters stored in the management device 200 in step S404.

In other words, the hour meter value input here is a value derived from the hour meter value of the ECU 74 and the hour meter value of the controller 30, and is a value indicating the operating time of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the value input in step S406 may be input by an administrator of the management device 200, an engineer managing the shovel 100, or the like.

When the hour meter value is input, the management device 200 transmits a request to rewrite the hour meter value to the excavator 100 (step S407). Note that this rewrite request includes the input hour meter value.

In this way, the rewrite request sent from the management device 200 to the excavator 100 includes a value calculated based on the values of the hour meters other than the one of the multiple hour meters. Therefore, in this embodiment, the value of the one replaced hour meter can be rewritten to an appropriate value derived from the values of the other hour meters that have not been replaced.

When the excavator 100 receives the rewrite request, it rewrites the value of the hour meter on the display device 40 (step S408).

Specifically, when the excavator 100 receives a rewrite request from the TCU 90, the rewrite instruction unit 90b outputs a rewrite instruction including the input value to the controller 30. The controller 30 outputs the rewrite instruction to the meter management unit 40b of the display device 40. When the meter management unit 40b receives the rewrite instruction, it rewrites the hour meter value held in the meter management unit 40b to the value indicated by the rewrite instruction.

The above is the process when the display device 40 has been replaced. In the example of FIG. 4, the processes from step S403 to step S408 are described as being performed consecutively, but this is not limited to the above. Specifically, the processes from step S406 onwards are performed after the hour meter value is input to the management device 200, and may be performed at a timing independent of the timing at which the processes from step S403 to step S405 are performed.

Next, the process when it is determined that the display device 40 has not been replaced after step S409 in FIG. 4 is shown.

In the excavator 100, if the TCU 90 determines that the display device 40 has not been replaced, it transmits the values of the three types of hour meters to the management device 200 (step S409).

When the management device 200 receives the three types of hour meter values, the storage control unit 210 stores and saves the received three types of hour meter values in the storage device 202, etc. (step S410).

In this way, in this embodiment, if the display device 40 installed in the shovel 100 is replaced for some reason, the value of the hour meter of the replaced display device 40 newly installed in the shovel 100 can be rewritten to a value indicating the operating time of the shovel 100.

In other words, in this embodiment, the shovel 100 acquires the hour meter value and transmits it to the management device 200, and upon receiving a request to rewrite the hour meter value from the management device 200, rewrites the hour meter value in response to the rewrite request. Therefore, according to this embodiment, for example, when a display device 40 having an hour meter is replaced, it is possible to prevent the hour meter value of the replaced display device 40 from being displayed. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the display device 40 from displaying an hour meter value that deviates from the operating time of the shovel 100.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the operator of the shovel 100 can always be aware of the operating time of the shovel 100. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the operator of the shovel 100 can be properly aware of the timing for performing maintenance.

In addition, in the management device 200 of this embodiment, when it is determined that the display device 40 has been replaced in the excavator 100, the manager of the management device 200 is notified of this fact. Therefore, in this embodiment, the value of the hour meter of the display device 40 can be quickly rewritten.

In addition, when the excavator 100 of this embodiment receives a request to obtain the hour meter value from the management device 200 at a timing other than that shown in FIG. 4, the excavator 100 may transmit three types of hour meter values to the management device 200 in response to this request. Therefore, the management device 200 can obtain the latest hour meter value at any timing.

The shovel 100 of this embodiment also has multiple hour meters, and transmits the values of the multiple hour meters to the management device 200. The management device 200 also acquires multiple types of hour meter values, including the value of the hour meter held by the display device 40, from the shovel 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the multiple hour meter values can be compared to derive an appropriate hour meter value indicating the operating time of the shovel 100.

Below, a display example of the management device 200 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is the first diagram showing a display example of the management device.

Screen 205A shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a screen on the management device 200 that displays a notification indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced.

Screen 205A includes display areas 205a and 205b. Screen 205A also includes operation buttons 251, 252, and 253, an input field 254, an icon image 255, a display area 256, operation buttons 257, 258, 259, and 260, and display areas 261 and 262.

The display area 205a displays a map including the current location of the excavator 100 that sent a notification to the management device 200 indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced.

The display area 205b displays a list of alarm history information showing the history of alarms issued to the excavator 100 that sent the notification indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced. The list of alarm history information displayed in the display area 205b is a portion (one page) of all alarm history information for the excavator 100 managed by the management device 200.

Operation button 252 is an operation button for switching the map displayed in display area 205a to an aerial photograph of the same area. Operation button 251 is an operation button for switching the aerial photograph to a map of the same area when an aerial photograph is displayed in display area 205a.

Operation button 253 is an operation button for enlarging or reducing the map or aerial photograph displayed in display area 205a. Information that identifies the excavator 100 for which a list of alarm history information is to be displayed in display area 205b is input as a search key in input field 254. When the machine number of the excavator 100 is input as a search key in input field 254 and a search is performed, a list of alarm history information for the excavator 100 for which the machine number was input may be displayed in display area 205b.

Icon image 255 is an icon image that indicates the current location on the map of excavator 100, whose alarm history is displayed in display area 256.

Display area 256 includes display areas 256a and 256b. Display area 256a displays the machine number that identifies the excavator 100 indicated by icon image 255. Display area 256b displays the alarm content that is identified by the machine number and is included in the alarm history information of the excavator 100.

Operation button 257 is an operation button for displaying the first page of the list of alarm history information managed by management device 200 in display area 205b. Operation button 258 is an operation button for displaying the page one page before the page currently displayed in display area 205b in the list of alarm history information managed by management device 200. Operation button 259 is an operation button for displaying the page one page after the page currently displayed in display area 205b in the list of alarm history information managed by management device 200. Operation button 260 is an operation button for displaying the last page of the list of alarm history information managed by management device 200 in display area 205b.

Display area 261 shows the number of pages required to display all of the alarm history information managed by management device 200 and the number of pages currently displayed in display area 205b. In the example of FIG. 5, the list of alarm history information managed by management device 200 spans 220 pages, and it can be seen that the first page of the list is displayed in display area 205b.

The display area 262 displays the number of records of alarm history information managed by the management device 200. In the example of FIG. 5, it can be seen that 10,975 pieces of alarm history information are managed by the management device 200.

In the example of FIG. 5, the display area 205b displays a list of the date and time when the alarm occurred, the alarm type indicating the type of alarm, the alarm content, and the location of the alarm indicating the position of the excavator 100 when the alarm occurred, all of which are associated with each other.

In the example of FIG. 5, as shown in the alarm history information 205b-1, it can be seen that the hour meter of the display device 40 of the excavator 100 identified by the machine number "SH001" was replaced on October 2, 2022.

In addition, the display area 205b displays an icon image 205b-2 corresponding to each piece of alarm history information. In this embodiment, for example, when the icon image 205b-2 is operated, a screen showing details of the alarm history information 205b-1 may be displayed.

In this embodiment, for example, when a notification is received from the shovel 100 indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced, a details screen showing detailed information about the shovel 100 may be displayed. This details screen may display information indicating that an alarm has occurred and an operation button for displaying the screen shown in FIG. 5.

In this manner, the management device 200 of this embodiment causes the excavator 100 to display a notification indicating that the hour meter has been replaced as an alarm. Therefore, in this embodiment, the manager of the excavator 100 can be made aware that an instruction to rewrite the hour meter is required.

Figure 6 is a second diagram showing an example of a display on the management device. Screen 205B shown in Figure 6 is an example of a screen that an engineer or the like refers to when deriving the hour meter value to be input in step S406 of Figure 4, for example.

Screen 205B includes display area 205c and display area 205d. Display area 205c displays a list of history information showing the history of the values of three types of hour meters acquired by management device 200 from excavator 100.

In FIG. 6, the hour meter of the display device 40 is referred to as hour meter 1, the hour meter of the ECU 74 is referred to as hour meter 2, and the hour meter of the controller 30 is referred to as hour meter 3.

Display area 205d displays notes entered for the three types of hour meter values.

In FIG. 6, the values of the three types of hour meters acquired on October 2, 2022 are: Hour Meter 1: 5 [Hr]; Hour Meter 2: 1010 [Hr]; and Hour Meter 3: 1015 [Hr]. In addition, the remarks column displays information indicating that a notification was received indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced.

In addition, in FIG. 6, the values of the three types of hour meters acquired on October 3, 2022 are: Hour Meter 1 is 1000 [Hr], Hour Meter 2 is 1015 [Hr], and Hour Meter 3 is 1020 [Hr]. The remarks column also displays information indicating that the value of Hour Meter 1 was calculated based on the values of Hour Meter 2 and Hour Meter 3.

Below is an example of how to calculate the value of hour meter 1.

In Figure 6, the values of the three types of hour meters acquired on October 1, 2022 are 1000 [Hr] for Hour Meter 1, 1005 [Hr] for Hour Meter 2, and 1010 [Hr] for Hour Meter 3. Therefore, when compared with the values of the three types of hour meters acquired on October 2, 2022, it can be seen that the values of Hour Meter 2 and Hour Meter 3 change by about 5 [Hr] in one day.

In addition, the value of hour meter 1 on October 2, 2022 is not the initialized value of 0 [Hr], but 5 [Hr]. Therefore, it can be seen that the difference between the value of hour meter 1 on October 1, 2022 and the value of hour meter 1 on October 2, 2022 is approximately 5 [Hr].

Therefore, in the example of FIG. 6, the management device 200 inputs the value of hour meter 1, which is 1005 [Hr], obtained by adding 5 [Hr] to 1000 [Hr].

When the value of hour meter 1 is input, the management device 200 transmits a request to the excavator 100 to rewrite the value of hour meter 1. This rewrite request includes the input value, 1005 [Hr].

The shovel 100 accepts the rewrite request and rewrites the value of the hour meter 1 to 1005 [Hr]. As a result, the value of the hour meter 1 in the shovel 100 is rewritten to a value indicating the operating time of the shovel 100. The value of the hour meter 1 may be rewritten, for example, before the start of work on October 3, 2022.

By rewriting the value of hour meter 1 in this way, the value of hour meter 1 obtained on October 3, 2022 will be 1010 [Hr], which indicates the operating time of the excavator 100.

The value of the hour meter 1 acquired on October 7, 2022 is 5005 [Hr], which is a large increase from the previous day's value of 1030 [Hr]. Therefore, the excavator 100 transmits a notification to the management device 200 on October 7, 2022, indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced.

Here, the value of hour meter 1 has increased significantly. Therefore, an engineer or the like viewing screen 205B can understand that the display device 40 has been replaced with a second-hand display device 40. Also in this case, the value of hour meter 1 can be derived from the amount of change in the values of hour meter 2 and hour meter 3, and a rewrite request can be sent to the excavator 100.

In FIG. 6, the display mode of the portion where the hour meter value has been rewritten may be different from the other portions. Specifically, in FIG. 6, the display mode of the portion corresponding to the hour meter 1 value "1010" acquired on October 3, 2022 and the portion corresponding to the hour meter 1 value "1035" acquired on October 8, 2022 is different from the display mode of the other portions. Therefore, in this embodiment, it can be seen that the hour meter 1 was replaced on October 3, 2022 and October 8, 2022. In this manner, in this embodiment, the portion where the hour meter value has been rewritten can be visually recognized by the user of the management device 200.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the management device 200 manages the history of values acquired from each of the multiple hour meters possessed by the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the history of the values of the multiple hour meters is displayed in a list, allowing an engineer or the like managing the shovel 100 to understand the magnitude and trend of fluctuations in the values of the multiple hour meters.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the value of one hour meter is initialized, the original value of the initialized hour meter can be derived and rewritten based on the magnitude and trend of fluctuations in the values of the other hour meters.

In addition, in this embodiment, the excavator 100 transmits three types of hour meter values to the management device 200, but the number of types of hour meter values is not limited to three and may be four or more. In this embodiment, the more types of hour meters there are, the easier it is to grasp the magnitude and trend of fluctuations in the hour meter values, so it is preferable that there are three or more types of hour meters.

(Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, whether the display device 40 has been replaced is determined using the value of the hour meter of the display device 40. However, whether the display device 40 has been replaced may be determined using machine number information for identifying the display device 40. The machine number information is, specifically, display device identification information assigned to each display device 40. When the TCU 90 of the excavator 100 acquires the value of the hour meter from the display device 40, the TCU 90 also acquires the machine number information of the display device 40. Then, when the acquired machine number information is different from the machine number information acquired last time, the TCU 90 may determine that the display device 40 has been replaced. When the TCU 90 determines that the display device 40 has been replaced, the TCU 90 transmits the value of the hour meter and a notification indicating that the display device 40 has been replaced to the management device 200. Then, the TCU 90 accepts a request to rewrite the value of the hour meter from the management device 200. In this way, the determination of whether the display device 40 has been replaced may be performed based on information other than the value of the hour meter.

In this embodiment, the shovel 100 is used as an example of a work machine, but the work machine is not limited to the shovel 100, and this embodiment can be applied to work machines other than the shovel 100, for example.

The above describes the form for implementing the present invention, but the above content does not limit the content of the invention, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 Lower traveling body 2 Swivel mechanism 3 Upper rotating body 30 Controller 40 Display device 74 ECU
90 TCU
100 Shovel 200 Management device

Claims (11)

A shovel having an hour meter,
a transmission unit that acquires the value of the hour meter and transmits it to a management device;
a control unit that, when receiving a request to rewrite the value of the hour meter from the management device, rewrites the value of the hour meter in response to the rewrite request. The shovel has a plurality of hour meters,
The shovel according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission unit transmits values of the plurality of hour meters to the management device. A plurality of devices each having the hour meter,
3. The shovel according to claim 2, further comprising a replacement determination unit that determines whether a device having the one hour meter has been replaced based on a result of comparing the value of one hour meter among the values of the multiple hour meters with the value of the one hour meter previously transmitted to the management device. The replacement determination unit
The shovel according to claim 3 , further comprising: a value of the one hour meter among the values of the plurality of hour meters transmitted to the management device, the value being held. The replacement determination unit
determining that a device having the one hour meter has been replaced when a difference between the value of the one hour meter and the value of the one hour meter previously transmitted to the management device is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
The shovel according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission unit transmits a notification to the management device indicating that a device having the one hour meter has been replaced. The transmission unit is
The shovel according to claim 5 , further comprising: a notification indicating that a device having the one hour meter has been replaced, together with values of the plurality of hour meters, transmitted to the management device. The rewrite request is
The shovel according to claim 6 , further comprising a value calculated based on values of an hour meter other than the value of the one hour meter, among the values of the plurality of hour meters. The excavator according to claim 7, further comprising a rewrite instruction unit that outputs an instruction to rewrite the value of the one hour meter to a device having the one hour meter when the rewrite request is input from the management device. The plurality of devices includes a display device provided inside a cabin of the shovel,
The shovel according to claim 8 , wherein the one hour meter is an hour meter included in the display device. The shovel according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of hour meters are three or more hour meters. A method for managing a shovel having an hour meter, comprising:
acquiring a value of the hour meter and transmitting it to a management device;
When a request to rewrite the value of the hour meter is received from the management device, the value of the hour meter is rewritten in response to the rewrite request.

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