Support system for work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a support system for a work vehicle and a support method for the work vehicle which efficiently manage a travel path.SOLUTION: A support system for a work vehicle (rice transplanter 1) includes a management server 9 for storing a reference line as a reference of a travel path for automatic travel of the work vehicle (rice transplanter 1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates primarily to a work vehicle assistance system that manages a travel route for traveling a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems have been known that allow a work vehicle to travel autonomously along a pre-created travel route. Travel routes can be divided into, for example, straight routes and turning routes. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that allows a work vehicle to travel autonomously only along this straight route.

[0003] The riding rice transplanter of Patent Document 1 stores the position of the machine when the operator operates the first predetermined switch as the first predetermined position, and stores the position of the machine when the operator operates the second predetermined switch as the second predetermined position. This riding rice transplanter creates a travel route by arranging straight lines connecting the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position in parallel at predetermined intervals. This riding rice transplanter automatically operates the steering device so that it travels along the travel route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6143716 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 does not describe how to handle the created travel route. Therefore, for example, when performing work using a previously created travel route again, it is necessary to create the travel route again or to search for the desired travel route from past data.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a support system for a work vehicle that efficiently manages a travel route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A work vehicle assistance system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a management server that stores a reference line that serves as a reference for a driving route for automatically driving a work vehicle. A method for supporting a work vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention stores, in a management server, a reference line that serves as a reference for a travel route for automatically traveling the work vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a rice transplanter provided in a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Plan view of the rice transplanter. [Figure 3] Block diagram of the management system. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of creating a straight driving route and transmitting it to the management server. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for creating a reference trajectory. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for creating a straight-line driving route. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between a reference path and the position of a farm field. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a field for which a travel route is to be registered. [Figure 9] 10 is a table showing route information and work history information stored in the management server. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting a route based on a selected field. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen for determining the field on which work will begin. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a travel route for work from travel routes associated with the determined field. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen on which the outline of a farm field is displayed together with a straight-line travel path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The autonomous driving system 100 of this embodiment is a system for autonomously driving a rice transplanter (work vehicle) 1 that transplants rice (plants seedlings) in a field. Here, autonomous driving means that the rice transplanter 1 is driven by at least autonomously steering. In this embodiment, an operator uses a wireless communication terminal 7 to configure settings related to autonomous driving, and the rice transplanter 1 drives autonomously based on those settings. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rice transplanter 1 is configured to drive autonomously while the operator is on board. However, it is also possible to drive the rice transplanter 1 autonomously without an operator on board. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a management system (driving route management system) 200 is constructed that further includes a management server 9 that manages driving routes, work history, and the like, in addition to the autonomous driving system 100. The management system 200 may also be configured to manage only driving routes without managing work history.

[0010] First, the rice transplanter 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a side view of the rice transplanter 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rice transplanter 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a management system 200. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rice transplanter 1 includes a vehicle body section 11, a pair of left and right front wheels 12, a pair of left and right rear wheels 13, and a planting section 14.

[0011] An engine 22 is disposed inside a hood 21 located at the front of the vehicle body 11. Power generated by the engine 22 is transmitted to the front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 via a transmission case 23. The power transmitted via the transmission case 23 is also transmitted to the planting unit 14 via a PTO shaft 24 located at the rear of the vehicle body 11. A driver's seat 25 for an operator to sit in is provided between the front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body 11. A steering wheel 26 for the operator to steer the rice transplanter 1 is disposed in front of the driver's seat 25.

[0012] The planting unit 14 is connected to the rear of the vehicle body 11 via a lifting link mechanism 31. The lifting link mechanism 31 is configured with a parallel link structure including a top link 31a and a lower link 31b. A lifting cylinder 32 is connected to the lower link 31b. With this configuration, the entire planting unit 14 can be raised and lowered by extending and retracting the lifting cylinder 32.

[0013] The planting section 14 mainly comprises a planting input case 33, a plurality of planting units 34, a seedling carrier 35, a plurality of floats 36, and a spare seedling carrier 38.

[0014] Each planting unit 34 includes a planting transmission case 41 and a rotating case 42. Power is transmitted to the planting transmission case 41 via the PTO shaft 24 and the planting input case 33. Each planting transmission case 41 has a rotating case 42 attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction. Two planting claws 43 are attached to each rotating case 42, lined up in the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1. These two planting claws 43 plant one row.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling carrier 35 is located above and in front of the planting unit 34 and is configured to be able to place a seedling mat on it. The seedling carrier 35 is configured to be able to move back and forth laterally (slide laterally). The seedling carrier 35 is also configured to be able to intermittently transport the seedling mat vertically downward at the end of its reciprocating movement. This configuration allows the seedling carrier 35 to supply seedlings from the seedling mat to each planting unit 34. In this way, the rice transplanter 1 can sequentially supply seedlings to each planting unit 34, allowing for continuous seedling planting.

[0016] The float 36 shown in FIG. 1 is provided below the planting unit 14 and is positioned so that its underside can come into contact with the ground. When the float 36 comes into contact with the ground, the rice field surface is leveled before the seedlings are planted. The float 36 is also provided with a float sensor (not shown) that detects the swing angle of the float 36. The swing angle of the float 36 corresponds to the distance between the ground and the planting unit 14. The rice transplanter 1 can maintain a constant height of the planting unit 14 above the ground by operating the lifting cylinder 32 based on the swing angle of the float 36 to raise and lower the planting unit 14.

[0017] The spare seedling tray 38 is located outside the hood 21 in the vehicle width direction and can accommodate seedling boxes containing spare mat seedlings. The tops of the pair of left and right spare seedling trays 38 are connected to each other by a connecting frame 27 extending vertically and laterally. A housing 28 is located at the center of the connecting frame 27 in the vehicle width direction. Inside the housing 28, a positioning antenna 61, an inertial measurement unit 62, and a communication antenna 63 are located. The positioning antenna 61 can receive radio waves from positioning satellites that make up the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The position of the rice transplanter 1 can be obtained by performing well-known positioning calculations based on these radio waves. The inertial measurement unit 62 includes three gyro sensors (angular velocity sensors) and three acceleration sensors. The angular velocity and acceleration of the rice transplanter 1 detected by the inertial measurement unit 62 are used as auxiliary data to improve the accuracy of the positioning results of the rice transplanter 1. The communication antenna 63 is an antenna for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal 7.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the rice transplanter 1 includes a control unit 50. The control unit 50 is configured as a known computer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, input / output units, etc. (not shown). The CPU can read and execute various programs from the ROM. Various programs and data are stored in the ROM. The above hardware and software work together to cause the control unit 50 to operate as a memory unit 51, a travel control unit 52, and a work machine control unit 53. The control unit 50 may be a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware that can communicate with each other. In addition to the inertial measurement unit 62, a position acquisition unit 64, a communication processing unit 65, a vehicle speed sensor 66, and a steering angle sensor 67 are connected to the control unit 50.

[0019] The position acquisition unit 64 is electrically connected to the positioning antenna 61. The position acquisition unit 64 acquires the position of the rice transplanter 1 as, for example, latitude and longitude information from a positioning signal based on radio waves received by the positioning antenna 61. The position acquisition unit 64 receives a positioning signal from a reference station (not shown) using an appropriate method, and then performs positioning using a known GNSS-RTK method. However, instead of this, positioning using, for example, differential GNSS, or standalone positioning, etc. may be performed. Alternatively, position acquisition based on radio wave intensity from a wireless LAN or the like, or position acquisition using inertial navigation, etc. may be performed.

[0020] The communication processing unit 65 is electrically connected to the communication antenna 63. The communication processing unit 65 can transmit and receive data to and from the wireless communication terminal 7 by performing modulation processing or demodulation processing using an appropriate method.

[0021] The vehicle speed sensor 66 is disposed at an appropriate position on the rice transplanter 1, for example, on the axle of the front wheel 12. The vehicle speed sensor 66 is configured to generate pulses corresponding to the rotation of the axle, for example. The data of the detection results obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 66 is output to the control unit 50.

[0022] The steering angle sensor 67 is a sensor that detects the steering angle of the front wheels 12. The steering angle sensor 67 is provided, for example, on a kingpin (not shown) that is provided on the front wheels 12. Data on the detection results obtained by the steering angle sensor 67 is output to the control unit 50. Note that the steering angle sensor 67 may also be configured to be provided on the steering wheel 26.

[0023] The travel control unit 52 controls the vehicle speed and steering of the rice transplanter 1. The travel control unit 52 can control the vehicle speed and steering simultaneously, or can control only one of them. For example, when the travel control unit 52 controls only the steering, the vehicle speed is manually controlled by the operator.

[0024] Vehicle speed control is control that adjusts the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 1 based on predetermined conditions. Specifically, the travel control unit 52 changes at least one of the gear ratio of the transmission in the transmission case 23 and the rotation speed of the engine 22 so that the current vehicle speed obtained from the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 66 approaches the target vehicle speed. Note that this vehicle speed control also includes control that reduces the vehicle speed to zero and stops the rice transplanter 1.

[0025] Steering control is control that adjusts the steering angle of the rice transplanter 1 based on predetermined conditions. Specifically, the travel control unit 52 drives, for example, a steering actuator provided on the rotation axis (steering shaft) of the steering wheel 26 so that the current steering angle obtained from the detection result of the steering angle sensor 67 approaches a target steering angle. Note that the travel control unit 52 may be configured to directly adjust the steering angle of the front wheels 12 of the rice transplanter 1 instead of the rotation angle of the steering wheel 26.

[0026] The work machine control unit 53 can control the operation of the planting unit 14 (lifting operation, planting operation, etc.) based on predetermined conditions.

[0027] The wireless communication terminal 7 is a tablet computer. The wireless communication terminal 7 includes a communication antenna 71, a communication processing unit 72, a display unit 73, an operation unit 74, and a control unit 80. The wireless communication terminal 7 is not limited to a tablet computer, but may be a smartphone or a laptop. The wireless communication terminal 7 performs various processes related to the autonomous traveling of the rice transplanter 1, as described below, but at least a part of this processing can also be performed by the arithmetic device of the rice transplanter 1. Conversely, at least a part of the various processes related to the autonomous traveling performed by the rice transplanter 1 can also be performed by the wireless communication terminal 7.

[0028] The communication antenna 71 includes a short-range communication antenna for wireless communication with the rice transplanter 1, and a mobile communication antenna for communication using a mobile phone line and the Internet. The communication processing unit 72 is electrically connected to the communication antenna 71. The communication processing unit 72 performs modulation or demodulation processing using an appropriate method to transmit and receive data to and from the wireless communication terminal 7 or other devices.

[0029] The display unit 73 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and is configured to be able to display images. The display unit 73 can display, for example, information regarding autonomous driving, information regarding the settings of the rice transplanter 1, detection results of various sensors, and warning information. The operation unit 74 includes a touch panel and hardware keys. The touch panel is placed on top of the display unit 73, and is capable of detecting operations by the operator's fingers, etc. The hardware keys are placed on the side of the housing of the wireless communication terminal 7 or around the display unit 73, etc., and can be operated by the operator pressing them. Note that the wireless communication terminal 7 may be configured to have only either a touch panel or hardware keys.

[0030] The control unit 80 is configured as a known computer and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, input / output units, etc. (not shown). The CPU can read and execute various programs, etc. from the ROM. Various programs and data are stored in the ROM. The above hardware and software work together to cause the control unit 80 to operate as a memory unit 81, a start / end point registration unit 82, a straight travel path creation unit 83, a field position acquisition unit 84, a field identification unit 85, a travel path information registration unit 86, a display control unit 87, and a notification unit 88. The processing performed by each unit of the control unit 80 will be described later.

[0031] The management server 9 is capable of communicating with the wireless communication terminal 7 via the Internet. The management server 9 aggregates data received from the wireless communication terminal 7 and the communication terminals of other work vehicles (for example, tractors or combine harvesters). The management server 9 includes a route memory unit 91 that stores the travel route along which the work vehicle will travel autonomously, and a work history memory unit 92 that stores the history of work performed by the work vehicle.

[0032] Furthermore, the management server 9 may perform at least a part of the processing performed by the rice transplanter 1 and the wireless communication terminal 7. Furthermore, the management server 9 may store at least a part of the information stored in the rice transplanter 1 and the wireless communication terminal 7.

[0033] Next, the process of creating and registering a straight-line travel route will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 8. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of creating a straight-line travel route and transmitting it to the management server 9. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of creating a reference route. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of creating a straight-line travel route. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the reference route and the position of the field. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a field for which a travel route is to be registered.

[0034] When the wireless communication terminal 7 receives an instruction from the operator to create a straight travel path, it first displays a screen for selecting the type of work vehicle (S101). In this embodiment, to create a straight travel path for the rice transplanter 1, the operator selects a rice transplanter as the type of work vehicle. Note that other types of work vehicles include tractors and combine harvesters. After step S101, a screen for further selection of detailed information (model number, size, and working width) of the selected work vehicle may be displayed.

[0035] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 (start / end point registration unit 82) performs a process of registering a start point A and an end point B for creating a reference route (S102). As shown in FIG. 5, the operator gets on the rice transplanter 1 and registers a point along the straight route to be registered as start point A. Next, after driving the rice transplanter 1 along the straight route to be registered, the operator registers the next point as end point B. Note that start point A and end point B may be midpoints on the straight route to be registered (naturally, they may also be end points). The operator registers start point A and end point B by operating the operation unit 74 of the wireless communication terminal 7. The position of the rice transplanter 1 at the time the operator performs the above operation (the calculation result of the position acquisition unit 64 or a value obtained by correcting it) is transmitted to the wireless communication terminal 7. Although directional information is not added to the reference route in this embodiment, directional information (e.g., upward in the example of FIG. 5) may be added.

[0036] The start point A and the end point B may be registered by the operator operating an operation unit provided in the rice transplanter 1, rather than the wireless communication terminal 7. Also, the start point A and the end point B may be registered without the operator getting on the rice transplanter 1 (for example, by specifying them on a map displayed on the wireless communication terminal 7).

[0037] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 (straight-line travel path creation unit 83) creates a straight line connecting the start point A and the end point B as a reference path (S103). The reference path created by the wireless communication terminal 7 is stored in the memory unit 81. As described above, the positions of the start point A and the end point B have been received from the rice transplanter 1, so the wireless communication terminal 7 also stores these positions as the reference path.

[0038] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 (straight-line travel path creation unit 83) creates a straight-line travel path based on the reference path (S104). As shown in FIG. 6, the wireless communication terminal 7 extends the reference path created in step S103 to create an extension path, and arranges these extension paths in parallel at an interval L1. The interval L1 is, for example, the working width of the rice transplanter 1 (the width that allows rice planting), but it may also be the vehicle width or another value. In this way, a straight-line travel path in which multiple straight-line paths are arranged is created. Note that the process of creating the extension path may be omitted, and the reference travel paths may be arranged in parallel.

[0039] The travel control unit 52 performs steering control so that the rice transplanter 1 travels along a straight travel path. This reduces the operator's workload and allows work to be performed at an accurate position. The operator performs processes other than steering, i.e., vehicle speed, operation of the work implement, and turning (traveling from one extension path to another extension path). Specifically, when the travel control unit 52 performs steering control and the rice transplanter 1 travels along an extension path, the operator can operate the steering wheel 26 to release autonomous control and switch to manual operation. After that, when the rice transplanter 1 reaches the next extension path, the operator can perform a specified operation to start steering control by the travel control unit 52.

[0040] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 is turned by the operator, so the turning path is not included in the straight-line travel path. Therefore, the straight-line travel path does not need to be created to correspond to the extent of the field, and it is sufficient to create a straight-line travel path that includes the field. Therefore, the length of the straight-line travel path is set to a value that significantly exceeds the size of a typical field. Furthermore, the length of the extension line is also set to a value that significantly exceeds the size of a typical field. Therefore, a straight-line travel path is created over an area wider than the field.

[0041] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 compares the position of the field stored in the memory unit 81 with the position of at least a portion of the reference route to search for the field corresponding to the reference route (S105). The memory unit 81 of the wireless communication terminal 7 stores information (e.g., position, creation date and time, range, etc.) of fields previously created and registered by an operator. The wireless communication terminal 7 (field position acquisition unit 84) reads out the contents of this memory unit 81. The wireless communication terminal 7 (field identification unit 85) identifies the field corresponding to the reference route by referring to the read-out position of the field. Particularly in this embodiment, the wireless communication terminal 7 identifies the field corresponding to the reference route by comparing the position of the field with at least a portion of the reference route.

[0042] Below, four examples of the positional relationship between the field and the reference path are shown, and it will be explained whether these examples are identified as "fields corresponding to the reference path." In the positional relationship shown in FIG. 7(a), the entire reference path is included within the field. In the positional relationship shown in FIG. 7(b), one end of the reference path is included in the field. In the positional relationship shown in FIG. 7(c), the reference path is on the contour of the field. In the positional relationship shown in FIG. 7(d), the middle part of the reference path is included in the field, and the ends of the reference path (i.e., start point A and end point B) are not included in the field.

[0043] Next, four determination methods for identifying a field corresponding to the reference path are shown, and it is explained which of the positional relationships shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(d) the field is identified in using these determination methods. The four determination methods are: (1) a method for identifying a field that includes at least one of two registered points, (2) a method for identifying a field that includes both of two registered points, (3) a method for identifying a field that includes the entire reference path, and (4) a method for identifying a field that includes at least a portion of the reference path. When method (1) is used, a field with the positional relationship shown in Figures 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) is identified. When method (2) is used, a field with the positional relationship shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(c) is identified. When method (3) is used, a field with the positional relationship shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(c) is identified. When method (4) is used, the fields with the positional relationships shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(d) are identified.

[0044] Furthermore, the wireless communication terminal 7 may determine whether or not the reference station matches the reference route in addition to the positional relationship between the reference route and the field. That is, if the reference station used (especially the location of the reference station) is different, the autonomous driving performed by the rice transplanter 1 may be inaccurate. Therefore, when making this determination, the wireless communication terminal 7 identifies only fields where the reference station used when the reference route was created matches the reference station used when the field was registered.

[0045] When a field corresponding to the reference route is identified (S106), the wireless communication terminal 7 (display control unit 87) displays a list of the identified fields on the display unit 73. As shown in FIG. 8, this screen displays information showing the position and range of the field on a map, information about the base station at the time of field registration (location, etc.), and a list of the identified fields. The list of fields displays information about the corresponding field (address, registration date, distance, etc.). The operator selects and determines from the list of fields the field to which the newly created travel route will be registered.

[0046] As a result, the wireless communication terminal 7 (travel route information registration unit 86) associates the field selected by the operator with the reference route and the straight-line travel route, and stores them in the storage unit 81 (S110). Furthermore, the wireless communication terminal 7 (travel route information registration unit 86) further associates the field selected by the operator with the reference route and the straight-line travel route, and transmits them to the management server 9 (S111). As a result, information related to the route is registered in the management server 9.

[0047] In this embodiment, the wireless communication terminal 7 registers the travel route in association with the field selected by the operator, but if only one field is identified, the wireless communication terminal 7 may be configured to associate the field with the travel route without the operator's selection.Also, even if multiple fields are identified, the wireless communication terminal 7 may be configured to associate the travel route with a field selected according to predetermined conditions (for example, the field with the closest registration date).

[0048] If the determination in step S106 fails to identify a field corresponding to the reference route, the wireless communication terminal 7 (notification unit 88) notifies the user that there is no field corresponding to the reference route (S108). The wireless communication terminal 7 may, for example, display a message to that effect on the display unit 73, notify the user by voice, or sound an alarm.

[0049] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 (display control unit 87) displays a screen for newly registering a field (S109). When the operator inputs information about the field according to this screen, the new field is registered and saved in the storage unit 81. In this case, in step S110, the wireless communication terminal 7 associates the newly registered field with the reference route and the straight-line travel route and stores them in the storage unit 81.

[0050] As a result, the reference route and the straight-line travel route created by the operator can be stored in the wireless communication terminal 7 and the management server 9 in association with the field.

[0051] Next, the contents stored in the management server 9 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a table showing the route information and work history information stored in the management server 9.

[0052] 4 is performed for multiple types of work vehicles, and the management server 9 stores mutually associated fields and travel routes regardless of the type of work vehicle, as shown in FIG. 9(a). A route with turning is a travel route that allows the travel control unit 52 to autonomously steer not only a straight route but also a turning route. An unmanned route is a travel route that allows a work vehicle such as the rice transplanter 1 to travel alone without an operator on board.

[0053] In this way, by storing travel routes regardless of the type of work vehicle, a straight travel route created by the rice transplanter 1 can be used by other work vehicles such as a tractor or a combine harvester. Specifically, when a field is specified from the wireless communication terminal 7, the management server 9 transmits the travel route associated with the field to the wireless communication terminal 7. The wireless communication terminal 7 then performs autonomous travel using the received travel route or a modified version of the received travel route.

[0054] Furthermore, when work is performed using a travel route, the wireless communication terminal 7 transmits work history, such as the actual path traveled, the type of work vehicle, the work content, and the work time, in association with the travel route used to the management server 9. As shown in Fig. 9(b), this information is stored in the management server 9. Therefore, work history can be managed in an integrated manner regardless of the type of work vehicle.

[0055] Next, the flow of operations when performing work using the straight-line travel route registered by the process of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process of setting a travel route based on a selected field. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a screen for determining the field on which work will begin. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a screen for selecting a travel route for work from the travel routes associated with the determined field. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen on which the outline of the field is displayed together with the straight-line travel route.

[0056] When an instruction to perform work is input by the operator, the wireless communication terminal 7 (display control unit 87) displays a selection screen for the field to be worked on the display unit 73 (step S201). As shown in FIG. 11, this screen displays information showing the location and range of the field on a map, and a list of fields that have been registered in the past. The list of fields displays information about the corresponding field (address, registration date, distance, etc.). When the operator selects a field, the display mode of the selected field changes (the outline becomes thicker in FIG. 11), and information about the base station at the time of field registration is displayed. Based on this information, the operator determines the desired field. Note that the field may be automatically determined based on the location acquired by the location acquisition unit 64.

[0057] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 (display control unit 87) displays a list of travel routes associated with the determined field on the display unit 73 (S202). As shown in FIG. 12, this screen displays information showing the position and range of the field and the travel route on a map, and a list of travel routes associated with the field. The list of travel routes also displays information about the corresponding travel route (address, registration date, etc.). The list of travel routes also displays not only the straight travel route created in the process shown in FIG. 4, but also other travel routes. The operator selects and determines the travel route to be used for work from the list of travel routes.

[0058] Next, the wireless communication terminal 7 sets the determined travel route as the travel route to be used for work (S203). Travel and work along the determined travel route then begin. While the rice transplanter 1 is traveling, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 13 is displayed on the display unit 73. In FIG. 13, a symbol 201 indicating the position of the rice transplanter 1, a route line 202, and a contour line 203 indicating the outline of the field are displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 13, a straight travel route is selected, so the route line 202 is also displayed outside the field. In this embodiment, the route and the field are associated, so the position of the outline of the field can be identified, and the contour line 203 can be displayed. Note that the outline of the field can also be displayed by displaying the route line 202 only within the field (by hiding the route line 202 outside the field) instead of the contour line 203.

[0059] Furthermore, the rice transplanter 1 and the wireless communication terminal 7 can acquire the position of the rice transplanter 1 and the position of the outline of the field. Therefore, for example, when the rice transplanter 1 approaches the outline of the field (for example, when the distance to the outline of the field becomes equal to or less than a threshold), it is possible to notify the user of this fact or to slow down the rice transplanter 1.

[0060] As described above, the management system 200 of this embodiment includes the position acquisition unit 64, the start and end point registration unit 82, the straight-line travel path creation unit 83, the travel control unit 52, the field position acquisition unit 84, the field identification unit 85, and the travel path information registration unit 86. The position acquisition unit 64 acquires the position of the rice transplanter 1 performing agricultural work. The start and end point registration unit 82 registers the positions of the start and end points within the field. The straight-line travel path creation unit 83 creates a straight-line reference path connecting the start and end points and creates a straight-line travel path by arranging the reference paths in parallel. The travel control unit 52 uses the position of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the position acquisition unit 64 to autonomously perform at least steering along the straight-line travel path to cause the rice transplanter 1 to travel. The field position acquisition unit 84 acquires the position of the field from the memory unit 81 in which the position of the field is stored. The field identification unit 85 compares the position of the field acquired by the field position acquisition unit 84 with the position of at least a part of the reference route to identify the field corresponding to the reference route. The travel route information registration unit 86 registers the field identified by the field identification unit 85 in association with at least one of the reference route and the straight-line travel route.

[0061] This allows at least one of the reference path and the straight-line travel path to be registered in association with a field, thereby enabling efficient management of this type of travel path. In particular, the field identification unit identifies the field associated with the path, reducing the effort required for the operator to search for the field.

[0062] Furthermore, the management system 200 of this embodiment includes a notification unit 88 that performs processing to notify the fact when the field identification unit 85 determines that there is no field corresponding to the reference route.

[0063] This notifies the operator that a new field needs to be registered.

[0064] The management system 200 of this embodiment also includes a display unit 73 that displays the position of the rice transplanter 1, the linear travel path, and the outline of the field associated with the linear travel path.

[0065] This allows the operator to know to what position the rice transplanter 1 should be driven simply by checking the display content of the display unit 73.

[0066] Furthermore, the management system 200 of the above embodiment includes a route storage unit 91 that stores, for each type of work vehicle, a route along which the work vehicle will travel autonomously. At least one of the reference route and the straight-line travel route registered by the travel route information registration unit 86 is registered in the route storage unit 91 so that it can be used by work vehicles of a different type than the work vehicle that registered the route.

[0067] This allows the travel routes of multiple types of work implements to be registered in association with the field, making it possible to manage the field efficiently.

[0068] The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the above configuration can be modified, for example, as follows.

[0069] In the above embodiment, when traveling along a straight travel route, the travel control unit 52 controls only the steering, but it may also be configured to further perform at least one of vehicle speed control and work machine control.

[0070] In the above embodiment, both the reference route and the straight-line driving route are stored in the memory unit 81 and transmitted to the management server 9, but the configuration may also be such that only one of them is stored in the memory unit 81 and transmitted to the management server 9.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the rice transplanter 1 and the wireless communication terminal 7 communicate wirelessly, but may be configured to communicate by wire.

[0072] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the autonomous driving system 100 and the management system 200 were applied to a rice transplanter 1, but the autonomous driving system 100 and the management system 200 can also be applied to other agricultural work vehicles such as tractors and combines.

[0073] <Notes on the invention> According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel path management system having the following configuration. Specifically, this travel path management system includes a position acquisition unit, a start and end point registration unit, a straight travel path creation unit, a travel control unit, a field position acquisition unit, a field identification unit, and a travel path information registration unit. The position acquisition unit acquires the position of a work vehicle performing agricultural work. The start and end point registration unit registers the positions of a start point and an end point within the field. The straight travel path creation unit creates a straight reference path connecting the start point and the end point, and creates a straight travel path that aligns the reference paths in parallel. The travel control unit uses the position of the work vehicle acquired by the position acquisition unit to autonomously perform at least steering along the straight travel path to cause the work vehicle to travel. The field position acquisition unit acquires the position of the field from a memory unit in which the position of the field is stored. The field identification unit compares the position of the field acquired by the field position acquisition unit with a position of at least a part of the reference route to identify the field corresponding to the reference route. The travel route information registration unit registers the field identified by the field identification unit in association with at least one of the reference route and the straight-line travel route.

[0074] This allows at least one of the reference path and the straight-line travel path to be registered in association with a field, thereby enabling efficient management of this type of travel path. In particular, the field identification unit identifies the field associated with the path, reducing the effort required for the operator to search for the field.

[0075] The travel route management system preferably further comprises a notification unit that performs processing to notify the user when the field identification unit determines that no field corresponding to the reference route exists.

[0076] This notifies the operator that a new field needs to be registered.

[0077] The travel route management system preferably includes a display unit that displays the position of the work vehicle, the straight-line travel route, and the outline of the field associated with the straight-line travel route.

[0078] This allows the operator to know to what position the work vehicle should be driven simply by checking the contents displayed on the display unit.

[0079] The above-mentioned driving route management system preferably has the following configuration: That is, the driving route management system includes a route storage unit that stores, for each type of work vehicle, a driving route on which the work vehicle will autonomously drive. At least one of the reference route and the straight-line driving route registered by the driving route information registration unit is registered in the route storage unit so that it can be used by work vehicles of a different type from the work vehicle that registered the route.

[0080] This allows the travel routes of multiple types of work implements to be registered in association with the field, making it possible to manage the field efficiently.

[0081] A travel route management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a route storage unit and a display control unit. The route storage unit stores travel routes along which a work vehicle will travel autonomously. The display control unit causes a selection screen for a field where work will be performed to be displayed on the display unit. When a field is selected on the selection screen, the display control unit causes a route selection screen including a list of the travel routes associated with the field to be displayed on the display unit, and allows an operator to select a travel route to use for work from the list of travel routes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Rice transplanter (work vehicle) 7. Wireless communication terminals 9 Management Server 52 Travel control unit 64 Position acquisition part 82 Start and end point registration section 83 Straight line driving path creation section 84 Field position acquisition unit 85 Field Identification Department 86 Driving route information registration unit 100 Autonomous Driving System 200 Management System (Route Management System)

Claims

[Claim 1] A management server is provided which stores a reference line that serves as a reference for a travel route for automatically traveling a work vehicle. Assistance systems for work vehicles.

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