Farming information management method, farming information management system, and program

Abstract

To efficiently provide information on the kind of crops.SOLUTION: A farming information management method includes: estimating the kind of crops based on the volume of the crops harvested in a field and the area in which the crops corresponding to the volume have been harvested; and outputting information on the estimated kind of the crops. The farming information management method may also include determining the area in which work machines have harvested for filling a storage tank, on the basis of position information indicating positions of the work machines that harvest the crops, information indicating a work width in which the work machines harvest the crops, and full level information indicating that the storage tank for storing the crops has been filled up.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a farming information management method, a farming information management system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] As the use of information in agriculture has progressed in recent years, systems have been developed to manage information that can be used for farm planning, etc. Among these systems are systems that generate and manage information related to harvest yields based on operational information that indicates the operational status of farming equipment used in harvesting work in fields.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that determines the harvest volume per unit area (also called yield) for each field based on the trajectory of a combine harvester moving within the field and the width of the harvesting work, and displays information about the harvest volume. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7126339 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, yields vary depending on the type of crop, so when making farming decisions using information on yields, information on the types of crops grown in one or more fields is required, but conventional systems assume that information on the types of crops is already known. For example, Patent Document 1 does not mention a method for acquiring information on the types of crops.

[0006] However, accurate information about what is being grown in a field is not always available. For example, there are cases where information is not updated when the crop being grown is changed. Also, there are regions and countries where it is difficult to obtain information about the types of crops being grown. Even if users of farming information manually obtain information about the types of crops being grown in each field, there is a problem in that it requires repeated surveys to check whether the crops being grown have changed, which requires a high cost.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, one object of the present disclosure is to efficiently provide information on crop types. Other objects can be understood from the following description and explanation of the embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The following describes the means for solving the problems using the numbers and symbols used in the description of the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference purposes to show an example of the correspondence between the claims and the description of the invention. Therefore, the claims should not be interpreted as being limited by the parenthetical descriptions.

[0009] The farming information management method of the embodiment includes estimating the type of crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field (F, F1, F2) and the working area in which the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested, and outputting information regarding the estimated type of crop.

[0010] The farming information management system (1) according to the embodiment includes an estimation unit (140) that estimates the type of crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the fields (F, F1, F2) and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested, and an information output unit (150) that outputs information related to the estimated type of crop.

[0011] The programs (P1, P2, P3) according to the embodiments cause a computer (14, 24, 34) to estimate the type of crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field (F, F1, F2) and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested, and to output information about the estimated type of crop. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the above embodiment, information about the type of crop can be provided efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a farming information management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a working device according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a farming information management device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a farming information management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of model information according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of crop information according to an embodiment. [Figure 9A] 1 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a farming information management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 9B] 1 is a flowchart showing processing executed by a farming information management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] A figure showing an example of information generated by the farming information management system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] (Embodiment 1) A farming information management system according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the farming information management system 1 includes a farming information management device 10, one or more terminal devices 20, and one or more communication terminals 30. The one or more communication terminals 30 are each mounted on a work device (e.g., work device 40_1, work device 40_2, ..., etc.) that performs crop harvesting work in one or more fields (e.g., field F1, field F2, ..., etc.). When multiple fields are not distinguished from one another, they may be simply referred to as field F. When multiple work devices are not distinguished from one another, they may be simply referred to as work devices 40. The farming information management device 10, the one or more terminal devices 20, and the communication terminal 30 can communicate with each other via a network NT. The network NT is, for example, the Internet.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, the working implement 40 may be, for example, a combine harvester or other agricultural machine capable of harvesting crops grown in a field F. As shown in Fig. 2, the working implement 40 includes, for example, an engine 41, a reaping device 42, a threshing device 44, a storage tank 46, a discharge auger 48, a reaping clutch CR1, a fullness sensor S2, a reaping clutch sensor S3, and a speed sensor S4. Using the functions of these components, the working implement 40 harvests and threshes crops grown in the field F (for example, grains such as rice, wheat, buckwheat, and maturing corn). The working implement 40 of this embodiment is capable of harvesting multiple types of crops, such as rice and wheat.

[0016] The engine 41 of the working device 40 provides power for moving the working device 40 in the field F or on roads via a transmission or the like (not shown). The engine 41 may also supply driving force for operating each part of the working device 40, such as the reaping device 42, the threshing device 44, and the discharge auger 48. The speed sensor S4 senses the speed of the working device 40 and transmits a speed signal indicating the sensed speed to the communication terminal 30.

[0017] The reaping device 42 has a predetermined working width (e.g., 2 meters) horizontal to the ground surface of the field F and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the working device 40, and harvests crops grown in the field F as the working device 40 moves. The threshing device 44 threshers the crops harvested by the reaping device 42. The storage tank 46 is filled to a predetermined capacity (e.g., 100 liters) and stores the crops threshed by the threshing device 44. The storage tank 46 is equipped with a fullness sensor S2 that detects whether the storage tank 46 is full. When the fullness sensor S2 detects that the storage tank 46 is full, it transmits a fullness signal indicating that the storage tank 46 is full to the communication terminal 30. The discharge auger 48 discharges the crops stored in the storage tank 46 to the outside (e.g., to the loading platform of a truck or the like that transports the crops).

[0018] The mowing clutch CR1 of the working device 40 is equipped with a clutch lever that accepts user operation to cause the mowing device 42 to start and stop mowing work. While the mowing clutch CR1 is in the ON state, the mowing device 42 performs crop mowing work, and while it is in the OFF state, it stops crop mowing work. The mowing clutch CR1 is equipped with a mowing clutch sensor S3 that detects whether the mowing clutch CR1 is in the ON state or the OFF state. When the mowing clutch sensor S3 detects that the mowing clutch CR1 is in the ON state, it transmits a mowing signal to the communication terminal 30 indicating that the mowing clutch CR1 is in the ON state and that the mowing device 42 is performing mowing work.

[0019] As will be described later, the communication terminal 30 transmits operation information indicating the position of the work device 40 and the operating status of the work device 40 (for example, whether the storage tank 46 is full or not, whether the reaping clutch CR1 is on or off, etc.) to the farming information management device 10. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 30 transmits the operation information to the farming information management device 10 together with vehicle information indicating the model and vehicle number of the device itself.

[0020] For example, even in a paddy field F, multiple types of crops such as rice, buckwheat, and grain corn can be cultivated. However, information about what is being cultivated in each of one or more fields F is not always available. Therefore, in conventional systems that assume that information about cultivated crops is known, it is necessary for investigators or others to conduct on-site surveys to determine what crops are being cultivated in a particular field F. In contrast, the farming information management system 1 of this embodiment estimates the type of crop harvested based on the area of ​​the harvesting work performed by the working device 40 on the field F until a specific volume of crop is harvested when the working device 40 performs harvesting work. This farming information management system 1 is highly efficient in providing information about what is being cultivated in one or more fields F.

[0021] The configuration of the farming information management system 1 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the farming information management device 10 included in the farming information management system 1 comprises an input / output device 12, a calculation device 14, a communication device 16, and a storage device 18. The farming information management device 10 is, for example, a computer with server functionality. The functions of the farming information management device 10 may be provided in the cloud via a network NT.

[0022] Information for the arithmetic device 14 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 12. The input / output device 12 also outputs the results of processing executed by the arithmetic device 14. The input / output device 12 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, and a touch panel.

[0023] The communication device 16 is communicatively connected to the network NT and communicates with devices external to the farming information management device 10 (e.g., terminal device 20 and communication terminal 30) via the network NT. The communication device 16 transfers information acquired from the terminal device 20 and communication terminal 30 to the calculation device 14. It also transfers information generated by the calculation device 14 to the terminal device 20 and communication terminal 30. The communication device 16 includes various interface devices with data communication functions, such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0024] The storage device 18 stores a program P1 and other data including various data and instructions for the farming information management device 10 of this embodiment to execute the processes described below. The storage device 18 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing these data and instructions. The program P1 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M1. Alternatively, the storage medium M1 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P1. In this case, the program P1 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0025] The arithmetic device 14 reads and executes a program P1 including instructions and data for executing at least a part of the processing described below from the storage device 18. The arithmetic device 14 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal device 20 included in the farming information management system 1 includes an input / output device 22, a calculation device 24, a communication device 26, and a storage device 28. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile device such as a tablet or a smartphone. The terminal device 20 may also be a stationary personal computer or a notebook computer.

[0027] Information for the arithmetic device 24 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 22. The input / output device 22 also outputs the results of processing executed by the arithmetic device 24. The input / output device 22 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a speaker and a touch panel. Furthermore, when the terminal device 20 is a personal computer, the input / output device 22 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, and the like.

[0028] The communication device 26 is communicatively connected to the network NT and communicates with devices external to the terminal device 20 (for example, the farming information management device 10) via the network NT. The communication device 26 transfers information acquired from the farming information management device 10 to the calculation device 24. The communication device 26 also transfers information generated by the calculation device 24 to the farming information management device 10. The communication device 26 includes various interface devices with communication functions, such as transceivers used for wireless communication such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and cellular networks.

[0029] The storage device 28 stores a program P2 and other data including various data and instructions for the farming information management system 1 of this embodiment to execute the processes described below. The storage device 28 is used as a non-transitory storage medium for storing these data and instructions. The program P2 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M2. Alternatively, the storage medium M2 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P2. In this case, the program P2 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0030] The arithmetic unit 24 reads and executes a program P2 including instructions and data for executing at least a part of the processing described below from the storage device 28. For example, the arithmetic unit 24 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0031] The communication terminal 30 is, for example, a computer with a communication function that is fixed inside the maintenance device 40. As shown in FIG. 5 , the communication terminal 30 includes an input / output device 32, a calculation device 34, a communication device 36, a storage device 38, and a positioning device 39.

[0032] Information used by the arithmetic unit 34 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 32. The input / output device 32 also outputs the results of processing executed by the arithmetic unit 34. The input / output device 32 has input terminals capable of receiving the full quantity signal, the reaping signal, and the speed signal output by the full quantity sensor S2, the reaping clutch sensor S3, and the speed sensor S4. The input / output device 32 may also include various input and output devices, such as a speaker, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a display.

[0033] The communication device 36 is communicatively connected to the network NT and communicates with devices external to the communication terminal 30 (e.g., the farming information management device 10) via the network NT. The communication device 36 transfers information acquired from the farming information management device 10 to the calculation device 34. It also transfers information generated by the calculation device 34 to the farming information management device 10. The communication device 36 includes various interface devices with wireless communication capabilities, such as transceivers for cellular networks and wireless LANs.

[0034] The storage device 38 stores a program P3 including various data and instructions for the farming information management system 1 of this embodiment to execute the processes described below. The storage device 38 is used as a non-transitory storage medium for storing these data and instructions. The program P3 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M3. Alternatively, the storage medium M3 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P3. In this case, the program P3 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0035] In this embodiment, the storage device 38 may further store information indicating the model and vehicle identification number of the working device 40 on which the communication terminal 30 is mounted.

[0036] The positioning device 39 measures the position of the work device 40 on which the communication terminal 30 is mounted. The positioning device 39 is, for example, a receiver for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and receives positioning signals from positioning satellites to measure the position of the work device 40 at each time it moves in the field F. Alternatively, the positioning device 39 may measure the position of the work device 40 by self-position estimation using a quantum compass.

[0037] 5 reads and executes a program P3 including instructions and data for executing at least a part of the processing described below from a storage device 38. For example, the computing device 34 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0038] Next, the functions of the farming information management system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The communication terminal 30 realizes the functions of a sampling unit 310 and an output unit 320 by the arithmetic device 34 in Fig. 5 executing the program P3.

[0039] As will be described later, the sampling unit 310 of the communication terminal 30 measures the operating status of the working device 40 by continuously sampling signals indicating the status of the working device 40 at a predetermined timing (for example, every one minute). For example, the sampling unit 310 samples the full-capacity signal output by the full-capacity sensor S2 and the reaping signal output by the reaping clutch sensor S3. The sampling unit 310 also continuously measures the position and time of the working device 40 using the positioning device 39 at the above timing. The sampling unit 310 generates operation information indicating the measurement results of the sampled signals and position. Note that, hereinafter, when the sampling unit 310 generates operation information based on the results of sampling signals indicating the status of the working device 40, the time when the sampling unit 310 sampled the signals is also referred to as the measurement time of the operation information or the time when the operation information was measured.

[0040] The output unit 320 of the communication terminal 30 transmits the operation information generated by the sampling unit 310 to the farming information management device 10 using the communication device 36. The operation information output by the output unit 320 of this embodiment may include information indicating the model of the working device 40. Of the operation information output by the output unit 320, information indicating the position of the working device 40 may be referred to as position information, information indicating the sampling results of the full quantity signal may be referred to as full quantity information, and information indicating the sampling results of the reaping signal may be referred to as reaping information.

[0041] The farming information management device 10 of the farming information management system 1 realizes the functions of the information acquisition unit 110, extraction unit 120, area determination unit 130, estimation unit 140, information output unit 150, and information storage unit 160 shown in Figure 6 by the calculation device 14 of Figure 3 executing program P1. The information storage unit 160 stores field information D1, model information D2, and crop information D3 in advance before starting the processing described below.

[0042] The field information D1 indicates the geographical range of the field F where the work device 40 that is the processing target of the farming information management system 1 performs work. For example, the field information D1 may store, for multiple fields F, the identifier of the field F and information on the vertices (e.g., latitude and longitude) of a polygon representing the field F, in association with each other. The field information D1 may also include a map image of each field F.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the model information D2 stores information indicating the working width at which the harvesting device 42 harvests crops and the capacity of the storage tank 46 for each of one or more models of work implements 40 capable of harvesting in field F. In the example of FIG. 7, the model information D2 stores a "model" indicating an identifier corresponding to each of multiple models of work implements 40, a "cutting width" indicating the working width at which the work implement 40 of that model harvests crops, and a "capacity" indicating the capacity of the storage tank of that model of work implement 40, all of which are associated with each other. In this embodiment, at least two of the multiple models of work implements 40 included in the model information D2 have different working widths for harvesting. Furthermore, at least two of the multiple models of work implements 40 have different capacities for the storage tank 46.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 8, for example, the crop information D3 stores information indicating the standard weight or volume harvested per unit area for each of multiple types of crops that can be grown in the field F. In the example of FIG. 8, the crop information D3 stores, in association with each other, "crop," which indicates the name of the crop; "yield per weight," which indicates the standard harvest weight of that crop per unit area (e.g., 1 are); "volume weight," which indicates the standard weight of that crop per unit volume (e.g., 1 liter); and "volume yield," which indicates the standard harvest volume per unit area. If "yield per weight" is a, "volume weight" is b, and "volume yield" is c, then the formula c = a / b holds. Therefore, if the crop information D3 contains two of the three values ​​of "yield per weight," "volume weight," and "volume yield," the remaining value can be calculated.

[0045] The information acquisition unit 110 of the farming information management device 10 in Fig. 6 acquires information necessary for the processing described below from the information storage unit 160. The information acquisition unit 110 also acquires, for example, multiple pieces of operation information output by the communication terminal 30. The information acquisition unit 110 may provide the acquired information to the extraction unit 120, the area determination unit 130, the estimation unit 140, the information output unit 150, and the information storage unit 160.

[0046] The extraction unit 120 extracts, from the operation information acquired by the information acquisition unit 110, position information corresponding to when the target work device 40 is in the process of harvesting a crop.

[0047] The area determination unit 130 determines a work area indicating the size of the area where the target work device 40 harvested the crop, based on the operation information extracted by the extraction unit 120.

[0048] The estimation unit 140 estimates the type of crop cultivated and harvested in the field F based on the work area determined by the area determination unit 130.

[0049] The information output unit 150 outputs, to the terminal device 20, output information relating to the type of crop estimated by the estimation unit 140, as will be described later.

[0050] The terminal device 20 realizes the function of the display unit 210 shown in FIG. 6 by the arithmetic unit 24 of FIG. 4 executing the program P2.

[0051] As will be described later, the display unit 210 displays the output information output by the farming information management device 10 in a manner that can be recognized by the user.

[0052] We will now explain the processing executed by the farming information management system 1. In the farming information management system 1, the communication terminal 30 mounted on the work device 40 starts the processing of Figure 9A when the engine 41 of the work device 40 enters a running state.

[0053] In the process of FIG. 9A , first, in step S1002, the sampling unit 310 of the communication terminal 30 generates operation information. For example, the sampling unit 310 samples signals indicating the state of the working device 40 (for example, a speed signal output by the speed sensor S4, a reaping signal output by the reaping clutch sensor S3, and a full-quantity signal output by the full-quantity sensor S2) at times corresponding to predetermined measurement timings (for example, a sampling period of one minute). The sampling unit 310 also measures the position of the working device 40 using the positioning device 39 in synchronization with the sampling of the signals indicating the state of the working device 40. The sampling unit 310 generates operation information indicating the operating state and position of the working device 40 based on the sampled signals indicating the state of the working device 40 and the positioning results. The sampling unit 310 continuously generates operation information each time a measurement timing occurs while the working device 40 is in an activated state.

[0054] For example, the sampling unit 310 generates operation information indicating the positioning time when the operation information was measured, the speed of the work implement 40 at that time, whether the storage tank 46 was full or not, whether the mowing clutch CR1 was in the on state or not, and the geographical position of the work implement 40.

[0055] Next, in step S1004, the output unit 320 outputs the operation information generated by the sampling unit 310. For example, when the working device 40 transitions from an activated state to a non-activated state, the output unit 320 outputs a plurality of pieces of operation information measured at a plurality of measurement timings during the activated state to the farming information management device 10 using the communication device 36. In this embodiment, the operation information output by the output unit 320 includes vehicle information indicating the model of the working device 40.

[0056] Next, in step S1006, the information acquisition unit 110 of the farming information management device 10 acquires the operation information output in step S1004.

[0057] Next, in step S1007, the information acquisition unit 110 of the farming information management device 10 acquires information indicating the working width of the working implement 40 and the capacity of the storage tank. For example, the information acquisition unit 110 determines, as the working width of the working implement 40 that is the target of this processing, a numerical value corresponding to the model of the working implement 40 indicated by the vehicle information included in the operation information acquired in step S1006, from among the working widths of each model of working implement 40 indicated by the "cutting width" in the model information D2 shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 110 determines, as the capacity of the storage tank 46 of the working implement 40 that is the target of this processing, a numerical value corresponding to the model of the working implement 40 indicated by the vehicle information included in the operation information acquired in step S1006, from among the working widths of each model of working implement 40 indicated by the "capacity" in the model information D2 shown in FIG.

[0058] Next, in step S1008 of FIG. 9A, the extraction unit 120 of the farming information management device 10 extracts operation information during harvesting work in field F from the operation information acquired in step S1006. For example, from the multiple pieces of operation information acquired in step S1006, the extraction unit 120 extracts operation information in which the reaping clutch CR1 is in the on state as operation information during harvesting work to be used in the following processing. Alternatively, the extraction unit 120 may extract work information during harvesting work using any other method. As one example, the extraction unit 120 calculates the speed of the work device 40 at the time of positioning of a certain piece of operation information based on the position and positioning time of the work device 40 indicated by the operation information and the operation information measured immediately before (or after) the operation information. Then, if the calculated speed is within a predetermined range, the extraction unit 120 may extract the operation information as operation information during harvesting work.

[0059] Next, in step S1010 of Fig. 9B, the area determination unit 130 determines corresponding operation information corresponding to a full-capacity event from the operation information during harvesting work extracted in step S1008 of Fig. 9A. For example, a full-capacity event is an event in which the storage tank 46 of the working device 40 changes from a non-full state to a full state. For example, from the operation information during harvesting work extracted in step S1008, the area determination unit 130 determines, as the corresponding operation information corresponding to the full-capacity event, operation information in which the storage tank 46 was in a full state at the time of positioning of the operation information and in which the storage tank 46 was in a non-full state in the operation information measured immediately before that time.

[0060] Next, in step S1012, the area determination unit 130 determines the work area corresponding to one or more full-quantity events determined in step S1010. Here, the work area corresponding to the full-quantity event corresponds to the area of ​​the region within the geographical range of the field F from which the crops stored in the storage tank 46 at the time the full-quantity event occurred were harvested.

[0061] For example, for each full-capacity event, the area determination unit 130 determines a corresponding harvest period, which is the period during which the crops that filled the storage tank 46 in that full-capacity event were harvested. Generally, when the work device 40 resumes harvesting after a full-capacity event ends, it is considered that the work device 40 discharges the crops from the storage tank 46 and then restarts harvesting while the storage tank 46 is empty. Therefore, the area determination unit 130 may determine, as the start time of the corresponding harvest period, the earliest time at which the full signal is in the OFF state after the end of the previous full-capacity event, among the positioning times of the operation information during harvesting extracted in step S1008. Note that, for the first full-capacity event that occurred first among the one or more full-capacity events determined in step S1012, the area determination unit 130 may determine, as the start point of the corresponding harvest period, the positioning time of the first corresponding operation information.

[0062] Furthermore, the area determination unit 130 determines the positioning time of the corresponding operation information corresponding to the current full-quantity event as the end time of the corresponding harvest time.

[0063] Then, area determination unit 130 determines the distance traveled by working implement 40 during the corresponding harvest time. For example, area determination unit 130 determines the harvest area based on the speed or position of working implement 40 indicated by operation information measured during the corresponding harvest time, among the operation information during harvesting work extracted in step S1008 of FIG. 9A.

[0064] For example, area determination unit 130 multiplies the speed of tool 40 indicated by one or more pieces of operation information measured during the corresponding harvest time by the sampling period at which sampling unit 310 of communications terminal 30 measures the operation information. Then, area determination unit 130 determines the distance traveled by tool 40 during the corresponding harvest time as the cumulative total of the values ​​obtained by multiplying each piece of operation information measured during the corresponding harvest time. Area determination unit 130 then determines the estimated harvest area as the value obtained by multiplying the determined travel distance by the working width of harvesting device 42 acquired in step S1007 of FIG. 9A.

[0065] Note that when the sampling period is shorter than a predetermined threshold (for example, 10 seconds), and the positions of the working device 40 are obtained at a high time density, the area determination unit 130 may determine the movement distance of the working device 40 from the position of the working device 40. In this case, the area determination unit 130 may determine, as the movement distance of the working device 40, a value obtained by adding up the distances between the positions of the working device 40 indicated by operation information measured adjacently in time among the operation information measured during the corresponding harvesting time.

[0066] Next, in step S1014 of FIG. 9B , the area determination unit 130 determines whether multiple full-capacity events have occurred in the same field F. For example, if the corresponding operation information determined in step S1010 includes multiple pieces of operation information indicating locations within the geographic range of the same field F indicated by the field information D1, the area determination unit 130 determines that multiple full-capacity events have occurred in the same field F (step S1014: YES). In this case, step S1016 is executed next. On the other hand, if there is only one location of the implement 40 indicated by the corresponding operation information determined in step S1010 within the same field F, the area determination unit 130 determines that multiple full-capacity events have not occurred in the same field F (step S1014: NO). In this case, step S1018 is executed next.

[0067] In step S1016, the area determination unit 130 determines, as the field work area to be used for estimating the type of crop harvested in field F, the statistical values ​​of the multiple work areas corresponding to the multiple full-capacity events that occurred in the same field F. For example, the area determination unit 130 determines, as the field work area to be used for estimation, the average value of the multiple work areas corresponding to the multiple full-capacity events determined in step S1012. Alternatively, the area determination unit 130 may determine, as the field work area to be used for estimation, the median value of the multiple work areas corresponding to the multiple full-capacity events determined in step S1012. Note that, if there is a field F in which only one full-capacity event occurred, the area determination unit 130 may determine, for that field F, the field work area corresponding to that single full-capacity event. After step S1016 is completed, step S1020 is executed.

[0068] In step S1018, the area determination unit 130 determines the work area determined for one full event that occurred in one or more fields F as the field work area for estimating the type of crop harvested in field F. After step S1018 is completed, step S1020 is executed next.

[0069] Next, in step S1020, the estimation unit 140 estimates the type of crop harvested in the field F based on the field work area determined in step S1016 or step S1018. For example, the estimation unit 140 estimates the type of crop harvested in one or more fields F based on information indicating the capacity of the storage tank 46 of the working implement 40 acquired in step S1007 of FIG. 9A, crop information D3 indicating the standard harvest amount (weight or volume) per unit area, and the field work area determined in step S1016 or step S1018. The type of crop estimated by the estimation unit 140 in step S1020 is also referred to as the estimated crop.

[0070] As an example, the estimation unit 140 determines the volume of crops harvested in a full-capacity event in each field F based on information indicating the capacity of the storage tank 46 of the working implement 40. In this embodiment, the capacity of the storage tank 46 is the volume of the harvested crop. Next, for each crop registered in the crop information D3, the estimation unit 140 calculates a value by dividing the determined crop volume by the standard harvest volume per unit area indicated by the "volume yield" in the crop information D3. This value corresponds to the standard work area (also referred to as the reference harvest area) required to fill the storage tank 46.

[0071] For example, if the volume of the determined crop is X, then, as shown in FIG. 10, the estimation unit 140 calculates a "reference harvest area" by dividing the volume X by the "volume yield" for each row of the crop information D3. The estimation unit 140 then determines, from among the crops registered in the crop information D3, the crop whose calculated "reference harvest area" value is closest to the work area determined in step S1016 or step S1018, as the estimated crop. In this way, the estimation unit 140 can determine, from among multiple crops, the crop whose standard harvest volume per unit area (reference yield) is closest to the harvest volume per unit area of ​​the crop actually harvested by the work device 40 (also referred to as the actual yield) as the estimated crop.

[0072] Next, in step S1022 of FIG. 9B , the information output unit 150 outputs output information regarding the crop estimated in step S1020. For example, the information output unit 150 outputs output information including, for each of one or more fields F in which a full-quantity event has occurred, information identifying the field F (e.g., an identifier) ​​and information indicating the crop estimated for that field F. The output information may further include information on a map image of a geographical area including the field F included in the field information D1 where harvesting work was performed. The information output unit 150 outputs the output information to the terminal device 20 using the communication device 16.

[0073] Next, in step S1024, the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 displays the output information output in step S1020. For example, the display unit 210 may display, on the screen of the display device of the input / output device 22 of the terminal device 20, a list associating identifiers of one or more fields F included in the output information with crops estimated for that field F. Furthermore, the display unit 210 may display a crop map image in which a sign indicating the estimated crop (for example, a mark or character string corresponding to the estimated crop) is superimposed on a portion of the map screen of the field F that corresponds to the estimated position.

[0074] As explained above, the farming information management system 1 can estimate the type of crop harvested in each field F based on operation information, and therefore can efficiently provide information about the type of crop. Furthermore, the farming information management system 1 can estimate the type of crop even without information about when the discharge auger 48 of the work implement 40 will be operational or information about the weight of the crop stored in the storage tank 46. For this reason, the farming information management system 1 requires little information to estimate the type of crop harvested in the field F.

[0075] (Variation) The configurations described in the embodiments are merely examples, and the configurations can be changed as long as the functions are not impaired.

[0076] For example, at least some of the functions of the sampling unit 310 and output unit 320 of the communication terminal 30 may be possessed by a control device of the working device 40 (for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the working device 40). In this case, the farming information management system 1 includes one or more working devices 40. Alternatively, one or more of the information acquisition unit 110, extraction unit 120, area determination unit 130, estimation unit 140, information output unit 150, and information storage unit 160 of the farming information management device 10 may be realized in a distributed manner by two or more computers. Also, for example, one or more of the functions of the farming information management device 10 may be possessed by the terminal device 20.

[0077] Furthermore, if the operation information of the working device 40 can be obtained from an external device (for example, an external server device that accumulates operation information), the information acquisition unit 110 may acquire the operation information from this external device instead of the communication terminal 30. In this case, the farming information management system 1 does not need to include the communication terminal 30. Furthermore, the farming information management device 10 may be equipped with a functional unit corresponding to the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20. In this case, the functional unit corresponding to the display unit 210 may display output information on the screen of the display device of the input / output device 12 of the farming information management device 10 in a manner that is visible to the user in step S1024 of Figure 9B. In this case, the farming information management system 1 does not need to include the terminal device 20.

[0078] The configuration of the working device 40 may be different from that of the above embodiment. For example, the working device 40 may be provided with an electric motor as a power source instead of the engine 41. Note that devices that supply driving force to the working device 40, such as the engine 41 and the motor, are also referred to as drive sources.

[0079] The working device 40 may also be equipped with a yield sensor capable of measuring the weight of crops placed in the holding tank 46. In this case, the estimation unit 140 may estimate the type of crop harvested in the field F based on the weight of the crops measured by the yield sensor, instead of the capacity of the holding tank 46. For example, in step S1002 of FIG. 9A , the sampling unit 310 of the communication terminal 30 generates operation information including information about the weight of the crops placed in the holding tank 46, measured by the yield sensor, for each sampling period. Then, in step S1004, the output unit 320 outputs the operation information about the weight of the crops. In step S1020 of FIG. 9B , when a full event occurs, the estimation unit 140 may estimate the type of crop based on the total weight Y of the crops indicated by the operation information corresponding to the period from when the full signal was last turned off until when the full signal was turned on, and the work area determined in step S1018 or step S1016. In this case, the estimation unit 140 may determine, as the estimated crop, the crop for which the value obtained by dividing the weight Y of the crop at the time of the full harvest event by the value of the "yield per unit weight" is closest to the index value, instead of the "reference harvest area" in FIG. 10. In this case, the model information D2 does not need to include information about the capacity of the storage tank 46. Also, if information indicating the weight of the crop discharged at each full harvest event can be obtained from an external device (for example, a transport vehicle equipped with a weight sensor), in step S1020 of FIG. 9B, the estimation unit 140 may estimate the crop using the weight of the crop indicated by that information, instead of the weight of the crop indicated by the yield sensor.

[0080] Additionally, working device 40 may be equipped with a discharge sensor that indicates whether crops have been discharged from discharge auger 48. In this case, in step S1002 of FIG. 9A, sampling unit 310 of communication terminal 30 generates operation information including information on whether crops have been discharged, as measured by the discharge sensor, for each sampling period. Then, in step S1004, output unit 320 outputs the operation information including the information on whether crops have been discharged. In the process of determining the corresponding harvest period in step S1012 of FIG. 9B, area determination unit 130 may determine, as the start time of the corresponding harvest period, the earliest time after a discharge event at which the discharge sensor was turned on after a full-load event occurred, among the positioning times of the operation information during harvesting extracted in step S1008.

[0081] Furthermore, if the target crop is not a grain, the work device 40 may be a harvester equipped with a device having a harvesting function that collects the target crop (e.g., sugar beets, potatoes, or carrots) and supplies it to a storage tank 46, instead of the reaping device 42 and threshing device 44.

[0082] In the above embodiment or modification, the farming information management system 1 determines the estimated crop based on the harvest volume (or harvest weight) and work area at the time of the full-capacity event. Alternatively, the farming information management system 1 may determine the estimated crop based on the harvest volume (or harvest weight) and work area at the time of the discharge event corresponding to when the crop is discharged from the storage tank 46. In this case, in step S1010 of FIG. 9B, the area determination unit 130 determines the operation information in which the full-capacity signal changes from on to off as the corresponding operation information corresponding to the discharge event. Then, in step S1012, the area determination unit 130 determines, for each discharge event, the work area for the period from the occurrence of the previous discharge event to the current discharge event. Then, in the processing of steps S1014 to S1018, the area determination unit 130 may determine the field work area based on the work area determined for each discharge event.

[0083] The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the configurations described in each embodiment may be arbitrarily modified and / or combined as long as the functions are not impaired. Furthermore, some of the functions described in the embodiments may be omitted as long as the required functions can be realized.

[0084] (Addendum) The farming information management method, farming information management system, and program described in each embodiment can be described as follows.

[0085] The farming information management method according to the first aspect includes: Estimating the type of the crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; Includes:

[0086] The farming information management method according to the second aspect is the farming information management method according to the first aspect, The method further includes determining the working area in which the working device has performed harvesting work to fill the storage tank, based on multiple pieces of position information each indicating the position of a working device that harvests the crop, information indicating the working width in which the working device harvests the crop, and fullness information indicating that the storage tank that stores the crop is full.

[0087] A farming information management method according to a third aspect is the farming information management method according to the second aspect, determining the working area determining a travel distance traveled by the work device that performed the harvesting operation to fill the storage tank based on the full amount information and the plurality of position information; determining the working area based on the determined movement distance and information indicating the working width; Includes:

[0088] A farming information management method according to a fourth aspect is the farming information management method according to the third aspect, determining the distance traveled extracting, from the plurality of pieces of position information based on the full amount information, position information corresponding to a position at which the work device performed harvesting work to fill the storage tank this time; determining the travel distance based on the extracted position information; Includes:

[0089] A farming information management method according to a fifth aspect is a farming information management method according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, determining whether the holding tank has been filled multiple times in the same field based on field information indicating a geographical extent of the field for each of the one or more fields, the fill information, and the plurality of location information; When it is determined that the load has been filled multiple times, determining the work area includes determining a plurality of work areas corresponding to the load being filled multiple times in the same field; If multiple full loads are determined, estimating the type of crop includes estimating the type of crop using statistics of the plurality of work areas corresponding to the multiple full loads, respectively.

[0090] A farming information management method according to a sixth aspect is a farming information management method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, The method further includes determining the volume of the crop based on information indicating the model of the work implement that harvested the crop and information indicating the capacity of a storage tank that stores the harvested crop for each of multiple models of work implement that can perform harvesting work in the field.

[0091] A farming information management method according to a seventh aspect is a farming information management method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, Estimating the type of crop includes estimating the type of the harvested crop based on the work area and crop information indicating the volume of the crop, a reference value for the weight harvested per unit area for a plurality of crops, and a reference value for the volume per unit weight.

[0092] The farming information management method according to the eighth aspect comprises: Estimating the type of the crop based on the weight of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the weight was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; Includes:

[0093] A farming information management method according to a ninth aspect is the farming information management method according to the eighth aspect, The method further includes determining the working area in which the working device has performed harvesting work to harvest an amount of crop corresponding to the weight, based on multiple pieces of position information each indicating the position of a working device that harvests the crop and information indicating the working width in which the working device harvests the crop.

[0094] The farming information management system according to the tenth aspect is an estimation unit that estimates the type of the crop based on a volume of the crop harvested in the field and a work area where an amount of the crop corresponding to the volume is harvested; an information output unit that outputs information about the estimated type of crop; Equipped with.

[0095] A program according to an eleventh aspect includes: On the computer, Estimating the type of the crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; Execute the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1...Agricultural information management system 10...Agricultural information management device 12... Input / output device 14...Arithmetic device 16...Communication equipment 18...Storage device 110…Information acquisition department 120...Extraction part 130...Area determination unit 140…Estimation part 150...Information output unit 160...Information storage unit 20...Terminal device 22... Input / output device 24...Arithmetic device 26...Communication equipment 28…Storage device 210...Display section 30...Communication terminal 32... Input / output device 34...Arithmetic device 36...Communication equipment 38…Storage device 39...Positioning device 310...Sampling section 320...Output section 40, 40_1, 40_2...Work equipment 41...Engine 42...Reaping device 44...threshing equipment 46...Storage tank 48...Exhaust auger CR1...Harvesting clutch S2...Full sensor S3... Mowing clutch sensor S4...Speed ​​sensor F1, F2...field NT…Network M1, M2, M3…Storage medium P1, P2, P3...Program D1...Field information D2...Model information D3…Crop information

Claims

1. Estimating the type of the crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; Including, Farming information management methods.

2. The method further includes determining the working area in which the working device has performed the harvesting work to fill the storage tank, based on a plurality of pieces of position information each indicating a position of a working device that harvests the crop, information indicating a working width in which the working device harvests the crop, and fullness information indicating that a storage tank that stores the crop is full. The farming information management method according to claim 1.

3. determining the working area determining a travel distance traveled by the work device that performed the harvesting operation to fill the storage tank based on the full amount information and the plurality of position information; determining the working area based on the determined movement distance and information indicating the working width; Including, The farming information management method according to claim 2.

4. determining the distance traveled extracting, from the plurality of pieces of position information based on the full amount information, position information corresponding to a position at which the work device performed harvesting work to fill the storage tank this time; determining the travel distance based on the extracted position information; Including, The farming information management method according to claim 3.

5. determining whether the holding tank has been filled multiple times in the same field based on field information indicating a geographical extent of the field for each of the one or more fields, the fill information, and the plurality of location information; When it is determined that the load has been filled multiple times, determining the work area includes determining a plurality of work areas corresponding to the load being filled multiple times in the same field; and if multiple full loads are determined, estimating the type of crop includes estimating the type of crop using statistics of the plurality of work areas corresponding to the multiple full loads, respectively. The farming information management method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. determining the volume of the crop based on information indicating the model of the implement that harvested the crop and information indicating the capacity of a storage tank that stores the harvested crop for each of a plurality of implement models that can perform harvesting work in the field; The farming information management method according to claim 1.

7. and estimating the type of the crop includes estimating the type of the harvested crop based on the work area and crop information indicating the volume of the crop, a reference value of a weight harvested per unit area for a plurality of crops, and a reference value of a volume per unit weight. The farming information management method according to claim 1.

8. Estimating the type of the crop based on the weight of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the weight was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; Including, Farming information management methods.

9. and determining the working area in which the working device has performed harvesting work in order to harvest the amount of crop corresponding to the weight, based on a plurality of pieces of position information each indicating a position of a working device that harvests the crop and information indicating a working width in which the working device harvests the crop. The farming information management method according to claim 8.

10. an estimation unit that estimates the type of the crop based on a volume of the crop harvested in the field and a work area where an amount of the crop corresponding to the volume is harvested; an information output unit that outputs information about the estimated type of crop; Equipped with Farming information management system.

11. On the computer, Estimating the type of the crop based on the volume of the crop harvested in the field and the work area where the amount of the crop corresponding to the volume was harvested; outputting information about the estimated type of crop; A program to execute.

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