Apparatus and Method for Controlling Work Trajectory of Construction Equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a apparatus and method for controlling work trajectory of construction equipment, and particularly, to a trajectory controlling device and a method for construction equipment, capable of automatically operating with the most suitable work trajectory at the point when an automated task is selected. The trajectory controlling device and method for construction equipment may control a task starting point and the following of a trajectory in order to compensate for a positioning error when playback is selected to follow a teaching trajectory, and may minimize positioning errors by compensating for changes related to gravity due to changes in the posture of a work device.

1 . A work trajectory controlling device for construction equipment having at least one work device, and a driving unit configured to drive the work device, the work trajectory controlling device comprising:
 an actuating unit configured to generate a joystick signal through a manipulation by an operator;   a data storage unit configured to store driving trajectory data on the work device, for the work device, to be driven upon starting of an automated task, to follow; and   a driving controller configured, upon the starting of the automated task, to read trajectory data on the work device stored in the data storage unit, and control the driving unit to drive the work device to follow the read driving trajectory data,   wherein when the automated task is selected, and an actual position of the work device falls within a reference error range between a position at which driving of the work device is started which is stored in the data storage unit, and a preset position at which driving of the work device is started, the driving controller performs controlling to start automated driving in a position at a time when the automated task is selected and controls the driving unit to follow the prestored driving trajectory over time while the automated driving is performed.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the data storage unit stores driving trajectory data on the work device to be driven for each position of the work device when the automated task is performed; when the automated task is selected, and a posture of the work device is a posture in which the work device is unable to immediately perform a designated task, the driving controller performs controlling such that the work device is changed to a posture in which to perform the designated task; and when a new position of the work device brought about by the change in posture is greater than a preset reference error for a preset position, the driving controller reads new driving trajectory data corresponding to the new position and then controls the driving unit to drive the work device to follow the new driving trajectory data. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the work device includes a bucket, and the driving controller determines whether a change has been made in a posture of the work device based on a posture of the bucket and selects whether or not to read the new driving trajectory data according to an amount of change in position of the bucket corresponding to a change in the posture of the bucket. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein when the automated task is selected, and a posture of the work device is a posture in which the work device is unable to immediately perform a designated task, the driving controller performs controlling such that the work device is changed to a posture in which to perform the designated task; and when a new position of the work device brought about by the change in posture is greater than a preset reference error for a preset position, the driving controller changes a position of the work device to a position at which driving of the work device is started,
 and then controls the driving unit to follow the prestored driving trajectory.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the work device includes a bucket, and the driving controller reads the preset driving trajectory data on the work device based on a position of the bucket. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein when a new joystick signal is generated from the actuating unit for a predetermined time during the performing of the automated task, the driving controller ends the automated task and controls the driving unit to follow the generated new joystick signal. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the driving controller further includes a gravity compensating unit configured to calculate a gravity compensating value through a posture of the work device. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuating unit is capable of selecting and actuating teaching mode and playback mode; and the driving controller stores the trajectory data in the data storage unit in accordance with a manipulation by the operator, when the teaching mode is selected, and controls the driving unit when the playback mode is selected such that the work device is automatically driven to follow the trajectory data of the work device stored in the data storage unit. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein when playback mode is selected by the operator, a current position of an end of a bucket of the work device and a preset initial position of the end of the bucket are compared in terms of a positional difference, and the driving unit is controlled such that after the end of the bucket is moved to the preset initial position, an automated task is performed to follow a prestored driving trajectory. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein when a new joystick signal is generated from the actuating unit for a predetermined time during the performing of the automated task, the driving controller ends the automated task and controls the driving unit to follow the generated new joystick signal. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a gravity compensating unit configured to calculate a gravity compensating value corresponding to a posture of the work device,   wherein the driving controller applies the gravity compensating value to update the trajectory data, and controls the driving unit based on the updated trajectory data.   
     
     
         12 . A work trajectory controlling method for construction equipment having at least one work device, a driving unit configured to drive the work device, and an actuating unit configured to generate a joystick signal through a manipulation by an operator, the method comprising:
 checking whether an automated task is selected; and   when the automated task is selected, comparing an actual position of the work device with a preset automated task starting position, and comparing a difference thereof with a preset reference error,   wherein when results of the comparison show that a difference between the actual position of the work device and the preset automated task starting position is less than the reference error, preset trajectory data on the work device is read, and trajectory data is generated for an automated task starting at the actual position of the work device, after which the automated task is started, and the new trajectory data is generated to follow the preset trajectory data of the work device as time elapses.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the comparing with the reference error includes:
 a posture comparing step of comparing a current posture of at least one of a plurality of work devices with a preset reference posture; and   a posture changing step of changing a posture of the work device to the reference posture, according to results of the comparison, wherein   an actual position of the work device is revised to a changed position of the work device according to the change in posture.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining of a change in position of the work device, after dividing a virtual range in which the work device is capable of being driven for a task into a plurality of ranges, is based on whether to move the work device from a range in which the work device is positioned initially to another range, through a change in posture of the work device, and
 the driving trajectory data are stored in the database to correspond to each of the plurality of ranges.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the construction equipment is capable of selecting teaching mode and playback mode through a manipulation of an operator, and
 the checking of whether the automated task is selected includes:   selecting the teaching mode for storing a joystick signal generated by a manipulation of the operator and the driving data on the work device as trajectory data; and   selecting a playback step for selecting to start the automated task to follow the trajectory data stored in the teaching mode selecting step.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein in the trajectory playback step, a gravity compensating value is calculated using a change in effects of gravity according to a change in a posture of the work device, and the calculated gravity compensating value is applied to control the work device to follow a driving speed of the work device included in the trajectory data stored in the teaching mode.