US 11,835,970 B2
Unmanned aerial vehicle with work implement view and overview mode for industrial vehicles
Tomohiro Fukuda, Hiroshima (JP); and Akihiko Eita, Hiroshima (JP)
Assigned to KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., Hiroshima (JP)
Filed by KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., Hiroshima (JP)
Filed on Sep. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/448,719.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-165395 (JP), filed on Sep. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0100212 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/10 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64D 47/08 (2006.01); E02F 9/26 (2006.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/04 (2006.01); E02F 9/22 (2006.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01)
CPC G05D 1/1064 (2019.05) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 47/08 (2013.01); E02F 9/261 (2013.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); G08G 5/0069 (2013.01); G08G 5/045 (2013.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01); E02F 9/2228 (2013.01); E02F 9/2285 (2013.01); E02F 9/2292 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A work support apparatus for providing a captured image for supporting work to be performed by a work machine that includes a lower traveling body, an upper turning body mounted on the lower traveling body and a work device attached to the upper turning body to make a work motion, the work support apparatus comprising:
a flying object capable of flying over the sky;
an image capture device that is mounted on the flying object and captures the captured image;
a flight mode designation unit that designates a flight mode from among a plurality of flight modes set in advance for the flight action of the flying object; and
a flight control unit that performs a flight control for making the flying object make a flight action corresponding to the flight mode designated by the flight mode designation unit,
wherein the plurality of flight modes include a first flight mode for allowing the image capture device to acquire a peripheral monitoring image for monitoring the periphery of the work machine as the captured image, and a second flight mode for allowing the image capture device to acquire a work support image for supporting work to be performed by the work device as the captured image,
the flight control unit is configured to execute a mode transition processing of making the flying object make a flight action to avoid contact or proximity of the flying object with the work machine when the flight mode designated by the flight mode designation unit is shifted between the first flight mode and the second flight mode,
the first flight mode includes a lower reference mode in which a target flight position of the flying object is determined by use of the lower traveling body as a reference, and the flight control unit is configured to perform a processing of making the flying object fly based on a target flight position determined by use of the upper turning body as a reference, as the mode transition processing, when the flight mode designated by the flight mode designation unit is shifted between the lower reference mode and the second flight mode.