Work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of efficiently executing a task with a work vehicle which performs work travel using a work machine.SOLUTION: A work vehicle which performs work travel using a work machine estimates an occurrence of a region left unworked during the work travel and notifies an estimation result regarding the region left unworked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known a work vehicle that appropriately processes any unworked areas that occur during ground work along a travel route so as not to leave any unworked areas (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to perform adjacent work within a work area while traveling along a pre-calculated travel route. After the work vehicle reaches the end point of work within the work area, it determines whether there is any unworked land, and if there is, generates an unworked land processing travel route to process the unworked land. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-195288 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, if there is an unworked area after work in a work area is completed, additional work will be carried out using the unworked area processing travel route, which may result in longer work times and reduced work efficiency.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables work to be carried out efficiently by a work vehicle that travels for work using a work implement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An exemplary work vehicle of the present invention is a work vehicle that performs work travel using a work machine, and estimates in advance the occurrence of areas where work will remain unfinished during the work travel, and notifies the user of the estimated results regarding the areas where work will remain unfinished. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, work can be carried out efficiently by a work vehicle that travels for work using a work implement. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a work vehicle; [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the general configuration of a control device provided in a work vehicle. [Figure 3] A diagram showing a farm field and an automatic driving route. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display device during autonomous driving. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing the flow of a process for preventing the occurrence of an unfinished work area executed in a work vehicle. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of notification of the estimated results regarding the occurrence of remaining work areas (residual tillage). [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of notification of the estimated results regarding the occurrence of remaining work areas (residual tillage). [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example in which an unfinished work area is displayed on a camera image. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and unless otherwise required, the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] In addition, in this specification, directions are defined as follows. First, the direction in which the work vehicle travels straight is defined as the front-to-rear direction, and front and rear are defined as the direction in which the steering wheel is in front of the driver's seat of the work vehicle. Furthermore, the right side as seen from the driver (operator) sitting in the driver's seat facing forward is defined as right, and the left side is defined as left, and the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is defined. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions is defined as the up-to-down direction, and up-to-down is defined as the direction of gravity being down and the opposite side being up. The above directions are names used merely for the purpose of explanation, and are not intended to limit the actual positional relationships and directions.

[0012] <1. Overview of the work vehicle> FIG. 1 is a side view showing the general configuration of a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The work vehicle 1 comprises a body 11 and a work implement 12. The body 11 constitutes the main part of the work vehicle 1, and is capable of traveling in a work field 200. The work implement 12 is provided by being attached to the body 11, etc. The work vehicle 1 travels to perform work using the work implement 12. The work vehicle 1 travels to perform work in the work field 200. In this embodiment, the work field 200 is, for example, a farm field. In other words, the work vehicle 1 is a field work vehicle that performs ground work in the farm field 200.

[0013] In this embodiment, the work implement 12 is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 11. The work vehicle 1 of this embodiment is a tractor that tows the work implement 12 with the vehicle body 11. However, the work implement 12 may also be configured to be attached to the front of the vehicle body 11. In other words, the work vehicle of the present invention may be configured to have a work implement at the front of the vehicle body, and may be, for example, a combine harvester. When the work vehicle is a combine harvester, the ground work is reaping work.

[0014] The vehicle body 11 includes a base unit 13 and a pair of travel units 14 that support the base unit 13 and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each of the left and right travel units 14 includes a front wheel 14a and a rear wheel 14b. At least one of the front wheel 14a and the rear wheel 14b is provided so that driving force can be transmitted from a power source 15 that is disposed in front of the base unit 13. The transmission of driving force from the power source 15 to the travel units 14 enables the vehicle body 11 to travel in the field 200. Note that, although the power source 15 is an engine in this embodiment, the power source is not limited to this, and the power source may be a motor or the like. Furthermore, the pair of travel units 14 may be configured with crawlers instead of wheels.

[0015] A driving section 16 in which a driver sits is provided on the base section 13. That is, the vehicle body 11 is equipped with the driving section 16. The driving section 16 is provided with a driver's seat 16a in which the driver sits, a steering wheel 16b disposed in front of the driver's seat 16a and enabling the driver to steer the vehicle body 11, and a plurality of operating sections (not shown) that enable the driver to perform various operations.

[0016] The work implement 12 is connected to the rear of the base part 13 via a connecting mechanism 17. In this embodiment, the work implement 12 is connected to the base part 13 so that it can be raised and lowered. A PTO shaft (power take-off shaft) 18 for outputting the driving force of the power source 15 to the work implement 12 is arranged at the rear of the base part 13. The driving force of the power source 15 is transmitted to the PTO shaft 18 via a transmission 19. Note that the power source for driving the work implement 12 may be provided separately from the power source for propelling the vehicle body 11.

[0017] In this embodiment, the work implement 12 is a rotary tiller. The ground work performed by the work vehicle 1 is tilling work. However, the work implement 12 is not limited to a rotary tiller, and may be a plow, a harvester, a tilling implement (drive harrow), a chemical sprayer, a fertilizer applicator, etc. Furthermore, the work vehicle 1 may be provided with a plurality of types of work implements 12 that can be interchangeably attached.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device 10 provided in a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control device 10 is a computer device including, for example, a calculation unit, an input / output unit, and a memory unit 101. The calculation unit is, for example, an integrated circuit such as a processor or a microprocessor. The memory unit 101 is a main memory device such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The memory unit 101 may further include an auxiliary memory device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive). Various programs, data, etc. are stored in the memory unit 101. The calculation unit reads various programs from the memory unit 101 and performs calculation processing in accordance with the programs.

[0019] In this embodiment, the above-described hardware and software work together to allow the control device 10 to operate as various functional units. As shown in Fig. 2, the various functional units include a path generation unit 102, a travel mode control unit 103, a travel control unit 104, a work implement control unit 105, a work history generation unit 106, a remaining work area estimation unit 107, and a notification control unit 108.

[0020] As described above, each of the functional units 102 to 108 included in the control device 10 may be realized by a computing unit executing arithmetic processing according to a program, i.e., by software, but may also be realized by other methods. At least a portion of each of the functional units 102 to 108 may be realized using, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). That is, at least a portion of each of the functional units 102 to 108 may be realized by hardware using a dedicated IC or the like. Also, at least a portion of each of the functional units 102 to 108 may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Also, each of the functional units 102 to 108 is a conceptual component. The function performed by one component may be distributed among multiple components. Also, the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component.

[0021] Furthermore, the control device 10 may be configured as a single piece of hardware, or may be configured as multiple pieces of hardware that can communicate with each other. For example, the work vehicle 1 may be equipped with a remote control device (not shown) that enables remote operation by an operator located away from the vehicle body 11. In such a case, the control device 10 may be configured to be disposed only on the vehicle body 11, or may be configured to be disposed separately on the vehicle body 11 side and the remote control device side. The remote control device is a device that is provided so as to be able to communicate with the vehicle body 11, and may be, for example, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a remote controller, or the like.

[0022] The control device 10 may be configured to be able to communicate with a server device via a network such as the Internet. In such a case, some of the functions of the control device 10 may be implemented by the server device. Some of the information stored in the storage unit 101 may also be stored in the server device.

[0023] 2 shows not only the control device 10 but also elements 2 to 5 that are directly or indirectly connected to the control device 10. These elements 2 to 5 may be connected to the control device 10, for example, by wire or wirelessly. Furthermore, these elements 2 to 5 may be connected by wire or wirelessly to a device that can communicate with the control device 10 (such as the above-mentioned remote control device or server device), and may be indirectly connected to the control device 10 via the device that can communicate.

[0024] The positioning communication unit 2 is provided, for example, in the vehicle body 11. The positioning communication unit 2 may also be provided in a portable communication terminal (remote control device) that can be carried out from the vehicle body 11. The positioning communication unit 2 includes a positioning antenna (not shown) and acquires the position of the vehicle body 11 as, for example, latitude and longitude information using a positioning signal received by the positioning antenna from a positioning satellite. The positioning communication unit 2 outputs the position information of the vehicle body 11 to the control device 10. For example, the positioning communication unit 2 receives a positioning signal from a reference station (not shown) using an appropriate method, and then performs positioning using a known RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic GNSS) method. The positioning communication unit 2 may also perform positioning using a DGNSS (Differential GNSS) method. The vehicle body 11 may also be configured to include a quantum compass capable of positioning instead of or in addition to the positioning communication unit 2.

[0025] The sensors 3 detect information related to the work vehicle 1 and output the detected information to the control device 10. In particular, multiple types of sensors 3 are mounted on the work vehicle 1. Each of the multiple types of sensors 3 outputs detected information to the control device 10. The sensors 3 are mounted, for example, on the vehicle body 11 or the work implement 12. Note that, in some cases, the sensors 3 may be provided on a mobile communication terminal (remote control device) that can be carried out from the vehicle body 11. The multiple types of sensors 3 may include, for example, an inertial measurement unit, a surrounding condition monitoring sensor, an elevation sensor, etc.

[0026] The inertial measurement unit is a device that includes, for example, a three-axis angular velocity sensor and a three-axis acceleration sensor, and is capable of measuring the attitude of the vehicle body 11. The surrounding situation monitoring sensor is a sensor that monitors the situation around the vehicle body 11, and may be, for example, a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar, or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The elevation sensor is, for example, a sensor that detects the elevation position of the work implement 12.

[0027] The operation device 4 is a device that enables an operator such as a driver to give commands to the control device 10. The operation device 4 is provided, for example, on the vehicle body 11. However, if the work vehicle 1 is configured to be equipped with a remote control device, at least a part of the operation device 4 may be provided on the remote control device. The operation device 4 may be, for example, a button, a lever, a dial, or a touch panel.

[0028] The display device 5 displays information appropriately in response to commands from the control device 10. The display device 5 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display device 5 may be configured to have a touch panel, in which case the display device 5 may also function as at least a part of the operation device 4. If the work vehicle 1 is configured to include a remote control device, the display device 5 may be provided in at least one of the vehicle body 11 and the remote control device.

[0029] Next, an overview of the functions of the control device 10 will be described.

[0030] The route generation unit 102 generates an automatic driving route for the work vehicle 1 to drive automatically. Details of the automatic driving route will be described later. In this specification, automatic driving means that the driving-related devices are controlled by the control device 10 provided in the work vehicle 1, and at least steering is performed autonomously so as to follow a predetermined route. However, automatic driving may also be configured so that, in addition to steering, at least one of vehicle speed adjustment and work by the work implement 12 is performed autonomously.

[0031] The driving mode control unit 103 controls switching between the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode. Switching between the manual mode and the automatic driving mode is performed, for example, in response to an instruction from an operator using the operation device 4. Note that switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode may be performed automatically in an emergency, etc.

[0032] In the manual driving mode, the driving operation of the vehicle body 11 and the operation of the work implement 12 are performed by the operator. Note that the manual operation by the operator may be performed by the operator sitting in the driving unit 16, or may be performed by the operator using a remote control device without sitting in the driving unit 16. In the automatic driving mode, at least steering is performed automatically, and adjustment of vehicle speed and operation of the work implement 12 are performed by operation of the control device 10 or by manual operation by the operator. Note that in the automatic driving mode, the operator may or may not be sitting in the driving unit 16.

[0033] The driving control unit 104 controls the driving system of the vehicle body 11 in accordance with the driving mode. When the driving mode is a manual driving mode, the driving control unit 104 controls the driving system of the vehicle body 11 in accordance with instructions from the operation device 4. When the driving mode is an automatic driving mode, the driving control unit 104 automatically controls at least a part of the driving system of the vehicle body 11. The driving control unit 104 automatically controls steering (automatic steering) so that the vehicle body 11 travels at least along a predetermined route. During automatic steering, the position and orientation of the vehicle body 11 are determined based on information obtained from, for example, the positioning communication unit 2 and an inertial measurement device included in the sensor 3. Then, calculations related to automatic steering are performed according to the positional relationship between the determined position, etc. of the vehicle body 11 and a predetermined driving route for automatic driving (the driving route generated by the route generation unit 102), and steering control is performed according to the calculation results.

[0034] The work implement control unit 105 controls the work system of the work vehicle 1 in response to instructions from the operating device 4. Control of the work system includes, for example, control of the lifting and lowering of the work implement 12 and control of switching the power transmission state to the work implement 12 using the PTO power transmission unit. Note that when the automatic driving includes autonomously performing work by the work implement 12, the work implement control unit 105 switches the control of the work system of the work vehicle 1 depending on the driving mode. In other words, when in the automatic driving mode, the work implement control unit 105 automatically controls the operation of the work implement 12.

[0035] When a work trip is performed using the work implement 12, the work history generation unit 106 generates work history information that indicates the status of the work. Details of the work history information will be described later. Whether or not work has been performed by the work implement 12 can be determined, for example, from information obtained from an elevation sensor (included in sensor 3) that indicates the position of the work implement 12. The generated work history information is stored in the memory unit 101 as appropriate.

[0036] The remaining work area estimation unit 107 estimates the occurrence of an unworked area during work travel using the work implement 12. An unworked area is an unworked area that remains in an intermediate position without work being performed during work travel using the work implement 12. When the work implement 12 is a tiller as in this embodiment, the unworked area is what is known as residual tillage. For example, when the work vehicle is a combine harvester, the unworked area is an uncut area that occurs during mowing work. The estimation of the unworked area will be described in detail below.

[0037] The notification control unit 108 controls the notification unit provided in the work vehicle 1. The notification unit includes the display device 5 described above. However, the notification unit may also include, in addition to the display device 5, for example, an audio output device (speaker), a vibration generator, or a light-emitting device. Furthermore, if the work vehicle 1 is configured to include a remote control device, the notification unit may be configured to be provided in at least one of the vehicle body 11 and the remote control device. The notification operation using the display device 5 will be described later.

[0038] <2. Overview of Autonomous Driving> As described above, the work vehicle 1 is configured to be capable of automatic driving, in which at least steering is performed automatically. The automatic driving is performed along an automatic driving route that is generated in advance by the route generation unit 102. Here, an example of an automatic driving route that is generated within the field 200 will be described.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a field 200 and an automated driving route 201. The field 200 includes a work target area R1 and a headland area R2. The work target area R1 is located in the center of the field 200 and is the area that is the target of work. The headland area R2 is located outside the work target area R1 and is an area that is used to properly perform work in the work target area R1. For example, the headland area R2 is used as an area for moving the work vehicle 1 that has entered the field 200 to a start position for tilling work, an area for turning the work vehicle 1, etc. It should be noted that work may eventually be performed in the headland area R2 as well.

[0040] As a route for automatically driving the work vehicle 1, for example, an automatic driving route 201 shown by a dashed line in FIG. 3 is generated by the route generation unit 102. The automatic driving route 201 is made up of a number of straight routes 201a that travel straight through the work target area R1 of the farm field 200, and a turning route 201b that connects adjacent straight routes 201a. In detail, the straight routes 201a are routes (work routes) along which work driving using the work implement 12 is performed. On the turning route 201b, work driving using the work implement 12 is not performed. For example, when traveling on the turning route 201b, the work implement 12 is raised so as not to touch the ground.

[0041] In Fig. 3, the arrow shown on the automatic driving route 201 indicates the traveling direction of the work vehicle 1. Also, in Fig. 3, "S" indicates the start position of the automatic driving route, and "G" indicates the end position of the automatic driving route. In the following explanation of Fig. 3, a route that proceeds in a direction away from the side where start position S is located along the straight path 201a will be referred to as an outbound route, and a route that proceeds in a direction toward the side where start position S is located along the straight path 201a from the side opposite to the side where start position S is located will be referred to as a return route.

[0042] The straight path 201a is a straight path and is parallel to, for example, one side of the outline of the field 200 or the work target area R1. The spacing between adjacent straight paths 201a is determined, for example, based on the working width of the work implement 12. The working width is the width in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) over which work (plowing) is performed on the ground by the work implement 12. The spacing between adjacent straight paths 201a is preferably determined so that the working width of the work implement 12 equipped on the work vehicle 1 traveling on the outbound path (see the work vehicle 1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 3) and the working width of the work implement 12 equipped on the work vehicle 1 traveling on the return path (see the work vehicle 1 shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3) overlap by a certain width. This configuration makes it possible to prevent an unworked area from being created between the post-work area formed by the outbound work travel and the post-work area formed by the return work travel at the completion of the adjacent outbound and return work travels.

[0043] In FIG. 3, the overlap between the work implement 12 of the work vehicle 1 shown by the solid line and the work implement 12 of the work vehicle 1 shown by the dashed line indicates that the interval between adjacent straight-line paths 201a is determined so that the above-mentioned constant width of overlap occurs. The constant width may be a fixed value stored in advance in the memory unit 101, or may be configured so that the user (operator) can change the setting as desired. If the constant width is made too large, work efficiency will decrease, so it is preferable to set it as small as possible within a range that can prevent the occurrence of unfinished work areas. The constant width may also be set to zero. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which the above-mentioned overlap does not occur.

[0044] The route generation unit 102 sets the straight route 201a of the automatic driving route 201 as a work route where work will be performed. The route generation unit 102 sets the turning route 201b as a route where work will not be performed. The route generation unit 102 also sets the driving direction, target vehicle speed, target steering angle, etc. of the vehicle body 11 for each position on the automatic driving route 201 as necessary. The route generation unit 102 stores the generated automatic driving route 201 in the memory unit 101. The automatic driving route 201 stored in the memory unit 101 can be displayed on the display device 5 as appropriate.

[0045] Once the automatic driving route 201 has been generated, the work vehicle 1 is moved to the start position S, for example, by manual driving. When a command to start automatic driving is issued from the start position S using the operation device 4, the work vehicle 1 begins automatic driving. As a result, the work vehicle 1 performs work driving from the start position S along the straight route 201a, repeating outward driving, turning driving, return driving, and turning driving in this order, until it moves to the end position G. This allows the ground work in the work target area R1 to be completed.

[0046] Although the field 200 shown in FIG. 3 is rectangular, it may have other shapes. The automatic travel route 201 shown in FIG. 3 is an example. For example, the route along which work is performed (work route) may be a curved route instead of a straight route. Furthermore, the turning route 201b may not be included in the automatic travel route, but may be a route along which an operator manually travels.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen 51 displayed on the display device 5 during autonomous driving. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a map image 511 and a camera image 512 are displayed on the display screen 51 (display device 5). Note that this example is based on the premise that the sensor 3 (see FIG. 2) equipped on the work vehicle 1 is equipped with a camera. It is also based on the premise that the camera captures at least an image of the area ahead. Instead of the camera image 512, an image showing an image of the area ahead of the vehicle may be displayed. If the work vehicle 1 is not equipped with a camera, the image described above may be displayed as one of the emphasized expressions. The image may be a three-dimensional image.

[0048] The map image 511 displays the current position of the vehicle 1 in the field 200 (an example of a work site) where work travel will be performed. In this embodiment, the current position of the vehicle 1 is, as an example, the current position of the vehicle body 11. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the current position of the vehicle body 11 is represented by displaying a work vehicle icon 1a that resembles the work vehicle 1 on an image showing the field 200. As the vehicle body 11 moves, the position of the work vehicle icon 1a on the display screen 51 moves. The map image 511 also displays the automated driving route 201. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the automated driving route 201 is shown by superimposing a dashed line on the image showing the field 200. By comparing the position of the automated driving route 201 with the position of the work vehicle icon 1a, the operator can grasp the detailed position of the work vehicle 1 (vehicle body 11) and the status of automated driving.

[0049] The arrow in the map image 511 indicates the direction of travel of the vehicle body 11 that is automatically traveling along the automatic traveling route 201.

[0050] 4, a worked area 401 where work has been done in the past by a work drive and an unworked area 402 where work will be done in the future by a work drive are displayed in a map image 511. The worked area 401 and the unworked area 402 are determined based on the current position of the vehicle body 11.

[0051] The already worked area 401 can be determined based on the travel trajectory of the vehicle body 11 obtained from the positioning information of the vehicle body 11 by the positioning communication unit 2, and the above-mentioned working width information of the work implement 12 (stored in the memory unit 101). Furthermore, the unworked area 402 can be determined as the area obtained by excluding the already worked area 401 from the entire work area determined based on information about the work path (straight path) 201a generated by the path generation unit 102 and the working width information of the work implement 12. Displaying the already worked area 401 and the unworked area 402 makes it easier for the operator to understand the work status of the work vehicle 1 performing autonomous traveling work.

[0052] 4, the difference (lateral deviation) in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) between the automatic driving route 201 and the current position of the vehicle body 11 may be displayed on the display screen 51. This makes it easier for the operator to understand the positional deviation of the vehicle body 11, which is automatically traveling along the automatic driving route 201, from the automatic driving route.

[0053] The adjustment buttons ("+" and "-") 513 shown as "route shift" in FIG. 4 correspond to an instruction unit that instructs a route shift. When a route shift is executed in accordance with an instruction from the shift instruction unit 513, the position of the automatic driving route 201 generated by the route generation unit 102 is shifted left and right (laterally). When the automatic driving route 201 is shifted laterally by a route shift, the automatically driving vehicle body 11 also moves laterally accordingly. In other words, it can be said that the work vehicle 1 is equipped with a shift instruction unit 513 that shifts the driving position of the host vehicle 1 (vehicle body 11) laterally. By using the route shift, the position of the vehicle body 11 of the automatically driving work vehicle 1 can be adjusted to an appropriate position in the field 200.

[0054] The camera image 512 displays an image from a camera (an example of the sensor 3) that captures at least an image in front of the vehicle 1 (vehicle body 11). In the example shown in FIG. 4, only a front image is displayed on the display screen 51 as the camera image 512, but an image of the surroundings other than the front side, such as a rear image, may also be displayed on the display screen 51. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the map image 511 and the camera image 512 are displayed on the same display screen 51, but they may be displayed on separate, switchable screens. In addition, either the map image 511 or the camera image 512 does not have to be displayed. In addition, the display devices that display the map image 511 and the camera image 512 may be separate display devices.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 4, reference numeral 401 denotes a worked area, and reference numeral 402 denotes an unworked area. As can be seen from this, displaying camera image 512 makes it easier for the operator to understand the working status of work vehicle 1 performing autonomous driving work. For example, displaying camera image 512 (screen display on a display device provided in the remote control device) is effective for an operator who operates work vehicle 1 using a remote control device.

[0056] Incidentally, when the deviation in the left-right direction (lateral direction) between the work path (straight path) 201a generated by the path generation unit 102 and the actual travel path of the vehicle body 11 becomes large, the above-mentioned unfinished work area occurs. In the above-mentioned configuration in which the completed work area 401 and the unfinished work area 402 are displayed in the map image 511 or the configuration in which the camera image 512 is displayed, the unfinished work area cannot be noticed by looking at the screen until it has occurred. Furthermore, because the unfinished work area is narrow in the map image 511, it is difficult to notice the occurrence of the unfinished work area. Furthermore, even if a route shift is performed after the fact, it is difficult to determine how much the route should be shifted. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine the occurrence of a lateral deviation using only the camera image, and even if a route shift is performed after the fact, it is difficult to determine how much the route should be shifted.

[0057] In this embodiment, the above points are taken into consideration and the work vehicle 1 is equipped with a technology for suppressing the occurrence of unfinished work areas. This will be described below.

[0058] <3. Technology to prevent areas of work remaining unfinished> [3-1. Overview] In this embodiment, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 (i.e., the control device 10 and the work vehicle 1) estimates in advance the occurrence of remaining work areas where work will remain unfinished during work travel using the work implement 12. The work travel referred to here specifically refers to work travel by automated driving. Furthermore, the remaining work area is an unfinished area that unintentionally occurs midway between the start and end of work. Furthermore, estimating in advance refers to estimating the occurrence of remaining work areas in the future, and does not mean estimating whether or not a remaining work area will occur after work travel.

[0059] In this embodiment, the notification control unit 108 (i.e., the control device 10 and the work vehicle 1) notifies the estimation result regarding the remaining work area. The estimation result regarding the remaining work area may be configured to be notified only when it is estimated that a remaining work area will occur, for example. However, the estimation result of the remaining work area may be configured to be notified not only when it is estimated that a remaining work area will occur, but also when it is estimated that a remaining work area will not occur.

[0060] According to the configuration of this embodiment, if an unfinished work area will occur in the future during work travel, the operator can be notified of this in advance. This allows the operator to act on the work vehicle 1 to prevent the occurrence of an unfinished work area, thereby suppressing the occurrence of an unfinished work area. Work efficiency can be improved because it is no longer necessary to perform additional work on the unfinished work area after the work travel is completed.

[0061] In this embodiment, the means for notifying the estimation result of the remaining work area is a display device 5 (see FIG. 2). That is, the work vehicle 1 is equipped with a display device 5 that notifies the estimation result regarding the remaining work area. If the display device 5 is configured to notify the estimation result, it is possible to convey to the operator information about the remaining work area that will occur in the future in an intuitive and easy-to-understand manner using visual information. However, the means for notifying the estimation result may be an audio output device, a vibration generator, a light-emitting device, or the like, instead of or in addition to the display device 5. Furthermore, when the work vehicle 1 is operated using a remote control device, the display device, audio output device, vibration generator, light-emitting device, or the like referred to here may be configured to be provided in the remote control device.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the occurrence of an unfinished work area is estimated based on the position information of the host vehicle 1 and information about the work implement 12. The position information of the host vehicle 1 specifically includes past and future position information of the host vehicle 1. For this reason, it can be said that the work vehicle 1 estimates the occurrence of an unfinished work area based on the past and future position information of the host vehicle 1. The information about the work implement 12 specifically includes the working width of the work implement 12. Note that, in this embodiment, the position information of the host vehicle 1 is the position information of the vehicle body 11, but is not limited to this, and may be the position information of the work implement 12, or the position information of the vehicle body 11 and the work implement 12.

[0063] Work history information can be obtained from the position information (past position information) of the vehicle body 11 from the start of work travel to the present and the work width of the work implement 12. This work history information corresponds to the information on the previously worked area 401 described above. Furthermore, when work travel is performed by automatic travel, the vehicle body 11 travels along the automatic travel route 201 (see FIG. 3, etc.), so future position information of the vehicle body 11 can be obtained. Then, the work area for future work travel can be predicted from the future position information of the vehicle body 11 and the work width of the work implement 12. By comparing the work history information (previously worked area) with the predicted work area (predicted work area), it can be estimated whether or not an unworked area (residual tillage in this embodiment) will occur. Furthermore, if an unworked area will occur, the position (e.g., distance from the vehicle body 11) and size (e.g., width, etc.) of that area can be estimated.

[0064] [3-2. Specific examples] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process for suppressing the occurrence of unfinished work areas executed by the work vehicle 1. The process shown in Figure 5 is started, for example, in accordance with the timing when the work vehicle 1 starts autonomous traveling for tilling work in the field 200.

[0065] In step S1, the work history generation unit 106 starts a process for generating work history information (work history generation process). As described above, the work history generation process is a process for obtaining the completed work area 401 using the travel trajectory of the vehicle body 11 obtained using the positioning communication unit 2 and the working width of the work implement 12. Once the work history generation process is started, the work history generation unit 106 updates the work history information, for example, at regular time intervals or each time the vehicle body 11 travels a certain distance. The control device 10 performs this update process as appropriate, and then proceeds to the next step S2.

[0066] In this embodiment, the generated work history information (worked area 401) is displayed on the display screen 51 of the display device 5 in a state where it is reflected in a map image 511 (see FIG. 4). In addition, a camera image 512 (see FIG. 4) is also displayed on the display screen 51 of the display device 5.

[0067] In step S2, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 monitors whether there is work history information for the work path 201a adjacent to the work path (straight path) 201a currently being used for work travel. This process is executed because, if there is no work history information (work history of adjacent tillage) for the adjacent work path 201a, it is not possible to estimate whether there will be an remaining work area. If the peripheral position information of the work target area R1 of the field 200 is known at the start of work travel by automated navigation, the occurrence of an remaining work area may be estimated by comparing it with the known peripheral position information. In other words, the process of step S2 may be skipped and the occurrence of an remaining work area may be estimated. However, because the work path 201a is usually set taking into account the peripheral position information of the work target area R1, it is not necessary to estimate the occurrence of an remaining work area before the occurrence of an adjacent tillage work history. If there is work history information for the adjacent path (Yes in step S2), the process proceeds to the next step S3. If there is no work history information for the adjacent route (No in step S2), the monitoring in step S2 continues.

[0068] In step S3, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 estimates the occurrence of an unfinished work area. Specifically, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 estimates whether an unfinished work area will occur. If it is estimated that an unfinished work area will occur, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 estimates the location and size of the unfinished work area. As described above, these estimates can be made based on the work history information (more specifically, the work history of adjacent tillage) and the predicted work area that will be formed when work travel is performed along the current work path 201a. Once the process of estimating the occurrence of an unfinished work area is complete, processing proceeds to the next step S4.

[0069] In step S4, the notification control unit 108 performs notification processing of the estimation result regarding the remaining work area. In this example, the notification processing is performed even if it is estimated that no remaining work area will occur, but it is also possible to configure so that the notification processing is not performed when it is estimated that no remaining work area will occur. In response to the notification processing, the display device 5, which is the notification means, performs a notification operation. The operator who is notified of the occurrence of the remaining work area can appropriately shift the route depending on the notification content to prevent the occurrence of the remaining work area in advance. Specific examples of the notification operation by the display device 5 are described below. As mentioned above, the notification means may be sound, vibration, etc.

[0070] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of notification of an estimated result regarding the occurrence of an unfinished work area (remaining tillage) 300. In Fig. 6, the estimated unfinished work area 300 is displayed in a map image 511. Note that the map image 511 shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the map image 511 described using Fig. 4. By displaying the estimated unfinished work area 300 in the map image 511, it is possible to intuitively understand that the unfinished work area 300 will occur in the future.

[0071] 6, the estimated remaining work area 300 is displayed in a different manner in the map image 511 from the completed work area 401 and the uncompleted work area 402. By displaying the remaining work area 300 in a different manner from the other areas 511a and 511b, the occurrence of the remaining work area 300 can be quickly recognized. Examples of different display manners include changing the color or type of the line surrounding each area, or changing the color used to fill each area.

[0072] Furthermore, the display mode may be changed, for example, by changing the size (width, etc.) of the unfinished work area 300 in the map image 511, depending on the size of the unfinished work area 300. Furthermore, to make it easier to understand the size of the unfinished work area 300, a numerical value itself may be displayed, or a graphic (such as a bar) that makes it easy to see the difference in size at a glance may be displayed. In this way, for example, it becomes easier to determine the amount of shift when shifting a route to prevent the occurrence of the unfinished work area 300. Note that the numerical value or graphic representing the size may be displayed superimposed on the map image 511, or may be displayed around the map image 511, for example.

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 6, more specifically, two types of guidelines GL1 and GL2 with different display modes indicate a portion where the unfinished work area 300 will not occur and a portion where the unfinished work area 300 will occur. This makes it easier to grasp the distance until the vehicle body 11 reaches the unfinished work area 300. Note that in this embodiment, when it is estimated that the unfinished work area 300 will not occur in the estimation of whether the unfinished work area 300 will occur, only the guideline GL1 indicating the portion where the unfinished work area 300 will not occur is displayed. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the two types of guidelines GL1 and GL2 are configured to have different line types, but they may also be distinguishable from each other by other methods, such as by using different colors.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 6, a pop-up display specifically shows the distance to the point (position) where the unfinished work area 300 occurs. This makes it easier to determine the timing to shift the route so that the unfinished work area 300 does not occur. Note that instead of the distance to the point where the unfinished work area 300 occurs, the time to the point where the unfinished work area 300 occurs may be displayed. The distance and time may be displayed as specific numerical values, or may be displayed as a graphic such as a bar that shows the change in distance or time. The pop-up display may be displayed on the map image 511 or outside the map image 511.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, when the vehicle body 11 reaches the point where the unfinished work area 300 occurs, or immediately before reaching the occurrence point, the operator may be notified that a route shift instruction should be given. That is, the work vehicle 1 may be configured to give a notification urging the operator to operate the shift instruction unit 513 (see FIG. 4) when the occurrence of the unfinished work area 300 is estimated. This increases the likelihood that the operator will perform an operation to prevent the occurrence of the unfinished work area 300, and further reduces the possibility of the unfinished work area 300 occurring.

[0076] The notification prompting the operation of the shift instruction unit 513 may be configured to be performed using the display device 5, for example. In this case, for example, the text in the pop-up display described above may be emphasized, or the expression in the pop-up display may be emphasized. The notification prompting the operation of the shift instruction unit 513 may be performed by audio notification or vibration notification instead of or in addition to the display device 5. The vibration may be configured to vibrate, for example, the driver's seat 16a or an armrest (not shown). Furthermore, when the work vehicle 1 is operated using a remote control device, the remote control device may be vibrated.

[0077] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of notification of the estimated result regarding the occurrence of the remaining work area (residual tillage) 300. In FIG. 7, the estimated remaining work area 300 is displayed in a camera image 512. Note that the camera image 512 shown in FIG. 7 is similar to the map image 511 described with reference to FIG. 4. As described above, the camera image 512 may be displayed in parallel with the map image 511 on the same screen, or may be displayed on a screen separate from the map image 511. Furthermore, the camera image 512 may be displayed on a display device separate from the display device that displays the map image 511. Furthermore, the configuration for displaying the estimated remaining work area 300 in the camera image 512 may be implemented simultaneously with the configuration for displaying the estimated remaining work area 300 in the map image 511.

[0078] In detail, the estimated remaining work area 300 is displayed superimposed on the camera image 512. By displaying the estimated remaining work area 300 superimposed on the camera image 512, it is possible to intuitively understand that the remaining work area 300 will occur in the future.

[0079] As in the case of the map image 511, the display mode may be changed, for example, by changing the size (width, etc.) of the unfinished work area 300 in the camera image 512, depending on the size of the unfinished work area 300. Furthermore, to make it easier to understand the size of the unfinished work area 300, a numerical value itself may be displayed, or a graphic (such as a bar) that makes it easy to see the difference in size at a glance may be displayed. Note that the numerical value or graphic representing the size may be displayed superimposed on the camera image 512, or may be displayed around the camera image 512, for example.

[0080] In the example shown in Fig. 7, similar to the example shown in Fig. 6, two types of guidelines GL1 and GL2 with different display modes are used to indicate areas where the unfinished work area 300 does not occur and areas where the unfinished work area 300 does occur. Also, a pop-up display is provided to specifically indicate the distance to the point (position) where the unfinished work area 300 occurs. The effects and modifications related to these configurations are the same as those in the case of the map image 511, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] In the example (shown in FIG. 7) in which the estimated remaining work area 300 is displayed on the camera image 512, guidelines GL1 and GL2 are also provided on the left-right (lateral) side of the vehicle body 11 where the remaining work area 300 will not actually occur. This is a device to make it easier to visualize the distance to the remaining work area 300 on the vehicle body 11, and similarly to the map image 511, guidelines GL1 and GL2 may be provided only on the side where the remaining work area 300 will occur.

[0082] 8 is a diagram showing a modified example in which the remaining work area 300 is displayed on the camera image 512. In the case of the camera image 512, it may be difficult to determine from the image the already worked area 401 and the unworked area 402. For example, when plowing work is being performed or when the field 200 is muddy, it may be difficult to determine the boundary in the camera image 512 between the part where work has been performed and the part where it has not.

[0083] In view of this, a superimposed display 500 may be displayed on the camera image 512 to highlight either the worked area 401 or the unworked area 402. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the superimposed display 500 is displayed on the worked area 401 as an example. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the superimposed display 500 is configured to display a strip near the boundary, but other modes may be used as long as the boundary between the worked area 401 and the unworked area 402 is clear.

[0084] Returning to Fig. 5, in step S5, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 determines whether or not there is a reason (termination reason) to terminate the processing shown in Fig. 5. Examples of termination reasons include when the automated driving is terminated due to the completion of work, when an operator issues an instruction that advance notification of the remaining work area 300 is not necessary, or when some kind of error occurs and processing cannot be performed. If there is a reason to terminate (Yes in step S5), the processing shown in Fig. 5 is terminated. If there is no reason to terminate (No in step S5), processing proceeds to the next step S6.

[0085] In step S6, the remaining work area estimation unit 107 determines whether a certain amount of time has passed since the previous estimation of the occurrence of a remaining work area (see step S3). If the certain amount of time has not passed (No in step S6), the process returns to step S5. If the certain amount of time has passed (Yes in step S6), the process returns to step S3, and the occurrence of a remaining work area is estimated again. During this estimation, if a route shift has been performed in response to the previous estimation result, the automated driving route 201 after the route shift is used in the estimation process. Note that instead of a configuration that determines the passage of a certain amount of time, a configuration that determines, for example, whether the vehicle body 11 has traveled a certain distance, or whether the work route 201a has transitioned to the next route, may also be used.

[0086] In the above, the occurrence of unfinished work areas is estimated. However, in addition to this, the occurrence of areas where the overlap amount with adjacent work areas (adjacent tillage) is greater than the expected amount (width) can also be estimated and the results of this estimation can be notified. If an area where the overlap amount is greater than expected occurs, the possibility of an unfinished work area occurring when moving to the next work path increases. For this reason, it is preferable to notify the operator when the occurrence of an area where the overlap amount is greater than expected is estimated, thereby encouraging the operator to shift the path. This can further reduce the probability of occurrence of unfinished work areas such as remaining tillage.

[0087] In the above, it is assumed that when the occurrence of an unfinished work area is estimated, the operator is notified of this and the operator shifts the route. However, the route shift may be performed automatically. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modified example of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 9, after the process of estimating the occurrence of an unfinished work area is performed, the control device 10 may perform the route shift process (step S7). Note that in FIG. 9, the process is configured to be performed in the order of step S4 and step S7, but the processes of step S4 and step S7 may be performed simultaneously, or may be performed in the reverse order in some cases. In the modified example, the process of step S4 may be omitted.

[0088] In the route shifting process, route shifting is performed at a timing and shift amount that is automatically determined according to information (estimated information) such as the location and size of the remaining work area. If it is not estimated that a remaining work area will occur, the shift amount is set to zero. In other words, route shifting is not performed. When route shifting is performed, automatic steering is performed accordingly, and the vehicle body 11 moves its position in the left-right direction (lateral direction) so as to follow the post-shift work route. In other words, in the configuration of the modified example, if it is estimated that a remaining work area will occur, the work vehicle 1 performs automatic steering to suppress the occurrence of the remaining work area. If there is a possibility that a remaining work area will occur in the future, the work vehicle 1 is automatically moved, thereby reducing the burden on the operator and suppressing the occurrence of the remaining work area.

[0089] <4. Things to keep in mind> Various modifications can be made to the various technical features disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit of the technical creation. Furthermore, multiple embodiments and variations shown in this specification may be combined to the extent possible. Furthermore, the field shapes shown in the drawings are merely examples, and the field shapes may be modified as appropriate.

[0090] <5. Notes> An exemplary work vehicle of the present invention may be a work vehicle that performs work travel using a work machine, and may be configured (first configuration) to estimate in advance the occurrence of areas where work will remain unfinished during the work travel, and to notify the user of the estimated results regarding the areas where work will remain unfinished.

[0091] The work vehicle of the first configuration may be configured (second configuration) to estimate the occurrence of the unfinished work area based on position information of the vehicle itself.

[0092] In the work vehicle of the second configuration, the position information may be past and future position information (third configuration).

[0093] The work vehicle of any one of the first to third configurations above may be configured (fourth configuration) to include a display device that notifies the user of the estimation result.

[0094] In the work vehicle of the fourth configuration described above, a map image showing the current position of the vehicle in the work site where the work drive is performed may be displayed on the display device, and the estimated remaining work area may be displayed in the map image (fifth configuration).

[0095] In the work vehicle of the fifth configuration described above, the already worked areas where work has been done in the past by the work drive and the unworked areas where work will be done in the future by the work drive, which are determined based on the current position of the vehicle, may be displayed in the map image, and the estimated remaining work areas may be displayed in the map image in a manner different from the already worked areas and the unworked areas (sixth configuration).

[0096] In a work vehicle having any of the fourth to sixth configurations described above, a camera image showing an image from a camera capturing at least an area in front of the vehicle may be displayed on the display device, and the estimated remaining work area may be displayed in the camera image (seventh configuration).

[0097] A work vehicle of any of the first to seventh configurations above may be configured (eighth configuration) to include a shift instruction unit that shifts the vehicle's driving position laterally, and to issue a notification urging the driver to operate the shift instruction unit when it is estimated that an area where work remains to be done will be created.

[0098] The work vehicle of any one of the first to seventh configurations above may be configured (ninth configuration) to perform automatic steering when the occurrence of the unfinished work area is estimated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1. Work vehicle 5...Display device 11. Body 12. Work equipment 200···Field (workplace) 300...Remaining work area 401...Existing work area 402...Unworked area 511···Map Image 512···Camera image 513 Shift indicator

Claims

1. A work vehicle that travels for work using a work implement, Estimating in advance the occurrence of an unfinished work area that will remain unfinished during the work travel; A work vehicle that notifies the estimation result regarding the remaining work area.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the occurrence of the unfinished work area is estimated based on position information of the work vehicle.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the position information is past and future position information.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a display device that notifies the user of the estimation result.

5. a map image showing the current position of the vehicle in the work site where the work travel is performed is displayed on the display device; The work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the estimated remaining work area is displayed in the map image.

6. A work area where work has been performed in the past by the work travel and a work area where work will be performed in the future by the work travel, which are determined based on the current position of the vehicle, are displayed on the map image; The work vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the estimated remaining work area is displayed in the map image in a manner different from that of the completed work area and the uncompleted work area.

7. a camera image displaying an image of a camera capturing at least a view ahead of the vehicle is displayed on the display device; The work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the estimated remaining work area is displayed in the camera image.

8. a shift instruction unit that shifts the traveling position of the vehicle in a lateral direction; The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the occurrence of the unfinished work area is estimated, a notification is given to prompt the driver to operate the shift instruction unit.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein automatic steering is performed when the occurrence of the unfinished work area is estimated.

Images