Surroundings monitoring system for work machine

{
  "publication_number": "US11047113B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Surroundings monitoring system for work machine",
  "abstract": "A surroundings monitoring system for a work machine includes a display device in a cabin of the work machine, an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the surroundings of the work machine, and a processor configured to generate a surrounding image of the work machine and to cause a monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The monitoring image includes a work machine image and the surrounding image placed along the periphery of the work machine image. The processor is configured to cause a magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The magnified monitoring image magnifies a partial area of the surrounding image in the monitoring image. The partial area is centered on a position closer to a predetermined target object included in the surrounding image than to the work machine image and includes the target object.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A surroundings monitoring system for a work machine, comprising: a display device provided in a cabin of the work machine; an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of surroundings of the work machine; and a processor configured to generate a surrounding image of the work machine based on the captured image of the image capturing unit and to cause a monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the monitoring image including an image of the work machine schematically representing the work machine and the surrounding image, the surrounding image being placed along a periphery of the image of the work machine in accordance with a relative positional relationship between the work machine and an imaging range of the image capturing unit, wherein the processor is configured to generate a magnified monitoring image by magnifying a partial area of the surrounding image in the monitoring image, the partial area including an image of a predetermined target object included in the surrounding image, the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, and the image of the work machine includes an image of an upper turning body of the work machine, and the processor is configured to generate the magnified monitoring image by magnifying the partial area of the surrounding image such that the magnified monitoring image includes the image of the target object and at least part of the image of the upper turning body included in the image of the work machine.",
    "2. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect the target object within a predetermined area around the work machine, and the processor is configured to, when detecting the target object within the predetermined area, cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device.",
    "3. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the magnified monitoring image magnifying the image of the work machine in accordance with the partial area.",
    "4. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the magnified monitoring image magnifying the partial area centered on a position of the target object included in the surrounding image.",
    "5. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the magnified monitoring image magnifying the partial area centered on a position closer to a position of a substantial centroid of a figure defined by positions of a plurality of target objects included in the surrounding image than to the image of the work machine and including the plurality of target objects.",
    "6. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the magnified monitoring image magnifying the partial area centered on a position of one of a plurality of target objects included in the surrounding image which one is closest to the work machine.",
    "7. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to change a magnification ratio of the magnified monitoring image in accordance with a distance between the work machine and the target object.",
    "8. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a function of the processor to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device is configured to be switched between an enabled state and a disabled state.",
    "9. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the monitoring image including the surrounding image as viewed from a predetermined viewpoint to be displayed on the display device, and to cause an image corresponding to the partial area as viewed from the predetermined viewpoint, an image corresponding to the partial area as viewed from a viewpoint different from the predetermined viewpoint, or the captured image of the image capturing unit corresponding to the partial area to be displayed on the display device as the magnified monitoring image.",
    "10. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the monitoring image including, as the surrounding image, an overhead view image as viewed from a viewpoint above the work machine to be displayed on the display device, and to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device by moving a center of the monitoring image in at least one of a vertical direction and a lateral direction of a display area of the display device and magnifying the monitoring image.",
    "11. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device, the magnified monitoring image magnifying the partial area at a magnification ratio set by an operation input from a user, the partial area being centered on a position set by an operation input from the user and including the target object.",
    "12. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to switch the monitoring image to the magnified monitoring image in a first mode or a second mode, the first mode being higher in sequentiality than the second mode.",
    "13. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device in response to detection of the target object within a predetermined area around the work machine.",
    "14. The surroundings monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partial area is centered on a position closer to the target object than to the image of the work machine."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to surroundings monitoring systems for work machines.\n\nA surroundings monitoring device that displays, on a monitor around an operator seat, a monitoring image (for example, an overhead view image looking at a work machine from directly above) generated based on an image captured by an image capturing device (a camera) attached to a work machine to capture an image of its surroundings is known.\n\nAccording to this surroundings monitoring device, when a person is detected within a predetermined area around a work machine, a monitoring image is displayed, being magnified from wide area display to nearby display.\n\nAccording to an aspect of the present invention, a surroundings monitoring system for a work machine includes a display device in a cabin of the work machine, an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the surroundings of the work machine, and a processor configured to generate a surrounding image of the work machine and to cause a monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The monitoring image includes a work machine image and the surrounding image placed along the periphery of the work machine image. The processor is configured to cause a magnified monitoring image to be displayed on the display device. The magnified monitoring image magnifies a partial area of the surrounding image in the monitoring image. The partial area is centered on a position closer to a predetermined target object included in the surrounding image than to the work machine image and includes the target object.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60R 1/27",
    "B60K 35/00",
    "B60K 35/81",
    "B60R 1/00",
    "B60R 2300/306",
    "B60R 2300/70",
    "B60R 2300/8033",
    "B66F 17/003",
    "E02F 9/24",
    "E02F 9/26",
    "E02F 9/261",
    "G06K 9/00369",
    "G06K 9/00805",
    "G06V 20/58",
    "G06V 40/103",
    "H04N 5/2628",
    "H04N 7/18",
    "H04N 7/183"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60R 1/00",
    "B66F 17/00",
    "E02F 9/24",
    "E02F 9/26",
    "G06K 9/00",
    "H04N 5/262",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sumitomo SHI Construction Machinery Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Takeya IZUMIKAWA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-03-25",
  "publication_date": "2021-06-29",
  "grant_date": "2021-06-29",
  "priority_date": "2016-11-01",
  "application_number": "US-201916363194-A",
  "family_id": "62076199",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}