Agricultural work system and operation method thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is an agricultural work management method comprising the steps of: receiving location information and identifier information on one or more workpieces from a first agricultural work vehicle; generating first work data, including a first work path and information on a work target of a second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more workpieces, on the basis of the location information and the identifier information on the one or more workpieces; and transmitting the first work data to the second agricultural work vehicle.

Description

Agricultural work system and its operation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an agricultural work system and an operating method thereof.

[0002] Agricultural work vehicles are vehicles used for agricultural work, such as rice transplanters, combine harvesters, and tractors. For example, tractors can perform necessary agricultural work by moving with various agricultural work tools attached.

[0003] As agricultural work vehicles adopt Tier 4 engines, automatic transmissions, and automated hydraulic systems, and as information technology (IT) becomes more prevalent, autonomous operation technologies are being developed that enable agricultural work vehicles to perform agricultural tasks without human intervention. For example, Level 3 autonomous operation requires a human operator onboard the vehicle to monitor and control autonomous operations. However, Level 4 autonomous operation allows the vehicle to independently assess and perform work-related factors, regardless of whether a human operator is present.

[0004] When performing autonomous operations, agricultural work vehicles must avoid or stop when they recognize obstacles in their vicinity. To do this, agricultural work vehicles utilize cameras, radar, LiDAR, and ultrasonic sensors to identify surrounding objects. However, even if an agricultural work vehicle recognizes an object, it must determine whether it is a target for avoidance or operation, which requires time to determine subsequent actions.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an agricultural work system and an operating method thereof that can accurately and quickly determine whether an object recognized by an agricultural work vehicle while performing autonomous work is a work target.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for managing agricultural work may include a step of receiving location information and identifier information of each of one or more workpieces from a first agricultural work vehicle, a step of generating first work data including information about a first work path and a work target of a second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more workpieces based on the location information and identifier information of each of the one or more workpieces, and a step of transmitting the first work data to the second agricultural work vehicle.

[0007] In one embodiment, the identifier information may include a unique ID of an identifier installed on each of the one or more workpieces, and the information about the work target of the second agricultural work vehicle may include a list of unique IDs of identifiers corresponding to the work targets of the second agricultural work vehicle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the step of generating the first work data may include the step of correcting the received position information based on the size of the work machine attached to the first agricultural work vehicle, and the step of generating the first work data based on the corrected position information and the identifier information.

[0009] In one embodiment, the agricultural work management method may further include the steps of receiving a work completion message related to a work target of the second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more workpieces from the second agricultural work vehicle, generating second work data including information about a second work path and a work target of a third agricultural work vehicle among the one or more workpieces based on the work completion message, and transmitting the second work data to the third agricultural work vehicle.

[0010] In one embodiment, the identifier may be any one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon, and an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) tag.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for working on an agricultural work vehicle may include: receiving work data from a server, the work data including information about a work path and each of one or more work targets; detecting an object using an object detection sensor while moving along the work path; scanning an identifier corresponding to the detected object using an identifier scanner; determining whether the detected object is the work target based on information recorded in the identifier when the identifier is recognized; and performing a predetermined task on the detected object based on a determination that the detected object is the work target.

[0012] In one embodiment, the information recorded in the identifier may include a unique ID of an identifier corresponding to the detected object, and the information about each of the one or more work objects may include a list of unique IDs of identifiers corresponding to each of the one or more work objects.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method of operating the agricultural work vehicle may further include the step of moving along the work path after avoiding the detected object based on a determination that the detected object is not the work target.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method of operating the agricultural work vehicle may further include the step of moving along the work path after avoiding the detected object if the identifier is not recognized.

[0015] In one embodiment, the identifier may be any one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon, and an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) tag, and the identifier scanner may be any one of an RFID reader, an NFC reader, a BLE reader, and a UWB reader.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating an agricultural work vehicle may include a step of detecting the location of each of one or more workpieces produced while performing agricultural work, installing an identifier on each of the one or more workpieces, and transmitting location information of each of the one or more workpieces and identifier information corresponding to the identifier installed on each of the one or more workpieces to a server.

[0017] In one embodiment, the identifier information may include a unique ID of an identifier installed on each of the one or more workpieces.

[0018] In one embodiment, the transmitting step may include a step of correcting the position information based on a size of a work tool attached to the agricultural work vehicle, and a step of transmitting the corrected position information to the server.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a server includes at least one processor, a memory storing one or more commands, and a communication interface performing data communication with one or more agricultural work vehicles, and when the one or more commands are executed by the at least one processor, the server receives location information and identifier information of one or more workpieces from a first agricultural work vehicle, and based on the location information and identifier information of the one or more workpieces, generates first work data including information about a first work path and a work target of a second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more workpieces, and transmits the first work data to the second agricultural work vehicle.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an agricultural work vehicle includes at least one processor, a memory storing one or more commands, a communication interface for performing data communication with a server, an identifier scanner for recognizing an identifier and emitting a wireless signal to read information recorded in the identifier, and an object detection sensor for detecting an object around the agricultural work vehicle, and when the one or more commands are executed by the at least one processor, the agricultural work vehicle receives work data from a server, the work data including information about a work path and one or more work targets, detects an object while moving along the work path, scans an identifier corresponding to the detected object, and when the identifier is recognized, determines whether the detected object is the work target based on the information recorded in the identifier, and performs a predetermined work on the detected object based on the determination that the detected object is the work target.

[0021] According to an agricultural work system according to one embodiment, when an agricultural work vehicle performs autonomous work and recognizes an object, it can accurately and quickly determine whether the object is a work target.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary situation in which multiple agricultural work vehicles perform autonomous work.

[0023] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an agricultural work system according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of an agricultural work vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a hopper installed on a workpiece according to one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 5 illustrates an example of a workpiece having a hopper and a cylinder installed therein according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating components of a server according to one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which an agricultural work system according to one embodiment performs work.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agricultural work vehicle according to one embodiment performing a predetermined task based on work data.

[0030] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which an agricultural work system according to one embodiment performs work.

[0031] The terms used in this disclosure are selected from widely used, common terms, taking into account the functions of the disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the disclosure.

[0032] Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art described herein.

[0033] The term "and / or" in this disclosure includes any combination of a plurality of related described components or any one of a plurality of related described components.

[0034] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first" or "second," used in this disclosure may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0035] In this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b, or c” may refer to “a,” “b,” “c,” “a and b,” “a and c,” “b and c,” “all of a, b, and c,” or variations thereof.

[0036] When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted to clearly explain the present disclosure, and similar parts are designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification. In addition, the reference numerals used in each drawing are only for the purpose of describing each drawing, and different reference numerals used in different drawings do not indicate different elements.

[0038] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary situation in which multiple agricultural work vehicles perform autonomous work.

[0039] Referring to Fig. 1, a plurality of agricultural work vehicles (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) are performing autonomous work at a work site. Each agricultural work vehicle (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) can be equipped with different work machines and perform different tasks. For example, when performing work to produce forage using rice straw, a first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) equipped with a baler can compress rice straw into round or square bales, a second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) equipped with a wrapper can wrap bales using plastic film, and a third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) equipped with a lifter can transport the wrapped bales. However, the type of work performed by the agricultural work vehicles (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) in the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0040] Each agricultural work vehicle (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) can perform a predetermined task while moving along a predetermined work path.

[0041] As the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) performs its work, a plurality of bales (11, 12, 13, 14) may be sequentially produced. For the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2), some of the bales (11, 12, 13, 14) may be targets for work, while others may be targets for avoidance. Similarly, for the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3), some of the bales (11, 12, 13, 14) may be targets for work, while others may be targets for avoidance.

[0042] For example, if a second bale (12) is located near the path along which a second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) moves to pack a first bale (11), the first bale (11) is a work target of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2), and the second bale (12) is a avoidance target of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2). If a fourth bale (14) is located near the path along which a third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) moves to transport a third bale (13), the third bale (13) is a work target of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3), and the fourth bale (14) is a avoidance target of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3).

[0043] The work target of each agricultural work vehicle (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) may vary as the work progresses. For example, before the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) wraps the first bale (11), the first bale (11) is not a work target of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3). However, after the wrapping is complete, the first bale (11) may become a work target of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3).

[0044] In this way, each agricultural work vehicle (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) can detect one or more bales (11, 12, 13, 14) while moving along a work path during work, and can determine whether each bale (11, 12, 13, 14) is a work target and perform work on the bale (11, 12, 13, 14) or avoid the bale (11, 12, 13, 14).

[0045] In order to accurately and quickly determine whether a bale (11, 12, 13, 14) is a target for work, an identifier may be installed in each bale (11, 12, 13, 14). For example, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may insert an identifier while producing the bale (11, 12, 13, 14), and the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) and the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) may recognize the identifier using an identifier scanner and determine whether each bale (11, 12, 13, 14) is a target for work based on the information recorded in the identifier.

[0046] The identifier may be an electronic device capable of storing information about the bale (11, 12, 13, 14) and transmitting the information to the identifier scanner via wireless communication. The information about the bale (11, 12, 13, 14) may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a unique ID (UID), a type of bale (e.g., straw, IRG (Italian Ryegrass), hay, etc.), a shape (e.g., round, square, etc.), a production date, and weather on the production date (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.).

[0047] An identifier scanner may be an electronic device that emits a radio signal to the surroundings to recognize an identifier and read information recorded on the identifier.

[0048] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an agricultural work system according to one embodiment.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 2, the agricultural work system (1) may include an agricultural work vehicle (100) and a server (200). There may be one or more agricultural work vehicles (100).

[0050] The agricultural work system (1) can perform work using one or more agricultural work vehicles (100). To this end, each agricultural work vehicle (100) can receive work data, including information about a work path and a work target, from a server (200) and perform a predetermined work based on the work data. The server (200) can generate work data and transmit it to each agricultural work vehicle (100), and can monitor and manage the entire work process.

[0051] An agricultural work vehicle (100) may be equipped with a work tool. The work tool is equipment attached to the front or rear of the agricultural work vehicle (100) and used for work, and may be operated by power supplied from the engine of the agricultural work vehicle (100). For example, the work tool may be any one of a mower, a tedder, a rake, a baler, a wrapper, a lifter, a trailer, a loader, and a backhoe, but is not limited thereto.

[0052] In one embodiment, the server (200) may be a computing device located at a different location from the work site. In this example, the server (200) may monitor the locations of multiple agricultural work vehicles (100) and manage the entire work process.

[0053] In one embodiment, the server (200) may be any one of a plurality of agricultural work vehicles (100). In this example, the server (200) may operate as a master vehicle managing other agricultural work vehicles (100), and the other agricultural work vehicles (100) may operate as slave vehicles managed by the server (200). For example, if the server (200) is a second agricultural work vehicle (100-2), the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) can transmit location information and identifier information of the bales (11, 12, 13, 14) to the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2), and the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can generate work data including information about its own work path and work target to perform a predetermined work, and can generate work data including information about the work path and work target of the third agricultural work vehicle and transmit the work data to the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3).

[0054] In one embodiment, the server (200) does not exist separately, and each agricultural work vehicle (100) can perform at least a part of the operations of the server (200). In this example, each agricultural work vehicle (100) can generate work data including information about its own work path and its own work target to perform a predetermined task. For example, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) can transmit location information and identifier information of the bales (11, 12, 13, 14) to the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) and the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3), and the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) and the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) can each generate work data including information about its own work path and work target to perform a predetermined task.

[0055] Accordingly, the operations described as being performed by the server (200) in this disclosure may be understood as being performed by the agricultural work vehicle (100). Furthermore, the operations described as being performed by each agricultural work vehicle (100) with respect to the server (200) may be understood as being performed with respect to other agricultural work vehicles (100).

[0056] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating components of an agricultural work vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 3, the agricultural work vehicle (100) may include an identifier (110), an identifier scanner (120), an identifier carrier (130), a work piece (140), a processor (150), a memory (160), a communication interface (170), a position sensor (180), and an object detection sensor (190). However, not all of the illustrated components are essential components. The agricultural work vehicle (100) may be implemented with more components than those illustrated in FIG. 3, or may be implemented with fewer components.

[0058] As an example, the identifier (110), the identifier carrier (130), and the workpiece (140) may be implemented as one separate device, and the agricultural work vehicle (100) may be implemented to include at least one of the remaining components. As another example, only one of the plurality of agricultural work vehicles (100) (e.g., the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1)) may be implemented to include the identifier (110) and the identifier carrier (130), and the remaining agricultural work vehicles (e.g., the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) and the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3)) may be implemented not to include the identifier (110) and the identifier carrier (130).

[0059] The identifier (110) can store information about the workpiece, and when it receives a wireless signal from the identifier scanner (120), it can transmit the information about the workpiece to the identifier scanner. The identifier (110) may include, but is not limited to, an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip that stores information about the workpiece, and an antenna that wirelessly communicates with the identifier scanner (120). For example, the identifier (110) may be, but is not limited to, any one of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon, and a UWB (Ultra-WideBand) tag. The agricultural work vehicle (100) may include one or more identifiers (110), and may install the identifiers (110) on each workpiece while performing work on each workpiece or after the work is completed.

[0060] Information about the workpiece may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the unique identifier (UID) of the identifier (110), the type, shape, production date, and weather on the production date of the workpiece. Information about the workpiece may be recorded in the identifier (110) in advance of the workpiece.

[0061] The identifier scanner (120) can emit a wireless signal to the surroundings to recognize the identifier (110) and read information about the workpiece recorded in the identifier (110). Depending on the wireless communication method used, the identifier scanner (120) can recognize the identifier (110) within a range of several centimeters (cm) to several tens of meters (m). Therefore, when the agricultural work vehicle (100) moves near the workpiece, it can recognize the identifier (110) installed on the surrounding workpiece and read information about the workpiece recorded in the identifier (110). For example, the identifier scanner (120) can be any one of an RFID reader, an NFC reader, a BLE reader, and a UWB reader, but is not limited thereto.

[0062] The identifier carrier (130) can store one or more identifiers (110) and discharge the stored identifiers (110). For example, a button for discharging the identifier (110) may be provided on the control panel of an agricultural work vehicle (100), and when a worker presses the button, the identifier carrier (130) can discharge the identifier (110).

[0063] The identifier carrier (130) may be configured as a combination of a hopper (420) disposed on the top of the baler (410) as illustrated in FIG. 4 to drop the identifier (110) toward the workpiece, or a hopper (520) disposed on the side of the baler (510) as illustrated in FIG. 5 to insert the identifier (110) into the interior of the workpiece, and a cylinder (530), but is not limited thereto. For example, the identifier carrier (130) may be configured as a bin, a silo, a dispenser, a dosing system, a feeder, or the like.

[0064] The work machine (140) is equipment attached to the front or rear of an agricultural work vehicle (100) and used for work, and can be operated by power supplied from the engine of the agricultural work vehicle (100). For example, the work machine (140) can be any one of a mower, a tedder, a rake, a baler, a wrapper, a lifter, a trailer, a loader, and a backhoe, but is not limited thereto.

[0065] The processor (150) can control the overall operations of the agricultural work vehicle (100). For example, the processor (150) can control the operations performed by the agricultural work vehicle (100) to perform work by executing one or more commands or programs stored in the memory (160). There may be one or more processors (150).

[0066] The processor (150) may be configured as, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, an AP (Application Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a TCU (Transmission Control Unit), and a VCU (Vehicle Control Unit), but is not limited thereto.

[0067] The memory (160) can store one or more instructions or programs that can be executed by the processor (150). The operations of the agricultural work vehicle (100) described in the present disclosure can be implemented by the processor (150) executing the instructions or programs stored in the memory (160). The processor (150) and the memory (160) can be implemented as a single chip or module.

[0068] The memory (160) may include at least one of, but is not limited to, flash memory, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0069] The communication interface (170) can perform data communication with the server (200) under the control of the processor (150).

[0070] The communication interface (170) can perform data communication between the agricultural work vehicle (100) and the server (200) using at least one of data communication methods including, for example, cellular communication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), wired LAN, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (Near Field Communication), infrared communication (IrDA, Infrared Data Association), and RF communication.

[0071] The communication interface (170) can transmit location information and identifier information of one or more objects to the server (200), and can receive work data including a work path and a work target from the server (200).

[0072] The position sensor (180) can detect the position of the agricultural work vehicle (100). The position sensor (180) may include at least one of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), a GPS (Global Positioning System), a Differential GPS, an RTK GPS (Real-Time Kinematic Global Positioning System), GLONASS, Galileo, and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), but is not limited thereto.

[0073] When work on a workpiece is completed, the agricultural work vehicle (100) can detect the location information of the workpiece using the location sensor (180) and transmit it to the server (200). Since the total length of the agricultural work vehicle (100) including the work piece (140) is generally several meters (m) to over 10 meters (m), there may be an error between the location detected by the location sensor (180) installed on the body of the agricultural work vehicle (100) and the actual location of the workpiece. The agricultural work vehicle (100) may generate location information of the workpiece by correcting the location information detected by the location sensor (180) in consideration of the size of the attached work piece (140). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the agricultural work vehicle (100) may directly transmit the measurement value of the location sensor (180) to the server (200), and the server (200) may correct the location information of the workpiece.

[0074] The object detection sensor (190) can detect objects around the agricultural work vehicle (100). For example, the object detection sensor (190) can detect the distance between the agricultural work vehicle (100) and the object, the size of the object (e.g., width, height, length, etc.), etc. The object detection sensor (190) may include at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a radar (RADAR, Radio Detection And Ranging), a lidar (LiDAR, Light Detection And Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging), and a camera, but is not limited thereto. For example, the processor (150) can identify an object from an image including the object acquired by the camera using a deep learning-based object recognition algorithm.

[0075] In addition to the components described above, although not shown in FIG. 3, the agricultural work vehicle (100) may further include a drive system such as an engine, a hydraulic clutch, a transmission, a PTO (Power Take-Off) for transmitting the power of the engine to the work machine, and / or operating means such as levers and switches that can be used by a worker to operate the agricultural work vehicle (100).

[0076] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating components of a server according to one embodiment.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 6, the server (200) may include a processor (210), memory (220), and a communication interface (230). However, not all of the illustrated components are essential. The server (200) may be implemented with more or fewer components than those illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0078] The processor (210) can control the overall operations of the server (200). For example, the processor (210) can control operations performed by the server (200) to manage tasks by executing one or more commands or programs stored in the memory (220). There may be one or more processors (210).

[0079] The processor (210) may be configured as, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, an AP (Application Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a TCU (Transmission Control Unit), and a VCU (Vehicle Control Unit), but is not limited thereto.

[0080] The memory (220) may store one or more instructions or programs that may be executed by the processor (210). The operations of the server (200) described in the present disclosure may be implemented by the processor (210) executing the instructions or programs stored in the memory (220). The processor (210) and the memory (220) may be implemented as a single chip or module.

[0081] The memory (220) may include at least one of, but is not limited to, flash memory, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0082] The communication interface (230) can perform data communication with the agricultural work vehicle (100) under the control of the processor (210).

[0083] The communication interface (230) can perform data communication between the agricultural work vehicle (100) and the server (200) using at least one of data communication methods including, for example, cellular communication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), wired LAN, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (Near Field Communication), infrared communication (IrDA, Infrared Data Association), and RF communication.

[0084] The communication interface (230) can receive location information and identifier information of one or more objects from the agricultural work vehicle (100), and can transmit work data including a work path and a work target to the agricultural work vehicle (100).

[0085] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which an agricultural work system according to one embodiment performs work.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 7, in operation 701, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may detect the location of each of one or more workpieces produced while performing agricultural work, and may install an identifier (110) on each of one or more workpieces. In the example of forage production work, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may be a tractor with a baler attached, and the workpiece may be a bale, but the type of agricultural work, the type of the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1), and the type of workpiece are not limited thereto.

[0087] For example, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may use the hopper (420) to drop an identifier (110) inside the bale while producing bales, or may use the cylinder (530) to insert an identifier (110) inside the bale after production is complete. When bale production is complete, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may use the position sensor (180) to detect the coordinates of the corresponding position.

[0088] In operation 702, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may transmit location information and identifier information of one or more workpieces to the server (200). The identifier information may include, but is not limited to, a unique ID of an identifier (110) installed on each workpiece. As described above, the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) may correct the location information of the workpiece based on the size of the attached workpiece and then transmit the corrected location information to the server (200).

[0089] In operation 703, the server (200) may generate first task data including information about a first task path and a task target of a second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) among one or more tasks based on location information and identifier information of one or more tasks. In the example of a forage production task, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may be a tractor equipped with a wrapper, and the task target of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may be, but is not limited to, all bales that have not yet been wrapped. The information about the task target of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may include, but is not limited to, a list of unique IDs of identifiers (110) corresponding to the task targets of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2). The server (200) may determine the shortest path that passes through all task targets of the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) as the first task path.

[0090] In operation 704, the server (200) can transmit the first task data to the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2). The server (200) can perform operation 704 using the communication interface (230).

[0091] In operation 705, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can perform a predetermined task based on the first work data. Operation 705 is described below with reference to FIG. 8.

[0092] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agricultural work vehicle according to one embodiment performing a predetermined task based on work data.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 801, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may detect an object using an object detection sensor (190) while moving along the first work path. The detected object may be a workpiece produced by the first agricultural work vehicle (100-1) or an obstacle (e.g., a person, a tree, etc.) located on the work path.

[0094] In operation 802, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can scan an identifier (110) corresponding to a detected object using an identifier scanner (120).

[0095] In operation 803, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can determine whether the identifier (110) is recognized. If an object is detected but the identifier (110) is not recognized, this may imply that the detected object is an obstacle, and if an object is detected and the identifier (110) is also recognized, this may imply that the detected object is a workpiece.

[0096] Actions 801, 802, and 803 may be performed continuously and simultaneously while the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) moves along the first work path. The distance at which the object can be detected may vary depending on the type of the object detection sensor (190), and the distance at which the identifier (110) can be recognized may vary depending on the types of the identifier (110) and the identifier scanner (120). Accordingly, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may recognize the identifier (110) before detecting the object, or may recognize the identifier (110) after detecting the object.

[0097] In operation 804, if the identifier (110) is not recognized, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may continue to move along the first work path after avoiding the detected object. Thereafter, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may perform operations 801 and 802 again.

[0098] In operation 805, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can determine whether the detected object is a work target based on the information recorded in the identifier (110) when the identifier (110) is recognized. For example, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can receive a unique ID from the identifier (110) using the identifier scanner (120), and can determine whether the detected object is a work target based on a list of unique IDs of work targets received from the server (200) in operation 704.

[0099] The second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may, based on a determination that the detected object is not a work target (operation 806), move along the work path after avoiding the detected object (operation 804). Thereafter, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may perform operations 801 and 802 again.

[0100] In operation 807, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may perform a predetermined task on the detected object based on a determination that the detected object is a task target. In the example where the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) is a tractor equipped with a wrapping machine, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may wrap the detected object (i.e., bale) using a plastic film.

[0101] The second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can perform operation 801 again if there are remaining work paths that have not been passed, and can perform operation 901 if all work paths have been passed. Operation 901 is described below with reference to FIG. 9.

[0102] A method of determining a work target using an object recognition algorithm without using an identifier (110) may take a long time to execute the algorithm and obtain a result, and a method of determining a work target based on the location information of the work target may result in inaccurate results due to errors in location measurement.

[0103] Since the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) can determine whether a detected object is a work target by comparing the work data already received from the server (200) and the information received from the identifier (110), the agricultural work system (1) according to the present disclosure can quickly and accurately determine a work target through object detection and identifier (110) recognition. Considering that the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) moves slowly (e.g., 20 km / h or less) during work, and that it takes some time to approach the object enough to perform a predetermined task even after detecting the object and recognizing the identifier (110), the time that the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) is stopped for the purpose of determining a work target can be minimized.

[0104] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which an agricultural work system according to one embodiment performs work.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 9, in operation 901, the second agricultural work vehicle (100-2) may transmit a work completion message related to a work target to the server (200). The work completion message may include, but is not limited to, information such as that a predetermined work for each work target has been completed and the completion time of the work.

[0106] In operation 902, the server (200) may generate second task data, including information about a second task path and a task target of a third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) among one or more tasks, based on the task completion message. In the example of a forage production task, the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) may be a tractor equipped with a lifter, and the task target of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) may be, but is not limited to, a packaged bale. The server (200) may determine the shortest path that passes through all of the task targets of the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) as the second task path.

[0107] In operation 903, the server (200) can transmit the second task data to the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3). The server (200) can perform operation 903 using the communication interface (230).

[0108] In operation 904, the third agricultural work vehicle (100-3) can perform a predetermined task based on the second work data. Operation 904 is similar to operations 801 to 807 described above, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by a computer. Computer-readable media may include any volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media that can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, computer-readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media may include computer-readable instructions, data structures, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as program modules.

[0110] The above description of the present disclosure is provided for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present disclosure can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above descriptions should be understood as illustrative and not limiting. For example, components described in a single form may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described in a distributed manner may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0111] The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims set forth below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A step of receiving location information and identifier information of each of one or more workpieces from a first agricultural work vehicle; A step of generating first work data, including information about a first work path and a work target of a second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more work pieces, based on location information and identifier information of each of the one or more work pieces; and A method for managing agricultural work, comprising the step of transmitting the first work data to the second agricultural work vehicle.

2. In paragraph 1, The above identifier information includes a unique ID of an identifier installed in each of the one or more workpieces, A method for managing agricultural work, wherein information about the work target of the second agricultural work vehicle includes a list of unique IDs of identifiers corresponding to the work target of the second agricultural work vehicle.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of generating the above first work data is: A step of correcting the received position information based on the size of the work equipment attached to the first agricultural work vehicle, and A method for managing agricultural work, comprising a step of generating the first work data based on the corrected location information and the identifier information.

4. In paragraph 1, A step of receiving a work completion message related to a work target of the second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more work pieces from the second agricultural work vehicle; A step of generating second task data, including information about a second task path and a task target of a third agricultural work vehicle among the one or more tasks, based on the task completion message; and A method for managing agricultural work, further comprising the step of transmitting the second work data to the third agricultural work vehicle.

5. In paragraph 1, A method for managing agricultural work, wherein the above identifier is any one of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon, and a UWB (Ultra-WideBand) tag.

6. A step of receiving work data from a server, the work data including information about a work path and each of one or more work targets; A step of detecting an object using an object detection sensor while moving along the above work path; A step of scanning an identifier corresponding to the detected object using an identifier scanner; When the identifier is recognized, a step of determining whether the detected object is the task target based on the information recorded in the identifier; and A method of working on an agricultural work vehicle, comprising the step of performing a predetermined task on the detected object based on a determination that the detected object is the task target.

7. In paragraph 6, The information recorded in the above identifier includes a unique ID of the identifier corresponding to the detected object, A method of working on an agricultural work vehicle, wherein the information regarding each of the one or more work objects includes a list of unique IDs of identifiers corresponding to each of the one or more work objects.

8. In paragraph 6, A method of working for an agricultural work vehicle, further comprising the step of moving along the work path after avoiding the detected object based on a determination that the detected object is not the work target.

9. In paragraph 6, A method of working for an agricultural work vehicle, further comprising the step of moving along the work path after avoiding the detected object if the identifier is not recognized.

10. In paragraph 6, The above identifier is any one of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon, and a UWB (Ultra-WideBand) tag, A method of operation of an agricultural work vehicle, wherein the above identifier scanner is any one of an RFID reader, an NFC reader, a BLE reader and a UWB reader.

11. A step of detecting the location of each of one or more workpieces produced while performing agricultural work and installing an identifier on each of the one or more workpieces; and A method for operating an agricultural work vehicle, comprising the step of transmitting location information of each of the one or more workpieces and identifier information corresponding to an identifier installed on each of the one or more workpieces to a server.

12. In paragraph 11, A method of working on an agricultural work vehicle, wherein the identifier information includes a unique ID of an identifier installed on each of the one or more workpieces.

13. In paragraph 11, The above transmitting step is, A step of correcting the position information based on the size of the work equipment attached to the agricultural work vehicle, and A method of operating an agricultural work vehicle, comprising the step of transmitting the corrected location information to the server.

14. In the server (200), At least one processor (210); A memory (220) storing one or more commands; and Includes a communication interface (230) that performs data communication with one or more agricultural work vehicles (100), When the above one or more commands are executed by the at least one processor (210), the server (200), Receive location information and identifier information of each of one or more workpieces from the first agricultural work vehicle, Generate first work data including information about a first work path and a work target of a second agricultural work vehicle among the one or more work pieces based on location information and identifier information of each of the one or more work pieces, A server that transmits the first work data to the second agricultural work vehicle.

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