Agricultural material replenishment method, agricultural material replenishment system, and agricultural material replenishment program

Abstract

To determine in advance whether replenishment of an agricultural material will be required along a route that is about to be automatically traveled.SOLUTION: An automatic travel control unit 51 automatically drives a rice transplanter 1 along a work route set within a field. A work device control unit 52 causes the rice transplanter 1 to supply seedlings to the field while the transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the work route. A replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines, at a determination position set on the work route, whether replenishment of seedlings will be required along the portion of the route yet to be automatically traveled, based on the remaining amount of seedlings held by the rice transplanter 1 and the amount of seedlings to be supplied along the portion of the route yet to be traveled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural material supply method, an agricultural material supply system, and an agricultural material supply program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known work vehicles that automatically travel along a work route in a farm field while consuming agricultural materials. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a work vehicle that determines whether or not seedlings need to be replenished on seedling trays based on information detected by a detection sensor installed on the seedling trays about the remaining amount of seedlings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-154315 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of work vehicles that travel while consuming agricultural materials, it is common for them to work on the inside of the field before working on the periphery of the field, taking into consideration the need to leave the field after work is completed. In such cases, if it becomes necessary to replenish agricultural materials while working on the periphery after completing work on the inside, the replenishment of agricultural materials must be carried out without entering the area where work has been carried out. Furthermore, after replenishment, work must be resumed without entering the area where work has been carried out.

[0005] However, the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is configured to determine that seedlings need to be replenished when a detection sensor detects that the seedlings on the seedling tray have run out.As a result, the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 has the problem of being unable to determine in advance whether or not agricultural materials will need to be replenished on the work route around the periphery of the field that it will be traveling on.As a result, if replenishment becomes necessary while the work vehicle is performing work on the periphery of the field, it must head to the agricultural materials replenishment location without entering the area where work has been performed, and after replenishment, it must return to its original position without entering the area where work has been performed, resulting in poor work efficiency.

[0006] The present invention aims to determine in advance whether or not agricultural materials will need to be replenished along a route that an automatic vehicle will travel on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The agricultural material supply method of the present invention includes the steps of automatically driving a work vehicle along a work route set within the field while supplying agricultural materials to the field, and determining, at a determination position set on the work route, whether or not the agricultural materials will need to be replenished on the route along which the work vehicle is to automatically travel, based on the remaining amount of agricultural materials held by the work vehicle and the amount of agricultural materials to be supplied on the route along which the work vehicle is to automatically travel.

[0008] The agricultural material supply system according to the present invention includes an automatic driving control unit, a work device control unit, and a supply necessity determination unit. The automatic driving control unit automatically drives a work vehicle along a work route set in a field. The work device control unit causes the work vehicle to supply agricultural materials to the field while the work vehicle is automatically traveling along the work route. The supply necessity determination unit determines whether the agricultural materials need to be replenished along the route to be automatically traveled, based on the remaining amount of agricultural materials held by the work vehicle and the amount of agricultural materials to be supplied along the work route to be automatically traveled.

[0009] The agricultural material supply program of the present invention causes a computer to execute the following steps: automatically driving a work vehicle along a work route set within the field while supplying agricultural materials to the field; and determining, at a determination position set on the work route, whether or not it is necessary to replenish the agricultural materials along the route along which the work vehicle will automatically travel from now on, based on the remaining amount of agricultural materials held by the work vehicle and the amount of agricultural materials to be supplied along the route along which the work vehicle will automatically travel from now on. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine in advance whether or not agricultural materials will need to be replenished along the route that the vehicle is about to travel automatically. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an agricultural material supply system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rice transplanter according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice transplanter according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile communication terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a farm field and a work route in a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the agricultural material supply system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter is stopped parallel to the supply position in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter is stopped vertically and facing forward relative to the supply position in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter is stopped vertically and facing backward relative to the supply position in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] 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 designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> An agricultural material supply system 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the agricultural material supply system 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view of the rice transplanter 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the rice transplanter 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a block diagram of a mobile communication terminal 7 according to the first embodiment.

[0014] The agricultural material supply system 100 includes a rice transplanter 1 and a mobile communication terminal 7. The agricultural material supply system 100 allows an operator to give instructions using the mobile communication terminal 7 or the like, causing the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel and perform tasks such as planting seedlings. Note that instructions for automatic travel may be given by operating an operating member provided on the rice transplanter 1, rather than the mobile communication terminal 7. The work vehicle is not limited to the rice transplanter 1, and may be any vehicle that travels while consuming agricultural materials. Examples of work vehicles include a seed sower that travels while sowing seeds in a field, a fertilizer applicator that travels while applying fertilizer to a field, and an agricultural chemical applicator that travels while spraying chemicals on a field.

[0015] Autonomous driving means that the control unit provided in the rice transplanter 1 controls the devices related to driving, and at least steering is performed autonomously to follow a predetermined route. In addition to steering, the rice transplanter may be configured to autonomously control vehicle speed or work by working devices. Autonomous driving includes cases where a person is riding on the rice transplanter 1 and cases where a person is not riding on the rice transplanter 1.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rice transplanter 1 includes a vehicle body 11, front wheels 12, rear wheels 13, and a planting unit 14. The front wheels 12 are provided as a pair on the left and right of the vehicle body 11. Similarly, the rear wheels 13 are also provided as a pair on the left and right of the vehicle body 11. The planting unit 14 is an example of a working device. The working device is not limited to the planting unit 14, and may be a seed sowing device, a fertilizing device, a chemical spraying device, etc.

[0017] The vehicle body 11 includes a hood 21. The hood 21 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 11. An engine 22 is provided inside the hood 21.

[0018] The power generated by the engine 22 is transmitted to the front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13 via a transmission case 23. This power is also transmitted to the planting unit 14 via the transmission case 23 and a power take-off shaft (hereinafter referred to as "PTO shaft 24") located at the rear of the vehicle body 11.

[0019] The vehicle body 11 further includes a driver's seat 25 and a plurality of operating members. An operator can sit in the driver's seat 25. The driver's seat 25 is disposed between the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 11. The plurality of operating members include a steering handle 26, a speed change operation pedal 27, a main speed change lever 28, and a planting clutch lever 29.

[0020] The steering handle 26 is a handle used by the operator to steer the rice transplanter 1. The speed change pedal 27 is a pedal used by the operator to adjust the traveling speed of the rice transplanter 1. The main speed change lever 28 is a lever configured to allow the operator to select, for example, "forward," "reverse," or "stop." When the main speed change lever 28 is operated to the "forward" position, power is transmitted to rotate the rear wheels 13 in a direction that moves the rice transplanter 1 forward. On the other hand, when the main speed change lever 28 is operated to the "reverse" position, power is transmitted to rotate the rear wheels 13 in a direction that moves the rice transplanter 1 backward. When the main speed change lever 28 is operated to the "stop" position, power transmission to the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 is cut off. Note that "forward" may be divided into a "low speed" for traveling within a field and a "high speed" for traveling outside the field. The planting clutch lever 29 is a lever that allows the operator to switch between a transmission state in which the planting clutch transmits power to the PTO shaft 24 (i.e., the planting unit 14) and a disconnection state in which the planting clutch does not transmit power to the PTO shaft 24 (i.e., the planting unit 14).

[0021] The planting unit 14 is located behind the vehicle body 11. The planting unit 14 is connected to the vehicle body 11 via a lifting link mechanism 31. The lifting link mechanism 31 is composed of a parallel link including a top link 31a and a lower link 31b.

[0022] In the lifting link mechanism 31, a lifting cylinder 32 of the lifting device is connected to the top link 31a. The lifting device can raise and lower the planting unit 14 up and down relative to the vehicle body 11 by extending and contracting the lifting cylinder 32. In this embodiment, the lifting cylinder 32 is a hydraulic cylinder, but it may also be an electric cylinder. The lifting device may also raise and lower the planting unit 14 using an actuator other than a cylinder.

[0023] The planting section 14 includes a planting input case section 33, a plurality of planting units 34, a seedling carrier 35, a plurality of floats 36, and a spare seedling carrier 37. The planting section 14 sequentially supplies seedlings from the seedling carrier 35 to each planting unit 34, planting the seedlings continuously.

[0024] Each planting unit 34 has a planting transmission case 41 and a rotating case 42. Power is transmitted to the planting transmission case 41 via the PTO shaft 24 and the planting input case 33.

[0025] The rotating case 42 is rotatably attached to the planting transmission case 41. The rotating case 42 is arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the planting transmission case 41. Two planting claws 43 are attached to one side of each rotating case 42 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The two planting claws 43 are aligned in the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1. The two planting claws 43 are displaced with the rotation of the rotating case part 42. As the two planting claws 43 are displaced, one row of seedlings is planted.

[0027] The seedling carrier 35 is positioned above and in front of the multiple planting units 34. Seedling mats can be placed on the seedling carrier 35. The seedling carrier 35 is configured so that the seedlings in the seedling mats placed on the seedling carrier 35 can be supplied to each planting unit 34. Specifically, the seedling carrier 35 is configured so that it can move laterally back and forth in the width direction of the vehicle (i.e., so that it can slide laterally). In addition, the seedling carrier 35 is configured so that the seedling mats can be intermittently transported vertically downward at the end of the reciprocating movement of the seedling carrier 35.

[0028] The float 36 is provided swingably at the bottom of the planting unit 14. When the bottom surface of the float 36 comes into contact with the surface of the field, the planting posture of the planting unit 14 is stabilized relative to the surface of the field.

[0029] A pair of spare seedling carriers 37 are provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 11 in front of the vehicle body 11. The spare seedling carriers 37 are located on the outer side of the hood 21 in the vehicle width direction. The spare seedling carriers 37 can carry seedling boxes containing spare seedling mats. When the seedling mats on the seedling carrier 35 run out, the worker transfers the seedling mats from the spare seedling carrier 37 to the seedling carrier 35.

[0030] The upper parts of the pair of left and right spare seedling carriers 37 are connected by a connecting frame 15 that extends vertically and in the vehicle width direction. A housing 16 is provided in the center of the connecting frame 15 in the vehicle width direction. Inside the housing 16, a positioning antenna 61, an inertial measurement unit 62, and a communication antenna 63 are provided.

[0031] The positioning antenna 61 receives radio waves (positioning signals) from positioning satellites that make up a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The inertial measurement unit 62 includes a three-axis angular velocity sensor and a three-directional acceleration sensor.

[0032] The communication antenna 63 is an antenna for wireless communication with the mobile communication terminal 7. For wireless communication, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) are adopted. The rice transplanter 1 may also be provided with a mobile communication antenna (not shown) for communication using a mobile phone line and the Internet.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3 , the control unit 50 includes a calculation device, an input / output unit, etc. (not shown), and a memory unit 55. The control unit 50 is a computer or the like. The calculation device is a processor or a microprocessor, etc. The memory unit 55 is a main memory device such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The memory unit 55 may further include an auxiliary memory device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). Various programs, data, etc. are stored in the memory unit 55. The calculation device reads and executes various programs from the memory unit 55. Through cooperation between the above hardware and software, the control unit 50 can operate as an automatic driving control unit 51, a work device control unit 52, and a replenishment necessity determination unit 53. The control unit 50 may be a single piece of hardware or multiple pieces of hardware that can communicate with each other. In addition to the inertial measurement device 62, the control unit 50 is also connected to a position acquisition unit 64, a communication processing unit 65, a vehicle speed sensor 66, a steering angle sensor 67, a planting clutch sensor 68, and a remaining amount sensor 69.

[0034] The position acquisition unit 64 acquires the position of the rice transplanter 1 as, for example, latitude and longitude information using the positioning signal received by the positioning antenna 61 from a positioning satellite. The position acquisition unit 64 may receive the positioning signal from a reference station (not shown) using an appropriate method and then perform positioning using a known RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic GNSS) method. The reference station is installed at a known position around the field. Alternatively, the position acquisition unit 64 may perform positioning using a DGNSS (Differential GNSS) method. Alternatively, the position acquisition unit 64 may perform position acquisition based on the radio wave intensity of a wireless LAN or the like, or by inertial navigation using the measurement results of the inertial measurement unit 62.

[0035] The communication processing unit 65 transmits and receives data to and from the mobile communication terminal 7 via the communication antenna 63 .

[0036] The vehicle speed sensor 66 detects the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 1. The vehicle speed sensor 66 is provided on the axle of the front wheels 12, etc. When the vehicle speed sensor 66 is provided on the axle of the front wheels 12, the vehicle speed sensor 66 generates pulses according to the rotation of the axle of the front wheels 12. The data of the detection results obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 66 is output to the control unit 50.

[0037] The steering angle sensor 67 detects the steering angle of the front wheels 12. The steering angle sensor 67 is provided on the kingpin of the front wheels 12. Alternatively, the steering angle sensor 67 may be provided on the steering wheel 26 or the like. Data on the detection results obtained by the steering angle sensor 67 is output to the control unit 50.

[0038] The planting clutch sensor 68 detects the position of the planting clutch lever 29. The detection result data obtained by the planting clutch sensor 68 is output to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 can determine whether the planting unit 14 is performing planting work based on the detection result of the planting clutch sensor 68. Note that the control unit 50 may also determine whether planting work is being performed based on the state of another component (for example, whether the PTO shaft 24 downstream of the planting clutch is rotating) rather than the planting clutch lever 29.

[0039] The remaining quantity sensor 69 detects the remaining quantity of seedling mats placed on the spare seedling tray 37 and the remaining quantity of seedling mats placed on the seedling tray 35. The detection result data obtained by the remaining quantity sensor 69 is output to the control unit 50. The remaining quantity sensor 69 is composed of, for example, a detection piece that moves in and out of an opening formed in the spare seedling tray 37 or the like, which is the target of remaining quantity detection, and a sensor main body whose contacts are switched based on the movement of the detection piece. Note that the remaining quantity sensor 69 is not an essential component of the agricultural material supply system 100.

[0040] The automatic driving control unit 51 controls the driving of the rice transplanter 1, such as vehicle speed control and steering control. Under the control of the automatic driving control unit 51, the rice transplanter 1 can autonomously move forward, backward, turn, etc. The automatic driving control unit 51 can also control the driving of the rice transplanter 1 in response to remote operation by an operator using a mobile communication terminal 7. The automatic driving control unit 51 can also autonomously perform steering, for example, and can also control the vehicle speed to change in response to operation by the operator.

[0041] When autonomously changing the vehicle speed, the automatic driving control unit 51 controls the current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 66 to approach the target vehicle speed. The vehicle speed control is achieved by changing at least one of the gear ratio of the transmission in the transmission case 23 or the rotation speed of the engine 22. Note that the vehicle speed control also includes control to set the vehicle speed to zero so that the rice transplanter 1 stops.

[0042] When steering autonomously, the automatic driving control unit 51 controls the current steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 67 to approach a target steering angle. The steering angle control is realized, for example, by driving a steering actuator provided on the rotation shaft of the steering wheel 26. Note that the automatic driving control unit 51 may directly adjust the steering angle of the front wheels 12 instead of driving the steering actuator.

[0043] The work device control unit 52 controls the operation of the planting unit 14, which is an example of a work device, based on predetermined conditions. Specifically, the work device control unit 52 controls the lifting and lowering operation of the planting unit 14 and the planting work.

[0044] The supply necessity determination unit 53 determines whether seedling mats need to be replenished along the route along which the rice transplanter 1 will automatically travel, based on the remaining number of seedlings held by the rice transplanter 1 and the supply amount of seedlings to be planted along the route along which the rice transplanter will automatically travel. Details will be described later. Specifically, the supply necessity determination unit 53 determines whether seedling mats need to be replenished along the peripheral route (see peripheral route 93 in FIG. 5 ) based on the remaining number of seedlings held by the rice transplanter 1 and the supply amount of seedlings to be planted along the peripheral route. The supply necessity determination unit 53 obtains the remaining number of seedlings held by the rice transplanter 1 from the detection result of the remaining number sensor 69. Alternatively, the supply necessity determination unit 53 may calculate the remaining number of seedlings held by the rice transplanter 1 from the travel distance of the rice transplanter 1, the number of seedlings planted per unit distance by the planting unit 14, and the number of seedlings placed on the seedling carrier 35 and the spare seedling carrier 37. The number of seedlings to be planted can be set, for example, by the operator operating the mobile communication terminal 7. The amount of seedlings to be planted per unit distance is stored, for example, in the storage unit 55. The supply necessity determination unit 53 may be provided in the mobile communication terminal 7 instead of the rice transplanter 1.

[0045] 4, the mobile communication terminal 7 includes a communication antenna 71, a communication processing unit 72, a display unit 73, an operation unit 74, and a control unit 80. The mobile communication terminal 7 is a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a laptop computer, or the like. The mobile communication terminal 7 performs various processes related to the automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1, as described below, but at least some of these processes can also be performed by the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1. Conversely, at least some of the various processes related to the automatic driving performed by the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1 can also be performed by the mobile communication terminal 7.

[0046] The communication antenna 71 is an antenna for wireless communication with the rice transplanter 1. The communication processing unit 72 transmits and receives data to and from the rice transplanter 1 via the communication antenna 71.

[0047] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 can be connected to a mobile phone line, and therefore the mobile communication terminal 7 can be connected to the mobile phone line via the rice transplanter 1. Therefore, for example, part of the information stored in the memory unit 55 of the control unit 50 or the memory unit 81 of the control unit 80 can also be stored in an external server. Note that an antenna for mobile communication (not shown) may be provided in the mobile communication terminal 7 instead of in the rice transplanter 1.

[0048] The display unit 73 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, etc. The display unit 73 can display, for example, information about the farm field, information about automatic driving, information about the settings of the rice transplanter 1, detection results of various sensors, warning information, etc.

[0049] The operation unit 74 includes at least one of a touch panel and hardware keys. The touch panel is placed on top of the display unit 73 and is capable of detecting operations by the worker's fingers or the like. The hardware keys are placed on the side of the housing of the mobile communication terminal 7 or around the display unit 73 and are capable of detecting depressions by the worker's fingers or the like.

[0050] The control unit 80 includes an arithmetic unit, an input / output unit, etc. (not shown), and a memory unit 81. The arithmetic unit is a processor or a microprocessor, etc. The memory unit 81 is a main memory device such as a ROM and a RAM. The memory unit 81 may further include an auxiliary memory device such as an HDD or an SSD. Various programs, data, etc. are stored in the memory unit 81. The arithmetic unit reads out and executes various programs from the memory unit 81. Cooperation between the above hardware and software allows the control unit 80 to operate as a path creation unit 82 and a supply position setting unit 89. The processing performed by the path creation unit 82 will be described later.

[0051] The supply position setting unit 89 sets a supply position (see supply position 95 in Figure 5) for supplying seedling mats to the spare seedling carrier 37 of the rice transplanter 1. The supply position set by the supply position setting unit 89 is stored in the memory unit 81. The supply position stored in the memory unit 81 can be displayed on the display unit 73. The supply position setting unit 89 may be provided in the rice transplanter 1 instead of the mobile communication terminal 7.

[0052] For example, the worker operates the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7 to set the supply position. The supply position setting unit 89 acquires information about the supply position set by the worker from the operation unit 74. The supply position set by the worker is, for example, at least one of the multiple sides that make up the field. Alternatively, the supply position may not be the entire side, but at least one point on one side. A supply seedling mat is prepared at the supply position set by the worker.

[0053] Next, the work path in the field will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a field 90 and a work path 91 in the first embodiment. The field 90 includes a work area and a headland area. The work area is located in the center of the field 90 and is an area for carrying out work. The headland area is located outside the work area and is an area used for carrying out work appropriately in the work area. For example, the headland area is also used as an area for moving the rice transplanter 1 that has entered the field 90 to a start position for planting work, an area for turning the rice transplanter 1, and an area for moving the rice transplanter 1 to a seedling supply position.

[0054] A work path 91 shown in FIG. 5 is created in advance by the path creation unit 82 as a work path for automatically driving the rice transplanter 1. The work path 91 is composed of at least an inner path 92 and an outer path 93. The inner path 92 is a path that travels straight back and forth through the work area of ​​the field 90, and is composed of multiple straight paths 92a and a turning path 92b that connects adjacent straight paths 92a. The outer path 93 is located on the periphery of the inner path 92 within the field 90 (i.e., in the headland area), and is a path that goes around the headland area at least once. If the headland area is sufficiently wide compared to the working width of the rice transplanter 1, the rice transplanter 1 will need to go around the headland area multiple times. The determination position 94 is, for example, the position where the path switches from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93. More specifically, the determination position 94 is, for example, the work end position of the inner path 92, the work start position of the outer path 93, or a position between the work end position of the inner path 92 and the work start position of the outer path 93.

[0055] The straight path 92a is a straight path and is, for example, parallel to one side (e.g., a short side) of the contour of the field 90 or the work area. The placement interval of the straight path 92a is determined based on the working width, turning radius, working interval, etc. The working interval is a length indicating how much space is to be left between adjacent work areas in the vehicle width direction. Information required by the path creation unit 82 when creating a path, such as the contours and working width of the field 90 and the work area, is stored in the memory unit 81. Alternatively, the information required by the path creation unit 82 when creating a path may be stored in the memory unit 55, and the path creation unit 82 may send a command requesting transmission of that information to the control unit 50.

[0056] The path creation unit 82 sets the straight path 92a and the outer peripheral path 93 of the work path 91 as paths along which the planting unit 14 will plant seedlings. On the other hand, the path creation unit 82 sets the turning path 92b as a path along which the planting unit 14 will not plant seedlings. In addition, the path creation unit 82 sets the traveling direction, target vehicle speed, target steering angle, etc. of the rice transplanter 1 for each position on the work path 91.

[0057] Although the field 90 shown in Fig. 5 is rectangular, it may have other shapes. The work path 91 shown in Fig. 5 is an example, and the path creation unit 82 can generate a work path 91 suitable for the field 90 based on the turning radius and work width, which vary depending on the model of the rice transplanter 1 and the planting unit 14, and the contours and size, which vary depending on the field 90.

[0058] Furthermore, if the supply position 95 has already been set when creating the work path 91, the path creation unit 82 may create a round-trip path consisting of a path from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 and a path from the supply position 95 back to the determination position 94. The round-trip path is set in an area where no work is being performed. Of the functions of the path creation unit 82, the function of creating the work path 91 may be distributed to the mobile communication terminal 7, and the function of creating the round-trip path may be distributed to the rice transplanter 1.

[0059] If the supply location 95 is not set when creating the work route 91, when a request for creating a round-trip route to the supply location 95 is received from the supply necessity determination unit 53, the route creation unit 82 simply creates a route from the determination location 94 to the supply location 95 and a route from the supply location 95 back to the determination location 94.

[0060] The work route 91 etc. generated by the route generation unit 82 is stored in the memory unit 81. The work route 91 etc. stored in the memory unit 81 can be displayed on the display unit 73.

[0061] In response to a transmission request command from the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1, the control unit 80 of the mobile communication terminal 7 transmits information such as the work route 91 stored in the memory unit 81 to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 stores the received information such as the work route 91 in the memory unit 55. Regarding the transmission of information on the work route 91, for example, the control unit 80 may transmit all information on the work route 91 from the memory unit 81 to the control unit 50 at once before the rice transplanter 1 starts automatic traveling. Alternatively, the control unit 80 may divide the work route 91 into multiple pieces of divided route information for each predetermined distance, and sequentially transmit a predetermined number of pieces of divided route information corresponding to the route of the rice transplanter 1 from the memory unit 81 to the control unit 50 each time the traveling distance of the rice transplanter 1 reaches a predetermined distance from the stage before the rice transplanter 1 starts automatic traveling. However, even when dividing the work route 91, the control unit 80 does not divide the periphery route 93, and treats the entire periphery route 93 as a single piece of divided route information. This is because the supply necessity determining unit 53 needs information on the outer periphery path 93 when determining whether or not supply is necessary at the determination position 94 .

[0062] Next, there will be described the operation of the agricultural material supply system 100. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the agricultural material supply system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0063] The operator stops the rice transplanter 1 at a predetermined position in the field 90. The predetermined position may be the entrance to the field 90 or the start position of the inner path 92. With the rice transplanter 1 stopped, the operator performs a predetermined operation, for example, on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. As a result, the automatic driving control unit 51 starts automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1 and controls the vehicle speed and steering angle based on various detection results from the position acquisition unit 64, etc. (Step S11). While the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driving along the straight path 92a, the implement control unit 52 switches the planting clutch from a disengaged state to a engaged state, causing the planting unit 14 to plant seedlings. While the rice transplanter 1 is turning along the turning path 92b, the implement control unit 52 switches the planting clutch from a engaged state to a disengaged state, suspending the planting of seedlings.

[0064] The supply necessity determination unit 53 determines whether the rice transplanter 1 has reached a determination position 94 where the inner path 92 switches to the outer path 93 based on the detection results of the position acquisition unit 64, etc. (Step S12). If the rice transplanter 1 has not reached the determination position 94 (Step S12; No), the automatic travel control unit 51 continues to automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the inner path 92.

[0065] When the planting work on the inner path 92 is completed and the rice transplanter 1 reaches the judgment position 94 (step S12; Yes), the supply necessity judgment unit 53 determines whether or not seedling mats need to be replenished to the seedling carrying tray 35 and the spare seedling carrying tray 37 on the outer path 93 based on the remaining number of seedlings placed on the seedling carrying tray 35 and the spare seedling carrying tray 37 and the supply amount of seedlings to be planted on the outer path 93 (step S13).

[0066] If there are sufficient seedling mats remaining on the seedling carrier 35 and the spare seedling carrier 37 and the rice transplanter 1 can automatically travel along the outer circumferential path 93 without being replenished with seedling mats (step S13; No), the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer circumferential path 93 and controls the vehicle speed and steering angle based on various detection results from the position acquisition unit 64, etc. (step S15). While the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the outer circumferential path 93, the work device control unit 52 causes the planting unit 14 to perform seedling planting work.

[0067] If the remaining amount of seedling mats on the seedling carrier 35 and the spare seedling carrier 37 is insufficient and the rice transplanter 1 cannot automatically travel along the outer circumferential path 93 without receiving a replenishment of seedling mats (step S13; Yes), the operator replenishes seedling mats on the spare seedling carrier 37 (step S14). Note that the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 may request the mobile communication terminal 7 to display a guide for seedling replenishment on the display unit 73 when it determines that a replenishment of seedling mats is necessary.

[0068] The rice transplanter 1 can determine in advance whether or not it is possible to continue planting work on the outer peripheral path 93 when planting work on the inner path 92 has finished, before starting planting work on the outer peripheral path 93. Therefore, there is no need to replenish seedlings during planting work on the outer peripheral path 93, improving work efficiency.

[0069] The method for supplying seedlings in step S14 will be described below.

[0070] <Replenishment method 1> If it is determined that seedlings need to be replenished at the judgment position 94, the automatic driving control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 (step S14). The worker carries the seedling mat prepared at the edge of the field 90 or the like to the rice transplanter 1, which is stopped at the judgment position 94, and places it on the spare seedling loading platform 37. After the seedlings have been replenished, the worker performs a predetermined operation, for example, on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. This causes the automatic driving control unit 51 to start automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer circumferential path 93 (step S15).

[0071] Supply method 1 improves work efficiency because it is not necessary to supply seedlings during planting work on the peripheral path 93. In addition, because the worker carries the seedling mat from the edge of the field 90 or the like to the rice transplanter 1 at the judgment position 94, seedlings can be supplied without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where planting work has been performed.

[0072] <Replenishment method 2> If it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94 and a replenishment position has not been set in advance, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the ridge of the field 90 as the replenishment position 95. As a specific example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 based on the orientation (direction) of the rice transplanter 1 determined to require replenishment. As an example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 to a ridge that intersects with the orientation of the rice transplanter 1 based on detection results from the inertial measurement unit 62 and the like received from the rice transplanter 1. Alternatively, the replenishment position setting unit 89 may set the replenishment position 95 based on the distance between the rice transplanter 1 and the ridge. As an example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 to the ridge closest to the rice transplanter 1 based on detection results from the position acquisition unit 64 and the like received from the rice transplanter 1. In this way, the supply position setting unit 89 sets one of the multiple sides (i.e., multiple ridges) that make up the field to which the rice transplanter 1 can move naturally as the supply position 95, based on the orientation of the rice transplanter 1, etc. In addition, the supply position setting unit 89 causes the path creation unit 82 to create a round-trip path between the determination position 94 and the supply position 95.

[0073] The automatic driving control unit 51 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 to the supply position 95 along the round-trip route created by the route creation unit 82 (step S14). During this automatic driving, the work device control unit 52 suspends the seedling planting work by the planting unit 14. The worker places a seedling mat on the spare seedling carrier 37 of the rice transplanter 1 that has reached the edge of the paddy field. After supplying the seedlings, the worker performs a predetermined operation, for example, on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. This causes the automatic driving control unit 51 to automatically drive the rice transplanter 1 to the judgment position 94 along the round-trip route created by the route creation unit 82. Thereafter, the automatic driving control unit 51 starts automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer circumferential route 93 (step S15).

[0074] According to supply method 2, work efficiency is improved because there is no need to supply seedlings during planting work on the outer peripheral path 93. In addition, seedlings can be supplied without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where planting work has been performed.

[0075] <Replenishment method 3> If it is determined that seedlings need to be replenished at the determination position 94, the automatic driving control unit 51 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 toward a replenishment position (for example, the replenishment position 95 shown in FIG. 5 ) previously set by the replenishment position setting unit 85 (step S14). A round-trip route between the determination position 94 and the replenishment position 95 is created in advance by the route creation unit 82. During this automatic driving, the work device control unit 52 suspends the seedling planting work by the planting unit 14. The operator places a seedling mat on the spare seedling carrier 37 of the rice transplanter 1 that has arrived at the replenishment position 95. After replenishment of the seedlings, the operator performs a predetermined operation, for example, on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. As a result, the automatic driving control unit 51 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 to the determination position 94 along the round-trip route created by the route creation unit 82. Thereafter, the automatic driving control unit 51 starts automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer circumferential route 93 (step S15).

[0076] Supply method 3 improves work efficiency because it is not necessary to supply seedlings during planting work on the outer peripheral path 93. In addition, seedlings can be supplied without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where planting work has been performed.

[0077] When the worker sets the supply position, the worker can select a position that makes it easy for the worker to supply seedling mats to the rice transplanter 1. When the worker sets the supply position, the worker may set the supply position after it is determined at the determination position 94 that seedlings need to be supplied, or the worker may set the supply position before the start of seedling planting work. When the worker sets the supply position before the start of seedling planting work, there is no need to set the supply position or create a round-trip route during planting work, which improves work efficiency.

[0078] Note that the supply method when it is determined that seedlings need to be replenished at the determination position 94 may be selected by the worker from among supply methods 1 to 3. For example, before starting planting work, the supply position setting unit 89 instructs the mobile communication terminal 7 to have the worker select one of supply methods 1 to 3. The worker operates the mobile communication terminal 7 to select the supply method. The mobile communication terminal 7 transmits information about the supply method selected by the worker to the supply position setting unit 89. When it is determined that seedlings need to be replenished at the determination position 94, the automatic traveling control unit 51 controls the rice transplanter 1 according to the supply method selected by the worker. For example, when the worker selects supply method 1 (stopping the rice transplanter 1), the automatic traveling control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 at the determination position 94.

[0079] Next, the stopping orientation of the rice transplanter 1 at the supply position 95 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 is stopped parallel to the supply position 95 in the first embodiment. When the automatic travel control unit 51 causes the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel to the supply position 95 and stop, it stops the rice transplanter 1 parallel to the ridge, which is the supply position 95. A path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 parallel to the supply position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0080] The ridge and the outer peripheral path 93 (see FIG. 5) are basically parallel to each other. Therefore, when the rice transplanter 1 returns to the outer peripheral path 93 after seedling supply, there is no need to turn around, making it easy to return to planting work.

[0081] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 is stopped perpendicularly and facing forward relative to the supply position 95 in the first embodiment. When the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the supply position 95 and stops it, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 perpendicularly to the ridge, which is the supply position 95. In addition, in the example of FIG. 8, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 with the front of the rice transplanter 1 facing the supply position 95. A path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 facing forward relative to the supply position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0082] Since a spare seedling carrier 37 is arranged in front of the rice transplanter 1, the rice transplanter 1 stops facing forward toward the supply position 95, allowing the operator to easily supply seedlings.

[0083] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 is stopped perpendicularly and facing backward relative to the supply position 95 in the first embodiment. When the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the supply position 95 and stops it, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 perpendicularly to the ridge, which is the supply position 95. In addition, in the example of FIG. 9, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 with the rear facing the supply position 95. A path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 facing backward relative to the supply position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0084] When a spare seedling carrier 37 (not shown) is arranged behind the rice transplanter 1, the rice transplanter 1 stops facing backward toward the supply position 95, allowing the operator to easily supply seedlings.

[0085] For example, an operator can select whether to stop the rice transplanter 1 parallel to or perpendicular to the replenishment position 95. Furthermore, the automatic travel control unit 51 can stop the rice transplanter 1 facing forward or backward depending on the position of the spare seedling carrier 37. Furthermore, the automatic travel control unit 51 can stop the work vehicle facing forward or backward depending on the type of work. For example, if the work vehicle is a fertilizer applicator and the fertilizer tank is located at the rear of the work vehicle, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the fertilizer applicator facing backward. This makes it easier for the operator to replenish the fertilizer tank with fertilizer.

[0086] The supply necessity determination unit 53 may determine whether or not seedlings need to be replenished when the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling on the inner path 92 or the outer path 93 while planting seedlings. Furthermore, when seedling replenishment becomes necessary during automatic traveling on the inner path 92 or the outer path 93, the automatic traveling control unit 51 may automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 to a replenishment position 95 and stop the rice transplanter 1 parallel to or perpendicular to the replenishment position 95.

[0087] As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 , the agricultural material supply system 100 includes at least an automatic travel control unit 51, an operation device control unit 52, and a supply necessity determination unit 53. The automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 along a work path 91 including an inner path 92 that travels straight back and forth within a field 90 and an outer path 93 that is located on the periphery of the inner path 92 within the field 90, in the order from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93. When the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the work path 91, the operation device control unit 52 causes the rice transplanter 1 to supply seedlings to the field 90. At a determination position 94 where the route switches from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93, the supply necessity determination unit 53 determines whether or not seedlings need to be supplied along the outer path 93, based on the remaining number of seedlings in the rice transplanter 1 and the amount of seedlings to be supplied along the outer path 93. With this configuration, the agricultural material supply system 100 can determine in advance whether or not seedlings will need to be supplied along the outer peripheral route 93 along which it will automatically travel, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0088] The supply necessity determination unit 53 may determine whether or not seedlings need to be supplied when entering the next side of the outer circumferential path 93 after completing travel along one side of the outer circumferential path 93. In this case, the corners where the sides of the outer circumferential path 93 intersect correspond to the determination positions 94. If the field 90 is rectangular, the position where the inner path 92 switches to the outer circumferential path 93 and the four corners of the outer circumferential path 93, a total of five locations, become the determination positions 94.

[0089] In the above description, when it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the judgment position 94, the rice transplanter 1 stops planting work by the planting unit 14 and moves back and forth between the judgment position 94 and the replenishment position 95, but this is not limited to this.

[0090] For example, when a supply position 95 is present at the determination position 94 beside the outer peripheral route 93 along which the rice transplanter 1 will travel, the supply necessity determination unit 53 may determine whether or not planting of seedlings is possible along the outer peripheral route 93 from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95. If planting of seedlings from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 is possible, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels along the outer peripheral route 93 from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 while planting seedlings, and receives seedlings at the supply position 95 beside the outer peripheral route 93. The rice transplanter 1 then automatically travels along the remaining outer peripheral route 93 while performing planting work. In this case, the rice transplanter 1 can receive seedlings without traveling back and forth between the determination position 94 and the supply position 95.

[0091] On the other hand, if it is not possible to plant seedlings from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 and there is a shortage of seedling mats before the rice transplanter 1 reaches the supply position 95, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 without planting seedlings. After receiving seedlings at the supply position 95, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels back to the determination position 94 without planting them.

[0092] In the above description, the supply position 95 is set by the operator, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0093] For example, the supply position setting unit 89 may use a mobile communication antenna (not shown) to refer to map data held on an external server, etc., and set one of the multiple sides that make up the field, which is adjacent to a road where trucks carrying supply seedling mats can park, as the supply position.

[0094] Alternatively, the supply position setting unit 89 receives position information of the truck from a car navigation system or the like mounted on the truck carrying the supply seedling mats. Alternatively, the supply position setting unit 89 receives position information of the mobile communication terminal 7 from a mobile communication terminal 7 carried by a worker near the supply seedling mats or from a mobile communication terminal 7 carried by a worker waiting in the truck carrying the supply seedling mats. The supply position setting unit 89 may set the position corresponding to the received position information as the supply position.

[0095] In order to facilitate understanding, the drawings are mainly diagrammatically illustrated with respect to each component, and therefore the thickness, length, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. [Industrial Applicability]

[0096] The present invention can be applied to work vehicles that travel while consuming agricultural materials, such as rice transplanters, seed sowing machines, fertilizer applicators, and chemical sprayers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 Rice transplanter (work vehicle) 7. Mobile communication devices 11 Body 12 Front wheels 13 rear wheel 14 Planting section 15 Connecting Frame 16 Case 21 Bonnet 22 Engine 23 Mission Case 24 PTO shaft 25 Driver's seat 26 Steering wheel 27 Gear shift pedal 28 Main gear shift lever 29 Planting clutch lever 31 Lifting link mechanism 31a Top Link 31b Lower link 32 Lifting cylinder 33 Planting input case 34 Planting Unit 35 Seedling stand 36 Float 37 Spare seedling tray 41 Planting transmission case 42 Rotating case part 43 Planting Claw 50, 80 control section 51 Automatic driving control unit 52 Work device control section 53 Replenishment necessity determination section 55, 81 Storage section 61 Positioning antenna 62 Inertial Measurement Unit 63, 71 Communication antenna 64 Position acquisition part 65, 72 Communication processing unit 66 Vehicle speed sensor 67 Steering angle sensor 68 Planting clutch sensor 69 Remaining amount sensor 73 Display section 74 Operation section 82 Route Creation Department 89 Supply position setting section 90 fields 91 Work Route 92 Medial Pathway 92a Straight path 92b Circling path 93 Peripheral Route 94 Judgment position 95 Supply position 100 Agricultural material supply system

Claims

1. automatically driving a work vehicle along a work route set in a field while supplying agricultural materials to the field; a step of determining whether or not the agricultural materials need to be replenished at a determination position set on the work route; When it is determined that the agricultural material needs to be replenished at the determination position, controlling the work vehicle according to one of a plurality of replenishment methods; A method for supplying agricultural materials, including:

2. In the step of controlling the work vehicle, the work vehicle is controlled in accordance with a replenishment method selected by an operator from the plurality of replenishment methods. The agricultural material supply method according to claim 1.

3. further comprising a step of instructing the operator to select one of the plurality of replenishment methods. The agricultural material supply method according to claim 2.

4. the plurality of replenishment methods include stopping the work vehicle at the determination position, The agricultural material supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the plurality of replenishment methods include setting a levee edge of the field as a replenishment position and automatically driving the work vehicle to the replenishment position. The agricultural material supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the plurality of replenishment methods include automatically driving the work vehicle to a preset replenishment position, The agricultural material supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. while the work vehicle is automatically driven to the supply position, the supply of the agricultural materials to the field is suspended; 7. The agricultural material supply method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. In the step of determining whether or not the agricultural materials need to be replenished, it is determined whether or not the agricultural materials need to be replenished on the route along which the vehicle will automatically travel from now on, based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials held by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route along which the vehicle will automatically travel from now on among the work routes. The agricultural material supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. an automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the work vehicle along a work route set in the field; a work device control unit that causes the work vehicle to supply agricultural materials to the field when the work vehicle is automatically traveling along the work route; a supply necessity determination unit that determines whether or not the agricultural materials need to be replenished at a determination position set on the work route, when it is determined that the agricultural materials need to be replenished at the determination position, the automatic travel control unit controls the work vehicle according to any one of a plurality of replenishment methods. Agricultural material supply system.

10. a step of automatically driving a work vehicle along a work route set in a field while supplying agricultural materials to the field; a step of determining whether or not the agricultural materials need to be replenished at a determination position set on the work route; a step of controlling the work vehicle in accordance with one of a plurality of replenishment methods when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position; An agricultural material supply program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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