Operation information management method, operation information management system, and operation information management program

Abstract

To suppress increase in a communication load of a server and data accumulated in the server.SOLUTION: An operation information management method includes storing a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing an operation state of a work device 11 that performs work in a field in accordance with a plurality of periods. The operation information management method further includes determining a first period to which a current time point belongs among the plurality of periods. The operation information management method further includes determining a sampling interval based on the determined first period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation information management method, an operation information management system, and an operation information management program.

Background Art

[0002] There has been proposed a technique of measuring the position information of an agricultural work device at a predetermined sampling interval and transmitting it to a server, and grasping in detail the working conditions in the field based on the obtained position information. The shorter the sampling interval, the more detailed information can be obtained for grasping the working conditions. However, if the sampling interval is shortened, a large amount of information will be transmitted from the agricultural work device. When a large number of agricultural work devices are operating, an even larger amount of information will be transmitted, leading to an increase in the communication load of the server and the amount of data accumulated in the server.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of suppressing an increase in the communication load of the server and the amount of data accumulated in the server by making the sampling interval when the agricultural work device is working in the field shorter than the sampling interval when the agricultural work device is not working in the field.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Agricultural working devices are used for work in the fields for a long time. Also, during the rice transplanting season and the rice harvesting season, many agricultural working devices will work simultaneously. When transmitting operation information indicating the detailed operation state of the agricultural working device to the server in addition to the position information of the agricultural working device, the communication load on the server and the data accumulated in the server will further increase. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress the increase in the communication load on the server and the data accumulated in the server only by the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0006] The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to suppress an increase in the communication load on the server and the data accumulated in the server.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Hereinafter, the means for solving the problems will be described using the numbers and symbols used in the embodiments for carrying out the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference to show an example of the correspondence relationship between the description of the claims and the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Therefore, the claims should not be construed in a limited manner by the description in parentheses.

[0008] The operation information management method according to an embodiment for solving the above problems includes: a sampling control information storage unit (58) stores a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing the operation state of a working device (11) that works in a field corresponding to a plurality of periods; a period determination unit (67) determines a first period to which the current time belongs among the plurality of periods; and a sampling interval determination unit (66) determines a sampling interval based on the determined first period.

[0009] An operation information management system (1) according to an embodiment for solving the above problems includes: a period determination unit (67) that determines a first period to which the current time belongs among a plurality of periods; and a sampling interval determination unit (66) that determines a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing the operation state of a working device (11) that works in a field based on the determined first period.

[0010] The operation information management program (611) according to an embodiment for solving the above problems causes the control device (60) to execute a process of storing a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing the operation state of the working device (11) that performs work in the field corresponding to a plurality of periods, a process of determining a first period to which the current time belongs among the plurality of periods, and a process of determining the sampling interval based on the determined first period.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the above aspect, the operation information management system can suppress an increase in the communication load of the server and the data accumulated in the server.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the operation information management system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation information management system 1 includes a communication terminal 2 mounted on a working device 11 such as a tractor, a management server 3, and an information terminal 7. The communication terminal 2 and the information terminal 7 can communicate with the management server 3 via the network 5.

[0014] The working device 11 is owned by the user or operates under the user's control, travels in the field, and performs work. The working device 11 includes, for example, a combine, a rice transplanter, a tractor that pulls a working machine, a drone that sprays agricultural chemicals, and the like. The communication terminal 2 acquires operation information representing the state of the working device 11 at a set sampling interval and transmits it to the management server 3. The management server 3 creates farm management information based on the received operation information. The farm management information is information used to manage whether agricultural production activities are being carried out appropriately from various viewpoints. The management server 3 distributes the created farm management information to the information terminal 7. The user analyzes the crop cultivation method in the field based on the farm management information displayed on the information terminal 7.

[0015] Here, the sampling interval for acquiring the operation information is determined by the management server 3, for example, according to the frequency with which the user accesses the management server 3 from the information terminal 7 and uses the farm management information. The management server 3 determines, for example, that the sampling interval corresponding to a user who uses the farm management information frequently is shorter than the sampling interval corresponding to a user who uses the farm management information relatively less frequently. Thereby, the operation information management system 1 can enable relatively detailed acquisition of operation information for users who use the farm management information frequently, and can reduce the load on the management server 3.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the working device 11 includes a working device control device 10, a key switch 24, and a communication terminal 2. The key switch 24 turns the engine of the working device 11 on and off. The key switch 24 transmits an electrical signal indicating the on / off state of the engine of the working device 11 to the working device control device 10.

[0017] The working device control device 10 acquires state information representing the state of the working device 11 from various sensors. The state information acquired by the working device control device 10 includes information representing the state of the working device 11, such as the speed, steering angle, engine speed, and on / off states of various clutches of the working device 11. When the working device 11 is a vehicle that pulls a working machine, such as a tractor, the state information may include information such as the PTO (power take-off) speed when transmitting power to the working machine, the hitch height indicating the attitude of the working machine, and the lift arm angle. The acquired state information is output to the communication terminal 2.

[0018] The communication terminal 2 acquires operation information including the state information and position information of the working device 11, and outputs the acquired operation information to the management server 3. The communication terminal 2 is fixed to the roof or the like of the working device 11. The communication terminal 2 includes a control device 40, a position detection device 51, a communication device 52, an input / output device 53, and a storage device 54. The control device 40 is communicably connected to the position detection device 51, the communication device 52, the input / output device 53, and the storage device 54.

[0019] The position detection device 51 measures the position of the working device 11. The position detection device 51 is, for example, a receiver of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and receives radio waves from the positioning satellite 6 (see FIG. 1) to measure the position of the working device 11 at each moment when moving in the field.

[0020] The storage device 54 is composed of a storage medium such as a non-volatile memory. The storage device 54 is provided with an operation information storage unit 56, a field position information storage unit 57, a sampling control information storage unit 58, a user information storage unit 59, and the like. The operation information storage unit 56 stores the operation information acquired at each sampling interval. The field position information storage unit 57 stores the field position information indicating the area of the field. The sampling control information storage unit 58 stores the sampling control information representing the sampling interval when acquiring the operation information. The user information storage unit 59 stores the individual information for identifying the user's working device 11. The individual information of the working device 11 represents, for example, the vehicle number of the working device 11 and is stored at the time of manufacture.

[0021] The control device 40 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 41. The memory 41 stores various data for performing processing and functions as a non-transitory tangible storage medium that stores, for example, an operation information management program 411. The operation information management program 411 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 8, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server. The control device 40 realizes a data sampling unit 42 by executing the operation information management program 411.

[0022] The data sampling unit 42 acquires the status information of the working device 11 from the working device control device 10 at the set sampling interval. Further, the data sampling unit 42 acquires the position information of the working device 11 from the position detection device 51 at the set sampling interval. The sampling interval at which the data sampling unit 42 acquires information is stored in the sampling control information storage unit 58. The sampling interval at which the data sampling unit 42 acquires the status information from the working device control device 10 may be the same as the interval at which the working device control device 10 acquires the status information, or may be longer than the interval at which the working device control device 10 acquires the status information. The data sampling unit 42 associates the operation information including the status information acquired from the working device control device 10 and the position information acquired from the position detection device 51 with the individual information of the working device 11, and transmits it to the management server 3 via the communication device 52 and the network 5.

[0023] The communication device 52 transfers the information for the control device 40 to communicate with the management server 3 via the network 5. The communication device 52 transfers, for example, the operation information acquired from the control device 40 to the management server 3. The communication device 52 includes various interfaces such as a transceiver used for wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a cellular network, a NIC (Network Interface Card), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0024] Information necessary for the processing of the control device 40 is input to the input / output device 53. Further, the input / output device 53 outputs the processing result of the control device 40. The input / output device 53 has, for example, operation buttons, a touch panel display, a speaker, etc.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the management server 3 includes a control device 60, a communication device 71, an input / output device 72, and a storage device 74 as shown in FIG. 3. The control device 60 is communicably connected to the communication device 71, the input / output device 72, and the storage device 74. The communication device 71 transfers information for the control device 60 to communicate with the communication terminal 2 and the information terminal 7 via the network 5. For example, the communication device 71 transfers the operation information acquired from the communication terminal 2 to the control device 60. The communication device 71 includes various interfaces such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0026] The storage device 74 is composed of a storage medium such as a non-volatile memory. The storage device 74 is provided with an operation information storage unit 76, an agricultural management information storage unit 77, a field position information storage unit 78, a sampling control information storage unit 79, a user information storage unit 80, and the like. The operation information storage unit 76 stores the operation information received from the communication terminal 2. The agricultural management information storage unit 77 stores agricultural management information. The field position information storage unit 78 stores field position information indicating the area of the field. The sampling control information storage unit 79 stores information on the sampling interval in association with the individual information of the working device 11. The user information storage unit 80 stores a user management table that associates the individual information of the working device 11 with user ID information for identifying the user who uses the working device 11. The user management table stored in the user information storage unit 80 is updated by the seller, for example, at the time of sale of the working device 11.

[0027] The control device 60 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU and a memory 61. The memory 61 stores various data for performing processing, and functions as a non-transitory tangible storage medium that stores, for example, the operation information management program 611 of this system. The operation information management program 611 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 9, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server. By executing the operation information management program 611, the control device 60 realizes an information management unit 62, a farm management information creation unit 63, an access count detection unit 65, and a sampling interval determination unit 66.

[0028] The information management unit 62 acquires user ID information associated with the individual information of the working device 11 received from the communication terminal 2 based on the user management table stored in the user information storage unit 80. The information management unit 62 stores the received operation information in the operation information storage unit 76 in association with the individual information of the working device 11 and the user ID information.

[0029] The farm management information creation unit 63 creates farm management information using the operation information. The farm management information creation unit 63 creates farm management information for each user. Also, the farm management information creation unit 63 creates farm management information corresponding to the work performed by the working device 11. The created farm management information is, for example, information representing the movement trajectory of the working device 11 in the field using the position information included in the operation information. By analyzing this information, the user can grasp how the farming work was carried out in the field and use it as a reference for creating the work route for the next fiscal year and later.

[0030] In addition, the agricultural management information creation unit 63 may create agricultural management information representing the work content of the working device 11, for example, the harvest amount of the crops harvested by the working device 11. For example, the working device 11 (for example, a combine) is provided with a yield sensor for measuring the harvest amount of the harvested crops. The control device 40 of the communication terminal 2 acquires the harvest amount of the crops harvested by the working device 11 at each position represented by the position information of the working device 11. The harvest amounts at the acquired respective positions are included in the operation information and transmitted to the agricultural management information creation unit 63. The agricultural management information creation unit 63 creates agricultural management information representing the harvest amount at each position in the farm field based on the operation information. The user can grasp the distribution of the harvest amounts in the farm field from this agricultural management information, and can consider the fertilization amounts at each position in the farm field for the next year based on the agricultural management information.

[0031] The access count detection unit 65 detects the number of accesses (logins) from the information terminal 7 to the management server 3 within a predetermined period. The user accesses the agricultural management information storage unit 77 of the management server 3 using the user ID information assigned to each user and uses the agricultural management information. The access count detection unit 65 counts the number of times of accessing the management server 3 for each user within a predetermined period, for example, within one year. Then, the access count detection unit 65 detects the number of accesses to the management server 3 for each user in one year and calculates the access frequency for each user.

[0032] The sampling interval determination unit 66 determines a sampling interval corresponding to the access frequency for each user. Specifically, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines a shorter sampling interval in the data sampling unit 42 of the working device 11 for a user with a relatively large number of accesses to the management server 3 than for a user with a relatively small number of accesses.

[0033] For example, the sampling interval determination unit 66 classifies users into a plurality of user groups based on the access frequency, and determines different sampling intervals for the classified user groups. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the sampling interval determination unit 66 classifies users into an upper layer (a layer with a high access frequency), a middle layer, and a lower layer (a layer with a low access frequency) based on the access frequency. The upper layer is, for example, users within X% (e.g., 10%) from the highest access frequency. The sampling interval determination unit 66 determines a sampling interval of 5 seconds for users belonging to the upper layer. The lower layer is, for example, users within Y% (e.g., 5%) from the lowest access frequency. The sampling interval determination unit 66 determines a sampling interval of 300 seconds for users belonging to the lower layer. The middle layer is a layer that does not belong to the upper layer and the lower layer (users with an access frequency of X% or more from the highest and Y% or more from the lowest). The sampling interval determination unit 66 determines a sampling interval of 60 seconds for users belonging to the middle layer. The values of X and Y serving as thresholds are variable. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the access frequency is set in three levels, but the access frequency can be set in any number of levels. For example, it may be set in two levels or five levels.

[0034] The sampling interval determination unit 66 associates the information on the sampling interval determined for each user with the individual information of the working device 11 and stores it in the sampling control information storage unit 79.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 3, information necessary for the processing of the control device 60 is input to the input / output device 72. Also, the input / output device 72 outputs the processing result of the control device 60. The input / output device 72 has, for example, operation buttons, a touch panel display, a speaker, etc.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 1, the information terminal 7 is a smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc. used by the user. The application software of this system is stored in the information terminal 7. The user can obtain user ID information, for example, by registering as a member. The user can access the management server 3 by inputting the user ID information and password, and can use (view) the farming operation information stored in the management server 3.

[0037] Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the operation of the operation information management system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. First, with reference to FIG. 5, the determination of the sampling interval according to the access frequency will be described. Various farming operation information is stored in the farming operation information storage unit 77 in the storage device 74 of the management server 3.

[0038] In step S11, when the information terminal 7 receives an input of a browsing operation of farming operation information by the user, it transmits request information for requesting the farming operation information to the management server 3. For example, the user inputs a browsing operation for browsing the farming operation information stored in the management server 3 to the information terminal 7. The browsing operation includes an operation of inputting user ID information. The information terminal 7 transmits the request information for requesting the farming operation information including the input user ID information to the management server 3.

[0039] In step S12, the farming operation information creation unit 63 of the management server 3 determines whether the user ID information included in the received request information is registered. If it is determined that the user ID information is registered (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. If it is determined that the user ID information is not registered (step S12: No), the process returns to step S11 and is repeated.

[0040] In step S13, the access count detection unit 65 counts the number of accesses to the agricultural management information for each user ID information. For example, when it is determined that a predetermined measurement period (e.g., one year) has elapsed, the access count detection unit 65 detects the number of times (access frequency) each user has accessed the management server 3 within the predetermined measurement period.

[0041] In step S14, the agricultural management information creation unit 63 reads the agricultural management information from the agricultural management information storage unit 77 and transmits the read agricultural management information to the information terminal 7. The transmitted agricultural management information is displayed on the information terminal 7. The user analyzes the crop cultivation method in the field based on the agricultural management information displayed on the information terminal 7.

[0042] In step S15, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval for each working device 11 based on the number of times (access frequency) each user has accessed the management server 3 within the predetermined measurement period. For example, first, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval for each user based on the access frequency of each user within the measurement period. For example, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval based on the position of the access frequency of each user in the distribution of the access frequencies of all users, for example, the percentile.

[0043] Specifically, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the position of the access frequency of each user in the access frequency distribution based on the access frequencies of all users. Based on the determined position of the user's access frequency, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval for the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval to be 5 seconds for users belonging to the upper layer with high access frequency. Also, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval to be 60 seconds for users belonging to the middle layer. Further, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval to be 300 seconds for users belonging to the lower layer with low access frequency. In this way, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval such that the sampling interval for users with relatively high access counts is less than or equal to the sampling interval for users with relatively low access counts.

[0044] Next, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the individual information of the working device 11 used by the user who accessed the management server 3 based on the user management table stored in the user information storage unit 80. The sampling interval determination unit 66 searches the user management table for the individual information of the working device 11 associated with the user ID information corresponding to the user.

[0045] The sampling interval determination unit 66 associates the determined sampling interval with the individual information of the working device 11 that has been searched and stores it in the sampling control information storage unit 79. If the corresponding sampling interval has already been stored, the sampling interval determination unit 66 replaces it with the newly determined sampling interval.

[0046] The processes of steps S11 to S15 are repeated.

[0047] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the acquisition of operation information in the working device 11 will be described. In the sampling control information storage unit 79 in the storage device 74 of the management server 3, sampling interval information is stored for each individual information of the working device 11. Here, it is assumed that the working device 11 is a combine. In the user information storage unit 59 of the communication terminal 2, individual information for identifying the combine (working device 11) is stored. When the user activates the working device 11, the communication terminal 2 activates and starts the process shown in FIG. 6.

[0048] In step S31, the data sampling unit 42 of the control device 40 of the communication terminal 2 transmits the individual information of the working device 11 to the management server 3. For example, the data sampling unit 42 reads out the individual information of the working device 11 (combine) from the user information storage unit 59, and transmits the read individual information to the management server 3 via the communication device 52 and the network 5.

[0049] In step S32, the information management unit 62 of the control device 60 of the management server 3 acquires the sampling interval information associated with the individual information of the working device 11 (combine) from the sampling control information storage unit 79.

[0050] In step S33, the information management unit 62 transmits the sampling interval information to the communication terminal 2 via the network 5. Also, the information management unit 62 transmits the field position information indicating the area of the field stored in the field position information storage unit 78 to the communication terminal 2 via the network 5. The sampling interval information is stored in the sampling control information storage unit 58 by the data sampling unit 42 of the control device 40 of the communication terminal 2. Also, the field position information is stored in the field position information storage unit 57 by the data sampling unit 42.

[0051] In step S34, the data sampling unit 42 acquires position information from the position detection device 51 and state information from the work device control device 10 at the acquired sampling interval. The data sampling unit 42 accumulates the state information and position information acquired at each sampling interval as operation information in the operation information storage unit 56.

[0052] In step S35, the data sampling unit 42 associates the accumulated operation information with the individual information of the work device 11 and transmits it to the management server 3. For example, when the key switch 24 of the work device 11 is turned off, the data sampling unit 42 transmits the operation information and the individual information to the management server 3.

[0053] In step S36, the information management unit 62 of the management server 3 stores the received operation information in the operation information storage unit 76. For example, the information management unit 62 acquires user ID information associated with the individual information of the work device 11 received from the communication terminal 2 based on the user management table stored in the user information storage unit 80. The information management unit 62 stores the received operation information in the operation information storage unit 76 in association with the individual information of the work device 11 and the user ID information.

[0054] In step S37, the farming operation information creation unit 63 creates farming operation information based on the operation information stored in the operation information storage unit 76 and stores it in the farming operation information storage unit 77. The farming operation information creation unit 63 creates, for example, farming operation information used to analyze the work performed in the field by the work device 11 for each user ID information and work device 11 (work performed by the work device 11). For example, the farming operation information creation unit 63 creates a yield map showing the yield for each harvesting position in the field as farming operation information from the position information included in the operation information and the yield data representing the yield at each position. The user can grasp the distribution of the yield in the field from this yield map and consider the amount of base fertilizer to be applied at each position in the next year.

[0055] In the above description, the case where the control device 40 having the data sampling unit 42 is implemented in the communication terminal 2 has been described. However, the control device 40 may be a device physically separate from the communication terminal 2. For example, the communication terminal 2 may include a position detection device 51 and a communication device 52, and the control device 40 and the storage device 54 may be implemented in a computer separate from the communication terminal 2.

[0056] Also, in the above description, the case where the control device 40 and the storage device 54 are separate devices, and the control device 60 and the storage device 74 are separate devices has been described. However, the control device 40 and the storage device 54 may be realized by one computer. Also, the control device 60 and the storage device 74 may be realized by one computer.

[0057] Also, in the above description, the case where the management server 3 has the agricultural operation information creation unit 63 and the agricultural operation information storage unit 77 has been described. However, the agricultural operation information creation unit 63, the agricultural operation information storage unit 77, the access count detection unit 65, and the sampling interval determination unit 66 may be implemented in physically separate servers. For example, the agricultural operation information creation unit 63 may be implemented in a server A different from the management server 3. A user may access the management server 3, download the operation information stored in the agricultural operation information storage unit 77, and create agricultural operation information in a server A different from the management server 3.

[0058] Also, the agricultural operation information storage unit 77 that stores the agricultural operation information created by the agricultural operation information creation unit 63, the access count detection unit 65, and the sampling interval determination unit 66 may be implemented in a server B different from the management server 3. Also, the operation information acquired may be stored in this server B. The access count detection unit 65 detects the access count (access frequency) for each user to the server B. The sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval for each user according to the access frequency to the server B. The information on the sampling interval determined for each user is transferred from the server B to the sampling control information storage unit 79 of the management server 3.

[0059] In the above description using FIG. 4, the case where the access frequency of users is classified into an upper layer (X% or more from the top), a middle layer, and a lower layer (Y% or less from the bottom), and the sampling interval is determined for each layer was explained. However, the sampling interval may be determined by any method based on the access frequency. For example, the sampling interval determination unit 66 of the management server 3 may determine the sampling interval by comparing the number of access frequencies with a threshold value. For example, the sampling interval determination unit 66 may determine the sampling interval to be 5 seconds for users whose access frequency, for example, the number of accesses in one year is 100 or more, determine the sampling interval to be 60 seconds for users whose access frequency is 30 or more and less than 100, and determine the sampling interval to be 300 seconds for users whose access frequency is less than 30.

[0060] In the above description, the case where the data sampling unit 42 of the communication terminal 2 associates the operation information with the individual information of the working device 11 and transmits it to the management server 3, and the management server 3 associates the operation information with the user ID information was explained. As another embodiment, the data sampling unit 42 of the communication terminal 2 may associate the operation information with the individual information and user ID information of the working device 11 and transmit it to the management server 3.

[0061] In the above description using the flowchart of FIG. 5, the case where the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines whether a predetermined measurement period (for example, one year) has elapsed since starting to count the number of accesses, and determines the sampling interval for each user according to the number of accesses (access frequency) to the management server 3 when the predetermined measurement period has elapsed was explained. As another embodiment, the sampling interval determination unit 66 may determine whether the specified date and time (for example, 0:00 on April 1st) has arrived instead of the elapse of the predetermined measurement period, and determine the sampling interval according to the access frequency of each user in the predetermined measurement period (for example, one year) when the specified date and time arrives.

[0062] Also, in the above description, the case where when the user activates the communication terminal 2, the data sampling unit 42 of the communication terminal 2 acquires the sampling interval was described using the flowchart of FIG. 6. As another embodiment, the timing at which the data sampling unit 42 acquires the sampling interval may be, for example, once a year, or at the time of updating the operation information management program 411, etc.

[0063] Also, in the above description, the case where the data sampling unit 42 of the control device 40 associates the acquired operation information with the individual information of the working device 11 and transmits it to the management server 3 at the timing when the key switch 24 of the working device 11 is turned off was described. However, the timing of transmitting the operation information to the management server 3 may be any timing. For example, it may be transmitted every time one piece of operation information is acquired, or every time a predetermined amount of operation information is accumulated, or every time a predetermined time such as every 10 minutes elapses.

[0064] Also, in the above description, the case where the information on the sampling interval and the field position information are acquired from the management server 3 via the network 5 was described. As another embodiment, the information on the sampling interval and the field position information may be acquired via a storage medium such as a USB from a USB interface etc. that the communication device 52 of the communication terminal 2 has. Also, the information on the sampling interval may be described in the operation information management program 411 of this system, and by installing the operation information management program 411, the information on the sampling interval may be stored in the storage device 54. In this case, the value of the sampling interval is set as a parameter in the operation information management program 411, and the value of the sampling interval is set for each user according to the access frequency of the user to the management server 3.

[0065] Also, in the above description, the farming information creation unit 63 of the management server 3 showed an example of creating farming information at the timing of receiving the operation information of the work device 11 as shown in FIG. 6, but it is not limited to this. The farming information creation unit 63 may create farming information at any timing. For example, the farming information creation unit 63 may create farming information at a predetermined time, for example, 2 o'clock every day.

[0066] Also, in the above description, the case where the user accesses the farming information storage unit 77 of the management server 3 from the information terminal 7 and uses the farming information was described. Furthermore, the user may be allowed to access the operation information storage unit 76 of the management server 3 and use the operation information.

[0067] Also, in the above description, the case where the sampling interval is uniformly set regardless of whether the work device 11 is in the field or is moving was described. As another embodiment, the sampling interval may be changed depending on whether the work device 11 is in the field or is moving. Also, only when the work device 11 is working in the field, the sampling interval may be set according to the access frequency.

[0068] Also, in the above description, the case where the operation information includes the state information acquired by the work device control device 10 from various sensors and the position information acquired by the position detection device 51 was described. As another embodiment, the operation information may include only the state information acquired from various sensors of the work device control device 10, or may include only the position information acquired by the position detection device 51.

[0069] As described above, the operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 1 detects, for each user, the access frequency to the farming information representing the indices of the work performed in the farm field by the work device 11, and determines, for each user, the sampling interval for acquiring the operation information representing the operation state of the work device according to the access frequency. Thereby, the operation information management system 1 can acquire the operation information at a sampling interval according to the access frequency to the farming information, reduce the communication load on the management server 3, and suppress the increase in the data accumulated in the management server 3.

[0070] For example, the operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes an access count detection unit 65 that detects the number of accesses from the information terminal 7 to the management server 3 within a past predetermined period, and for users with a relatively high access count, a sampling interval determination unit 66 that determines a shorter sampling interval in the data sampling unit 42 of the work device 11 than for users with a relatively low access count. The operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 1 determines a shorter sampling interval for users who frequently use the farming information than the sampling interval for users who relatively rarely use the farming information. Thereby, the operation information management system 1 can acquire relatively detailed operation information for users who frequently use the farming information, reduce the communication load on the management server 3, and suppress the increase in the data accumulated in the management server 3.

[0071] By shortening the sampling interval to obtain detailed operation information, detailed farming information can be created. Obtaining detailed operation information will lead to an increase in the communication load of the management server 3 and the data accumulated in the management server 3. However, even if detailed operation information is accumulated in the management server 3, the probability that a user with a low access frequency will use this operation information is low. Also, even if detailed farming information is created for a user with a low access frequency of farming information, the probability that the created farming information will be used is low. The operation information management system 1 according to the embodiment can provide detailed farming information to users with a high access frequency and suppress an increase in the communication load of the management server 3 and the data accumulated in the management server 3 by changing the sampling interval according to the access frequency of the user to the management server 3.

[0072] Also, the operation information management system 1 according to the embodiment can create farming information for each user by associating and storing the acquired operation information with ID information for identifying the user.

[0073] Also, the operation information management system 1 according to the embodiment can create farming information corresponding to the work performed by the work device 11 by associating and storing the acquired operation information with information for identifying the work device 11.

[0074] (Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 2, the data sampling unit 42 of the communication terminal 2 acquires operation information at different sampling intervals in a first period with a high usage frequency of the work device 11 and a second period with a low usage frequency. For example, the sampling interval in the first period is determined to be shorter than the sampling interval in the second period. Thereby, the load on the management server 3 is reduced. The work device 11 includes, for example, a rice transplanter, a tiller, a combine, etc. that perform a specific type of work (for example, rice planting, tilling, harvesting, etc.) in the field. Since the configuration of the work device 11 is the same as that in Embodiment 1, the description thereof is omitted.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the management server 3 according to Embodiment 2. The access count detection unit 65 in the configuration of the management server 3 according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 3 is deleted, and a period determination unit 67 is added. Except for the sampling control information storage unit 79, the sampling interval determination unit 66, and the period determination unit 67, the description in Embodiment 1 is the same.

[0076] In the sampling control information storage unit 79, in addition to the information on the sampling interval, information on a period corresponding to the type of work performed by the work device 11 is stored. Specifically, in the sampling control information storage unit 79, as shown in FIG. 8, a first period and a second period are registered according to the type of the work device 11, for example, a group classified by the type of work performed by the work device 11. The first period is a period in which the usage frequency of the work device 11 of that type is relatively high. The first period is a period in which it can be expected to obtain operation information useful for creating detailed farm management information. The second period is a period in which the usage frequency of the work device 11 of that type is relatively low. The second period is a period in which it cannot be expected to obtain operation information useful for creating detailed farm management information. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in the case of a combine, which is a type of work device 11 for harvesting, September and October are the first periods, and the other months are the second periods. Also, in the case of a rice transplanter, which is a type of work device 11 for rice transplanting, April and May are the first periods, and the other months are the second periods.

[0077] The period determination unit 67 determines, based on the work performed by the work device 11, which of the first period and the second period the current time belongs to. For example, when the work device 11 is a combine and the current time is September, the period determination unit 67 determines, based on the information shown in FIG. 8 stored in the sampling control information storage unit 79, that the current time belongs to the first period. Also, when the work device 11 is a rice transplanter and the current time is September, the period determination unit 67 determines that the current time belongs to the second period.

[0078] When determining the sampling interval, if it is determined that the current time belongs to the first period, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval corresponding to the first period as the sampling interval. If it is determined that the current time belongs to the second period, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the sampling interval corresponding to the second period as the sampling interval. For example, the sampling interval corresponding to the first period represents 5 seconds, and the sampling interval corresponding to the second period represents 60 seconds.

[0079] The information management unit 62 transmits the information representing the determined sampling interval to the communication terminal 2. The data sampling unit 42 of the working device 11 acquires the operation information based on the acquired sampling interval.

[0080] In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the sampling interval determination unit 66 does not perform hierarchical classification based on the user's access frequency. Instead, as shown in FIG. 8, the first period and the second period are provided uniformly for all users. For the first period, the first sampling interval is determined, and for the second period, the second sampling interval is determined.

[0081] In the above description, an example in which the period determination unit 67 determines to which of the two periods the current time belongs has been described. However, there may be three or more periods to which the current time belongs. The period determination unit 67 may determine the period to which the current time belongs among the plurality of periods. For example, the period determination unit 67 may determine the period to which the current time belongs among the first period, the second period, and the third period. For example, the usage frequency of the working device 11 of the corresponding type in the first period is higher than that in the second period, and the usage frequency in the second period is higher than that in the third period.

[0082] As described above, the operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 2 includes a period determination unit 67 that determines whether the current time belongs to either the first period or the second period, and when the period determination unit 67 determines that the current time belongs to the first period, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the first sampling interval as the sampling interval for acquiring the operation information indicating the operation state of the working device in the first period, and when the current time is determined to belong to the second period, determines the second sampling interval as the sampling interval in the second period. By making the sampling interval in the first period, where it is expected to obtain operation information useful for creating detailed farming operation information, shorter than the sampling interval in the second period, which is the other period, the operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 2 can acquire detailed operation information for the period in which useful farming operation information can be obtained, and can improve user satisfaction. On the other hand, the operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 2 can reduce the transmission of operation information for periods in which useful farming operation information cannot be obtained, and can suppress an increase in the communication load of the management server 3 and the data accumulated in the management server 3.

[0083] (Embodiment 3) The operation information management system 1 according to Embodiment 3, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 7, has an access frequency detection unit 65 shown in FIG. 3. The access frequency detection unit 65 detects the access frequency to the management server 3 for each user. The period determination unit 67 determines whether the current time belongs to either the first period or the second period shown in FIG. 8. The sampling interval determination unit 66 performs hierarchical classification according to the access frequency of the user as shown in FIG. 4 and determines the sampling interval according to the hierarchy. Also, when it is determined that the current time belongs to the first period for the users belonging to the upper layer shown in FIG. 4, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the first sampling interval as the sampling interval. Further, when it is determined that the current time belongs to the second period, the sampling interval determination unit 66 determines the second sampling interval as the sampling interval. That is, the sampling interval determination unit 66 changes the 5 seconds of the sampling interval determined for the users in the upper layer shown in FIG. 4 to 5 seconds or 60 seconds according to the period as shown in FIG. 8.

[0084] The embodiments described above are merely examples, and the configurations described in each embodiment may be arbitrarily changed within the range that does not inhibit the functions, or / and may be arbitrarily combined. Further, if the necessary functions can be realized, some of the functions described in the embodiments may be omitted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0085] 1... Operation information management system 2... Communication terminal 3... Management server 5... Network 6... Positioning satellite 7... Information terminal 8, 9... Storage medium 10... Working device control device 11... Working device 24... Key switch 40... Control device 41... Memory 411... Operation information management program 42... Data sampling unit 51... Position detection device 52... Communication device 53... Input / output device 54... Storage device 56... Operation information storage unit 57... Field position information storage unit 58... Sampling control information storage unit 59... User information storage unit 60... Control device 61... Memory 611... Operation information management program 62... Information management unit 63... Farming information creation unit 65... Access count detection unit 66... Sampling interval determination unit 67... Period determination unit 71... Communication device 72... Input / output device 74... Storage device 76... Operation information storage unit 77... Farming information storage unit 78... Field position information storage unit 79... Sampling control information storage unit 80... User information storage unit

Claims

1. A sampling control information storage unit stores a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing an operation state of a working device that performs work in a field corresponding to a plurality of periods; a period determination unit determines a first period to which the current time belongs among the plurality of periods; a sampling interval determination unit determines the sampling interval based on the determined first period; An operation information management method including the above.

2. The plurality of periods include a second period, the first period is a period in which the usage frequency of the working device is higher than that of the second period, a first sampling interval set when the current time belongs to the first period is shorter than a second sampling interval set when the current time belongs to the second period, The operation information management method according to Claim 1.

3. a period determination unit that determines a first period to which the current time belongs among a plurality of periods; a sampling interval determination unit that determines a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing an operation state of a working device that performs work in a field based on the determined first period; An operation information management system comprising: the above.

4. a process of storing a sampling interval for acquiring operation information representing an operation state of a working device that performs work in a field corresponding to a plurality of periods; a process of determining a first period to which the current time belongs among the plurality of periods; a process of determining the sampling interval based on the determined first period; An operation information management program for causing a control device to execute the above processes.

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