Agricultural support system

Abstract

To provide an agricultural support system in which a plurality of work vehicles improve work quality through shared use of a field map and uniformly cultivate a field.SOLUTION: An agricultural support system comprises a plurality of work vehicles A, a mobile information terminal B, and a system control device C that are connected to a communication network NW. The system control device C includes work machine height adjustment means and work map generation means. The plurality of work vehicles A includes a tractor and a rice transplanter. The work map comprises a tillage information map in which tillage information is recorded, and a planting information map in which planting information is recorded. The work machine height adjustment means determines a section under operation by the tractor, and when the tillage information and planting information recorded in the section under operation indicate that the lift arm height is lower than a first determined height, a power load is greater than a determined load value, and the float height is lower than a second determined height, performs adjustment so as to raise the height of the work machine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural support system that performs operations based on a field map.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various agricultural support systems using field maps have been known. A field map is map data including position information dividing a field into sections, and by associating and recording the control amount of a working machine and evaluation values of the field such as fertility for each section, it can be used for operations and analysis (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 7 below).

[0003] For example, in the technical field of agricultural support systems, by using the information of a field map, in a field, an operation vehicle is automatically driven, and the position information of the operation vehicle is acquired at predetermined time intervals, thereby determining the section of the field where the operation vehicle is performing an operation, and automatically controlling the working machine of the operation vehicle so as to be the target control amount associated with the determined section. A technique is known. As an example, a technique for automatically controlling the fertilization amount according to the section of a field is known. The agricultural support system configured in this way sets control amounts such as the fertilization amount in detail for each section of the field, and the operation vehicle can perform fertilization according to the section of the field by changing the control amount such as the fertilization amount according to the section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Patent Document 7

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, conventional agricultural support systems are mainly assumed to control a single type of work vehicle, and it is not assumed that a plurality of work vehicles corresponding to work processes such as tillage, transplanting, and control share a field map. There was room for improvement in order to comprehensively improve the quality of work of multiple work vehicles. In addition, although making the field surface uniform by tillage is important for preventing lodging of seedlings, etc., conventional agricultural support systems do not manage information for evaluating the tillage situation in the field and cannot effectively prevent excessive deep tillage of the field.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and by a plurality of work vehicles corresponding to work processes such as tillage, transplanting, and control sharing a field map, the quality of work of the plurality of work vehicles is comprehensively improved, and at the same time, it is possible to effectively prevent excessive deep tillage of the field and provide an agricultural support system capable of tilling the field uniformly.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, a first invention is An agricultural support system comprising a plurality of work vehicles that perform agricultural work with a working machine while traveling in a field, a portable information terminal that receives various operations regarding instructions and settings for agricultural work from an operator, and a system control device that controls various operations in the support of agricultural work, wherein these are connected via a communication network and configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other. The system control device includes a work implement height adjustment means for instructing and adjusting the height of the work implement, and a work map creation means for creating a work map which is map data partitioning a farm field and capable of recording information in each partition. The plurality of work vehicles include a tractor for tilling a farm field and a rice transplanter for transplanting rice. The work map includes a tilling information map in which tilling information is recorded for each partition of the farm field based on the work of the tractor, and a rice transplanting information map in which rice transplanting information is recorded for each partition of the farm field based on the work of the rice transplanter. During the work of the tractor, the work implement height adjustment means acquires position information from the tractor to determine the partition being worked on, and refers to the tilling information map and the rice transplanting information map. When the lift arm height is lower than a predetermined first determination height, the power load is greater than a predetermined determination load value, and the float height is lower than a predetermined second determination height in the tilling information and the rice transplanting information recorded in the partition being worked on, the work implement height adjustment means adjusts to raise the height of the work implement of the tractor. Provided is an agricultural support system characterized by this.

[0008] According to the first invention described above, By the plurality of work vehicles sharing the work map for work, the quality of work of the plurality of work vehicles can be comprehensively improved. Also, when the system control device refers to the work map and a predetermined condition is satisfied, by adjusting to raise the height of the work implement of the tractor, excessive deep tilling of the farm field can be effectively prevented and the farm field can be tilled uniformly. That is, at a point where a depression has occurred in the farm field, the lift arm height is lower, the power load is greater, and the float height is lower than normal. Thus, by utilizing the information from the work of the tractor and the rice transplanter, the state of the farm field can be judged more accurately.

[0009] The second invention, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, The work map includes a design map showing the design of the farm field. In creating the design map, the work map creation means is configured to be able to record information indicating at least the water inlet, water outlet, and entrance / exit of the field in each section of the field. During the operation of the tractor, the system control device acquires position information from the tractor to determine the section being worked on, and with reference to the design map, when information indicating any one of the water inlet, water outlet, and entrance / exit is recorded in the section being worked on, it is characterized in that the system control device adjusts to lower the height of the working machine of the tractor.

[0010] According to the second invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention, Since the entrances, water inlets, and water outlets of the field are generally in a state where the field is overgrown and the field surface is likely to be wavy due to depressions, etc., deeper plowing is usually recommended. However, by the system control device instructing and adjusting to lower the height of the working machine of the tractor at the entrances, water inlets, and water outlets of the field, deeper tillage can be performed than usual, and the field surface can be made well uniform.

[0011] According to the third invention, in addition to the configuration of the second invention, During the operation of the rice transplanter, the system control device acquires position information from the rice transplanter to determine the section being worked on, and with reference to the design map, when information indicating any one of the water inlet, water outlet, and entrance / exit is recorded in the section being worked on, it is characterized in that the system control device reduces the amount of fertilizer applied by the fertilizer applicator of the rice transplanter.

[0012] According to the third invention, in addition to the effects of the second invention, For the sections where the four corners, water inlets, water outlets (drainage outlets), and entrances / exits of the field are set, lodging is likely to occur. Therefore, by reducing the amount of fertilizer applied by the fertilizer applicator of the rice transplanter, the risk of lodging due to the growth of the seedlings and the elongation of the height can be reduced.

[0013] According to the fourth invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to third inventions, The plurality of work vehicles includes a self-propelled control machine that sprays a control chemical solution on the field. The system control device includes a work implement tilt prevention means for preventing tilting of the work implement. During operation of the self-propelled control machine, the work implement tilt prevention means acquires position information from the self-propelled control machine to determine the section being worked on and also determines the section to enter next. Furthermore, with reference to the tillage information map and the rice transplanting information map, when in the tillage information and the rice transplanting information recorded in the section to enter next, the lift arm height is lower than a predetermined first determination height, the power load is greater than a predetermined determination load value, and the float height is lower than a predetermined second determination height, the vehicle speed of the self-propelled control machine is adjusted to decrease.

[0014] According to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of any of the first to third inventions, for a low section of the field (a section with a height difference), by entering at a lower vehicle speed than normal, the accuracy of the rolling control for preventing tilting of the work implement is improved, and tilting of the work implement can be well prevented. Also, sudden up-and-down shaking of the machine body due to the height difference can be suppressed, and the posture of the work implement can be stabilized.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, a plurality of work vehicles corresponding to work processes such as tillage, rice transplanting, and control can share a field map, thereby improving the quality of work, effectively preventing excessive deep tillage of the field, and providing an agricultural support system capable of uniformly tilling the field.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

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[0017] <1. Overall structure of the agricultural support system> An embodiment specifically configured based on the above technical concept will be described below with reference to the drawings, with an example of the overall configuration of an agricultural support system 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an agricultural support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, agricultural work may be simply referred to as work.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the agricultural support system 1 includes a work vehicle A that travels in the field H to perform agricultural operations, a portable information terminal B that receives various operations related to instructions and settings for agricultural operations from the operator U, and a system control device C that controls various aspects in the support of agricultural operations. These are connected via a communication network NW and are configured to be able to send and receive information to and from each other. The work vehicle A and the portable information terminal B can be connected to the network NW by a wireless base station NW2 arranged near the field H. The network NW is, for example, the Internet, but other networks such as a cellular network, Wi-Fi network, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or other public or dedicated lines can also be applied according to the situation. In the figure, an example of the arrangement of the water inlet Oj1, the water outlet (drainage outlet) Oj2, and the entrance / exit Oj3 of the field H is shown.

[0019] The work vehicle A consists of a plurality of vehicles (airframes) that perform different agricultural operation processes (tillage, transplanting, control, etc.). Each work vehicle A is equipped with a work implement W according to the agricultural operation to be performed. The work vehicle A is, for example, a tractor 101, a transplanter 201, a self-propelled control machine 301, etc., but is not limited to these. The portable information terminal B serves as a user interface and is an information terminal equipped with input / output means such as a display, a touch panel, and a speaker, and can be carried by the operator U. The portable information terminal B is, for example, a tablet or a smartphone, etc., and can be used by the operator U while checking the work situation near the field H. The system control device C is an information processing device that controls various aspects of the agricultural support system 1 and is, for example, a personal computer or a server device, etc.

[0020] The work vehicle A, the portable information terminal B, and the system control device C are each connected to the communication network NW by a known communication mechanism and are configured to be able to send and receive information to and from each other. Thus, when an input operation is performed on the portable information terminal B by an operator, the system control device C can acquire input information from the portable information terminal B and execute various processes for agricultural work support based on the input information. Further, in these various processes, the system control device C appropriately transmits control information including control commands to the work vehicle A to remotely control the operation of the work vehicle A. Also, by transmitting output information to the portable information terminal B, various information is output. Hereinafter, the details of each component of the agricultural support system 1 will be described.

[0021] <2. Configuration of Work Vehicle> As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the work vehicle A in the present embodiment includes a tractor 101 that tills the field H, a rice transplanter 201 that plants rice, and a control machine 301 that performs control. In the following description, the front-rear direction is the traveling direction when the work vehicle 1 travels straight, and the front side in the traveling direction is referred to as "front" and the rear side as "rear". Also, the left-right direction is a direction that is horizontally orthogonal to the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, the left and right are defined with respect to the "front" side. In the following description, the work vehicle A may be simply referred to as the "airframe".

[0022] <2-1. Configuration of Tractor> FIG. 2 is a left side view of a tractor 101 which is an example of the work vehicle A in FIG. 1. The tractor 101, which is a work vehicle, is an agricultural tractor that performs work in a field while self-propelling as shown in FIG. 2. Further, the tractor 101 is configured to execute a predetermined work while the operator U (also referred to as the driver) rides on it and travels in the field H, and to execute a predetermined work while automatically traveling in the field H under the control of each part by a control system centered on a control device Q1 (see FIG. 6) described later.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 101 includes a traveling vehicle body 102 and a working machine W. The traveling vehicle body 102 includes a vehicle body frame 103, front wheels 104, rear wheels 105, a bonnet 106, an engine E, a control unit 107, and a transmission case 110. The vehicle body frame 103 is the main frame of the traveling vehicle body 102.

[0024] The front wheels 104 are a pair on the left and right, and mainly serve as steering wheels (steering wheels). The rear wheels 105 are a pair on the left and right, and mainly serve as driving wheels (drive wheels). The tractor 101 may be configured to be able to switch between two-wheel drive (2WD) in which the rear wheels 105 drive and four-wheel drive (4WD) in which both the front wheels 104 and the rear wheels 105 drive. In this case, the drive wheels are both the front wheels 104 and the rear wheels 105. Note that the traveling vehicle body 102 may be provided with a crawler device instead of the wheels (front wheels 104 and rear wheels 105). In this case, the traveling crawler is the drive wheel.

[0025] The bonnet 106 is provided at the front part of the traveling vehicle body 102 so as to be openable and closable. The bonnet 106 can rotate (open and close) in the vertical direction with the rear part as the rotation center. The bonnet 106 covers the engine E mounted on the vehicle body frame 103 in the closed state. The engine E is the drive source of the tractor 101 and is a heat engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

[0026] In addition, a power load measuring device S11 for measuring the power load (torque) of the engine E, which is the drive source, is provided. The power load measuring device S11 includes, for example, a pulsar rotor that rotates in synchronization with the crankshaft of the engine E, a reluctor provided on the pulsar rotor and located at a crank angle corresponding to the vicinity of the top dead center of the engine E, and a pickup for detecting the passage of the reluctor, and is configured to be able to measure the load state of the engine based on the output signal of the pickup. Further, when the work vehicle A travels by an electric traveling motor, the power load measuring device S11 can be configured to measure the power load of the output shaft of the traveling motor.

[0027] The control unit 107 is provided on the upper part of the traveling vehicle body 102 and includes a driver's seat 108, a steering wheel 109, and the like. The control unit 107 may be formed by being covered with a cabin 7a provided on the upper part of the traveling vehicle body 102. The driver's seat 108 is the seat for the operator. The steering wheel 109 is operated by the operator when steering the front wheels 104 which are the steering wheels.

[0028] Also, the steering wheel 109 is configured to be able to steer (steer) the front wheels 104 which are the steering wheels by a steering device (not shown), and this steering device enables automatic steering without depending on the operation of the operator U by a steering actuator driven and controlled by the control unit Q1. That is, by a predetermined operation, information regarding the target traveling route L during automatic traveling is acquired from the system control device C described later, and based on the position information acquired by the positioning device AN1, automatic steering is possible to travel automatically on the target traveling route L. Note that the control unit 7 includes a display unit (meter panel) for displaying various information in front of the steering wheel 109.

[0029] Also, the control unit 107 includes various operation levers such as a forward and reverse lever, an accelerator lever, a main transmission lever, and a sub - transmission lever, and various operation pedals such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a clutch pedal.

[0030] The transmission case 110 houses a transmission (speed change mechanism). The transmission appropriately reduces the power (rotational power) transmitted from the engine E and transmits it to the rear wheels 105 which are the drive wheels and the PTO (Power Take - off) shaft 150.

[0031] At the rear part of the traveling vehicle body 102, a working machine W for working in the field is connected, and a PTO shaft 150 for transmitting the power for driving the working machine W protrudes rearward from the transmission case 110. The PTO shaft 150 transmits the rotational power appropriately decelerated by the transmission to the working machine W mounted at least on the rear part of the traveling vehicle body 2.

[0032] Further, a lifting device 112 for raising and lowering the working machine W is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 102. The lifting device 12 raises the working machine W to move the working machine W to a non-working position. The non-working position is, for example, a position where the working machine W is raised when the traveling vehicle body 102 reverses, when the traveling vehicle body 102 turns, or when the tractor 1 travels on the road. Further, the lifting device 112 lowers the working machine W to move the working machine W to a ground working position. The lifting device 112 includes a hydraulic lifting cylinder 121, a lift arm 122, a lift rod 123, a lower link 124, and a top link 125.

[0033] When hydraulic oil is supplied to the lift cylinder 121, the lift arm 122 rotates about the shaft AX serving as a rotation fulcrum to raise the working machine W, and when the hydraulic oil is discharged from the lift cylinder 121, the lift arm 122 rotates about the shaft AX to lower the working machine W. A lift arm sensor S12 for detecting the height of the lift arm 122 (rear end) is provided near the base of the lift arm 122 (near the shaft AX) by detecting the rotation angle of the lift arm 122. Therefore, since the height of the working machine W is interlocked with the lift arm 122, it is calculated based on the detection result of the lift arm sensor SN1. In tillage work, a reference lift arm height Z1, which is the (rear end) height of the reference lift arm 122, is set in advance in a control unit Q1 described later with a height desired by the operator U (in other words, a control amount serving as a reference for the lift cylinder 121), and the setting regarding the reference lift arm height Z1 can be performed by an input operation of the portable information terminal B. The set reference lift arm height Z1 determines the reference height of the working machine W during agricultural work.

[0034] Further, the lift arm 122 is connected to the lower link 124 via the lift rod 123. The top link 125 is connected to the working machine W via a top link bracket 125a. In this way, the lifting device 112 connects the working machine W to the traveling vehicle body 2 via the lower link 124 and the top link 125 so that the working machine W can be lifted and lowered.

[0035] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the working machine W is a rotary tiller W1 is taken as an example. The rotary tiller W1 as the working machine W includes tilling tines w11, a rotary cover w12, and a rear cover w13. The tilling tines w11 receive power from the PTO shaft 150 and rotate to till the soil. The rotary cover w12 covers the upper side of the tilling tines w11. The rear cover w13 is rotatably provided in the vertical direction at the rear part of the rotary cover w12. Further, a rear cover sensor S13 is provided at the proximal end (rotary cover w12 side) of the rear cover w13.

[0036] The control unit Q1 described later is configured to vertically position-adjust the working machine W from the reference height (reference lift arm height Z1) by rotating the lift arm 122 based on the detection value of the rear cover sensor S13, so that the tilling depth can be maintained constant. That is, the lift arm 122 is configured to appropriately rotate up and down according to the height of the field surface Hm by controlling the extension and contraction of the lift cylinder 121, and change the height of the lift arm 122 up and down with respect to the reference lift arm height Z1 to maintain the tilling depth constant.

[0037] The positioning device AN1 functions to measure the position of the machine body, and includes a GNSS receiver having a receiving antenna for receiving radio waves from the receiving antenna of GNSS satellites and an inertial measurement module for detecting the inclination and acceleration of the three axes of the machine body. This positioning device AN1 is arranged on the upper part of the traveling vehicle body 102. Here, the position information refers to information indicating the position of the working vehicle 1, and includes at least information indicating the latitude and longitude of the machine body. The position information measured by the positioning device 5 is transmitted to the control unit Q1 (see FIG. 6).

[0038] In addition, the tractor 101 is provided such that the working machine W can roll with respect to the traveling vehicle body 102. By calculating the inclination of the machine body in the horizontal direction with the positioning device AN1, a horizontal control cylinder SR1 (see FIG. 6) that rolls the working machine W left and right is telescopically controlled so that the working machine W assumes a horizontal posture. Thereby, the posture of the working machine W is configured to be automatically maintained horizontally with respect to the field surface.

[0039] <2-2. Configuration of the rice transplanter> FIG. 3 is a left side view of a rice transplanter 201 which is an example of the working vehicle A in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the rice transplanter 201 has a seedling planting device W2 mounted so as to be liftable via a lift link device 230 on the rear side of a traveling vehicle body 202, and a hopper 203a of a fertilizer applicator 203 is provided on the upper rear part of the traveling vehicle body 202. The lift link device 230 is a parallel link including an upper link arm 231 and a pair of left and right lower link arms 232.

[0040] The traveling vehicle body 202 is a four-wheel drive vehicle including a pair of left and right front wheels 204, 204 which are drive wheels and a pair of left and right rear wheels 205, 205. Further, the front end portion of the main frame 207 of the vehicle body is fixed to the rear surface portion of the transmission case 206, and on the other hand, a pair of left and right link support stays 210 that rotatably support the lift link device 230 are fixed to both left and right rear end portions of the main frame 207.

[0041] The engine E2 is mounted on the main frame 207, and the rotational power of the engine E2 is transmitted to the transmission case 206 via a belt transmission device 212 and an HST (hydrostatic continuously variable transmission) 213. The rotational power transmitted to the transmission case 6 is shifted by a speed change mechanism (sub-speed change device etc.) in the transmission case 206 and then taken out separately as traveling power and external extraction power. Then, the traveling power drives the front wheels 204, 204 and the left and right rear wheels 205, 205.

[0042] A steering wheel 224 is provided in front of the driver's seat 222. Also, on the right or left side of the steering wheel 224, there are provided various levers such as an HST operation lever (not shown) for setting the forward and reverse travel switching and travel speed of the traveling vehicle body 202, and a planting operation lever (not shown) for operating the raising and lowering of the seedling planting device 100 and the turning on and off of the planting operation.

[0043] Note that the steering wheel 224 is configured to be able to steer (steer) the front wheels 204, which are steering wheels, by a steering device (not shown). This steering device enables automatic steering without the operator U's operation by a steering actuator driven and controlled by the control unit Q2. That is, by a predetermined operation, information regarding the target travel path L during automatic travel is acquired from the system control device C described later, and based on the position information acquired by the positioning device AN2 described later, automatic steering is possible to travel automatically on the target travel path L.

[0044] Also, the externally extracted power taken out from the transmission case 6 is transmitted to the seedling planting device W2 by the planting transmission shaft 221 via a planting clutch (not shown).

[0045] Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the seedling planting device W2 includes a seedling placement table w21 for placing a seedling mat, a support frame w22 that supports the seedling placement table w21 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and a lower end portion of the support frame w22 that is connected and fixed. Three planting transmission cases w23 are provided on both left and right side surfaces thereof so that planting cans w24 that take in seedlings from the seedling placement table w21 and plant them in the field can be rotated in pairs. For each of the three planting transmission cases w23, a center float w25, and left and right side floats w26, w26 that can be grounded on the field surface and are connected so that their vertical positions can be changed. By changing the vertical connection positions of the center float w25 and the left and right side floats w26, w26 with respect to the planting transmission case w23, as a result, the first distance Du, which is the vertical distance between the center of the rotation axis AX2 of the planting can w24 and the field surface Hm where the back surface of each float contacts, is changed to adjust the planting depth of the seedlings with respect to the field surface S to a desired depth. A planting depth adjustment lever w27, a land preparation device W3 that is disposed above and below the front side of the planting transmission case w23 and levels the field surface Hm by rotating a land preparation rotor by a driving force from the engine E2, and a land preparation device lift motor w31 provided on the support frame w22 that raises and lowers the land preparation device W3 in response to a command from a control unit Q1 described later are provided.

[0046] Here, FIG. 4 is a schematic side view schematically showing the configuration of the main part below the seedling planting device W2 of FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the seedling placement table w21 is not shown. Since each of the floats w25 and w26 is connected to each planting transmission case w23 such that the float rotation fulcrum portion AX3 provided at the rear of each can be changed in the vertical position, when the operator manually moves the setting position (the position for setting shallow, standard, deep, etc.) of the planting depth adjustment lever w27 before the start of work to a desired position, in conjunction with this movement, the float rotation fulcrum portion AX3 moves in the vertical direction (arrow Fa in FIG. 4) with respect to each planting transmission case w23, and the above-described first distance Du is determined and the planting depth is determined. Thereby, the reference float height Z2, which is the height of the reference floats w25 and w26, is determined. Note that the control unit Q2 described later can acquire information regarding the set planting depth by acquiring the operation information of the planting depth adjustment lever w27, and thereby can calculate the reference float height Z2.

[0047] Also, as described above, for each of the floats w25 and w26, before the start of work, when the operator operates the planting depth adjustment lever w27 to set a desired depth, the first distance Du is determined. Thereafter, when each of the floats w25 and w26 slides on the field surface Hm during the planting operation, it is rotatably mounted so that the front end side moves up and down according to the unevenness of the field surface Hm with the float rotation fulcrum portion AX3 as the rotation axis.

[0048] During the planting operation, the vertical movement (i.e., the change in the pitch angle) of the front end side of the center float w25 is detected by a float vertical movement detection sensor S21 (e.g., a potentiometer) provided on the support frame w22. According to the detection result (detection information), the hydraulic valve w28 is switched by a command from the control unit 70, and the hydraulic lifting cylinder w29 is expanded and contracted to raise and lower the seedling planting device W2, thereby always maintaining the planting depth of the seedlings at a constant level (at the set depth). Accordingly, depending on the height of the field surface Hm, the heights of the respective floats w25, w26 move up and down with respect to the reference float height Z2. That is, the control unit Q2 described later controls the lifting cylinder w29 to a reference stroke amount so as to achieve a preset planting depth, and further controls the expansion and contraction of the lifting cylinder w29 from the reference stroke amount according to the detection result of the float vertical movement detection sensor SN4. Accordingly, the heights of the respective floats w25, w26 also move up and down with respect to the reference float height Z2. Therefore, the heights of the respective floats w25, w26 with respect to the reference float height Z2 can be calculated based on information regarding the set planting depth and information on the stroke amount of the lifting cylinder w29 based on the detection result of the float vertical movement detection sensor S21, etc.

[0049] Further, the soil preparation device W3 described above includes a central soil preparation rotor w32 and left and right side soil preparation rotors w33, and a rotor support arm w34 whose front end w35 supports these soil preparation rotors and whose rear end w36 is slidably connected to the support frame w22 in the vertical direction (arrow Fb in FIG. 4). Further, the rear end w36 of the rotor support arm w34 is configured to slide in the vertical direction (arrow Fb in FIG. 4) by the rotation of the soil preparation device lifting motor w31.

[0050] Further, during before the start of work and during the planting operation, the vertical positions (heights) of the lower surfaces of the respective soil preparation rotors w32, w32 with respect to a predetermined position of the support frame w22 can be specified by a soil preparation device height detection sensor (e.g., a potentiometer) provided on the support frame w22 detecting the vertical position of the rear end w36 of the soil preparation device W3.

[0051] On the one hand, since the front end of the planting transmission case w23 is firmly connected and fixed to the lower end of the support frame w22, it can be considered that the support frame w22 and the planting transmission case w23 are structurally integrated. Considering the proper positional relationship between the two, the predetermined position of the support frame w22 described above can be determined as the rotation axis AX2 in the planting transmission case w23 that is integrally connected to the support frame w22.

[0052] From the above, the vertical position (height) of the lower surfaces of the respective soil tilling rotors w32, w33 calculated by the control unit 70 from the detection result of the soil tilling device height detection sensor S22 (see Fig. 6) is the second distance Dr, which is the vertical distance from the rotation axis AX2 in the planting transmission case w23 to the lower surfaces of the respective soil tilling rotors w32, w33.

[0053] The positioning device AN2 includes a GNSS receiver having a receiving antenna for receiving radio waves from the receiving antenna of GNSS satellites and an inertial measurement module for detecting the inclination and acceleration of the three axes of the aircraft body. This positioning device AN2 is disposed at the upper end of a frame member extending upward at the front part of the traveling vehicle body 202 and functions to acquire the position information of the aircraft body. The position information measured by the positioning device AN2 is transmitted to the control device Q2 (see Fig. 6).

[0054] Further, the rice transplanter 201 is provided such that the working machine W can roll with respect to the traveling vehicle body 202. By calculating the inclination of the aircraft body in the horizontal direction by the positioning device AN2, the horizontal control cylinder SR2 (see Fig. 6) that rolls the working machine W left and right is controlled to expand and contract so that the working machine W is in a horizontal posture. Thereby, the posture of the working machine W is configured to be automatically maintained horizontally with respect to the field surface Hm.

[0055] Note that the fertilizer applicator 203 has an air chamber extending in the left - right direction of the machine body, a blower for pumping air from the left to the right through the air chamber, a fertilizer hopper 203a for storing fertilizer to be supplied to the field, a plurality of feeding devices provided below the fertilizer hopper, a plurality of connecting pipes provided below each feeding device with the front - end portions connected to the air chamber, and a plurality of fertilizer hoses connected to the rear - end portions of the connecting pipes and extending to the lower part of the seedling planting device W2. It has a known configuration, and the feeding devices are configured to be drive - controllable by a control unit Q2 described later, so that the amount of fertilizer applied to the field (the weight of fertilizer supplied per unit area) can be controlled.

[0056] <2 - 3. Configuration of Self - propelled Control Machine> FIG. 5 is a left - side view of a self - propelled control machine 301 which is an example of the work vehicle A in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the self - propelled control machine 301 is a vehicle for spraying a control chemical solution on the field H. The traveling vehicle body 302 is equipped with front wheels 303 and rear wheels 304, and an engine E3 is disposed in a bonnet 305 provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle body 1. A control unit 306 is provided behind the bonnet 305, and a steering wheel 307 and a seat 308 are provided on the control unit 306.

[0057] Note that the steering wheel 307 is configured to be able to steer (steer) the front wheels 303, which are steering wheels, by a steering device (not shown). This steering device enables automatic steering independent of the operator U's operation by a steering actuator that is drive - controlled by the control unit Q2. That is, by a predetermined operation, information regarding the target traveling path L during automatic traveling is acquired from a system control device C described later, and based on the position information acquired by a positioning device AN3 described later, automatic steering is possible to travel automatically on the target traveling path L.

[0058] Behind the seat 308, a chemical liquid tank 309 for storing chemical liquid is removably mounted. Further, the control machine 301 includes a hydraulic continuously variable transmission (HST), which is a mechanism capable of adjusting the forward and reverse directions and speed of the machine body, and an engine start control device for regulating the start of the engine.

[0059] In addition, on both the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle body of the self-propelled control machine 301, support brackets 312a protruding in the left-right direction are provided, and on the left and right support brackets 312a, lift links 312 each composed of upper and lower link bodies are rotatably supported. The upper and lower link bodies of the lift link 312 are configured to be interlocked with each other. At the lower stage of the link body of the lift link 312, a telescopic lift cylinder 313 is provided so as to connect the lower stage of the link body of the lift link 312 and the support bracket 312a. Therefore, by expanding and contracting the lift cylinder 313, the lift link 312 can be swung in the vertical direction.

[0060] In addition, the lift link 312 extends to a position in front of the bonnet 305, and at the front end of the lift link 312, a front frame 311 is attached so as to connect the left and right lift links 312. Therefore, by simultaneously expanding and contracting the left and right lift cylinders 313, the front frame 311 can be lifted and lowered via the left and right lift links 312 that move up and down.

[0061] At both ends of the front frame 311, a pair of left and right side booms 310 for spraying chemical liquid, which is an example of a working machine W, are rotatably attached about the vertical axis. For each of the left and right side booms 310, boom rotation cylinders 314, 314 are provided so that they can be individually deployed and folded in the left-right direction. The rotation angles of the left and right side booms 310 are detected by a boom potentiometer S3 (see Fig. 6), and the detection information is transmitted to a control unit Q3 described later. A plurality of nozzles 310a are attached to the side boom 310, and a front boom 311b provided with a plurality of front nozzles 311a at equal intervals in the left-right direction is attached to the front frame 311. The nozzles 310a of each side boom 310 and the front nozzles 311a of the front boom 311b are configured to receive the supply of chemical liquid from the chemical liquid tank 309 and spray the chemical liquid in a spray form. In Fig. 5, the right side boom 310 is omitted from the drawing.

[0062] The self-propelled control machine 301 configured as described above can switch between a storage posture in which the side boom 310 is rotated inward in the left-right direction of the machine body and then rotated downward toward the lower part of the machine body to be along both left and right sides of the vehicle body, and a chemical liquid spraying posture in which the side boom 310 is rotated forward and upward of the machine body and then rotated outward in the left-right direction of the machine body to be extended left and right. In the storage posture, by placing the side boom 310 on boom receivers 315 provided on both left and right sides of the work vehicle 1, the side boom 310 can be held in a state facing obliquely upward to the rear of the vehicle body.

[0063] The positioning device AN3 functions to measure the position of the machine body and includes a GNSS receiver having a receiving antenna for receiving radio waves from a receiving antenna of GNSS satellites and an inertial measurement module for detecting the inclination and acceleration of the three axes of the machine body. This positioning device AN3 is arranged on the upper part of the bonnet 305. The position information measured by the positioning device AN3 is transmitted to the control unit Q3 (see Fig. 6).

[0064] In addition, the self-propelled weeding machine 301 is provided such that the working machine W can roll with respect to the traveling vehicle body 302. By calculating the inclination of the machine body in the horizontal direction with the positioning device AN3, the horizontal control cylinder SR3 (see Fig. 6) that rolls the working machine W left and right is telescopically controlled so that the working machine W assumes a horizontal posture. Thereby, the posture of the working machine W is configured to be automatically maintained horizontally with respect to the field surface Hm.

[0065] <3-1. Control System Configuration of Work Vehicle> Next, the control system configuration of the agricultural support system 1 will be described. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram of the control system of the agricultural support system 1. First, the control system configuration of the work vehicle A will be described.

[0066] The work vehicle A is each configured to include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or the like, and is provided with control units Q1, Q2, and Q3 which are information processing devices that control the control functions of the machine body. Positioning devices AN1, AN2, and AN3 are respectively connected to the input sides of the respective control units Q1, Q2, and Q3 so that the position information of the machine body can be acquired. On the other hand, traveling devices RA1, RA2, and RA3 are respectively connected to the output sides. Note that the traveling devices RA1, RA2, and RA3 refer to all devices that control the traveling function of the machine body, such as steering wheels (front wheels), drive wheels (rear wheels), and steering devices. Further, lift cylinders 121, w29, and 313 are respectively connected to the control units Q1, Q2, and Q3, whereby the respective working machines W can be lifted and lowered. Further, by calculating the inclination of the machine body from the measurement information of the positioning devices (inertial measurement modules) AN1, AN2, and AN3 and controlling the horizontal control cylinders SR1, SR2, and SR3, the working machine W is controlled to roll left and right, and the posture of the working machine W during agricultural work is configured to be maintained horizontally.

[0067] Further, although not shown, various members (such as a steering wheel and an operation lever) related to the operation of the work vehicle A are connected to the input sides of the control units Q1, Q2, and Q3, and it is possible to acquire the operation information thereof. Further, a work implement W is connected to the output side, and the work implement W is configured to be controllable.

[0068] The control units Q1, Q2, and Q3 each include travel control means q11, q21, and q21 composed of an electronic circuit and a program that control travel. The travel control means q11, q21, and q31 control the travel devices RA1, RA2, and RA3, thereby enabling manual travel by the steering operation of the operator U of the work vehicle A and automatic travel without depending on the operation of the operator U. Further, the travel control means q11, q12, and q13 are configured to execute controls such as deceleration, acceleration, and stop of the vehicle body by acquiring control commands (instruction information) related to travel from a system control device C described later.

[0069] Furthermore, the control units Q1, Q2, and Q3 each include work implement control means q12, q22, and q32 composed of an electronic circuit and a program that control the work implement W. The work implement control means q12, q22, and q32 control various operations of the work implement W. Further, the work implement control means q12, q22, and q32 are configured to execute controls related to driving, stopping, control amount, etc. of the work implement W by acquiring control commands (instruction information) related to the operation of the work implement W from a system control device C described later.

[0070] Next, the control unit Q1 of the tractor 101 will be described in more detail. On the input side of the control unit Q1, a power load measuring device S11, a lift arm sensor S12, and a rear cover sensor S13 are connected. Thereby, the control unit Q1 acquires the detection information of the lift arm sensor S12, controls the lift cylinder 121, maintains the height of the work implement W at a preset reference height, detects the height of the field surface Hm by the rear cover sensor S13, and adjusts the height of the work implement W up and down according to the height of the field surface Hm to position the tillage depth constantly.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit Q1 includes a tillage information transmission means q13 which is a program that functions to transmit tillage information to a system control device C described later. Here, the tillage information is information related to tillage work, and includes at least the position information of the machine body measured by the positioning device AN1, information indicating the power load (measured value) measured by the power load measuring device S11 (hereinafter referred to as power load information), and information indicating the height of the lift arm 122 (lift arm height) calculated based on the detection information (detection value) of the lift arm sensor S12 (hereinafter referred to as lift arm height information). This tillage information transmission means q13 transmits the current tillage information to the system control device C at a predetermined time interval during agricultural work (tillage work).

[0072] Next, the control unit Q2 of the rice transplanter 201 will be described in more detail. On the input side of the control unit Q2, a float vertical movement detection sensor S21 and a land preparation device height detection sensor S22 are connected. Thereby, the control unit Q2 acquires the detection information of the float vertical movement detection sensor S21 and is configured to maintain the planting depth of the working machine W (seedling planting device W2) constant by controlling the lift cylinder 121. On the output side, a fertilizer applicator 203 is connected, and the amount of fertilizer applied during planting (rice planting) work can be controlled.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit Q2 includes a rice planting information transmission means q23 which is a program that functions to transmit rice planting information to a system control device C described later. Here, the rice planting information is information related to tillage work, and includes at least the position information of the machine body measured by the positioning device AN2, information related to the set planting depth, and information indicating the float height (specifically, the height of each float w25, w26) calculated based on the detection information of the float vertical movement detection sensor S21 (hereinafter referred to as float height information). This rice planting information transmission means q23 transmits the current rice planting information to the system control device C at a predetermined time interval during agricultural work (rice planting work).

[0074] Next, the control unit Q3 of the self-propelled control machine 301 will be described in more detail. The control unit Q2 has a boom potentiometer S3 connected to its input side and a boom opening / closing cylinder 314 connected to its output side. As a result, the control unit Q2 can control the opening and closing of the side boom 310 by controlling the opening / closing cylinder 314 based on the detection information of the boom potentiometer S3.

[0075] <3-2. Control System Configuration of the Portable Information Terminal> As shown in FIG. 6, the portable information terminal B includes various information input means b1 for receiving input of various information from the operator U, various information display means b2 for displaying various information, and work instruction means b3 for transmitting various instructions related to work to the system control device C or the work vehicle A according to the operation of the operator U. As a result, the operator U can remotely perform necessary settings on the system control device C by operating the portable information terminal B with the various information input means b1, and can also confirm various information related to work (such as setting information, work progress information, work map information, etc.) obtained from the system control device C with the various information display means b2. In addition, it is possible to transmit instructions such as the start, temporary stop, and end of work to the system control device C or the work vehicle A by the work instruction means b3.

[0076] <3-3. Control System Configuration of the System Control Device> Next, the control system configuration of the system control device C will be described. The system control device C includes operation instruction means c21 for instructing the operation of the work vehicle A, field map creation means c22 for creating a field map, work map creation means c23 for creating a work map, work section determination means c24 for determining the section during work, work implement height adjustment means c25 for instructing and adjusting the height of the work implement W during work, work implement tilt prevention means c26 for preventing the tilt of the work implement W during work, and storage means c28 for storing various information. Note that these functional units are composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only It is composed of electronic circuits such as a memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and various programs stored therein. Further, the storage means c28 consists of a storage area capable of storing various information. Note that the work area determination means c24 is a program of a subroutine (called by other programs when necessary) that functions to determine the section K in which the work vehicle A is working from the position information of the work vehicle A. For example, it is called by the work implement height adjustment means c25 and the work implement tilt prevention means c26 and executed, but it may be configured to be incorporated into these.

[0077] The operation instruction means c21 functions to transmit instruction information (control commands) for instructing the work vehicle A to perform operations related to traveling, work, etc. via the network NW. The work vehicle A that has acquired the instruction information from the system control device C is configured to operate according to the content of the instruction information under the control of the control units Q1, Q2, and Q3. Thereby, the system control device C can remotely control operations such as the start, stop, deceleration, acceleration, driving, and stop of the work implement W of the work vehicle A.

[0078] The field map creation means c22 functions to create a field map M1, which is map data including information such as the position, shape, and size of the field H to be worked. The created field map M1 is stored in the storage means c28 described later. Further, the work map creation means c23 functions to create a work map based on the field map M1. Here, the work map in this specification refers to work map data that is map data including position information obtained by partitioning the field based on the field map M1 and that can record various information associated with each section. That is, the work map is created based on the field map M1. In this embodiment, the work map includes a section map M2, a design map M3, an automatic driving map M4, a tillage information map M5, and a rice transplanting information map M6, which will be described later.

[0079] Here, referring to FIG. 7, a method for creating a field map M1 and a work map and the data content will be described. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the data content of the field map and the work map. The creation of the field map M1 is, for example, that the work vehicle A acquires position information by means of the positioning devices AN1, AN2, and AN3 and travels once along the inner circumference along the outer edge of the field H, thereby acquiring the position information of the outer edge of the field H. The system control device C creates the field map M1 from the position information acquired by the work vehicle A by means of the field map creation means c22. In the figure of FIG. 7, the positions in the virtual space corresponding to the position information of the work vehicle A acquired at a predetermined time interval are indicated by round dots, and the reference sign "Pi" is attached to the positions of the round dots. That is, the locus indicated by the round dot Pi corresponds to the traveling locus of the work vehicle A in the field H. When the work vehicle A acquires position information with the positioning devices AN1, AN2, and AN3 during traveling and transmits it to the system control device C, one round dot Pi is generated in the virtual space based on the position information. When the generation of the round dot Pi ends when the work vehicle A travels once along the inner circumference of the field H, the outer shape of the field H is generated by connecting the outer edges of the point group of the round dots Pi in the virtual space, and this is stored in the storage means c28 as the field map M1 together with the position information associated with each round dot Pi. Note that the field map M1 itself does not necessarily need to be created by the system control device C. For example, it can also be configured to acquire prepared data from an external server via the network NW.

[0080] Next, when the work map creation means c23 receives a predetermined operation related to map creation (for example, an operation for instructing the operator U to create a map on the portable information terminal B), it creates a section map M2 by dividing the area of the farm field H into sections from the farm field map M1. As shown in FIG. 7, the section map M2 is data obtained by dividing the area of the farm field H into rectangular sections K of a predetermined size in a matrix form. In this way, the section map M2 has information such as a section ID for uniquely identifying each section K, the position of the section K, and the size indicating the area of the section K added to the data content of the farm field map M1. Here, the size of the section K can be set by the operator U to a desired size by operating the portable information terminal B, but at least a size equal to or larger than the front, rear, left, and right widths of the tractor 101 is set. For example, the left and right width sizes of each section K may be set to be substantially the same as the working width of the working machine W of the tractor 101, and the front and rear width sizes may be set to be substantially the same as the front and rear widths of the tractor 101.

[0081] Next, when the work map creation means c23 receives a predetermined operation related to map creation (for example, an operation for instructing the operator U to create a map on the portable information terminal B), it creates a design map M3 showing the design of the farm field H from the partition map M2. Here, the design map M3 is data obtained by adding information related to the design of the farm field H to the partition K of the partition map M2. To each partition K of the design map M3, information such as the four corners, entrances and exits, water inlets, water outlets (drainage outlets), or no input (normal) of the actual farm field H is added so as to correspond to the actual design of the farm field H. The operator U, by operating the portable information terminal B and through a predetermined setting screen, performs a predetermined input operation on any partition K so that these pieces of information related to the design of the farm field H correspond to the actual design of the farm field H, and the work map creation means c23 of the system control device C that has acquired the input information creates the design map M3. The created design map M3 is stored in the storage means c28 described later. Here, among the partitions K of the design map M3 input (set) by the operator U, a partition K in which any one of the four corners, entrances and exits, water inlets, and water outlets (drainage outlets) of the farm field H is input is determined to be a deep tillage recommended partition in the work implement height adjustment process described later. Here, the deep tillage recommended partition refers to a partition in the partition K of the farm field H where deeper tillage is recommended than usual. That is, the four corners, entrances and exits, water inlets, and water outlets (drainage outlets) of the farm field H generally tend to have a rough farm field surface with waves due to the farm field being overgrown and having depressions, etc., so deeper tillage is recommended than usual. Therefore, the tractor 101 can make the farm field surface in a good and uniform state by performing deeper tillage than usual in the deep tillage recommended partitions of the farm field H.

[0082] Also, when the work map creation means c23 receives a predetermined operation related to map creation (for example, an operation for instructing the operator U to create a map on the portable information terminal B), it creates an automatic driving map M4 including information on the target driving route L indicating the target driving trajectory of the work vehicle A during automatic driving from the field map M1. The automatic driving map M4 is created for each type of work vehicle A. For example, based on the working width W of the work vehicle A, a route for reciprocating within the area of the field H is calculated, and an automatic driving map M4 corresponding to the work vehicle A is created. Note that the target driving route L may be calculated with reference to the section map M2 at the time of calculation so as to pass through each section K without omission according to the size of the section K of the section map M2. The created field map M4 is stored in the storage means c28.

[0083] During the tilling operation by the tractor 101, the tilling information map M5 acquires the position information indicating the current position of the tractor 101, the lift arm height information, and the power load information from the tractor 101, and determines the section K in which the work vehicle A is working by referring to the position information of the work vehicle A and the information of the section map M2. The corresponding section K (in other words, the section K where the work vehicle A is located) records the lift arm height information and the power load information in that section K and is data mapped. When the operator U performs a predetermined operation at the start of the work (tilling) of the tractor 101, the creation of the tilling information map M5 is started and ends at the end of the work. Note that when a plurality of measurement information is obtained from the tractor 101 in one section K, an average value may be calculated and recorded. The tilling information map M5 creates data on the frequency (for example, annual or monthly) of the work by the tractor 101 and is stored in the storage means c28 together with the date and time when the work was performed.

[0084] The rice transplanting information map M6 acquires, from the rice transplanter 201 during the rice transplanting operation, position information indicating the current position of the rice transplanter 201 and information indicating the float height, and determines the section K in which the work vehicle A is working by referring to the position information of the work vehicle A and the information of the section map M2. Corresponding section K (in other words, the section K where the work vehicle A is located), information indicating the float height in that section K is recorded and mapped data. When the operation (cultivation) of the rice transplanter 201 starts, the operator U performs a predetermined operation to start the creation of the rice transplanting information map M6, and the creation ends at the end of the operation. In addition, when a plurality of measurement information is obtained from the rice transplanter 101 in one section K, an average value may be calculated and recorded. The rice transplanting information map M6 creates data on the frequency (for example, annual or monthly) of the operation by the rice transplanter 201, and is stored in the storage means c28 together with the date and time when the operation was performed.

[0085] <3-4. Working machine height adjustment means> The system control device C includes a working machine height adjustment means c25 that instructs and adjusts the height of the working machine W during the cultivation operation by the tractor 101. This working machine height adjustment means c25 is assumed for the tractor 101 as the work vehicle A. However, it is not necessarily limited to the tractor 101 and is applicable to various aircraft that perform cultivation. When the cultivation operation by the tractor 101 starts, the working machine height adjustment means c25 executes a working machine height adjustment process for adjusting the height of the working machine W.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the working machine height adjustment process. As shown in FIG. 8, when the working machine height adjustment process is started, the system control device C acquires the position information of the tractor 101 (step #11) and acquires information regarding the lift arm height (the current height of the lift arm 122) detected by the lift arm sensor S12 (step #12).

[0087] Next, from the acquired position information of the tractor 101, the section determination means c24 determines the section K in which the tractor 101 is working, and determines whether the currently working section K belongs to the deep tillage recommended section (step #13). Here, the deep tillage recommended section refers to the section in the section K of the field H where deep tillage is recommended. The determination of whether it belongs to the deep tillage recommended section is made by referring to the design map M3 as described above, depending on whether the currently working section K corresponds to any of the four corners, entrances and exits, water inlets, and water outlets (drainage outlets) of the field H (if it corresponds, it is determined to belong to the deep tillage recommended section). Note that the design map M3 refers to the most recent one from the current work execution date and time.

[0088] When it is determined that it belongs to the deep tillage recommended section (Y in step #13), instruction information is transmitted to the tractor 101 to adjust the height of the current lift arm 122 downward by a predetermined distance from the current position. Here, as described above, the control unit Q1 of the tractor 101 rotates the lift arm 122 based on the detection value of the rear cover sensor S13, thereby vertically adjusting the position of the working machine W (rotary tiller W1) from the reference height (reference lift arm height Z1), and the height of the working machine W is determined. Therefore, in step #13, when it is determined that it belongs to the deep tillage recommended section, in addition to the vertical position adjustment of the working machine W based on the rear cover sensor S13, the position of the working machine W is further adjusted downward by a predetermined distance. As a result, in the deep tillage recommended section, the working machine W of the tractor 101 is adjusted to a position lower than normal (the set tillage depth). As a result, by performing deeper tillage than normal in the easily erodible parts of the field H, the field surface can be made well uniform.

[0089] When the position of the working machine W is adjusted downward by a predetermined distance (step #14), or when it is determined that it does not belong to the deep tillage recommended section (N in step #13), the process proceeds to step #15. Note that the working machine W whose position has been adjusted downward by a predetermined distance is controlled to return upward by the amount of the position adjustment when the work vehicle A exits the section K where it is currently working.

[0090] Subsequently, the working machine height adjustment means c25 determines whether the currently working section K during the current operation belongs to a low section (step #15). Here, a low section is a section where the height of the field surface Hm is lower than normal and a depression has occurred on the field surface Hm. The determination of whether it belongs to a low section is made by referring to the tillage information map M5 and the rice transplanting information map M6, and the power load information, lift arm height information, and float height information in the currently working section K during the current operation.

[0091] In the records of the tillage information map M5 and the rice transplanting information map M6, when the currently working section K has a lift arm height lower than a predetermined first determination height, a power load greater than a predetermined determination load value, and a float height lower than a predetermined second determination height during the current operation, it is determined that the currently working section K belongs to a low section. Here, for the first determination height, determination load value, and second determination height, set values previously set in the system control device C are used. However, in order to accurately determine the section K where a depression has occurred and it has become a lowland in the field H, the first determination height is preferably set lower than the reference lift arm height Z1, the determination load value is set greater than the power load value during normal flat ground travel, and the second determination height is set lower than the reference float height Z2. That is, at the point where a depression has occurred in the field H, compared to normal, the lift arm height is lower, the power load is greater, and the float height is lower. Thus, by utilizing the information from the operations of the tractor 101 and the rice transplanter 201, the state of the field H can be determined more accurately.

[0092] If it is determined that the currently working section K belongs to a low section (Y in step #15), it is determined whether the current lift arm height of the tractor 101 is lower than the set target height (step #16). Here, the set target height is the height of the lift arm 122 set in advance to prevent deep plowing of the field H, and from the perspective of preventing deep plowing, it is preferably set to a height equal to or higher than the reference lift arm height Z1.

[0093] When it is determined that the current lift arm height of the tractor 101 is lower than the set target height (Y in step #16), instruction information is transmitted to the tractor 101 so that the lift arm height is set to the set target height. As a result, the lift arm height of the tractor 101 is controlled to rise to the set target height. Consequently, in the field Hm, it is possible to prevent deep digging (excessive deep tillage) of the section K where a depression has occurred and it has become a lowland, and the field surface can be made in good uniformity. In this case, the work vehicle A is controlled so that the lift arm height becomes the set target height until it exits the currently working section K.

[0094] Next, it is determined whether the work has ended (step #18). If the work has ended, the process ends. If not, the process returns to step #11. Note that the end of work is determined based on conditions such as, for example, key switch off, machine stop for a predetermined time or more, or an operation to end the work being performed.

[0095] <3-5. Working machine tilting prevention means> The system control device C includes a working machine tilting prevention means c26 that prevents the tilting of the working machine W during the work by the work vehicle A. The working machine tilting prevention means c25 is assumed for the work vehicle A as a self-propelled control machine 301. This is because the self-propelled control machine 301 has a large lateral width of the working machine W, and preventing tilting is preferable for improving the quality of the work. However, the work vehicle A targeted by the working machine tilting prevention means c25 is not necessarily limited to the self-propelled control machine 301. The working machine tilting prevention means c25 executes a working machine tilting prevention process to prevent the tilting of the working machine W when the tilling work by the work vehicle A is started.

[0096] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the working machine tilting prevention process. Figure 10 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the work vehicle A traveling during work and the sections of the field. As shown in FIG. 9, when the work implement tilting prevention process is started, the system control device C acquires the position information of the work vehicle A (step #21), and in the same procedure as described above by the work implement height adjustment means c25, using the tillage information map M5 and the rice transplanting information map M6, referring to the power load information, the lift arm height information, and the float height information, determines whether the work vehicle A has entered a low area section (step #22). Note that the tillage information map M5 and the rice transplanting information map M6 refer to the most recent ones from the current work execution date and time.

[0097] Here, the determination regarding entry into the section K will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows the state of the work vehicle A during automatic travel along the target travel route L. The work implement tilting prevention means c26 calculates the position Ap' of the front end of the work vehicle A from the current position Ap of the work vehicle A. Then, when the position Ap' of the front end has entered a new section Kp', it is determined that the work vehicle A has entered the new section Kp'. Returning to FIG. 9, in step #22, using the tillage information map M5 and the rice transplanting information map M6, referring to the power load information, the lift arm height information, and the float height information, determines whether the entered new section Kp' belongs to a low area section, and when it is determined that it belongs, determines that the work vehicle A has entered a low area section (Y in step #22). Note that when it is determined that the work vehicle A has not entered a low area section, the process proceeds to step #27.

[0098] When it is determined that the work vehicle A has entered a low area (Y in step #22), the work implement tilt prevention means c26 transmits instruction information to the work vehicle A so as to decelerate it to a speed lower than the current vehicle speed. As a result, the work vehicle A decelerates by controlling the traveling devices RA1, RA2, and RA3, and can enter the low area in the decelerated state. Here, since the field surface Hm of the low area is lower than the surroundings, the machine body is likely to tilt due to the height difference when entering. Therefore, by entering the low area at a lower vehicle speed than normal, it is possible to enter the low area while improving the accuracy of the rolling control of the horizontal control cylinders SR1, SR2, and SR3 based on the measurement information of the positioning devices AN1, AN2, and AN3. (Conversely, if entering at high speed, the rolling control cannot keep up, and the work implement W is likely to tilt). In this way, the tilt of the work implement W can be prevented well. In addition, by suppressing the sudden up-and-down shaking of the machine body due to the height difference, the posture of the work implement W can be stabilized.

[0099] After deceleration, the work implement tilt prevention means c26 acquires the position information of the work vehicle A and transmits instruction information to continue traveling while decelerating until the traveling vehicle body A escapes (steps #24 to #25). Here, in determining the escape, the work implement tilt prevention means c26 calculates the position Ap'' of the rear end of the work vehicle A from the current position Ap of the work vehicle A. Then, when the position Ap'' of the rear end has passed through the section Kp belonging to the low area, it is determined that the work vehicle A has exited the low area. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the tilt of the work implement W while also coping well with the height difference when exiting the low area. Next, it is determined whether the work has ended (step #27). If the work has ended, the process ends, and if not, the process returns to step #21.

[0100] <3-6. Work amount adjustment means> During the operation of the work vehicle A, the system control device C includes a work amount adjustment means c27 that adjusts the work amount (control amount) of the work vehicle A when a predetermined condition is satisfied by referring to the work map. The configuration example of the work amount adjustment means c27 will be described below.

[0101] The work amount adjustment means c27 may be configured to rotate the tilling claws w11 of the tractor 101 while the tractor 101 is working in the corner sections K of the field H in the design map M3. At the four corners of the field H, since the work vehicle A also turns frequently and the soil in the field is piled up, by pulling the soil by reverse rotation, the height difference from the sections other than the corners can be eliminated and the height of the field surface Hm can be made uniform.

[0102] The work amount adjustment means c27 may be configured to automatically make the planting depth deeper than the set value while the rice transplanter 101 is working in the corner sections K of the field H in the design map M3. At the four corners of the field H, since the work vehicle A also turns frequently and the soil is often rough, by making the planting depth deeper, the seedlings can be planted stably. Similarly, the amount of seedlings taken may be increased. Also, the height of each leveling rotor w32, w33 may be configured to be lower than the set value. Thereby, the soil can be made firm and the seedlings can be planted stably. Also, the rotational speed of the electric rotor that determines the planting speed may be accelerated more than usual. Thereby, by planting the seedlings quickly, the seedlings can be planted stably. Also, in the corner sections K of the field H in the design map M3, the fertilization amount by the fertilizer applicator 203 may be configured to be increased more than the set value. At the four corners of the field H, since the soil cultivation depth is also deep and the range where the fertilizer can dissolve is also deep, by spreading more fertilizer than usual, the fertilizer given to the seedlings can be made uniform.

[0103] A section K with the four corners, water inlet, water outlet (drainage outlet), and entrance / exit of the field H of the design map M3 set is defined as a lodging risk area where lodging of seedlings is likely to occur. In the lodging risk area, the fertilizer application amount by the fertilizer applicator 203 may be configured to be reduced compared to normal. By reducing the fertilizer application amount in this way, the risk of lodging can be lowered. In the lodging risk area, when harvesting with a combine, the threshed paddy may be configured to be discharged into another container or bag. If the quality of the harvested product is poor in the lodging area, it can be prevented from being mixed with other areas. Regarding the four corners of the field H, it is desirable to set whether to increase or decrease the fertilizer application amount in consideration of the annual temperature of the field H. In areas with a cold climate, since the stems of the seedlings are thin and lodging is likely to occur, it is preferable to reduce the fertilizer application amount. In areas with a warm climate, since lodging is less likely to occur, it is preferable to increase the fertilizer application amount giving priority to the growth of the seedlings.

[0104] <4. Modifications, etc.> The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of work vehicles A corresponding to work processes such as tilling, transplanting, and control share the field map M (and the work map), so that the quality of work of the plurality of work vehicles A can be comprehensively improved, and excessive deep tillage of the field H can be effectively prevented, and the field can be tilled uniformly. Further, the present invention is not limited only to the aspects of the above-described embodiments. Needless to say, it can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea. For example, the system control device C may be connected to an external server via the network NW, acquire a satellite image of the field H, estimate the NDVI value (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of the field H to be worked, and include, for each section K in the work map, information indicating the height (length) of the crop calculated from the NDVI value (hereinafter referred to as crop height information). Note that the crop height information may be input (manually input, etc.) by another method. Further, based on the crop height information recorded in the work map, the height of the working machine W (more specifically, the front frame 311) of the self-propelled control machine 301 may be adjusted up and down so as to be an optimal spraying height according to the height of the crop recorded in the section K during work. That is, a crop height map is created by recording the crop height information for each section K and mapping it, and by referring to the crop height map, the self-propelled control machine 301 automatically adjusts the working machine W higher as the height of the crop is higher and lower as the height of the crop is lower according to the section K during work. Thereby, chemical spraying can be performed efficiently.

[0105] In addition, the system control device C may be configured to acquire an image of the field H captured by a small unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) and automatically input design information such as the four corners, water inlets, water outlets, entrances and exits of the field H into each section K of the design map M3 by analyzing the acquired image. Further, information such as the time when the work was carried out may be recorded in each section K of the work map. Thereby, analysis of the progress speed of the work and the like becomes possible.

[0106] In the embodiment described in FIG. 8, the processing procedures of steps #12 to #14 and steps #15 to #17 shown in the flowchart are set as a series of continuous procedures, but they can also be configured as independent processes. By setting these as continuous procedures, it is possible to prevent the lift arm 122 from descending too much with respect to the field surface Hm.

Explanation of Signs

[0107] 1 Agricultural support system 101 Tractor 201 Transplanter 301 Self-propelled control machine A Work vehicle B Portable information terminal C System control device H Field Hm Field surface Oj1 Water inlet Oj2 Water outlet (drainage port) Oj3 Entrance / exit NW Network NW2 Wireless base station W Working machine

Claims

Claim 1 An agricultural support system comprising a plurality of work vehicles that perform agricultural work by a working machine while traveling in a field, a portable information terminal that receives various operations related to instructions and settings for agricultural work from an operator, and a system control device that controls various operations in the support of agricultural work, wherein these are connected via a communication network and configured to be able to send and receive information to and from each other, the system control device includes working machine height adjustment means for instructing and adjusting the height of the working machine, and working map creation means for creating a work map which is map data partitioning the field and capable of recording information in each partition, the plurality of work vehicles include a tractor for tilling the field and a rice transplanter for transplanting rice, the work map includes a tillage information map in which tillage information is recorded for each partition of the field based on the work of the tractor, and a rice transplanting information map in which rice transplanting information is recorded for each partition of the field based on the work of the rice transplanter, the working machine height adjustment means, during the work of the tractor, acquires position information from the tractor to determine the partition being worked, and with reference to the tillage information map and the rice transplanting information map, when in the tillage information and the rice transplanting information recorded in the partition being worked, the lift arm height is lower than a predetermined first determination height, the power load is greater than a predetermined determination load value, and the float height is lower than a predetermined second determination height, adjusts to raise the height of the working machine of the tractor. The agricultural support system is characterized by this. Claim 2 the work map includes a design map showing the design of the field, the working map creation means is configured to be able to record, in each partition of the field, at least information indicating the water inlet, water outlet, and entrance / exit of the field in the creation of the design map, the system control device, during the work of the tractor, acquires position information from the tractor to determine the partition being worked, and with reference to the design map, when information indicating any of the water inlet, water outlet, and entrance / exit is recorded in the partition being worked, adjusts to lower the height of the working machine of the tractor. The agricultural support system according to claim 1 is characterized by this. Claim 3 During the operation of the rice transplanter, the system control device acquires position information from the rice transplanter to determine the section being worked on, and with reference to the design map, when information indicating any one of a water inlet, a water outlet, and an entrance / exit is recorded in the section being worked on, the fertilizer application amount of the fertilizer applicator of the rice transplanter is reduced. The agricultural support system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The plurality of work vehicles includes a self-propelled control machine that sprays a chemical solution for control in a field. The system control device is provided with a work implement tilt prevention means for preventing the tilt of the work implement. During the operation of the self-propelled control machine, the work implement tilt prevention means acquires position information from the self-propelled control machine to determine the section being worked on, and then determines the section to enter next. Furthermore, with reference to the tillage information map and the rice transplanting information map, in the tillage information and the rice transplanting information recorded in the section to enter next, when the lift arm height is lower than a predetermined first determination height, the power load is greater than a predetermined determination load value, and the float height is lower than a predetermined second determination height, the vehicle speed of the self-propelled control machine is adjusted to be reduced. The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

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