Work machine and components thereof

A work machine that achieves a predetermined operation while moving a target area comprising a controller, the controller having:

• a detection unit configured to detect a behavior and a current position of the work machine;
• a service path defining unit configured to define a contour service path and a plurality of straight service paths, the contour service path running along the periphery of the target area, the straight service paths being defined by dividing the target area enclosed by the contour service path into two or more blocks with straight lines;
• a turning behavior defining unit configured to determine intersections between the contour service path and a pair of straight service paths, the pair of straight service paths being adjacent two of the straight service paths, the work machine being designed to travel along one of the pair of straight service paths in a first direction and travel along the other of the pair of straight service paths in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the turning behavior defining unit defining a turning behavior including backward movement of the work machine along a path connecting the adjacent intersections;
• and
• a control unit configured to produce a travel control signal for traveling along the contour service path and the straight service paths defined by the service path defining unit on anywhere other than the intersections between the contour service path and the straight service paths, based on the behavior and current position detected by the detection unit and information about their changes, and turning in accordance with the turning behavior defined by the turning behavior defining unit when the work machine reaches one of the intersections;
• the work machine further comprising a drive mechanism that is adapted to drive itself in response to the travel control signal produced from the controller,
• wherein the turning behavior defining unit is adapted to define at least one of first, second, and third turning behaviors, based on geographical features and attribute information including the body size of the work machine, a work width, and a shape of a curved line path followed by the work machine when it turns,
• the first turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels along a first straight service path that is one of the pair of straight service paths, passes through an intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves and turns ahead toward an extended line from a second straight service path which is another straight service path, moves straight back from an intersection with the extended line from the second straight service path until the work machine reaches an extended line from the first straight service path, and then moves and turns ahead toward an intersection between the second straight service path and the contour service path;
• the second turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels along the first straight service path, passes through the intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves ahead by a predetermined distance on the extended line from the first straight service path, moves and turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path, moves straight ahead from the intersection with the extended line from the second straight service path until the work machine reaches the extended line from the first straight service path, and then turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path;
• and
• the third turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels the first straight service path, passes through the intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves and turns ahead in the direction opposite to the second straight service path, stops temporarily, moves straight back to the intersection with the extended line from the first straight service path, and turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path.

A computer system mounted on a work machine, the computer system including a computer program for causing the computer to include a controller, that achieves a predetermined operation while moving a target area, the computer program being adapted to make the computer system function as:

• a detection unit configured to detect a behavior and a current position of the work machine;
• a service path defining unit configured to define a contour service path and a plurality of straight service paths, the contour service path running along the periphery of the target area, the straight service paths being defined by dividing the target area enclosed by the contour service path into two or more blocks with straight lines;
• a turning behavior defining unit configured to determine intersections between the contour service path and a pair of straight service paths, the pair of straight service paths being adjacent two of the straight service paths, the work machine being designed to travel along one of the pair of straight service paths in a first direction and travel along the other of the pair of straight service paths in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the turning behavior defining unit defining a turning behavior including backward movement of the work machine along a path connecting the adjacent intersections;
• and
• a control unit configured to produce a travel control signal to control a travel drive mechanism included in the work machine by using the travel control signal, the travel control signal being used to move the work machine along the contour service path and the straight service paths defined by the service path defining unit on anywhere other than the intersections between the contour service path and the straight service paths, based on the behavior and current position of the work machine traveling in the target area and information about their changes, and to turn the work machine in accordance with the turning behavior defined by the turning behavior defining unit when the work machine reaches one of the intersections,
• wherein the turning behavior defining unit is adapted to define at least one of first, second, and third turning behaviors, based on geographical features and attribute information including the body size of the work machine, a work width, and a shape of a curved line path followed by the work machine when it turns,
• the first turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels along a first straight service path that is one of the pair of straight service paths, passes through an intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves and turns ahead toward an extended line from a second straight service path which is another straight service path, moves straight back from an intersection with the extended line from the second straight service path until the work machine reaches an extended line from the first straight service path, and then moves and turns ahead toward an intersection between the second straight service path and the contour service path;
• the second turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels along the first straight service path, passes through the intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves ahead by a predetermined distance on the extended line from the first straight service path, moves and turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path, moves straight ahead from the intersection with the extended line from the second straight service path until the work machine reaches the extended line from the first straight service path, and then turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path;
• and
• the third turning behavior being for allowing the work machine to turn from one straight service path to another straight service path in such a manner that the work machine travels the first straight service path, passes through the intersection between the first straight service path and the contour service path, moves and turns ahead in the direction opposite to the second straight service path, stops temporarily, moves straight back to the intersection with the extended line from the first straight service path, and turns back toward the extended line from the second straight service path.

A work machine controller comprising:

• a detection unit configured to detect a behavior and a current position of a work machine that achieves a predetermined operation while moving a target area;
• a service path defining unit configured to define a contour service path and a plurality of straight service paths, the contour service path running along the periphery of the target area, the straight service paths being defined by dividing the target area enclosed by the contour service path into two or more blocks with straight lines;
• a turning behavior defining unit configured to determine intersections between the contour service path and a pair of straight service paths, the pair of straight service paths being adjacent two of the straight service paths, the work machine being designed to travel along one of the pair of straight service paths in a first direction and travel along the other of the pair of straight service paths in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the turning behavior defining unit defining a turning behavior including backward movement of the work machine along a path connecting the adjacent intersections;
• and
• a control unit configured to produce a travel control signal to control a travel drive mechanism included in the work machine by using the travel control signal, the travel control signal being used to move the work machine along the contour service path and the straight service paths defined by the service path defining unit on anywhere other than the intersections between the contour service path and the straight service paths, based on the behavior and current position of the work machine traveling in the target area and information about their changes, and to turn the work machine in accordance with the turning behavior defined by the turning behavior defining unit when the work machine reaches one of the intersections,
• wherein the service path defining unit defines a bridge line path to a destination point by defining, in addition to the contour service path and the straight service paths, a circle whose center is at a current stay position of the work machine and whose radius is equal to n (n is a natural number) times the length from the current stay position to a check position after the work machine has traveled a predetermined distance, selecting a position on the periphery of the circle that is closest to the destination point, the position corresponding to an intersection between the periphery of the circle and a line segment connecting the current stay position to the check position, redefining the circle with this position used as a new stay position, and repeating these operations until the new stay position gets close to the destination point.

A work machine that achieves a predetermined operation while moving a target area comprising a controller, the controller having:

• a detection unit configured to detect a behavior and a current position of the work machine;
• a service path defining unit configured to define a contour service path and a plurality of straight service paths, the contour service path running along the periphery of the target area, the straight service paths being defined by dividing the target area enclosed by the contour service path into two or more blocks with straight lines;
• a turning behavior defining unit configured to determine intersections between the contour service path and a pair of straight service paths, the pair of straight service paths being adjacent two of the straight service paths, the work machine being designed to travel along one of the pair of straight service paths in a first direction and travel along the other of the pair of straight service paths in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the turning behavior defining unit defining a turning behavior including backward movement of the work machine along a path connecting the adjacent intersections;
• and
• a control unit configured to produce a travel control signal for traveling along the contour service path and the straight service paths defined by the service path defining unit on anywhere other than the intersections between the contour service path and the straight service paths, based on the behavior and current position detected by the detection unit and information about their changes, and turning in accordance with the turning behavior defined by the turning behavior defining unit when the work machine reaches one of the intersections;
• the work machine further comprising a drive mechanism that is adapted to drive itself in response to the travel control signal produced from the controller,
• wherein the service path defining unit defines a bridge line path to a destination point by defining, in addition to the contour service path and the straight service paths, a circle whose center is at a current stay position of the work machine and whose radius is equal to n (n is a natural number) times the length from the current stay position to a check position after the work machine has traveled a predetermined distance, selecting a position on the periphery of the circle that is closest to the destination point, the position corresponding to an intersection between the periphery of the circle and a line segment connecting the current stay position to the check position, redefining the circle with this position used as a new stay position, and repeating these operations until the new stay position gets close to the destination point.

A computer system mounted on a work machine, the computer system including a computer program for causing the computer to include a controller, that achieves a predetermined operation while moving a target area, the computer program being adapted to make the computer system function as:

• a detection unit configured to detect a behavior and a current position of the work machine;
• a service path defining unit configured to define a contour service path and a plurality of straight service paths, the contour service path running along the periphery of the target area, the straight service paths being defined by dividing the target area enclosed by the contour service path into two or more blocks with straight lines;
• a turning behavior defining unit configured to determine intersections between the contour service path and a pair of straight service paths, the pair of straight service paths being adjacent two of the straight service paths, the work machine being designed to travel along one of the pair of straight service paths in a first direction and travel along the other of the pair of straight service paths in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, the turning behavior defining unit defining a turning behavior including backward movement of the work machine along a path connecting the adjacent intersections;
• and
• a control unit configured to produce a travel control signal for traveling along the contour service path and the straight service paths defined by the service path defining unit on anywhere other than the intersections between the contour service path and the straight service paths, based on the behavior and current position detected by the detection unit and information about their changes, and turning in accordance with the turning behavior defined by the turning behavior defining unit when the work machine reaches one of the intersections;
• the work machine further comprising a drive mechanism that is adapted to drive itself in response to the travel control signal produced from the controller,
• wherein the service path defining unit defines a bridge line path to a destination point by defining, in addition to the contour service path and the straight service paths, a circle whose center is at a current stay position of the work machine and whose radius is equal to n (n is a natural number) times the length from the current stay position to a check position after the work machine has traveled a predetermined distance, selecting a position on the periphery of the circle that is closest to the destination point, the position corresponding to an intersection between the periphery of the circle and a line segment connecting the current stay position to the check position, redefining the circle with this position used as a new stay position, and repeating these operations until the new stay position gets close to the destination point.