Autonomous running system

Abstract

To provide an autonomous running system which accomplishes downsizing of a remote operation terminal that gives a command relating to running to a work vehicle capable of autonomously running, and which can restart the running of the work vehicle by the remote operation terminal when the work vehicle stops.SOLUTION: A remote controller 100 includes: an emergency stop button 110 that receives an emergency stop operation; a temporary stop button 120 that receives a temporary stop operation; and a control unit that restarts the running of a tractor when, after the tractor temporary stops, a running restart operation is given which includes: a depressing operation of continuously depressing the temporary stop button 120 for equal to or longer than a first predetermined time; and a cancel operation of canceling the depressing operation to the temporary stop button 120 during a second predetermined time period subsequent to the first predetermined time period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous driving system that can perform highly safe operation and control even in a configuration in which multiple operators can operate multiple remote controls for one work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, autonomous driving systems have been developed that allow unmanned work vehicles without an operator to travel autonomously in order to efficiently and easily perform agricultural work in fields, etc. Such autonomous driving systems are usually configured so that the work vehicle can be remotely controlled by a server device installed in a residence or the like away from the work vehicle.

[0003] However, in a system with such a configuration, it is not possible to visually check the driving and working status of a work vehicle such as a tractor, making it difficult to respond in an emergency. For this reason, an autonomous driving system has been developed that uses a remote control terminal equipped with a display screen as a monitor means to operate the autonomous driving of a work vehicle while checking images captured by a camera attached to the work vehicle on the screen of a remote control terminal such as a tablet.

[0004] In addition, in order to ensure that the work vehicle can be stopped safely even if remote control becomes impossible when driving a work vehicle by such remote control, it has been proposed to provide a second remote control terminal such as a portable remote control that can control the driving operation of the work vehicle by communicating with the work vehicle (in particular, enabling operations such as emergency stops) in addition to a first remote control terminal such as a tablet that sets the driving route and controls the operation of the work vehicle by communicating with the work vehicle (see Patent Document 1).

[0005] In the autonomous driving system described in Patent Document 1, an emergency stop button, a pause button, and an automatic driving start button are provided on the remote control, and the automatic driving start button makes it possible to resume driving of a work vehicle that has been stopped in an emergency. A configuration consisting of multiple second remote control terminals such as remote controls has also been proposed, in which multiple workers working in the same field each carry a second remote control terminal, improving the monitoring system and improving safety in the field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-191522 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in conventional autonomous driving systems, a separate button for restarting driving is provided on the remote control, which causes a problem of the size of the remote control itself being large. Because autonomously driven work vehicles are operated by remote control devices and the remote control for emergency stops only plays an auxiliary role, it is desirable for the remote control to be small.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an autonomous driving system that reduces the size of a remote control terminal that issues driving instructions to an autonomously driven work vehicle, and that can cause the work vehicle to resume driving using the remote control terminal if the work vehicle stops. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The autonomous driving system according to the present invention is an autonomous driving system including a remote control terminal that issues driving-related instructions to a work vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The remote control terminal includes a switch unit that accepts a stop operation to stop the work vehicle during autonomous driving, and a control unit that resumes driving of the work vehicle when a driving restart operation is performed after the work vehicle has stopped in response to the stop operation on the switch unit, the control unit including a pressing operation to press the switch unit continuously for a first predetermined time or longer and a release operation to release the pressing operation on the switch unit for a second predetermined time following the first predetermined time.

[0010] The autonomous driving system according to the present invention is an autonomous driving system including a remote control terminal that issues driving-related instructions to a work vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The remote control terminal includes a first switch unit that accepts an emergency stop operation to bring the work vehicle to an emergency stop during autonomous driving, a second switch unit that accepts a temporary stop operation to temporarily stop the work vehicle during autonomous driving, and a control unit that resumes the driving of the work vehicle when a driving resume operation is performed in which both the first switch unit and the second switch unit are pressed for a first predetermined time after the work vehicle has stopped in response to a stop operation on the first switch unit or the second switch unit. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to miniaturize a remote control terminal that issues driving instructions to an autonomously driven work vehicle, and to realize an autonomous driving system that can cause the work vehicle to resume driving using the remote control terminal if the work vehicle stops. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a robot tractor according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot tractor. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the robot tractor. [Figure 4]FIG. 1A is a plan view of a tablet according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen on a display of the tablet. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the tablet. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the remote control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the remote control. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a work selection area on a tablet display. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a transition diagram showing a specific example 1 of a selection operation mode of a remote controller that can be operated when performing a restart operation after the tractor has been stopped. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a transition diagram showing a specific example 2 of a selection operation mode of a remote controller that can be operated when performing a restart operation after the tractor has been stopped. [Figure 11] 13(a) and 13(b) are explanatory diagrams showing an operation selection menu displayed when performing a remote control selection operation. [Figure 12] 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a tractor restart operation in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 5 is a timing chart showing the operation of a tractor restart operation in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a configuration block diagram of a tablet according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a tractor restart operation according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 10 is a timing chart showing the operation of a tractor restart operation according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First embodiment> Prior to describing a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as an RCD) according to a first embodiment of the present invention, we will first describe a robot tractor 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a "tractor"), which is an example of a work vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The tractor 1 of the present invention is equipped with a machine body 2 that autonomously travels in a farm field. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the machine body 2 is equipped with a detachable working implement 3 used for agricultural work. In addition, the machine body 2 is configured to be able to change the height and attitude of the attached working implement 3.

[0015] The working machine 3 of this embodiment is used for agricultural work. There are various types of working machine 3, such as a cultivator, a plow, a fertilizer applicator, a grass cutter, a seed sower, etc., from which a desired working machine can be selected as needed and attached to the machine body 2.

[0016] In this specification, "autonomous driving" means that the tractor 1 drives along a predetermined route, with each device and equipment equipped on the tractor 1 for driving controlled by an autonomous driving control device 51 equipped on the tractor 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0017] In the following description, an autonomous tractor is referred to as an "unmanned tractor" or "robot tractor," and a tractor that travels and works by being directly operated by an operator is referred to as a "manned tractor." When part of the farm work in a field is performed by an unmanned tractor, the remaining farm work is performed by a manned tractor.

[0018] In this embodiment, the difference between an unmanned tractor and a manned tractor is whether or not it is directly operated by an operator, and the configuration of the tractor is the same for both unmanned and manned tractors. That is, even with an unmanned tractor, an operator can board (ride) it and directly operate it (in other words, it can be used as a manned tractor). Also, even with a manned tractor, an operator can get off and have it perform autonomous driving and work (in other words, it can be used as an unmanned tractor).

[0019] The configuration of the tractor 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the body 2 of the tractor 1 has its front part supported by a pair of left and right front wheels 7, 7 and its rear part supported by a pair of left and right rear wheels 8, 8. The front wheels 7, 7 and the rear wheels 8, 8 form a running part.

[0020] A bonnet 9 is disposed at the front of the machine body 2. An engine 10, which is the drive source of the tractor 1, a fuel tank (not shown), and the like are housed within this bonnet 9. This engine 10 may be configured as, for example, a diesel engine, but is not limited to this and may be configured as, for example, a gasoline engine. Also, as the drive source, an electric motor may be used in addition to or instead of the engine.

[0021] A cabin 11 for the operator is disposed behind the bonnet 9. Inside this cabin 11, mainly provided are a steering wheel 12 for the operator to steer, a seat 13 for the operator to sit in, and various operating devices for performing various operations. However, agricultural work vehicles are not limited to those with the cabin 11, and may be ones without the cabin 11.

[0022] Although not shown in the figures, the operating devices include, for example, a monitor device, a throttle lever, a main shift lever, a lift lever, a PTO switch, a PTO shift lever, and a plurality of hydraulic shift levers, etc. These operating devices are disposed near the seat 13 or near the steering handle 12.

[0023] The monitor device is configured to be able to display various information about the tractor 1. The throttle lever sets the rotation speed of the engine 10. The main speed change lever changes the gear ratio of the transmission case 22. The lift lever raises and lowers the height of the working machine 3 attached to the machine body 2 within a predetermined range. The PTO switch switches on and off the power transmission to the PTO shaft (power take-off shaft) protruding outward from the rear end side of the transmission case 22. That is, when the PTO switch is in the ON state, power is transmitted to the PTO shaft, the PTO shaft rotates, and the working machine 3 is driven, whereas when the PTO switch is in the OFF state, the power to the PTO shaft is cut off, the PTO shaft does not rotate, and the working machine 3 stops. The PTO speed change lever changes the power input to the working machine 3, and specifically, changes the rotation speed of the PTO shaft. The hydraulic speed change lever switches the hydraulic external take-off valve.

[0024] 1, a chassis 20 that constitutes the framework of the vehicle body 2 is provided at the bottom of the vehicle body 2. The chassis 20 is made up of a vehicle body frame 21, a transmission case 22, a front axle 23, a rear axle 24, and the like.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, the tractor 1 includes an engine control device 15, a transmission control device 16, and a work implement control device 17 that are capable of communicating with each other via a vehicle bus line 18 as control units for controlling the operation (forward, backward, stopping, turning, etc.) of the machine body 2 and the operation (lifting, driving, stopping, etc.) of the work implement 3. The engine control device 15 is electrically connected to a common rail device 41 as a fuel injection device provided in the engine 10, and the transmission control device 16 is electrically connected to a transmission 42 that includes a hydraulic transmission that changes the speed of the power from the engine 10. In addition, the work implement control device 17 is electrically connected to a work implement lifting actuator 44.

[0026] Specifically, the transmission 42 is, for example, a movable swash plate type hydraulic continuously variable transmission, and is provided in the transmission case 22. The transmission 42 is controlled by the control device 4 to appropriately adjust the angle of the swash plate, so that the gear ratio of the transmission case 22 can be set to a desired gear ratio.

[0027] In addition, sensors such as a rotation speed sensor 31 that detects the rotation speed of the engine 10, a vehicle speed sensor 32 that detects the rotation speed of the rear wheels 8, and a steering angle sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel 12 are also electrically connected to the engine control device 15. The detection values ​​of these sensors are converted into detection signals and transmitted to the engine control device 15.

[0028] The tractor 1 equipped with the above-mentioned control devices 15-17 is configured to be able to perform agricultural work while traveling in a field by controlling each part of the tractor 1 (machine body 2, work implement 3, etc.) through mutual communication between the control devices 15-17 via a vehicle bus line 18 based on various operations by an operator on board the cabin 11. In addition, the tractor 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a remote control device RCD so that it can be made to travel autonomously by remote control, for example, without an operator on board.

[0029] The remote control device RCD of the present invention is composed of a single first remote control terminal 70 (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "tablet 70") and one or more (two in this embodiment) second remote control terminals 100 (hereinafter abbreviated as "remote control 100"), and can be made to travel autonomously based on a predetermined control signal output from these remote control devices RCD. In order to clearly distinguish between these two remote controls 100, they may be called a first remote control 100A and a second remote control 100B.

[0030] The first remote control terminal 70 is configured as a tablet-type personal computer. In this embodiment, a user who operates a manned tractor boards the manned tractor with the first remote control terminal 70, and for example, sets the first remote control device on an appropriate support part inside the manned tractor and operates it. Alternatively, a user different from the operator who operates the manned tractor holds the first remote control terminal 70 outside the tractor and operates the travel route generation. The user can refer to and confirm information displayed on the display 71 of the first remote control terminal 70 (for example, information from various sensors attached to the robot tractor 1). In addition, the user can operate a hardware key arranged near the display 71 and a touch panel arranged on the display 71 to transmit a control signal for controlling the tractor 1 to the control unit of the tractor 1. Here, the control signal output from the first remote control terminal to the control unit of the tractor 1 may be, but is not limited to, a signal related to the route of autonomous driving and autonomous work, a start signal, an end signal, an emergency stop signal, a temporary stop signal, and a resume signal after a temporary stop.

[0031] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, various components such as an autonomous driving control device 51 are added to enable the tractor 1 to travel autonomously. Furthermore, the tractor 1 is equipped with various components such as a positioning antenna 6 required to acquire its own (machine's) position information based on a positioning system. With this configuration, the tractor 1 is able to acquire its own position information based on the positioning system and travel autonomously on a farm field.

[0032] <Tractor 1 equipment configuration> Next, a detailed description will be given of the configuration of the tractor 1 for autonomous driving. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the tractor 1 includes a positioning antenna 6, a monitor camera 35, an obstacle sensor 36, a steering actuator 43, a wireless communication antenna unit 48, an autonomous driving control device 51, a steering control device 52, a positioning surveying device 53, a wireless communication router (low-power data communication device) 54, a remote control receiver (specified low-power wireless device) 55, a sound emission unit 57, etc.

[0033] The positioning antenna 6 receives signals from a positioning satellite constituting a positioning system such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). As shown in FIG. 1, the positioning antenna 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the roof of the cabin 11. The signal received by the positioning antenna 6 is input to a positioning surveying device 53 shown in FIG. 3, which calculates the position information of the tractor 1 as, for example, latitude and longitude information. The position information calculated by the positioning surveying device 53 is acquired by the autonomous driving control device 51 and used for controlling the tractor 1.

[0034] As will be described in more detail later, the camera 35 is installed at a predetermined position on the tractor 1 (for example, at a predetermined position that allows a 360-degree view in all directions), and monitors whether there are any people or other obstacles in the vicinity or around the tractor 1. The image data captured by the camera 35 is transmitted from the third wireless communication antenna 48c to the tablet 70 via the autonomous driving bus line 56.

[0035] Similarly, the obstacle sensor 36, which will be described in detail later, is, for example, an infrared sensor, and is installed in a predetermined position on the tractor 1 (for example, a predetermined position that can overlook the entire 360-degree circumference in all directions) in the same manner as the camera 35 in order to detect obstacles such as people in the vicinity, and is capable of monitoring whether there are people or obstacles in the vicinity and around the tractor 1. In addition, the detection result data of the obstacle sensor 36 is transmitted from the third wireless communication antenna 48c to the tablet 70 via the autonomous driving bus line 56.

[0036] The steering actuator 43 is provided, for example, in the middle of the rotation axis (steering axis) of the steering wheel 12, and adjusts the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel 12.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication antenna unit 48 is disposed on the roof top surface of the cabin 11 of the tractor 1, and is equipped with first to third wireless communication antennas 48a to 48c (see FIG. 3) that are communicatively connected to first to third wireless communication networks having different frequency bands.

[0038] 1) The first wireless communication network is constructed, for example, using a specific low-power wireless communication in the 920 MHz band, which has a high data transmission rate, in order to communicate positioning information from the reference station 60.

[0039] 2) The second wireless communication network is constructed, for example, by a low-power data communication system in the 2.4 GHz band in order to enable high-speed communication of large-volume data such as image data.

[0040] 3) The third wireless communication network has a smaller data transmission volume than the second wireless communication network, and is therefore constructed using, for example, a specific low-power radio in the 400 MHz band.

[0041] In addition, the first wireless communication antenna 48a is electrically connected to the positioning surveying device 53, the second wireless communication antenna 48b is electrically connected to the wireless communication router 54, and the third wireless communication antenna 48c is electrically connected to the remote control receiver 55.

[0042] The wireless communication router 54 connected to the second wireless communication antenna 48b communicates through the second wireless communication network with a tablet 70 capable of displaying images and operated by an operator outside the tractor 1. The wireless communication router 54 also receives a control signal from the tablet 70 and outputs it to the autonomous driving control device 51 through the autonomous driving bus line 56.

[0043] The remote control receiver 55 connected to the third wireless communication antenna 48c communicates wirelessly through the third wireless communication network with a plurality of remote controls 100 (two in this embodiment) described below, which are operated by an operator outside the tractor 1. The remote control receiver 55 is also configured to be able to receive control signals from each remote control 100, and upon receiving control signals from these remote controls, transmits them to the autonomous driving control device 51 via the autonomous driving bus line 56. Although two remote controls 100 are used in this embodiment, this number can be increased.

[0044] As will be described in more detail later, the autonomous driving control device 51 and the steering control device 52 are configured to be able to communicate with each of the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work equipment control device 17 via the vehicle bus line 18.

[0045] In addition, the autonomous driving control device 51 is capable of communicating with the positioning surveying device 53, the wireless communication router 54, and the remote control receiver 55, as well as with a sound emission unit 57 (warning means for resuming driving) that sounds a buzzer to alert those in the vicinity for a predetermined period of time prior to resuming driving after a temporary stop, via an autonomous driving bus line 56 (sometimes referred to as the "second bus line 56") in an autonomous driving communication system that is separate from the steering communication system via the vehicle bus line 18 (sometimes referred to as the "first bus line 18"), as will be described in detail later.

[0046] This autonomous driving control device 51 controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the information of the driving route generated on the tablet 70. Then, this autonomous driving control device 51 checks the position of the tractor 1 on the driving route, calculates the steering angle and driving speed of the tractor 1 taking into consideration the inclination angle information, and communicates with each of the control devices 15-17, 52 through the vehicle bus line 18. As a result, the tractor 1 can perform agricultural work using the working machine 3 while autonomously driving along the driving route. In this way, the route within the field area (driving area) on which the tractor 1 autonomously drives may be referred to as the "driving route" in the following description. In addition, the area (working area) in the field area (driving area) that is the subject of agricultural work by the working machine 3 of the tractor 1 is determined as an area excluding the headland and the margin from the entire field area, and is set based on these registration points and the overall length and working width of the body of the tractor 1 when the operator or the like performs the registration work of the registration points described later.

[0047] The steering control device 52 communicates with each of the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work implement control device 17 via the first bus line 18, thereby enabling steering according to the vehicle speed of the tractor 1.

[0048] The positioning surveying device 53 is electrically connected to the first wireless communication antenna 48a in the wireless communication antenna unit 48, and communicates with a reference station (portable reference station) 60 (described later) through a first wireless communication network (for example, a wireless communication network in the 920 MHz band) using a specific low-power radio. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication antenna unit 48 is disposed on the upper surface of the roof of the cabin 11. The positioning surveying device 53 communicates with the reference station 60 in a position close to the field via the first wireless communication antenna 48a, corrects the satellite positioning information of the tractor 1 (mobile station) using correction information from the reference station 60, and obtains the current position of the tractor 1. For example, various positioning methods such as DGPS (differential GPS positioning) and RTK positioning (real-time kinematic positioning) can be applied.

[0049] In this embodiment, for example, RTK positioning is applied, and in addition to being equipped with a positioning antenna 6 on the tractor 1 which is the mobile station side, a reference station 60 equipped with a reference station positioning antenna 61 is also provided. The reference station 60 is disposed at a position (reference point) which does not interfere with the travel of the tractor 1, for example, around a farm field. Position information of the reference point where the reference station 60 is to be installed is set in advance. The reference station 60 is provided with a reference station communication device 62 which is capable of communicating via a first wireless communication network established between the positioning surveying device 53 of the tractor 1 and a communication device by the first wireless communication antenna 48a.

[0050] In RTK positioning, the carrier phase (satellite positioning information) from a positioning satellite 63 is measured by both a reference station 60 installed at a reference point and the positioning antenna 6 of the tractor 1, which is the mobile station side of the target for which position information is sought. The reference station 60 generates correction information including the measured satellite positioning information and the position information of the reference point, etc., every time it measures satellite positioning information from the positioning satellite 63 or every time a set period elapses, and transmits the correction information from the reference station communication device 62 to the first wireless communication antenna 48a of the tractor 1. The positioning survey device 53 of the tractor 1 (corresponding to a mobile station) corrects the satellite positioning information measured by the positioning antenna 6 using the correction information transmitted from the reference station 60, and obtains the current position information (e.g., latitude information and longitude information) of the tractor 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, a highly accurate satellite positioning system using the GNSS-RTK method is used, but this is not limited to this, and other positioning systems may be used as long as they can obtain highly accurate position coordinates. GNSS-RTK is a positioning method that improves accuracy by correcting information based on information from a reference station whose position is known, and there are several methods that differ in the method of distributing information from the reference station. Since the present invention does not depend on the GNSS-RTK method, details will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0052] Furthermore, the positioning survey device 53 is capable of measuring not only the position information of the tractor 1 (machine body 2) by satellite positioning, but also the front, rear, left and right tilt angle information by inertial surveying. The tilt angle information measured by the positioning survey device 53 is acquired by the autonomous driving control device 51 in a state where it is associated with the position information (latitude and longitude information) and is used for controlling the tractor 1. The positioning survey device 53 is also capable of measuring the height position of the positioning antenna 6 relative to the field scene, and thus the vehicle height of the tractor 1 (machine body 2).

[0053] The sound emitting unit 57 informs workers and the like around the tractor 1 that a travel restart signal has been output to the tractor 1, thereby informing them that the tractor 1 will soon resume autonomous travel and warning them to evacuate from the field for safety. The sound emitting unit 57 in this embodiment is configured as a buzzer provided on the tractor 1, and is activated for a predetermined time in synchronization with the tractor 1 receiving the travel restart signal output from (only) the remote control 100 that performed the restart operation when the operator of the remote control 100 that was temporarily stopped performs a restart operation. That is, the sound emitting unit 57 is configured to emit a loud buzzer sound (warning sound) that can be heard at least by the workers (within a radius of about 500 m) who monitor and operate the remote control 100 around the tractor 1.

[0054] <Autonomous driving control device 51> 3, the autonomous driving control device 51 stops fuel injection in the common rail device 41 through communication with the engine control device 15 based on the operator's operation of an emergency stop button 110 on a remote control 100 described later, and also places the transmission 42 in a neutral state through communication with the transmission control device 16, and causes a braking operation to be performed by the brake device 26 described later. At this time, the autonomous driving control device 51 may also control the steering actuator 43 through communication with the steering control device 52 to place the handlebars 12 in a neutral position, and orient the left and right front wheels 7, 7 in a straight-ahead direction.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 3, the autonomous driving control device 51 checks, via the second bus line 56, the communication status with the reference station 60 in the positioning surveying device 53 (communication status in the "first communication network"), the communication status with the tablet 70 in the wireless communication router 54 (communication status in the "second communication network"), and the communication status with the remote control 100 via the remote control receiver 55 (communication status in the "third communication network").

[0056] Furthermore, when the autonomous driving control device 51 confirms that the communication state in any of the first to third communication networks has been cut off, it emergency stops the autonomous driving of the tractor 1 by communicating with the engine control device 15 and the transmission control device 16. Note that when the positioning survey device 53, the wireless communication router 54, and the remote control receiver 55 do not receive a signal from a communication partner for a predetermined period of time or longer, they each determine that communication with the communication partner has been cut off.

[0057] Furthermore, the tractor 1 is provided with a pair of left and right brake devices 26 that apply brakes to the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by two systems: operation of a brake pedal or a parking brake lever, and automatic control. In other words, both the left and right brake devices 26 are configured to apply brakes to both the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by operating the brake pedal (or the parking brake lever) in the braking direction. Also, when the rotation angle of the handlebars 12 reaches or exceeds a predetermined angle, the brake device 26 is configured to automatically perform a braking operation on the rear wheel 8 on the inside of the turn in response to a command from the transmission control device 16 (so-called auto brake).

[0058] As described above, the tractor 1 is equipped with a camera 35 for capturing images in front, on the sides, and behind, as shown in Fig. 3. Also, as described above, the tractor 1 is equipped with an obstacle sensor 36 for detecting whether or not there are obstacles in front, on the sides, and behind. The obstacle sensor 36 is composed of a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc., and recognizes obstacles present in front, on the sides, and behind the tractor 1 and generates a detection signal.

[0059] The camera 35 and the obstacle sensor 36 are configured to be capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication router 54, and are configured to transmit an obstacle detection signal and an image signal to the autonomous driving control device 51 via the wireless communication router 54 and the autonomous driving bus line 56. The wireless communication router 54 then transmits an image signal from the camera 35 to the tablet 70 via the second wireless communication network, thereby allowing the tablet 70 to display an image of the periphery of the tractor 1. The camera 35 and the obstacle sensor 36 may be connected to the autonomous driving control device 51 by wire via the second bus line 56.

[0060] 1, the reference station 60 includes a reference station positioning antenna 61 that receives signals from a positioning satellite 63, a wireless communication antenna 64 that wirelessly communicates with the autonomously traveling tractor (work vehicle) 1, and a reference station communication device 62 that is electrically connected to the reference station positioning antenna 61 and the wireless communication antenna 64. The reference station 60 is installed at a reference point for identifying the position of the tractor (work vehicle) 1 that serves as a mobile station. The reference station 60 is configured to be disassembled into multiple components, and each of the disassembled components is configured to be of a size that can be carried by the tractor 1.

[0061] The reference station 60, which is installed at a reference point by assembling each of the disassembled components of the reference station 60, transmits a signal received from a positioning satellite 63 by a reference station positioning antenna 61 to a reference station communication device 62. The reference station communication device 62 also generates correction information including the measured satellite positioning information and the position information of the reference point. The reference station 60 then transmits the correction information generated by the reference station communication device 62 from a reference station wireless communication antenna 64 that is communicatively connected to a first wireless communication network (capable of communicating with the first wireless communication antenna 48a of the tractor 1 shown in FIG. 3).

[0062] In this embodiment, the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped when a temporary stop signal is output by the tablet 70 or the remote control 100, when the tractor 1 is stopped because the obstacle sensor 36 detects an obstacle, when the communication connection between the tablet 70 or the remote control 100 and the tractor 1 is cut off during automatic traveling of the tractor 1, etc. An emergency stop of the tractor 1 is stopped when an emergency stop signal is output by the tablet 70 or the remote control 100, etc.

[0063] <Tablet 70 (first remote control terminal 70)> The first remote control terminal 70 of this embodiment is configured as a tablet-type personal computer equipped with a touch panel, and as shown in Figures 4(a) and 5, is equipped with a liquid crystal display unit 71 (sometimes referred to as a "display 71"), a display control unit 72, a touch panel type operation unit 73, a memory unit 74, a transmission / reception unit 75, and a control unit 76 that controls these.

[0064] In addition, the tablet 70 of this embodiment may have the same functions as the alarm unit 130 installed in the remote control 100 described below, but in this embodiment, since the tractor 1 and the surrounding conditions can be constantly monitored on the screen of the display screen 71 of the tablet 70 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "liquid crystal display unit 71" or "display 71"), and since any abnormality or problem with the tractor 1 in particular is displayed as a pop-up on the screen of the display 71 of the tablet 70, the tablet 70 does not have the same functions as the alarm unit 130 of the remote control 100.

[0065] The input of the liquid crystal display unit 71 is connected to the output of the control unit 76, and is adapted to take in images captured by the camera 35 mounted on the tractor 1 and display them on the liquid crystal display screen.

[0066] The display control unit 72 has an input connected to the output of the control unit 76 and an output connected to the input of the liquid crystal display unit 71, and is configured to control the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 71, etc., by operating the operation unit 73, which will be described next.

[0067] In particular, the display control unit 72 of this embodiment can select a remote control device that can execute the traveling restart operation of the tractor 1 by using either the tablet 70 or one or more (two in this embodiment) second remote control terminals. That is, when the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped, a terminal that can resume traveling (hereinafter, this may be referred to as a "traveling restart capable terminal") can be selected from among the multiple remote control devices. Furthermore, this display control unit 72 is configured to be able to display, in a work selection screen WSA (see FIG. 8) described later at the bottom of the screen of the display 71, the first remote control terminal and one or more second remote control terminals as a traveling restart capable terminal that can perform the traveling restart operation in a selectable manner. In the initial state, only the first remote control terminal is displayed on the display 71, and the second remote control terminal (100) is configured to be displayed after communication with the tractor 1 is established.

[0068] In addition, as described below with reference to Figures 9 and 10, the display control unit 72 is configured to be able to change the display mode of the remote control 100, which is the remote control capable terminal, on the display 71 of the tablet 70 when the communication connection between the tractor 1 and the second remote control terminal (remote control 100) is cut off.

[0069] In addition, when the communication connection between one of the two remote controls 100 selected as the terminal capable of resuming driving and the tractor 1 is lost and the communication connection with the tractor 1 is restored, the display control unit 72 is configured to store that the remote control 100 that was selected until just before the communication connection was lost was the terminal capable of resuming driving.

[0070] In addition, the display control unit 72 of this tablet 70 is configured to display a disclaimer screen that enables the remote control 100 to control the tractor 1 to resume traveling when at least one of the two remote controls 100 is selected as a terminal capable of resuming traveling.

[0071] The display 71 also includes a touch panel that can be operated by the user, and the travel of the tractor 1 can be controlled by touching items displayed on the display 71. Furthermore, when the tractor 1 is working, the display 71 displays a work status confirmation screen. On the work status confirmation screen, the generated travel route and the tractor 1 are displayed in the center of the screen, an emergency stop icon is displayed on the upper right side of the screen, and a pause icon is displayed on the upper left side of the screen. In addition, on the right side of the screen, an item is provided that transitions to a screen where detailed work information can be confirmed, and by touching the item, a "work information setting mode" can be displayed in which the remaining battery level of the remote control 100, etc. can be confirmed.

[0072] The memory unit 74 is composed of, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores data regarding the driving route of the tractor 1 in the field area (driving area), data of the remote control 100 registered by pairing, etc., and is connected to the control unit 76.

[0073] In this way, the display 71 of the tablet 70 can display a work status confirmation screen. In addition, on the work status confirmation screen, an emergency stop button image 71A (see FIG. 4(a)) is displayed in the upper right part of the screen as an icon for emergency stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1. Similarly, a pause button image 71B (see FIG. 4(a)) is displayed in the upper left part of the display 71, slightly smaller than the emergency stop button image 71A, as an icon for starting or stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1. In this way, the emergency stop button image 71A is displayed in the upper right part of the display 71 where it is easy to see, so that the operator can easily recognize the position of the emergency stop button image 71A when he or she wants to make an emergency stop of the tractor 1, and thus delays in the emergency stop operation and erroneous operations can be suppressed.

[0074] In addition, in the tablet 70 of this embodiment, taking into consideration that most people are generally right-handed, and that it would be customary and familiar to operate the emergency stop button and the like with the right hand, which is the dominant hand, while holding the tablet 70 with the left hand, the tablet 70 is configured to display the emergency stop button image 71A in the upper right part of the display 71. However, in consideration of use by left-handed operators as well, the configuration in which the emergency stop button image 71A is displayed / formed in the upper left part of the display 71 can be switched.

[0075] Furthermore, in the display 71 of this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(b), a "work information setting mode" can be displayed on the screen, and a terminal capable of resuming traveling can be set. On the work status confirmation screen, by touching an item that transitions to a screen where the work information can be confirmed in detail, the screen can be switched to the screen set in the work information setting mode. In addition, in the lower part of the screen in the work information setting mode, in an area where the remote control terminal can be selected and switched (hereinafter, this is called the "selection area WSA" (see FIG. 8)), a plurality of icons (three types in this embodiment) that are targets for selecting a remote control device capable of resuming traveling of the tractor 1 that is temporarily stopped, that is, a tablet image T indicated by "Tablet", a first remote control image RA indicated by "First remote", and a second remote control image RB indicated by "Second remote" are displayed.

[0076] Furthermore, on the work information setting mode screen, when a rectangular display image is displayed with a border around the entire periphery of each image, for example, this indicates that the icon is operable (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "selected"), that is, that it is a "terminal capable of resume operation."

[0077] For example, in the case of FIG. 4(b), the tablet image T and the first remote control image RA are displayed as icons for selecting a terminal capable of performing the traveling restart operation. On the other hand, although the second remote control image RB has been registered, a communication connection with the tractor 1 has not been established. Therefore, only the tablet image T and the first remote control image RA can be selected as remote control devices capable of performing the restart operation at present. Furthermore, particularly in the case of FIG. 4(b), since an image F is displayed surrounding the tablet image T of the tablet 70, this tablet image T is the terminal capable of performing the restart operation.

[0078] 4(b), by touching the first remote control image RA with a finger, an F is displayed surrounding the first remote control image RA. In other words, the restartable terminal is changed from the tablet 70 to the first remote control.

[0079] The tablet 70 of this embodiment configured as described above allows the operator to perform various operations while visually checking information (e.g., farm field information necessary for autonomous driving) displayed on the touch panel of the tablet 70. The operator can also operate the tablet 70 to transmit various control signals for controlling the tractor 1 to the autonomous driving control device 51 of the tractor 1.

[0080] The first remote control terminal 70 of this embodiment is not limited to such a tablet type personal computer, and instead, for example, it can be configured as a notebook type personal computer. Alternatively, when a manned tractor (not shown) is caused to travel accompanying the unmanned tractor 1, a monitor device mounted on the manned tractor can be the first remote control device.

[0081] <Remote Control 100> As shown in Fig. 6, the remote control 100 has a first switch section 110 (hereinafter referred to as "emergency stop button 110"), a second switch section 120 (hereinafter referred to as "pause button 120"), and an alarm section 130 provided in a remote control body 101. Among these, the alarm section 130 includes a light emitting section 130a that emits an LED lamp in a plurality of light emitting modes, and a sound output section 130b that emits sound in a plurality of sound modes. Note that the second remote control terminal 100 of this embodiment is composed of two remote controls, and in order to clearly distinguish between them, as described above, they may be referred to as a first remote control 100A and a second remote control 100B.

[0082] In addition, this remote control 100 is carried by each of multiple operators (two in this embodiment) who monitor the tractor 1 in a location within an area where they can visually check the tractor 1 near the field where work is being done and can hear the buzzer sound from the sound emission unit 57 of the tractor 1, and each operator can usually remotely operate the tractor 1 via wireless communication as necessary.

[0083] Here, the relationship between the tractor 1 and the remote control 100 will be described. When an external device such as the service tool 45 or tablet 70 requests pairing with the remote control 100 in the tractor 1, the remote control receiver 55 transitions to a pairing mode in which the remote control receiver 55 authenticates the remote control 100. When the remote control receiver 55 transitions to the pairing mode and receives a signal from the remote control 100, it stores the remote control ID (identification information) of the remote control 100 and then transmits the stored remote control ID to the remote control 100, thereby establishing pairing.

[0084] A service tool 45 capable of setting various functions in the tractor 1 is wired to the vehicle bus line 18 of the tractor 1, and when a service technician operates the service tool 45, authentication processing (pairing) of the remote control 100 is performed by the remote control receiver 55. The remote control receiver 55 in the tractor 1 can authenticate multiple remote controls 100 (two in this embodiment), and stores the remote control ID of each stop remote control 100 in association with the corresponding remote control number.

[0085] When the service tool 45 is operated to select the remote control number to be authenticated and to instruct pairing registration, the remote control number to be registered is notified to the remote control receiver 55 via the autonomous driving control device 51. When the remote control receiver 55 receives the instruction to register pairing, it recognizes the remote control number to be registered in pairing, and transitions to a pairing mode in which it can receive signals from the remote control 100.

[0086] When the remote control 100 receives an operation on the emergency stop button 110 or the pause button 120, the remote control 100 reads out a remote control ID, which is identification information assigned to each remote control 100, from the storage unit 140 and transmits the remote control ID to the remote control receiver 55 via the transmission / reception unit 75. In the following description, it is assumed that the remote control ID is transmitted to the remote control receiver 55 based on the operation on the emergency stop button 110. When the remote control receiver 55 receives the remote control ID of the remote control 100, it stores the received remote control ID in association with the remote control number. The remote control receiver 55 also stores a communication device ID, which is identification information assigned to the remote control receiver 55 for each tractor 1. The remote control receiver 55 generates a response signal by combining the received remote control ID with the receiver ID, and transmits the response signal to the remote control 100 via the third wireless communication antenna 48c.

[0087] When the remote control 100 receives a response signal from the remote control receiver 55, it confirms that the remote control ID confirmed from the response signal matches the remote control ID of its own device, and thereby recognizes that pairing has been established. The remote control 100 then extracts the receiver ID from the response signal and stores the receiver ID in the memory unit 140, thereby identifying the remote control receiver 55 and the tractor 1 with which pairing has been established. Furthermore, when the remote control 100 accepts an operation on the emergency stop button 110, it lights up the light-emitting unit 130a in a third color (yellow) to notify that it is in pairing mode. After that, when pairing with the remote control receiver 55 is established, the remote control 100 issues a notification from the notification unit 130 to notify that pairing has been established.

[0088] In the case of the service tool 45, pairing registration is performed via a wired connection, whereas in the case of the tablet 70, pairing registration is performed via a wireless connection.

[0089] 7, the remote control 100 of this embodiment includes the emergency stop button 110, the pause button 120, the light emitting section 130a and the audio output section 130b constituting the notification section 130, as well as a memory section 140, a remote control transmitting / receiving section 150, a control section 160, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a resume button is provided as a temporary means to be used when the resume operation cannot be performed using the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120, but this resume button is not essential.

[0090] The emergency stop button 110 is for emergency stopping the tractor 1 while it is moving to ensure safety when an emergency occurs, such as when a person enters a field while the tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, is moving, and is formed in the largest shape of the buttons installed on the surface of the remote control body 101 so as to be easily noticeable when operated, and is installed with the word "STOP" written on the upper side of the remote control body 101. The output of this emergency stop button 110 is connected to the input of the control unit 160, and by pressing this emergency stop button 110, an emergency stop signal is sent via the control unit 160 to the autonomous driving control device 51 on the tractor 1 side, so that the tractor 1 is brought to an emergency stop.

[0091] The pause button 120 is for stopping the tractor 1 while it is moving, for example, when a specific task on the tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, is to be completed or temporarily interrupted (i.e., when taking a normal work break with low urgency). The pause button 120 in this embodiment has a shape that is slightly smaller than the emergency stop button 110, and is indicated by a stop symbol consisting of two wide vertical bars arranged closely together, approximately at the center of the remote control main body 101. The output of this pause button 120 is connected to the input of the control unit 160, and by pressing this pause button 120, a pause signal is sent to the autonomous driving control device 51 on the tractor 1 side via the control unit 160, and the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped.

[0092] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, although details will be described later in the section on operation, it is configured so that traveling can be resumed by performing a specific operation using the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120. That is, the traveling of the stopped tractor 1 can be resumed by pressing the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120 almost simultaneously and releasing the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button within a specific time. In another aspect, when the tractor 1 is in a temporarily stopped state, the traveling of the stopped tractor 1 can also be resumed by pressing the pause button 120 for a specific time or more and releasing it within the specific time.

[0093] In this embodiment, the tablet 70 can select either the tablet 70 or a single or multiple remote controls 100 as a terminal capable of resuming traveling. However, if multiple remote controls 100 are provided, the system may be configured so that only one remote control that has temporarily stopped traveling of the tractor 1 can perform the resume operation. The autonomous traveling control device 51 of the tractor 1 stores the remote controls 100 in an identifiable manner at the time of pairing registration. Therefore, the system is configured to be able to determine which remote control 100 has output a resume operation signal to the tractor 1.

[0094] Furthermore, in the present invention including this embodiment, if an abnormality is detected by the obstacle sensor 36 provided on the tractor 1, the tractor 1 is configured not to accept a travel resume signal from the tablet 70 and the remote control 100. Therefore, if an abnormality is detected in the obstacle sensor 36, the tractor 1 is configured not to resume traveling even if a travel resume signal is output from the tablet 70 and the remote control 100 to the control unit 160. Abnormalities caused by the obstacle sensor 36 include both cases where the obstacle sensor 36 detects an obstacle and cases where the obstacle sensor 36 is not operating normally.

[0095] The light emitting unit 130a and the audio output unit 130b are configured to enable confirmation of the vehicle status of the tractor 1 in an automatic driving state by the light emitting manner and audio manner. The light emitting unit 130a functions as a means for remotely confirming the current surrounding environment of the tractor 1 in an automatic driving state. For example, it is configured with an LED (light emitting diode) that emits light in the following three types of manners. When the light is green, tractor 1 is in automatic driving mode. - Yellow light indicates that Tractor 1 is in a pause state. When the light turns red, tractor 1 is in an emergency stop state. The remote control 100 is configured to inform the operator of the remote control 100 of the above. If the communication connection between the remote control 100 and the tractor 1 is interrupted, the light emitting unit 130a emits green light and the audio output unit 130b outputs a buzzer sound for a predetermined period of time. If the communication between the tractor 1 and the remote control 100 is interrupted, the automatic driving mode of the tractor 1 is cancelled, and if the communication connection with the tractor 1 is not restored, the power of the remote control 100 is turned off.

[0096] On the other hand, the audio output unit 130b, like the light emitting unit 130a, functions as a means for remotely checking the vehicle status of the tractor 1 in the automatic driving state. For example, it is configured to be able to check in the following audio manner. When tractor 1 stops temporarily, a buzzer sound is output for a few seconds (for example, 1 second). When the tractor 1 makes an emergency stop (this corresponds to a case where communication between the tractor 1 and the remote control 100 is interrupted), a buzzer sound is output intermittently for a predetermined period (for example, 10 seconds); These are respectively notified to the operator of the remote control 100. Note that the present invention is not limited to such light emission and sound modes.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, when the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped, the light emitting unit 130a of the remote control 100 flashes yellow. In such a case, in a situation where the operator of the remote control 100 is too far away to visually check the tractor 1, the state of the tractor 1 cannot be confirmed. For this reason, when the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped, the state of the tractor 1 can be confirmed by the notification unit 130 by operating the remote control 100. Specifically, by operating the pause button 120 of the remote control 100, it can be confirmed by the light emitting unit 130a and the audio output unit 130b whether the tractor 1 can resume traveling. For example, when the tractor 1 is in a state where the resume operation is not possible, the light emitting unit 130a lights up in red (first color) and the audio output unit 130b outputs a buzzer sound (first sound). Also, when the tractor 1 is in a state where the resume operation is possible, the light emitting unit 130a lights up in green (second color) and the audio output unit 130b outputs a buzzer sound (second sound). The first sound and the second sound may be different sounds or may be the same sound. In the present invention, as described above, the restart operation can be performed only with the remote control 100 that performed the temporary stop (the one that was last stopped). In the above-mentioned other embodiment, even if only the remote control 100 that performed the temporary stop operation is allowed to resume traveling, the current status of the tractor 1 can be confirmed with the remote control 100 other than the remote control 100 that performed the temporary stop operation.

[0098] The memory unit 140 is used to store the remote control ID to be sent to the tractor 1 when the tractor 1 is registered by pairing, and is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and is connected to the control unit 160.

[0099] The remote control transmitter / receiver unit 150 outputs to the tractor 1 via the control unit 160 an emergency stop signal generated when the emergency stop button 110 is operated, a pause signal generated when the pause button 120 is operated, a resume control signal generated by approximately simultaneous operation of the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120, and an auxiliary resume signal generated when an auxiliary resume button (not shown) is operated, and also receives various signals transmitted from the tractor 1 and outputs them to the control unit 160.

[0100] The restart button is an operation button for restarting the tractor 1 that has been temporarily stopped, but is not normally used. For example, the restart control signal that would normally be generated by the simultaneous operation of the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120 is not generated, and the restart button can be used or operated when either of these buttons is broken or abnormal, and the output of the restart button is connected to the input of the control unit 160. Note that the restart button of this embodiment is not normally used, so it is provided in a location that is not normally visible. For example, it is provided inconspicuously with a small right-pointing triangular symbol written on it at the bottom near a logo mark indicating a company name (not shown).

[0101] <Screen transition operation> Next, a screen transition operation on the tablet 70, which is the first remote control terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. 8, etc.

[0102] After the tablet 70 has instructed the tractor 1 to run automatically, the control unit 76 shown in Fig. 5 forms patterns that become icons so that the tablet 70, which is the first remote control terminal, and the first remote control 100A and second remote control 100B, which are the second remote control terminals, can be appropriately selected and displayed in the work selection area WSA displayed at the bottom of the work information setting mode screen shown in Fig. 8. These will be referred to as "tablet icon T", "first remote icon RA", and "second remote icon RB", respectively, hereinafter.

[0103] In the screen shown in FIG. 8, the tablet icon T and the first remote icon RA are displayed with solid lines. That is, only the tablet 70 and the first remote control 100A are registered with the tractor 1 by pairing and a communication connection is established, and they are displayed as selectable terminals that can resume traveling. This state is called an "active icon." On the other hand, the second remote icon RB representing the second remote control 100B is registered with the tractor 1, but is displayed with dashed lines because the communication connection has been interrupted. This display state is called an "inactive icon."

[0104] In the case of FIG. 8, a thin image (hereinafter, referred to as fringe F) is displayed so that it surrounds the outside of the tablet icon T. That is, the tablet icon T is displayed as a terminal that enables the tablet 70 to operate the tractor 1 to resume traveling. This state is referred to as a "startup icon." Also, by touching an icon displayed as an "active icon," it can be made into an "startup icon." Note that in the initial state, that is, before the tractor 1 starts traveling autonomously, registration by pairing with the remote control 100 has not been performed, and therefore the only startup icon and active icon is the tablet icon T.

[0105] In addition, in order to prevent interference between different operations, which will be described later, only one startup icon is selectively displayed in the work selection area WSA, and it is configured so that two startup icons cannot be generated at the same time. If safety is ensured, it may be possible to resume driving using two or more remote control devices.

[0106] Furthermore, even if the remote control 100 is registered with the tractor 1 by pairing and the first remote icon RA and the second remote icon RB are displayed as active icons on the display of the tablet 70, the tablet icon T is displayed as a startup icon from the viewpoint of safety. In this case, when either the first remote icon RA or the second remote icon RB is selected as the startup icon, a disclaimer is displayed requesting confirmation of safety as shown in Figs. 11(a) and (b).

[0107] Here, the occurrence of the above-mentioned interference between different operations will be explained. In a conventional autonomous driving system, a system has been proposed in which a plurality of second remote control terminals such as remote controls are configured, and a plurality of workers working in the same field each carry a second remote control terminal, improving the monitoring system and improving safety in the field.

[0108] In the autonomous driving system, since an emergency stop can be performed by multiple remote controls, safety is improved, but there is a risk that different operations are performed simultaneously by multiple remote controls (hereinafter, this is referred to as "different operation interference"). In that case, there is a risk that unintended autonomous driving is performed due to different operation interference. In addition, if the work vehicle is temporarily stopped by one of the remote control terminals when a person enters a field where the work vehicle is working, it is possible that an operator of a remote control terminal such as a remote control other than the operator who performed the temporary stop may mistakenly resume the travel of the work vehicle without checking for safety. In contrast, according to the automatic driving system of this embodiment, when one work vehicle is operated by multiple remote control terminals, it is possible to realize a highly safe autonomous driving system that can avoid the occurrence of a situation in which the remote control terminals perform different operations (different operation interference) between them.

[0109] <Switching and displaying transition states: Example 1> Next, the switching operation of these three types of icons will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. In order to explain the specific transition operation, the drawings are labeled to identify each stage ST, and each stage shows the display content in the current work selection area WSA. In the specific example 1, only the first remote control 100A has been registered by pairing with the tractor 1.

[0110] 9, the remote control terminal capable of restarting the tractor 1 in the initial state, that is, the startup icon, is the tablet icon T (first stage ST1a). In this state, the communication connection between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1 is cut off.

[0111] Here, for example, when the communication connection between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1 is restored, the first remote icon RA is displayed as an active icon (second stage ST1b).

[0112] Furthermore, when the first remote icon RA, which has become the active icon, is touched, the display (pattern) of the fringe F part of the tablet icon T, which was the startup icon until then, disappears, and at the same time, the fringe F pattern is generated and displayed around the active icon RA (third stage ST1c). As a result, the first remote icon RA switches to the startup icon and functions.

[0113] When the display state transitions to the third stage ST1c, a screen with a disclaimer requesting a safety confirmation is displayed as shown in Fig. 11(a) and (b). First, the screen in Fig. 11(a) is displayed, and when the icon Y1 displaying "Yes" is touched, the screen switches to the screen in Fig. 11(b), where a screen with a disclaimer requesting a safety confirmation is displayed again, and when the icon Y2 displaying "Yes" is touched, the display transitions to the next third stage ST1c. When either the "No" icon N1 or the "No" icon N2 displayed in Fig. 11(a) and (b) is touched, the display does not transition to the third stage STc, but returns to the original display of the second stage ST1b.

[0114] Furthermore, when the first remote icon RA is the start icon as in the third stage ST1c, if the communication state between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1 is interrupted, only the display of the inner area disappears, and the display becomes as in the fourth stage ST1d. Note that if the communication connection between the tractor 1 and the first remote control 100A or the tablet 70 is interrupted, the automatic driving of the tractor 1 is stopped for safety reasons.

[0115] Then, when the communication state is restored, the display state returns to the same as the third stage ST1c (fifth stage ST1e). In other words, even if the communication state is interrupted, when the communication is restored, the autonomous driving control device 51 stores the state immediately before the communication state is interrupted, and therefore returns to the immediately preceding setting state.

[0116] Furthermore, when the tractor 1 starts automatic traveling, the tractor 1 requests the tablet 70 to transfer the route path. This allows the tablet 70 to periodically transfer the route path to the tractor 1, enabling automatic traveling to continue. Note that, when automatic traveling continues, it is possible to maintain the start icon selected (sixth stage ST1f).

[0117] On the other hand, if the engine power is turned off, the screen transitions to the initial setting screen (seventh stage ST1g).

[0118] <Switching and displaying other transition states: Example 2> Next, another transition mode will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Also, in concrete example 2, unlike concrete example 1, not only the first remote control 100A but also the second remote control 100B are registered by pairing with the tractor 1. In Fig. 10, the tablet icon T is displayed as an activation icon, and the first remote icon RA and the second remote icon RB are displayed as inactive icons (first stage ST2a).

[0119] In the first stage ST2a, when the communication connection between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1 is restored, the first remote icon RA is displayed in solid lines and transitions to the state of an active icon (second stage ST2b).

[0120] Furthermore, in the second stage ST2b, when the communication connection between the second remote control 100B and the tractor 1 is restored, the second remote icon RB is displayed in solid lines and transitions to the state of the active icon (third stage ST2c).

[0121] Furthermore, when the first remote icon RA of the first remote icon RA and the second remote icon RB, which are the active icons, is touched, the tablet icon T is displayed as the startup icon in the initial state, but the first remote icon RA is displayed as the startup icon (fourth stage ST2d). Note that, in order to transition to this fourth stage ST2d, as explained in the specific example 1, when the display of Fig. 11(a) and (b) is switched, if "Yes" Y1, Y2 is not selected, the transition to the fourth stage ST2d does not occur.

[0122] Next, in this fourth stage ST2d, if a communication interruption occurs between the second remote control 100B and the tractor 1 or the tablet 70, the display of the second remote icon RB, which was an active icon, is erased and becomes an inactive icon, so it can be confirmed that communication with the second remote control 100B has been interrupted (fourth stage ST2d').

[0123] On the other hand, in the fourth stage ST2d, when communication is interrupted between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1, the internal display of the first remote icon RA, which was the startup icon, is erased, making it possible to confirm that communication with the first remote control 100A has been interrupted (fifth stage ST2e).

[0124] Then, when the communication state is restored thereafter, the display state returns to the same state as the fourth stage ST2d (sixth stage ST2f).

[0125] In the state of the first stage ST2a, that is, when only the tablet 70 is communicatively connected to the tractor 1 and the communication connections between the first remote control 100A and the second remote control 100B and the tractor 1 are interrupted, if the communication connection between the second remote control 100B and the tractor 1 is restored, for example, the second remote icon RB is displayed in a solid line and transitions to the state of an active icon (second stage ST2b').

[0126] Here, when the communication connection between the first remote control 100A and the tractor 1 is restored, the first remote icon RA is also displayed in solid line and transitions to the state of an active icon. This makes it possible to select the terminal that can resume traveling not only by the second remote control 100B but also by the first remote control 100A.

[0127] <Operation, Function, etc.> Next, the operation (function) of the tablet 70 and the remote control 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 13 (particularly the flow chart of FIG. 12 and the timing chart of FIG. 13).

[0128] In the autonomous driving system of this embodiment, as described above, one tablet 70 and two remote controls 100A and 100B are used to remotely control the tractor 1. However, as described in the above-mentioned specific example 1 and specific example 2, these two remote controls are configured so that when the remote control 100 is communicatively connected to the tractor 1, the tablet 70 can select either remote control 100 as a traveling restartable terminal. Therefore, here, the setting state of the sixth stage ST2f in the previous specific example 2 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed, and it is assumed that the first remote control 100A is the traveling restartable terminal.

[0129] In addition, in this embodiment, the autonomous driving control device 51 of the tractor 1 stores the remote control 100 in an identifiable manner at the time of pairing registration. Therefore, it is configured to be able to determine which remote control 100 has output a resume operation signal to the tractor 1. This allows a unique fail-safe system to function separately from the tablet 70 side, and it is also possible to configure it so that only the remote control that last performed the pause operation (the remote control that performed the final stop operation) can resume. Therefore, even if one of the remote controls is not selected as the drive remote control on the tablet 70 side, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the two remote controls 100A and 100B simultaneously perform different operations, causing different operation interference and making the tractor uncontrollable.

[0130] The one tablet 70 and the two remote controls 100 are each configured to communicate with the tractor 1 via a wireless communication network with a different communication method. As described above, the tablet 70 is provided with a display 71 that can be operated with a touch panel. Meanwhile, each remote control 100 is provided with a pause button 120 for temporarily stopping the autonomous driving of the tractor 1, an emergency stop button 110 for urgently stopping the autonomous driving of the tractor 1 in the event of an emergency, and a notification unit 130 (light emitting unit 130a and audio output unit 130b) that is a means for allowing the remote control operator to confirm the current driving state of the tractor 1 after temporary stopping or emergency stopping.

[0131] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the stopped tractor 1 can be operated to resume traveling by the procedure described below. In this case, one remote control terminal is designated by the above-mentioned method so that the three types of remote control terminals, the tablet 70 and the two remote controls 100, do not issue different instructions to the tractor 1 (so as to prevent interference between different operations). Here, it is assumed that the first remote control 100A is set as a terminal capable of remote control.

[0132] In this embodiment, the procedure when an obstacle is detected is omitted in detail and is simply described, since it deviates from the scope of the present invention. That is, if an obstacle is detected, the obstacle is detected at the timing shown in FIG. 13, that is, at time t1, and the tablet 70 is notified of an abnormality at time t2 immediately thereafter. Also, at the same time t2, the light emitting unit 130a and the audio output unit 130b of the first remote control 100A are activated, and a red lamp is turned on (or blinks) and a buzzer or the like is emitted to notify the user. Furthermore, at time t4, when the abnormal state is resolved, the notification operation of the tablet 70 and the remote control 100 is terminated. Then, in the first remote control 100A, the light emitting unit 130a emits green light, and the first remote control 100A returns to its original state (a state in which operation can be resumed).

[0133] First, if there are no obstacles to the tractor 1 during traveling work, for example, in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, continues to travel autonomously (first step S1).

[0134] During the travel of the tractor 1, a determination is constantly made as to whether or not it is necessary to stop the tractor 1 (second step S2).

[0135] In the second step S2, if the operator determines that he / she wants to temporarily stop the tractor 1, the process proceeds to a third step S3. In the second step S2, if the operator determines that he / she wants to temporarily stop the tractor 1, the process returns to the first step S1.

[0136] In this third step S3, for example, the first remote control 100A is selected and set in advance as a terminal that can be remotely controlled, so that operation is possible only with this first remote control 100A. As a result, by pressing the pause button 120 of the first remote control 100A, the tractor 1 that is traveling can be immediately stopped.

[0137] Next, the operator or the like who temporarily stopped the tractor 1 decides whether to resume traveling (fourth step S4). If the operator does not want to resume traveling, the process returns to the fourth step S4 again.

[0138] On the other hand, when the tractor 1 that was temporarily stopped is to be restarted, the operator of the first remote control 100A can perform the operation to restart the tractor 1. That is, at time t5, the operator presses the pause button 120 of the first remote control 100A, and then, almost immediately after that (after a minute time Δt2 has elapsed), at time t6, the operator presses the emergency stop button 110 (fifth step S5). In this case, the second remote control 100B that did not perform the stop operation cannot restart the tractor 1.

[0139] As a result, when the tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, starts the operation to resume driving after temporarily stopping, at time t6, prior to the resumption of driving, a warning sound such as a loud buzzer is emitted from the tractor 1 for approximately 3 seconds to notify (warn) workers in the vicinity of the tractor 1 that the resumption operation will soon begin (sixth step S6).

[0140] That is, the operator of the first remote control 100A who hears the report sound of the tractor 1 releases the emergency stop button 110 of the first remote control 100A while the sound is being emitted, i.e., at time t7, and at the same time or almost the same time (after a short time Δt3 has elapsed), time t8, also releases the pressing of the pause button 120 (seventh step S7).

[0141] When releasing the two buttons, for example, if the emergency stop button 110 is released during the warning sound time of about 3 seconds, the tractor 1 will be temporarily stopped after the warning sound ends. On the other hand, if only the emergency stop button 110 is continuously pressed, the tractor 1 will be in the emergency stop state even after the warning sound ends.

[0142] As a result, at time t9, the tractor 1 that was temporarily stopped can resume autonomous traveling (eighth step S8).

[0143] In this way, the remote control 100 resumes the travel of the tractor 1 when a travel resume operation is performed in which both the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120 are pressed for a first predetermined time after the tractor 1 has been temporarily stopped in response to a pause operation on the pause button 120. Also, when both the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120 are pressed, the remote control 100 causes the sound emitting unit 57 of the tractor 1 to emit a buzzer sound (warning sound) indicating that the travel of the tractor 1 will resume for a second predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds), and resumes the travel of the tractor 1 when the pressing operations on both the emergency stop button 110 and the pause button 120 are released during the second predetermined time.

[0144] The remote control 100 may cause the tractor 1 to resume traveling when the traveling restart operation is performed after the tractor 1 has been brought to an emergency stop in response to an emergency stop operation on the emergency stop button 110.

[0145] <Effects> Therefore, according to this embodiment, the tablet 70 and the remote control 100 each perform wireless communication with the tractor 1 via a wireless communication network having a different communication method, so that the multiple wireless communication networks function as a fail-safe, improving safety. Also, an appropriate communication method can be selected according to the data capacity of the communication performed by the tablet 70 and the data capacity of the communication performed by the remote control 100.

[0146] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by carrying the remote control 100, the operator can operate the emergency stop button 110 of either of the two remote controls 100 in the event of an emergency, and can immediately perform an emergency stop operation of the autonomously traveling tractor 1. Also, an operator carrying the tablet 70 and one remote control 100 can flexibly use the tablet 70 and the remote control 100 according to the situation, for example, by having another worker hold the other remote control 100.

[0147] According to this embodiment, on the display 71 of the tablet 70 (see FIG. 4(a)), an emergency stop button image 71A for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is displayed in the upper right position, and a pause button image (start button image) 71B of the tablet 70 is displayed slightly smaller in a position opposite to and farther from the emergency stop button image 71A. Therefore, the emergency stop button image 71A and the pause button image 71B can be arranged together on the same display screen at the same time.

[0148] Therefore, when the operator wishes to make an emergency stop of the tractor 1, the operator can instantly recognize the position of the emergency stop button image 71A without having to perform the troublesome operation of switching screens, for example, thereby reducing delays and erroneous operations in the emergency stop operation.

[0149] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the remote control 100 is equipped with a light-emitting unit 130a and a voice output unit 130b as an alarm unit 130 that notifies the user of the status of the tractor 1. This makes it possible to reliably and in real time recognize the status of the tractor 1 even when the user is away from the autonomously traveling tractor 1, thereby significantly improving the driving safety of the tractor 1.

[0150] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the emergency stop button image 71A on the tablet 70 is operated by pressing (touching) the touch panel display 71, so the emergency stop button 110 (see FIG. 6) on the remote control 100 is structured so that it can be pressed firmly even if the operator does not feel as if he or she has performed a pressing (touch) operation. Therefore, by using the remote control 100, the operator can reliably feel as if he or she has performed a pressing operation, and can perform a reliable operation. However, in this case, the operator may use either the emergency stop button 110 on the remote control 100 or the emergency stop button image 71A on the tablet 70 when bringing the tractor 1 to an emergency stop.

[0151] In this embodiment, two remote controls 100 are used, but the number can be increased. By carrying the remote control 100, workers working in the same field other than the operator monitoring the autonomously traveling tractor 1 can also be aware of the status of the tractor 1 by the LED lamp of the light emitting unit 130a and the audio notification from the audio output unit 130b. Moreover, since the emergency stop button 110 of the remote control 100 can be operated in an emergency, the monitoring system for the autonomously traveling tractor 1 can be improved, and the safety of workers in the field can be significantly improved.

[0152] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 4, the display 71 can be set to a "work information setting mode" shown in Fig. 8 by operating the screen switching button 73A. By switching to a screen set to this work information setting mode, as described above, a work selection area WSA for selecting and setting a terminal that can be resumed is formed at the bottom of the screen, and three types of icons, that is, a tablet image T indicated by "Tablet," a first remote control image RA indicated by "First remote," and a second remote control image RB indicated by "Second remote," can be displayed, so that the terminal can be easily changed and switched by touching with a finger or the like, which is convenient.

[0153] Furthermore, on such a display screen, when a rectangular display image F with a border surrounding each image is displayed, the icon can be set and displayed in an operable startup state, so startup operations can be performed easily and quickly.

[0154] According to the tablet 70 of this embodiment configured as described above, the operator can perform various operations while referring to and checking information displayed on the touch panel of the tablet 70 (e.g., field information required for autonomous driving), thereby reducing the risk of erroneous operations.

[0155] The automated driving system according to the present embodiment described above can be specified as follows.

[0156] <Appendix 1> An autonomous driving system including a first remote control terminal capable of communicating with a work vehicle and generating a driving route and performing driving control of the work vehicle, and one or more second remote control terminals capable of communicating with the work vehicle and performing driving control of the work vehicle, wherein the first remote control terminal has a display control unit that can select whether to resume driving of the work vehicle by either the first remote control terminal or the second remote control terminal, An autonomous driving system, characterized in that the display control unit selectively displays only the second remote control terminal with which communication has been established with the work vehicle.

[0157] The autonomous driving system according to Supplementary Note 1 is an autonomous driving system comprising a first remote control terminal capable of communicating with a work vehicle, having a display screen capable of displaying various information, and generating a driving route and controlling the driving of the work vehicle, and a plurality of second remote control terminals capable of communicating with the work vehicle and controlling the driving of the work vehicle, wherein the first remote control terminal has a display control unit that enables a selection of a "remotely operable terminal" that can be remotely controlled from among the plurality of remote control terminals, with regard to whether the first remote control terminal or the plurality of second remote control terminals can execute the driving restart operation of the work vehicle after it has been stopped, and the display control unit is configured to specify / select one from among the remote control terminals that have established communication with the work vehicle as the remotely operable terminal capable of the driving restart operation on the display screen, and display it on the screen.

[0158] <Appendix 2> The autonomous driving system described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the display control unit changes the display mode of the second remote control terminal when a communication connection between the work vehicle and the second remote control terminal is lost.

[0159] In the autonomous driving system of Supplementary Note 2, the display control unit is configured to change the display mode of the second remotely controllable terminal on the display screen of the first remotely control terminal when a communication connection between the work vehicle and either of the second remotely control terminals is lost, so as to make it possible to check the status of the connection.

[0160] <Appendix 3> The autonomous driving system described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that the display control unit memorizes the selected second remote control terminal when the communication connection with the work vehicle is restored after the communication connection between the selected second remote control terminal and the work vehicle is lost.

[0161] In the autonomous driving system according to Supplementary Note 3, when the communication connection between the selected second remote control terminal and the work vehicle is lost and then the communication connection with the work vehicle is restored, the display control unit stores the selection setting status of the second remote control terminal that was selected among the second remote control terminals until immediately before the communication connection was lost.

[0162] <Appendix 4> The autonomous driving system described in any one of Appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that, when the second remote control terminal is selected, the display control unit notifies the user that the work vehicle can resume traveling via the second remote control terminal.

[0163] In the autonomous driving system of Supplementary Note 4, when the second remotely controlled terminal is selected, the display control unit notifies the second remotely controlled terminal that it is possible to control the work vehicle to resume driving, in order to confirm that the second remotely controlled terminal can resume driving of the work vehicle.

[0164] According to the autonomous driving system of this embodiment, the display control unit provided in the first remote control terminal can display only the second remote control terminal, which has established communication with the work vehicle, among multiple remote control terminals on the display screen as a remotely operable terminal capable of resuming driving operation. Therefore, when multiple operators operate multiple remote control terminals for one work vehicle, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the remote control terminals perform different operations (different operation interference), and a highly safe autonomous driving system can be realized.

[0165] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 16. In this embodiment, the tractor 1 (its main parts) and the tablet 70 have the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, so the same parts are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanation.

[0166] That is, in the remote control 100' shown in FIG. 14 of this embodiment, the control unit 160' is configured to generate a traveling resume signal by pressing and holding the pause button 120'. Therefore, in the remote control 100' shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 160' among the components of each unit is partially different in configuration from the control unit 160 of the remote control 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7. In response to this configuration, the autonomous traveling control device 51 of the tractor 1 in the configuration block diagram shown in FIG. 3 is also partially different, and is configured to resume the traveling of the tractor 1 that was temporarily stopped when a traveling resume signal generated by pressing and holding the pause button 120' of the remote control 100' is input.

[0167] In the autonomous driving system of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, two remote controls 100A and 100B are provided and can be used, but as described in the first embodiment, in order to prevent interference between different operations, only one of these two remote controls is set to be usable (starting remote control). In this embodiment, too, the tablet 70 is set in advance to be usable only with the first remote control 100A.

[0168] Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the flowchart shown in Fig. 15 and the timing chart shown in Fig. 16, what are different from the first embodiment are the 5th' step S5', the 7th' step S7', and the emergency stop button 110', the pause button 120', the storage unit 140', and the control unit 160' among the components of the remote control 100. Note that the emergency stop button 110', the pause button 120', the storage unit 140', and the control unit 160' are only different in the configuration related to the control of the resume operation, so detailed description will be omitted.

[0169] On the other hand, regarding the restart operation procedure, when the tractor 1 that was temporarily stopped in the 5th' step S5' is to be restarted, the operator of the first remote control 100A that caused the temporary stop (the one who can currently operate) can perform the operation to restart the temporary stop. That is, at time t5, the operator presses the pause button 120 of the first remote control 100A for a certain period of time or more (for example, 5 seconds or more).

[0170] As a result, when the tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, starts a traveling restart operation after temporarily stopping, at time t6, prior to the restart, a warning sound such as a loud buzzer is emitted from the tractor 1 for about three seconds to notify (warn) workers around the tractor 1 that the restart operation will soon begin (sixth step S6). For example, when the pause button 120 of the first remote control 100A is pressed and held for five consecutive seconds, the control unit 160' outputs a sound emission instruction to the tractor 1, causing the sound emission unit 57 of the tractor 1 to emit a buzzer sound for three seconds.

[0171] The operator of the first remote control 100A, listening to the report sound of the tractor 1, releases the pressing of the pause button 120' of the first remote control 100A at time t7 while the sound is being emitted (for example, for 3 seconds), that is, at time t7 which is at least 5 seconds after the button pressing start time t5 (7th step S7').

[0172] As a result, at time t7, the tractor 1 that was temporarily stopped can resume autonomous traveling (eighth' step S8'). If the pause button 120 is continuously pressed for a certain period of time or more in this eighth' step S8', the tractor 1 will be temporarily stopped without resuming traveling operation when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the warning sound that notifies the start of traveling has ended.

[0173] The second step S2 to the fourth step S4 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0174] As described above, the remote control 100' of this embodiment issues instructions regarding travel to the tractor 1 capable of autonomous travel. In addition, when a travel restart operation is performed after the tractor 1 is temporarily stopped in response to a temporary stop operation on the temporary stop button 120', including a pressing operation for pressing the temporary stop button 120' continuously for a first predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) or more and a release operation for releasing the pressing operation on the temporary stop button 120' for a second predetermined time (e.g., 3 seconds) following the first predetermined time, the remote control 100' outputs a travel restart signal to the tractor 1 to restart the travel of the tractor 1. This eliminates the need to provide a separate switch for restarting the travel of the stopped tractor 1, and therefore the remote control 100' can be made smaller. This makes it possible to realize an autonomous travel system in which the remote control terminal (remote control 100, 100') that issues instructions regarding travel to the tractor 1 capable of autonomous travel can be made smaller, and in which the remote control terminal can restart the travel of the tractor 1 when the tractor 1 is stopped.

[0175] Furthermore, when the pause button 120' is pressed continuously for the first predetermined time or more after the tractor 1 has been temporarily stopped in response to the pause operation on the pause button 120', the remote control 100' causes the sound emitting unit 57 of the tractor 1 to emit a buzzer sound (warning sound) indicating that the tractor 1 will resume traveling for only the second predetermined time. This makes it possible to notify the workers around the tractor 1 that the traveling restart operation will soon begin prior to the resumption of traveling, and also allows the user of the remote control 100' to know that the traveling restart operation is now possible.

[0176] In addition, in the first and second embodiments described above, the remote control 100 may resume the traveling of the tractor 1 when the traveling resume operation is performed after the tractor 1 has been emergency stopped in response to an emergency stop operation on the emergency stop button 110.

[0177] In the first and second embodiments described above, the tractor 1 may be configured to resume traveling when the function of the obstacle sensor 36 (obstacle detection unit) is valid (or normal), and not resume traveling when the function of the obstacle sensor 36 is invalid (or abnormal). In this way, by configuring the tractor 1 to resume traveling only when the obstacle sensor 36 is operating normally, it is possible to prevent the user from resuming traveling unintentionally.

[0178] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in various forms. The configuration of each part is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0179] [Notes on the invention] The automated driving system according to the present embodiment described above can be specified as follows.

[0180] <Appendix 1> An autonomous driving system including a remote control terminal that issues driving instructions to an autonomously driven work vehicle, The remote control terminal includes: A switch unit that receives a stop operation to stop the work vehicle during autonomous traveling; a control unit that resumes the traveling of the work vehicle when a traveling restart operation is performed after the work vehicle has stopped in response to the stop operation on the switch unit, the restart operation including a pressing operation of pressing the switch unit continuously for a first predetermined time or more and a release operation of releasing the pressing operation on the switch unit for a second predetermined time following the first predetermined time; An autonomous driving system comprising:

[0181] <Appendix 2> The switch unit includes a first switch unit that accepts an emergency stop operation to make an emergency stop of the work vehicle during autonomous traveling, and a second switch unit that accepts a temporary stop operation to temporarily stop the work vehicle during autonomous traveling, the control unit resumes traveling of the work vehicle when a traveling restart operation is performed after the work vehicle is temporarily stopped in response to the temporary stop operation on the second switch unit, the traveling restart operation including a pressing operation of pressing the second switch unit continuously for the first predetermined time or more and a release operation of releasing the pressing operation on the second switch unit during the second predetermined time. 2. An autonomous driving system as described in claim 1.

[0182] <Appendix 3> The work vehicle includes a sound emitting unit that emits a predetermined sound, When the second switch unit is pressed continuously for at least the first predetermined time after the work vehicle is temporarily stopped in response to the temporary stop operation on the second switch unit, the control unit causes the sound emitting unit to emit a sound indicating that the travel of the work vehicle will be resumed for only the second predetermined time. 3. An autonomous driving system as described in claim 2.

[0183] <Appendix 4> An autonomous driving system including a remote control terminal that issues driving instructions to an autonomously driven work vehicle, The remote control terminal includes: A first switch unit that receives an emergency stop operation to bring the work vehicle to an emergency stop during autonomous traveling; A second switch unit that accepts a temporary stop operation to temporarily stop the work vehicle during autonomous traveling; a control unit that resumes traveling of the work vehicle when a traveling restart operation is performed in which both the first switch unit and the second switch unit are pressed for a first predetermined time after the work vehicle has stopped in response to a stop operation on the first switch unit or the second switch unit; An autonomous driving system comprising:

[0184] <Appendix 5> The work vehicle includes a sound emitting unit that emits a predetermined sound, When the first switch unit and the second switch unit are both pressed, the control unit causes the sound emitting unit to emit a sound indicating that the work vehicle will resume traveling for only a second predetermined time, the control unit resumes traveling of the work vehicle when the pressing operations on the first switch unit and the second switch unit are both released during the second predetermined time. 5. An autonomous driving system as described in claim 4.

[0185] <Appendix 6> The autonomous driving system includes a plurality of the remote control terminals, the work vehicle resumes traveling only when a traveling resume instruction is received from the remote control terminal that has stopped the work vehicle among the plurality of remote control terminals; 6. An autonomous driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0186] <Appendix 7> The work vehicle includes an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle, The work vehicle resumes traveling when a function of the obstacle detection unit is enabled, and does not resume traveling when the function of the obstacle detection unit is disabled. 7. An autonomous driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0187] <Appendix 8> The remote control terminal includes a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of light emitting modes and a sound output unit that emits sound in a plurality of sound modes; When the work vehicle is stopped in response to the stop operation, if the work vehicle is in a state where it is impossible to resume traveling, the control unit lights up the light-emitting unit in a first color and outputs a first sound from the audio output unit, and if the work vehicle is in a state where it is possible to resume traveling, lights up the light-emitting unit in a second color and outputs a second sound from the audio output unit. An autonomous driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0188] 1. Robot Tractor (Work Vehicle) 18 Vehicle Bus Line (First Bus Line) 35 Camera (obstacle detection section) 36 Obstacle sensor (obstacle detection section) 51 Autonomous Driving Control Device 54 Wireless communication router 55 Remote control receiver (specific low power radio device) 56 Autonomous Bus Line (Second Bus Line) 57 Sound emission unit (means for warning to resume driving) 70 First remote control terminal (tablet) 71 Liquid crystal display (display) 71A Emergency stop button image 71B Pause button image 72 Display control section 73 Operation unit (interface) 73A Screen switching button 74 Memory section 75 Transmitter / Receiver 76 Control Unit 100, 100´ Second remote control terminal (remote control, remote control terminal) 100A, 100A´ 1st remote controller 100B, 100B´ 2nd remote control 101 Remote control unit 110 Emergency stop button (first switch part, switch part) 120 Pause button (second switch section, switch section) 130 Notification Department 130a Light emitting part (LED lamp) 130b Audio output section 140 Storage section 150 Remote control transmitter / receiver 160 Control section F Surrounding image (the pattern displayed in the launch icon) N1,N2 No RA 1st remote control image (1st remote icon) RB 2nd remote control image (2nd remote icon) RCD Remote Control Device T Tablet image (tablet icon) WSA Work Selection Area Y1,Y2 Yes

Claims

[Claim 1] An autonomous driving system including a remote control terminal that issues driving instructions to an autonomously driven work vehicle, The remote control terminal includes: A switch unit that receives a stop operation to stop the work vehicle during autonomous traveling; a control unit that resumes the traveling of the work vehicle when a traveling restart operation is performed after the work vehicle has stopped in response to the stop operation on the switch unit, the restart operation including a pressing operation of pressing the switch unit continuously for a first predetermined time or more and a release operation of releasing the pressing operation on the switch unit for a second predetermined time following the first predetermined time; An autonomous driving system comprising:

Images