Automatic driving system and automatic driving method

Abstract

To reduce a work load of a user or the like, and to improve work efficiency.SOLUTION: An automatic driving system includes an automatic driving control unit. The automatic driving control unit allows a work vehicle 1 to drive automatically along each of multiple reference lines K1, K2 used as a standard for driving the work vehicle 1 automatically. The multiple reference lines K1, K2 are set in each different direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving system and an automatic driving method for automatically driving a work vehicle along a target driving route. [Background technology]

[0002] The above-mentioned automated driving system sets a reference line as a target driving route, and automatically drives the work vehicle straight along that reference line (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the system described in Patent Document 1, for example, the reference line is set by operating a setting device or the like after performing an adjustment operation to adjust the orientation of the work vehicle in a straight-ahead direction at the work start position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-17011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the system described in Patent Document 1, in order to set a reference line, an adjustment work must be performed at the work start position to adjust the orientation of the work vehicle in a straight-ahead direction. Therefore, in order to set a different reference line, an adjustment work must be performed again at the work start position to adjust the orientation of the work vehicle in a straight-ahead direction, which increases the workload of the user and reduces work efficiency.

[0005] In addition, a reference route may be generated based on the movement trajectory of the work vehicle when the user or the like actually drives the work vehicle, and a target driving route may be generated according to the reference route. In this case, for example, a target driving route including a plurality of parallel routes aligned parallel to the reference route is generated.

[0006] However, although the work vehicle can automatically travel along a parallel path that is parallel to the reference path, there are cases where the user or the like wants the work vehicle to automatically travel in a direction that is not parallel to the reference path. Therefore, when automatically traveling in a direction that is not parallel to the reference path, the user or the like must again operate the work vehicle and actually travel the work vehicle, which similarly increases the workload of the user or the like and reduces work efficiency.

[0007] In view of this situation, a main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving system and an automatic driving method that can reduce the workload of users and improve work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An automated driving system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an automated driving control unit that controls the automated driving of a work vehicle along a plurality of reference directions that serve as references for the automated driving of the work vehicle, and the plurality of reference directions are set in different directions.

[0009] An automatic driving method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes automatically driving a work vehicle along a plurality of reference directions that serve as references for the automatic driving of the work vehicle, the plurality of reference directions being set in different directions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Diagram showing the schematic configuration of an automated driving system [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the general configuration of the automated driving system [Figure 3] A diagram showing the operation when generating a target driving route [Figure 4] A diagram showing a state in which a target driving route is generated. [Figure 5] A diagram showing a state in which a target driving route is generated. [Figure 6] A diagram showing a state in which a target driving route has been generated and a state in which automatic driving is being performed. [Figure 7] Flowchart showing the flow of operations when performing autonomous driving [Figure 8] A diagram showing a state in which a target driving route is generated in a work area and automatic driving is performed. [Figure 9] A diagram showing a state in which a first parallel path is generated. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a second reference line is generated. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a first reference line and a second reference line are generated in a working area. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the interval between adjacent first parallel paths is adjusted. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the first parallel path is translated. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the first parallel path is translated. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a first reference line and a second reference line are generated in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a first parallel path and a second parallel path are generated in the second embodiment. [Figure 17] Diagram showing the remote controller [Figure 18] Block diagram showing the general configuration of the automated driving system DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of an automatic driving system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] As shown in Figure 1, this automatic driving system applies a rice transplanter 1 as a work vehicle, but it can also be applied to other work vehicles besides rice transplanters, such as tractors, combine harvesters, riding mowers, wheel loaders, and snowplows, as well as unmanned work vehicles such as unmanned mowers.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this automatic traveling system includes an automatic traveling unit 2 mounted on a rice transplanter 1, and a mobile communication terminal 3 configured to be able to communicate with the automatic traveling unit 2. The mobile communication terminal 3 can be a tablet-type personal computer or a smartphone having a touch-operable touch panel display unit 71 (for example, a liquid crystal panel) or the like.

[0013] The rice transplanter 1 is equipped with a traveling body 11 and a planting unit 13 connected to the rear of the traveling body 11 via an elevating drive mechanism 12. The traveling body 11 has an engine 15 as a power source located at the upper front part of a body frame 14 extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and is equipped with a bonnet 16 that covers the engine 15.

[0014] A front axle case 17 is supported at the front of the body frame 14, and front wheels 18 are attached to both the left and right sides of the front axle case 17. A rear axle case 19 is supported at the rear of the body frame 14, and rear wheels 20 are attached to both the left and right sides of the rear axle case 19.

[0015] A gate-shaped spare seedling carrier frame 21 stands upright from the body frame 14 on the side of the hood 16, and spare seedling carriers 22 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the spare seedling carrier frame 21. A positioning unit 23 is arranged in the center of the upper left and right sides of the spare seedling carrier frame 21.

[0016] A steering wheel 25 that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 18 via a power steering mechanism 24, a driver's seat 26 for passengers, and the like are provided at the rear of the hood 16. A dashboard at the rear of the hood 16 is provided with an operation panel type display unit 27 (see FIG. 2), an alarm device 28 (see FIG. 2), and the like.

[0017] The planting section 13 is equipped with a seedling carrier 29 on which a seedling mat is placed, and multiple rotary planting devices 30 that plant the seedlings in a work area such as a field. The seedling carrier 29 is tilted so that the front side is higher and the rear side is lower, and is movable left and right. The number of planting devices 30 corresponds to the number of rows in the planting work; for example, in the case of six-row planting, six planting devices 30 are provided. The planting devices 30 are located at the rear of the planting transmission case 31.

[0018] When power is transmitted from the engine 15 to the planting unit 13 via a planting clutch 43 (see Figure 2), the planting devices 30 pick up a predetermined amount of seedlings from the seedling carrier 29 and plant them in a work area such as a farm field. Each of the planting devices 30 is provided with a row stop clutch 44 (see Figure 2), which allows the transmission of power to each planting device 30 to be freely interrupted.

[0019] Markers 32 are provided on both the left and right sides of the seedling carrier 29. Markers 32 are used to mark the work area, such as a farm field, as a guide for the next process. The markers 32 are provided so that they can swing between an active position where they protrude outward to mark the work area, and a non-active position where they are retracted upward, and a marker operating mechanism 45 (see Figure 2) is provided that can freely drive and operate the markers 32 between the active position and the non-active position.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the rice transplanter 1 is equipped with an electronically controlled transmission 41 that changes the speed of the power from the engine 15, a fully hydraulic power steering mechanism 24 that steers the left and right front wheels 18, a brake operating mechanism 42 that operates the brake device, a planting clutch 43 that interrupts the transmission of power to the planting section 13, a row stop clutch 44 that interrupts the transmission of power to each planting device 30 in the planting section 13, an electronically controlled lifting drive mechanism 12 that raises and lowers the planting section 13, a marker operating mechanism 45 that drives the marker 32 between an active position and a non-active position, an on-board electronic control unit 46 that has various control programs related to the automatic driving of the rice transplanter 1, and a vehicle condition detection sensor 47 that detects various vehicle conditions in the rice transplanter 1.

[0021] Incidentally, a hydromechanical continuously variable transmission (HMT), a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (HST), or a belt-type continuously variable transmission may be used for the transmission 41. An electric power steering mechanism 24 equipped with an electric motor may also be used for the power steering mechanism 24. The vehicle state detection sensor 47 may include, for example, an engine rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the engine 15, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 1, and a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the front wheels 18.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the on-board electronic control unit 46 includes an engine control unit 46A that controls the operation of the engine 15, a transmission control unit 46B that controls the operation of the transmission 41, a braking control unit 46C that controls the operation of the brake operating mechanism 42, a work device control unit 46D that controls the operation of work devices such as the planting unit 13, a steering control unit 46E that controls the operation of the power steering mechanism 24 in accordance with the target steering angles of the left and right front wheels 18 during automatic driving, and a non-volatile on-board memory unit 46F that stores the generated target driving route P for automatic driving (see, for example, Figure 6), etc.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning unit 23 includes a satellite navigation device 51 that measures the current position and current orientation of the rice transplanter 1 using a global positioning system (GPS), which is an example of a navigation satellite system (NSS), and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 52 that has a three-axis gyroscope, a three-directional acceleration sensor, and the like and measures the attitude, orientation, etc. of the rice transplanter 1. Positioning methods using GPS include differential GPS (DGPS: relative positioning method) and real-time kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS: interferometric positioning method). In this embodiment, RTK-GPS, which is suitable for positioning a moving object, is adopted. For this reason, reference stations 4 that enable positioning using RTK-GPS are installed at known positions around a work area such as a farm field, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, the rice transplanter 1 and the reference station 4 are each equipped with positioning antennas 53, 61 that receive radio waves transmitted from a positioning satellite 50 (see Fig. 1), and communication modules 54, 62 that enable wireless communication of various information, including positioning information (correction information), between the rice transplanter 1 and the reference station 4. This allows the satellite navigation device 51 to measure the current position and current orientation of the rice transplanter 1 with high accuracy based on the positioning information obtained by the positioning antenna 53 on the rice transplanter side receiving radio waves from the positioning satellite 50 and the positioning information (correction information for measuring the current position of the rice transplanter 1) obtained by the positioning antenna 61 on the base station side receiving radio waves from the positioning satellite 50. Furthermore, the positioning unit 23 is equipped with the satellite navigation device 51 and the inertial measurement unit 52, and is therefore able to measure the current position, current orientation, and attitude angles (yaw angle, roll angle, and pitch angle) of the rice transplanter 1 with high accuracy.

[0025] 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 is equipped with a terminal electronic control unit 72 having various control programs for controlling the operation of the display unit 71, etc., and a communication module 73 that enables wireless communication of various information including positioning information with the communication module 54 on the rice transplanter side. The terminal electronic control unit 72 has a travel path generation unit 74 that generates a target travel path P (see FIG. 6, for example) for automatically traveling the rice transplanter 1, and a non-volatile terminal storage unit 75 that stores various input information input by the user and the target travel path P generated by the travel path generation unit 74.

[0026] The method for generating the target travel route P by the travel route generation unit 74 will be described later. The target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 74 can be displayed on the display unit 71, and is stored as route information in the terminal storage unit 75. The route information includes the azimuth angle of the target travel route P, and a set engine rotation speed and a target travel speed that are set according to the travel mode of the rice transplanter 1 on the target travel route P, etc.

[0027] In this way, when the travel path generating unit 74 generates the target travel path P, the terminal electronic control unit 72 transfers the route information from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the rice transplanter 1, and the on-board electronic control unit 46 of the rice transplanter 1 can acquire the route information. Based on the acquired route information, the on-board electronic control unit 46 can automatically drive the rice transplanter 1 along the target travel path P while acquiring its own current position (the current position of the rice transplanter 1) using the positioning unit 23. The current position of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 is transmitted from the rice transplanter 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, every few milliseconds), and the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is known by the mobile communication terminal 3.

[0028] When the rice transplanter 1 is to be driven automatically, once various conditions for starting automatic driving are satisfied, the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic driving. Upon receiving the instruction to start automatic driving, the on-board electronic control unit 46 performs automatic driving control to cause the rice transplanter 1 to automatically drive along the target driving route P while acquiring its own current position (the current position of the rice transplanter 1) using the positioning unit 23. The on-board electronic control unit 46 is configured as an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to cause the rice transplanter 1 to automatically drive along the target driving route P based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 using a satellite positioning system.

[0029] The automatic driving control includes automatic engine control that automatically controls the operation of the engine 15, automatic speed change control that automatically controls the operation of the transmission 41, braking control that automatically controls the operation of the brake operating mechanism 42, automatic steering control that automatically steers the left and right front wheels 18, and automatic work control that automatically controls the operation of work equipment such as the planting unit 13.

[0030] In the automatic engine control, the engine control unit 46A automatically controls the operation of the engine 15 based on the detection information of the engine rotation speed sensor in the vehicle state detection sensor 47 so that the rotation speed of the engine 15 becomes a set engine rotation speed.

[0031] In automatic transmission control, the transmission control unit 46B automatically controls the operation of the transmission device 41 based on the route information of the target driving route P, the output of the positioning unit 23, and the output of the vehicle speed sensor in the vehicle state detection sensor 47 so that the target driving speed set in accordance with the driving mode of the rice transplanter 1 on the target driving route P is obtained as the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 1.

[0032] In automatic braking control, the braking control unit 46C automatically controls the operation of the brake operating mechanism 42 based on the target driving route P and the output of the positioning unit 23 so as to brake appropriately in the braking area included in the route information of the target driving route P.

[0033] In automatic steering control, the steering control unit 46E automatically controls the operation of the power steering mechanism 24 so that the target steering angle based on the route information of the target driving route P and the output of the steering angle sensor in the vehicle state detection sensor 47 is obtained as the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 18, so that the rice transplanter 1 automatically drives along the target driving route P.

[0034] In the automatic work control, the work device control unit 46D automatically controls the operation of the planting clutch 43, the row stop clutch 44, the lifting drive mechanism 12, and the marker operation mechanism 45 based on the route information of the target travel route P and the output of the positioning unit 23 so that a predetermined work (e.g., planting work) by a work device such as the planting unit 13 is started as the rice transplanter 1 reaches the work start point on the target travel route P, and the predetermined work by a work device such as the planting unit 13 is stopped as the rice transplanter 1 reaches the work end point on the target travel route P.

[0035] In this way, in the rice transplanter 1, the automatic driving unit 2 is composed of a transmission 41, a power steering mechanism 24, a brake operating mechanism 42, a planting clutch 43, a row stop clutch 44, a lifting drive mechanism 12, a marker operating mechanism 45, an on-board electronic control unit 46, a vehicle condition detection sensor 47, a positioning unit 23, and a communication module 54, etc.

[0036] Hereinafter, a method for generating the target driving route P by the driving route generating unit 74 will be described. In a work area R such as a farm field, a user or the like operates the rice transplanter 1 to travel and actually perform work, and the travel path generating unit 74 generates a target travel path P.

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, points A and B are registered by manually driving the rice transplanter 1 in the work area R by a user or the like. To register points A and B, as shown in Figure 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 is provided with a reference point setting unit 76 that sets points A and B, and a manually operated reference point setting operation unit 77.

[0038] First, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rice transplanter 1 is caused to travel from point A to point B while performing planting work at the planting section 13. Figure 3 shows the case where the rice transplanter 1 is located at point B. At this time, the reference point setting section 76 sets the start point of the work as point A and the end point of the work as point B based on the operation of the reference point setting operation section 77. Although not shown, the reference point setting operation section 77 is displayed on, for example, the display section 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, and is provided with an operation section for point A and an operation section for point B. When performing automatic travel, the mobile communication terminal 3 is installed in a terminal holding section or the like located near the driver's seat 26, and therefore the reference point setting operation section 77 is an operation tool provided on the rice transplanter 1 (work vehicle).

[0039] The reference point setting operation unit 77 is not limited to one displayed on the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, and various operation units can be applied. For example, it can be one displayed on the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1, or it can be an operation switch or operation button located near the driver's seat 26 of the rice transplanter 1. Furthermore, as will be described later, the remote controller 200 shown in Fig. 17 can also be used as the reference point setting operation unit 77, and the user or the like who gets on the rice transplanter 1 can carry the reference point setting operation unit 77 (remote controller 200).

[0040] When the rice transplanter 1 is located at the start point of the work, and the user or the like operates the operation unit for point A of the reference point setting operation unit 77, the reference point setting unit 76 acquires the position information of the positioning unit 23 at the time of the operation (position information of the rice transplanter 1) and sets point A (a point determined from latitude and longitude) in the work area R. Also, when the rice transplanter 1 reaches the end point of the work and the user or the like operates the operation unit for point B of the reference point setting operation unit 77, the reference point setting unit 76 sets point B (a point determined from latitude and longitude) in the work area R based on the position information of the positioning unit 23 (position information of the rice transplanter 1) at the time of the operation.

[0041] In this way, the reference point setting unit 76 acquires the position information of the rice transplanter 1 using the positioning unit 23 in accordance with the operation timing of the reference point setting operation unit 77, and sets each of points A and B. The reference point setting unit 76 stores the setting information of points A and B in the terminal storage unit 75.

[0042] When points A and B are set by the reference point setting unit 76, the reference line generating unit 78 (see FIG. 2) generates a first reference line K1 and a second reference line K2 based on the position information of points A and B, as shown in FIG. 5. The reference line generating unit 78 generates a straight line connecting points A and B as the first reference line K1, and generates a straight line perpendicular to the first reference line K1 as the second reference line K2. The reference line generating unit 78 stores the position information and the like of the generated first reference line K1 and second reference line K2 in the terminal memory unit 75 (corresponding to a memory unit).

[0043] 6, the travel path generating unit 74 generates a path including a first parallel path P1 and a second parallel path P2 parallel to the first reference line K1 or the second reference line K2 as the target travel path P. The first parallel path P1 and the second parallel path P2 are paths along which predetermined work (planting work) is performed while the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling.

[0044] When starting the automatic traveling of the rice transplanter 1, after predetermined conditions for starting automatic traveling are satisfied, the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic traveling, and the automatic traveling of the rice transplanter 1 is started. Regarding the first parallel path P1, the traveling path generating unit 74 generates the first parallel path P1 when the first reference line K1 is generated by the reference line generating unit 78, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and generates the first parallel path P1 in advance before the predetermined conditions for starting automatic traveling are satisfied. In contrast, regarding the second parallel path P2, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second parallel path P2 has not been generated when the first reference line K1 is generated by the reference line generating unit 78, and the traveling path generating unit 74 generates the second parallel path P2 when the predetermined conditions for starting automatic traveling are satisfied, as shown in FIG. 6, and generates the second parallel path P2 after the predetermined conditions for starting automatic traveling are satisfied.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the travel path generation unit 74 defines the first parallel path P1 as a path that has the same or approximately the same length as the first reference line K1, and generates a set number (e.g., six in FIGS. 5 and 6) of first parallel paths P1, with the distance between the first reference line K1 and the first parallel path P1 and the distance between the first parallel paths P1 set as a set distance L1. The set number can be changed as appropriate, but if work area information related to the work area, such as the size and shape of the work area, has not been acquired, for example, 500 first parallel paths P1 are generated so as to generate first parallel paths P1 that extend outside the work area. Furthermore, if work area information has been acquired, the set number can also be set so that the first parallel paths P1 fit within the work area.

[0046] When generating the set number of first parallel paths P1, the travel path generating unit 74 can generate the first parallel paths P1 symmetrically about the first reference line K1, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, or can position the first reference line K1 at an end and generate the set number of first parallel paths P1 to the right or left of the first reference line K1. The set interval L1 is set, for example, as a work interval based on input information about a work device such as the planting unit 13 input by a user or the like. In this embodiment, since the rice transplanter 1 is used, the interval between rows for planting seedlings can be set as the set interval L1.

[0047] Regarding the second parallel path P2, the travel path generating unit 74 generates a second parallel path P2 that passes through the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and is parallel to the second reference line K2, as shown in Fig. 6. The travel path generating unit 74 sets the current position of the rice transplanter 1 as the starting position of the second parallel path P2, and sets the position of the first parallel path P1 located at the end of the set number of generated first parallel paths P1 (in Fig. 6, the position of the first parallel path P1 located at the leftmost position) as the ending position of the second parallel path P2, thereby generating the second parallel path P2.

[0048] 5 and 6, the connecting path Q connecting the first reference line K1 and the adjacent first parallel path P1, and the connecting path Q connecting the adjacent first parallel paths P1 are illustrated for reference, but in this embodiment, the travel path generating unit 74 does not generate the connecting path Q. The connecting path Q is a path for changing the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 without performing work.

[0049] When the travel path generating unit 74 generates the target travel path P, the terminal electronic control unit 72 transfers the route information from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the rice transplanter 1, and the on-board electronic control unit 46 of the rice transplanter 1 acquires the route information. As a result, the on-board electronic control unit 46 can automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the target travel path P while acquiring its own current position (the current position of the rice transplanter 1) using the positioning unit 23 based on the acquired route information. The current position of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 is transmitted from the rice transplanter 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, every few milliseconds), and the mobile communication terminal 3 grasps the current position of the rice transplanter 1. For example, while the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling, the deviation (lateral deviation) between the current position of the rice transplanter 1 in a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of the target travel path P and the target travel path P is displayed on the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 and the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1. Therefore, while the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling, the user or the like can grasp how much the position of the rice transplanter 1 is deviated from the target traveling route P.

[0050] The flow of operations when performing automatic driving will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. First, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven by a user or the like to perform actual work, and points A and B are registered (set) by the reference point setting unit 76 (steps #1 and #2). The reference line generating unit 78 generates a first reference line K1 and a second reference line K2 based on the setting information for points A and B, and the travel path generating unit 74 generates a plurality of first parallel paths P1 parallel to the first reference line K1 (steps #3 and #4).

[0051] The terminal electronic control unit 72 determines whether a first predetermined condition is met, that is, the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the first parallel path P1 are within a predetermined range, or whether a second predetermined condition is met, that is, the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the second reference line K2 are within a predetermined range (steps #5 and #6). Incidentally, the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 can be obtained from the measurement information of the positioning unit 23, and the orientation of the extension direction of the reference line can be obtained from the position information of the first parallel path P1 and the second reference line K2.

[0052] When the first predetermined condition is met, other predetermined conditions for starting automatic traveling are satisfied, and the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic traveling, the on-board electronic control unit 46 performs the first automatic traveling to automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the first parallel path P1 based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 using the satellite positioning system, as shown in the upper side of Fig. 6 (if Yes in step #5, if Yes in step #7, step #8). This first automatic traveling is performed on the first parallel path P1 for which the first predetermined condition is met, out of the multiple first parallel paths P1 generated in advance.

[0053] In the first automatic driving, the on-board electronic control unit 46 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 in a straight line along the first parallel path P1, in a manner such that the planting section 13 starts work (planting work) at the starting position P1a of the first parallel path P1 and ends work (planting work) by the planting section 13 at the terminal position P1b of the first parallel path P1, as shown in Figure 6.

[0054] When the second predetermined condition is met, the travel path generation unit 74 generates a second parallel path P2 parallel to the second reference line K2 (if Yes in step #6, step #9). When the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic travel, the on-board electronic control unit 46 performs second automatic travel to automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the second parallel path P2 based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 using the satellite positioning system, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 6 (if Yes in step #10, step #11).

[0055] In this second automatic traveling, the on-board electronic control unit 46 starts work (planting work) by the planting unit 13 and causes the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel in a straight line along the second parallel path P2, in a manner that ends the work (planting work) by the planting unit 13 at the terminal position P2a of the second parallel path P2. When work by the planting unit 13 starts, the rice transplanter 1 is manually operated, so work by the planting unit 13 can also be started by manual operation by a user or the like.

[0056] In this way, when the first predetermined condition or the second predetermined condition is met, the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driven along the first parallel path P1 or the second parallel path P2 (steps #5 to #11), and these operations are repeated until work in the work area such as a farm field is completed (if No in step #12). When a work completion condition is met, such as the rice transplanter 1 being moved out of the work area, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 46 determines that work in the work area has been completed.

[0057] In the example shown in Fig. 6, multiple first parallel paths P1 are generated, and when the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driven along one first parallel path P1, the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven by the user to turn and drive toward the next first parallel path P1 (for example, the connecting path Q). After that, when the first predetermined condition is established and other conditions for starting automatic driving are met, a command to start automatic driving is issued, causing the rice transplanter 1 to automatically drive along the next first parallel path P1. In this way, for the multiple first parallel paths P1, the following sequence is repeatedly performed: automatic driving along the first parallel path P1 → manual driving (manual driving along the connecting path Q) → automatic driving along the next first parallel path P1.

[0058] On the other hand, the second parallel path P2 is generated when the second predetermined condition is met, and therefore automatic travel along the second parallel path P2 is performed each time the rice transplanter 1 is manually moved to a position where the second predetermined condition is met by the user.

[0059] When work in the work area is completed and the setting information deletion condition is met, the terminal electronic control unit 72 deletes the setting information for points A and B, and the information about the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2, stored in the terminal storage unit 75. This makes it possible to register points A and B in the next work area and generate the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2. Various conditions can be set as the setting information deletion condition, such as the rice transplanter 1 moving out of the work area or a set time having elapsed since the end of automatic traveling.

[0060] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driven on the first parallel path P1 and the second parallel path P2, but on the connecting path Q for changing the direction of travel of the rice transplanter 1, the rice transplanter 1 is not automatically driven but is manually operated by the user. Therefore, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 46 can automatically drive the rice transplanter 1 on the multiple first parallel paths P1 and second parallel paths P2, and also allows manual driving of the rice transplanter 1 when moving from a first parallel path P1 to the next first parallel path P1, as shown in Figure 6.

[0061] When the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven from the first parallel path P1 to the next first parallel path P1 (when the rice transplanter 1 is manually operated to drive along the connecting path Q), a notification control unit 46G (see Figure 2) is provided that issues a deviation notification indicating the deviation between the position of the rice transplanter 1 after manual driving ends and the starting position of automatic driving on the next first parallel path P1.

[0062] The notification control unit 46G notifies the user of the deviation between the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and the start position of the automatic travel on the next first parallel path P1, for example, by superimposing the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and the next first parallel path P1 on the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1. The terminal electronic control unit 72 can also superimpose the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and the next first parallel path P1 on the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1 on the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3. This makes it possible to guide the manually operated rice transplanter 1 toward the start position P1a of the first parallel path P1.

[0063] In addition, the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1 and the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 are equipped with a deviation information display unit having multiple display lamp units, and the notification control unit 46G and the terminal electronic control unit 72 can control the lighting mode of the multiple display lamp units as a deviation notification, thereby displaying in which direction and by how much the current position of the rice transplanter 1 has deviated from the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1.

[0064] For example, when the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is located within a predetermined range relative to the start position P1a of the next first parallel path P1, only the indicator lamp unit located in the center of the multiple indicator lamp units is turned on. When the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is located to the right of the start position P1a of the next first parallel path P1 beyond the predetermined range, only the indicator lamp unit located to the right of the center of the multiple indicator lamp units is turned on. In this case, the greater the amount of deviation to the right, the more indicator lamp units that are turned on can be increased in number.

[0065] In this way, the notification control unit 46G and the terminal electronic control unit 72 can appropriately change the display format of the deviation notification indicating the deviation between the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1. Also, the deviation notification can be made by voice, for example, "It is leaning to the right."

[0066] During automatic travel, in order to prevent the rice transplanter 1 from jumping out of the work area, the rice transplanter 1 notifies the user, etc., of its approach to the edge of the work area. As shown in Fig. 2, the rice transplanter 1 is provided with a notification position specifying unit 79 that specifies a notification position for issuing an edge notification to notify that the rice transplanter 1 is approaching the edge of the work area based on the setting information of points A and B and the position information of the first parallel path P1, and a notification control unit 46G that issues an edge notification when the current position of the rice transplanter 1 reaches the notification position when the rice transplanter 1 is traveling automatically.

[0067] The notification position specifying unit 79 is provided in the mobile communication terminal 3. As shown in Fig. 6, for the first parallel path P1, the notification position specifying unit 79 specifies an end position P1b of the first parallel path P1 as a notification position based on the position information of points A and B. Furthermore, for the second parallel path P2, the notification position specifying unit 79 specifies an end position P2a of the second parallel path P2 as a notification position based on the position information of the first parallel path P1 generated on the extreme end side.

[0068] In this way, since the notification position specifying unit 79 specifies the notification position, in the automatic travel control for automatically traveling the rice transplanter 1, when the notification control unit 46G determines that the current position of the rice transplanter 1 has reached the notification position (e.g., end position P1b or end position P2a) based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 acquired by the positioning unit 23 using a satellite positioning system, the notification control unit 46G activates the notification device 28 to issue an edge notification, thereby notifying the user, etc., of an approaching state that the rice transplanter 1 is approaching the end of the work area, etc. In the edge notification, various notifications can be issued by the notification device 28, such as a voice announcing an approaching state, lighting of an alarm lamp, activation of an alarm buzzer, etc. In addition to activating the notification device 28 of the rice transplanter 1, the approaching state can also be notified on the mobile communication terminal 3, for example, by displaying an approaching state on the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3.

[0069] As the notification control unit 46G issues an end notification, the on-board electronic control unit 46 can also stop the rice transplanter 1. By stopping the rice transplanter 1 in this way, it is possible to appropriately prevent the rice transplanter 1 from jumping out of the work area.

[0070] As described above, the rice transplanter 1 can be automatically driven not only along the first parallel path P1 parallel to the first reference line K1, but also along the second parallel path P2 parallel to the second reference line K2. Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 8, in the working area R, the rice transplanter 1 can be automatically driven throughout the working area R to perform a predetermined operation (planting operation), thereby improving work efficiency.

[0071] In the example shown in Figure 8, a first parallel path P1 parallel to the first reference line K1 is generated in the vertical central region of the working area R, allowing the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel, and a second parallel path P2 parallel to the second reference line K2 is generated in the vertical end regions of the working area R, allowing the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel.

[0072] The travel path generating unit 74 generates, as the first parallel path P1, not only a path having the same path length as the first reference line K1, but also an extended first parallel path P3 having a path length longer than the first reference line K1. When generating the extended first parallel path P3, for example, during automatic travel or manual operation of the first parallel path P1, the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, and the travel path generating unit 74 extends the first parallel path P1 to the position of the rice transplanter 1 at the time of the operation, thereby generating the extended first parallel path P3. Incidentally, the extent to which the extended first parallel path P3 is extended can be, for example, a predetermined distance or a distance set by the user or the like.

[0073] The travel path generating unit 74 generates, as the second parallel path P2, not only a path having a path length from the current position of the rice transplanter 1 to the second parallel path P2 generated at the extreme end, but also an extended second parallel path P4 having a longer path length. When generating the extended second parallel path P4, for example, during automatic travel or manual operation of the second parallel path P2, the user operates the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, and the travel path generating unit 74 extends the second parallel path P2 to the position of the rice transplanter 1 at the time of the operation, thereby generating the extended second parallel path P4. Incidentally, the extent to which the extended second parallel path P4 is extended can be, for example, a preset distance or a distance set by the user, etc.

[0074] In FIG. 8, the travel order of the route along which the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveled is illustrated, and the following description will be based on this travel order. (1) When the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the first parallel path P1 of the traveling sequence (1) are within a predetermined range and the first predetermined condition is met, the on-board electronic control unit 46 automatically causes the rice transplanter 1 to travel along the first parallel path P1 of the traveling sequence (1). (2) When the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven along the connecting path Q and the orientation of the direction of travel of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the first parallel path P1 of the travel order (2) are within a predetermined range and the first predetermined condition is met, the on-board electronic control unit 46 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 along the first parallel path P1 of the travel order (2). Regarding (3) to (5), the same operations as those in (1) and (2) are performed, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0075] (6) After reaching the terminal position P1b of the first parallel path P1 in the travel sequence (5), the rice transplanter 1 is switched to manual operation and moved to the lower right in the figure, and when the orientation of the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the second reference line K2 come within a predetermined range and the second predetermined condition is met, the extended second parallel path P4 in (6) is generated. Then, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 46 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 along the extended second parallel path P4 in (6).

[0076] (7) After reaching the terminal position P4a of the extended second parallel path P4 of the travel sequence (6), the rice transplanter 1 is switched to manual operation and moved upward in the figure, and when the orientation of the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the second reference line K2 of the travel sequence (7) come within a predetermined range and the second predetermined condition is met, the on-board electronic control unit 46 causes the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel along the second parallel path P2 of the travel sequence (7). In this automatic travel, the second parallel path P2 is extended from the original terminal position P2a to generate an extended second parallel path P4, and the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveled along the extended second parallel path P4.

[0077] (8) After reaching the terminal position P4a of the extended second parallel path P4 of the travel sequence (7), the rice transplanter 1 is switched to manual operation and moved upward in the figure. When the orientation of the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the first parallel path P1 of the travel sequence (8) come within a predetermined range and the first predetermined condition is met, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 46 causes the rice transplanter 1 to automatically travel along the first parallel path P1 of (8). In this automatic travel, the first parallel path P1 is extended beyond the original terminal position P1b to generate an extended first parallel path P3, and the rice transplanter 1 is then automatically traveled along the extended first parallel path P3.

[0078] (9) The same operation as the automatic travel of the extended second parallel path P4 in the travel sequence (6) is performed, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. (10) The same operation as the automatic travel of the extended second parallel path P4 in the travel sequence (7) is performed, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. (11) The same operation as the automatic travel of the extended first parallel path P3 in travel sequence (8) is performed, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In the extended first parallel path P3 in travel sequence (11), the path is extended on both sides of the starting position side of the first parallel path P1 and the terminal position side of the first parallel path P1.

[0079] In the first embodiment, another embodiment will be described regarding the distance between the first reference line K1 and the first parallel path P1 and the distance between adjacent first parallel paths P1. In the first embodiment, points A and B are registered as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . However, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 , in addition to points A and B, point C can also be registered. In this case, the travel path generation unit 74 can set the distance L2 between the first reference line K1 and the first parallel path P1 and the distance L2 between adjacent first parallel paths P1 based on the distance between points B and C. In other words, the travel path generation unit 74 can set the distance L2 between the first reference line K1 and the first parallel path P1 and the distance L2 between adjacent first parallel paths P1 to be the same as the distance between points B and C.

[0080] In the first embodiment, another embodiment regarding the second reference line K2 will be described. 5 and 6, the second reference line K2 is a straight line perpendicular to the first reference line K1, but the second reference line K2 is not limited to a straight line perpendicular to the first reference line K1 and may be a straight line having a predetermined intersecting angle with the first reference line K1. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when a point C is registered in addition to points A and B, the reference line generating unit 78 can generate a straight line connecting points B and C as the second reference line K2.

[0081] 11, instead of point C, a reference point S for the entrance / exit corresponding to the entrance / exit R1 of the work area R can also be registered. In this case, the reference point S for the entrance / exit is registered first, and then points A and B are registered. The reference line generating unit 78 can generate a straight line connecting the reference point S for the entrance / exit and point A, which is the starting point for work, as the second reference line K2. This allows the second reference line K2 to be a straight line that conforms to the shape of the edge of the work area R, allowing work to be performed efficiently in accordance with the shape of the work area R.

[0082] In the first embodiment, another embodiment will be described regarding the distance between the first reference line K1 and the first parallel path P1 and the distance between adjacent first parallel paths P1. When performing a specified operation (planting operation) using the rice transplanter 1 in a work area such as a field, depending on the conditions of the work area, such as the width of the work area, the row stop clutch 44 may be used to cut off the transmission of power to the planting devices 30 (stop the transmission of power), so that planting operation can be performed using only some of the multiple planting devices 30.

[0083] When planting in rows using the row-stop clutch 44, the planting width is narrowed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the travel path generating unit 74 changes the distance between the first parallel path P1 (the second first parallel path P1 from the right in the figure) on which planting was performed in rows and the next first parallel path P1 (the first parallel path P1 on the far right in the figure) to a distance L3, which is smaller than the distance L1 between adjacent first parallel paths P1. When planting in rows, the travel path generating unit 74 translates the next first parallel path P1 by a predetermined distance toward the currently traveling first parallel path P1. The predetermined distance can be set according to the number of planting devices 30 that have performed row-stopping; the greater the number of planting devices 30 that have performed row-stopping, the greater the predetermined distance. Incidentally, by detecting the operating state of the row-stop clutch 44, it is possible to determine whether planting is being performed in rows.

[0084] Regarding the translation of the first parallel paths P1, for example, as shown in Fig. 13, before autonomous driving is performed, the user can operate the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, causing the travel path generation unit 74 to translate all of the multiple first parallel paths P1 by a predetermined distance. In Fig. 13, the left side shows the state before the multiple first parallel paths P1 are translated, and the right side shows the state after the multiple first parallel paths P1 have been translated. To show how the first parallel paths P1 shown on the right have been translated, the first parallel paths P1 before translation are indicated by dotted lines, and the first parallel paths P1 after translation are indicated by solid lines.

[0085] 14, when the rice transplanter 1 is moved to a position laterally shifted from the first parallel path P1 during automatic travel, the user can operate the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to cause the travel path generation unit 74 to translate the first parallel path P1 so that the current position of the rice transplanter 1 matches the first parallel path P1. In FIG. 14, the first parallel path P1 before translation is indicated by a dotted line, and the first parallel path P1 after translation is indicated by a dashed line.

[0086] Second Embodiment This second embodiment is an alternative to the first embodiment, and the following description will focus on the configuration that differs from the first embodiment. Configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0087] In this second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, information regarding the set interval L1 for generating a plurality of first parallel paths P1 is not acquired, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Therefore, in this second embodiment, the travel path generating unit 74 selects one of the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2 based on the position information of the rice transplanter 1, and generates parallel paths P5 and P6 that pass through the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and are parallel to the selected reference line, as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

[0088] As in the first embodiment, when the rice transplanter 1 is manually operated, the reference point setting unit 76 sets points A and B as shown in FIG. 15, and the reference line generating unit 78 generates a first reference line K1 and a second reference line K2. As shown in FIG. 16, the travel path generating unit 74 determines whether a predetermined condition for starting automatic travel is met. The predetermined condition is set so that the orientation of the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the reference line (the orientation of the extension direction of the first reference line K1 or the orientation of the extension direction of the second reference line K2) are within a predetermined range. Incidentally, the orientation of the travel direction of the rice transplanter 1 can be obtained from the measurement information of the positioning unit 23, and the orientation of the extension direction of the reference line can be obtained from the position information of the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2.

[0089] When the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the first reference line K1 fall within a predetermined range and the first predetermined condition is met, the traveling path generating unit 74 generates a first parallel path P5 that passes through the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and is parallel to the first reference line K1, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 16. This first parallel path P5 has a path length that starts at the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and ends at a position corresponding to point A or point B.

[0090] In this way, when the first parallel path P5 is generated, other predetermined conditions for starting automatic driving are satisfied, and when the user operates the display unit 71 on the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic driving, the on-board electronic control unit 46 performs the first automatic driving, which causes the rice transplanter 1 to automatically drive along the first parallel path P5, based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 obtained by the positioning unit 23 using the satellite positioning system, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 16.

[0091] When the orientation of the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1 and the orientation of the extension direction of the second reference line K2 fall within a predetermined range and the second predetermined condition is met, the traveling path generating unit 74 generates a second parallel path P6 that passes through the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and is parallel to the second reference line K2, as shown by the solid line in Figure 16. This second parallel path P6 has the current position of the rice transplanter 1 as its starting point and has a path length of a set distance. The set distance can be set as appropriate, and can be changed by the user, for example.

[0092] In this way, when the second parallel path P6 is generated, other predetermined conditions for starting automatic driving are satisfied, and when the user operates the display unit 71 on the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic driving, the on-board electronic control unit 46 performs a second automatic driving operation to automatically drive the rice transplanter 1 along the second parallel path P6 based on the positioning information of the rice transplanter 1 obtained by the positioning unit 23 using the satellite positioning system, as shown by the solid line in Figure 16.

[0093] In the second embodiment, when the first predetermined condition or the second predetermined condition is met, a first parallel path P5 or a second parallel path P6 is generated, and the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driven along the generated first parallel path P5 or the second parallel path P6.

[0094] The flow of operations when performing automatic driving in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, the timing of generating the first parallel path P5 is different from that in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, in FIG. 7, the first reference path is generated after the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2 are generated and before the first predetermined condition or the second predetermined condition is met. In contrast, in the second embodiment, in FIG. 7, the first parallel path P5 is generated after the first predetermined condition is met. That is, in FIG. 7, step #4 of "generating first parallel path" is simply moved to between step #5 of "is the first predetermined condition met?" and step #7 of "has automatic driving started?"; the other operations are the same as the flow of operations shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7.

[0095] Third Embodiment This third embodiment is an alternative to the first embodiment, and the following description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment. Configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0096] Unlike the first embodiment, the third embodiment includes a remote controller 200 in addition to or instead of the mobile communication terminal 3, as shown in Fig. 17. For example, when the remote controller 200 is provided instead of the mobile communication terminal 3, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 46 includes a travel route generation unit 74, a reference point setting unit 76, a reference line generation unit 78, a notification position identification unit 79, etc., as shown in Fig. 18.

[0097] In this case, information regarding points A and B set by the reference point setting unit 76, information regarding the first reference line K1 and the second reference line K2 generated by the reference line generating unit 78, and information regarding the target driving path P such as the first parallel path P1 and the second parallel path P2 generated by the driving path generating unit 74 are stored in the on-board memory unit 46F, so the on-board memory unit 46F corresponds to the memory unit.

[0098] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the reference point setting operation unit 77 is provided with a remote controller 200 that can be carried by a user or the like. The remote controller 200 is configured to be able to freely communicate various information with the on-board electronic control unit 46 of the rice transplanter 1 via communication modules 54, 205, etc. As shown in Figure 17, the remote controller 200 is provided with a point A operation unit 201 for registering point A, a point B operation unit 202 for registering point B, and a circular AUTO operation unit 203 for commanding automatic driving. A ring-shaped display unit 204 having multiple light-emitting elements such as LEDs is provided around the circular AUTO operation unit 203, and the display unit 204 is configured to be able to freely switch between multiple display modes by changing the lighting states of the multiple light-emitting elements.

[0099] In the third embodiment, when the reference point setting unit 76 sets points A and B, the operation target operated by the user is the remote controller 200. Therefore, when the operation unit 201 for point A of the remote controller 200 is operated, the reference point setting unit 76 acquires position information of the positioning unit 23 at the time of the operation (position information of the rice transplanter 1), and sets point A (a point determined from latitude and longitude). Also, when the operation unit 202 for point B of the remote controller 200 is operated, the reference point setting unit 76 acquires position information of the positioning unit 23 at the time of the operation (position information of the rice transplanter 1), and sets point B (a point determined from latitude and longitude).

[0100] In this third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the rice transplanter 1 is automatically driven on the first parallel path P1 and the second parallel path P2, as shown in Fig. 6, but the rice transplanter 1 is not automatically driven on the connecting path Q for changing the direction of travel of the rice transplanter 1, but is manually operated by the user. Therefore, when the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven from the first parallel path P1 to the next first parallel path P1 (when the rice transplanter 1 is manually driven to travel on the connecting path Q), a deviation notification is issued to indicate the deviation between the position of the rice transplanter 1 after manual travel ends and the start position of automatic travel on the next first parallel path P1.

[0101] In the first embodiment, deviation notification is performed using the display unit 27 of the rice transplanter 1 or the display unit 71 of the mobile communication terminal 3, but in the third embodiment, a remote controller 200 is provided, so deviation notification using the remote controller 200 will be described.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 18 , the remote controller 200 is equipped with a display control unit 206 that controls the display mode of the display unit 204. For example, the display control unit 206 indicates the deviation between the current position of the rice transplanter 1 and the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1 by controlling the lighting state of multiple light-emitting units on the display unit 204 as a deviation notification. For example, when the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is located within a predetermined range relative to the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1, only the light-emitting unit located in the center of the multiple light-emitting units is lit, as shown in gray in FIG. 18( a). When the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is located to the left of the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1 beyond the predetermined range, only the light-emitting units located in the center and on the right of the multiple light-emitting units are lit, as shown in gray in FIG. 18( b). In this case, the greater the deviation to the left, the more light-emitting units that are lit can be increased in number, with the light-emitting units located further to the right being lit.

[0103] The display on the display unit 204 of the remote controller 200 allows the user to recognize in which direction and how far the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is displaced from the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1. Moreover, when the current position of the rice transplanter 1 is located to the left of the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1 beyond a predetermined range, only the light-emitting units located in the center and on the right side of the ring-shaped display unit 204 are lit, so the user can easily recognize the direction in which to operate the steering wheel 25 and can be smoothly guided to the starting position P1a of the next first parallel path P1.

[0104] [Another embodiment] Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The configurations of the embodiments described below are not limited to being applied independently, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments.

[0105] (1) The configuration of the work vehicle can be changed in various ways. For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine 15 and an electric motor for running, or may be configured as an electric vehicle equipped with an electric motor for running instead of the engine 15. For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a rear-wheel steering vehicle in which the left and right rear wheels 20 function as steering wheels.

[0106] (2) In the first embodiment, the travel path generating unit 74, the reference point setting unit 76, the reference line generating unit 78, the notification position identifying unit 79, etc. are provided in the mobile communication terminal 3. However, for example, the travel path generating unit 74, the reference point setting unit 76, the reference line generating unit 78, the notification position identifying unit 79, etc. can also be provided in the rice transplanter 1 or in an external management device, and the location of placement can be changed as appropriate.

[0107] (3) In the above embodiment, the travel path generating unit 74 does not generate the connecting path Q and does not automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the connecting path Q. However, if the travel path generating unit 74 generates the connecting path Q and stores it in the terminal storage unit 75 or the like, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 46 can automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the connecting path Q. In this case, automatic travel along the first parallel path P1 can be followed by automatic travel along the connecting path Q, and then automatic travel along the next first parallel path P1 can be further continued. Therefore, the rice transplanter 1 can be automatically traveled continuously along multiple first parallel paths P1 and multiple connecting paths Q.

[0108] <Notes on the invention> A first characteristic configuration of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a first reference line and a second reference line; a travel path generating unit that generates a parallel path that is parallel to the first reference line or the second reference line; The system is characterized in that it is equipped with an automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the work vehicle along the parallel paths generated by the driving path generation unit.

[0109] According to this configuration, the driving path generation unit can generate a parallel path parallel to the second reference line in addition to the first reference line stored in the memory unit. The automatic driving control unit can automatically drive the work vehicle along a parallel path parallel to the second reference line in addition to a parallel path parallel to the first reference line, thereby efficiently performing predetermined work. This eliminates the need for a user to perform additional adjustment work or manually drive the work vehicle in order to automatically drive along a parallel path parallel to the second reference line. Therefore, it is possible to improve work efficiency by automatically driving the work vehicle along a parallel path parallel to the second reference line in addition to a parallel path parallel to the first reference line, while reducing the workload on the user.

[0110] A second characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the driving path generation unit selects either the first reference line or the second reference line based on the position information of the work vehicle, and generates the parallel path that passes through the current position of the work vehicle and is parallel to the selected reference line.

[0111] According to this configuration, when a user or the like moves a work vehicle to a point or the like where the user or the like wants to start work, the travel route generation unit can select either the first reference line or the second reference line based on the position information of the work vehicle at that time, and generate a parallel route that passes through the current position of the work vehicle and is parallel to the selected reference line. Therefore, by simply moving the work vehicle to the work start point or the like, the user can perform automatic travel along the parallel route that corresponds to the work start point, and automatic travel can be performed appropriately while effectively reducing the user's workload.

[0112] A third characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the travel path generation unit is capable of generating, as the parallel paths, a plurality of first parallel paths parallel to the first reference line at predetermined intervals, and is capable of generating a second parallel path that passes through the current position of the work vehicle and is parallel to the second reference line.

[0113] According to this configuration, the travel path generation unit can generate multiple first parallel paths having a work width spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and can also generate a second parallel path according to the current position of the work vehicle. For example, in the central region of the work area, multiple first parallel paths can be generated to perform predetermined work by automated driving, while in the peripheral region around the central region, second parallel paths can be generated in accordance with the shape of the work area, etc., to perform predetermined work by automated driving. In this way, work can be efficiently performed by automated driving while generating the first parallel path or the second parallel path according to various conditions such as the shape of the work area. Moreover, since multiple first parallel paths are generated for the first parallel paths, automated driving can be performed while aiming for the already generated first parallel paths, and automated driving along the first parallel paths can be performed efficiently and appropriately.

[0114] A fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the automatic driving control unit is capable of automatic driving of the work vehicle on the plurality of parallel paths, and allows manual driving of the work vehicle when moving from one parallel path to the next parallel path, When the work vehicle is manually driven from one parallel path to the next parallel path, a notification control unit is provided that issues a notification indicating the deviation between the position of the work vehicle after manual driving is completed and the start position of automatic driving on the next parallel path.

[0115] According to this configuration, when the work vehicle is manually driven from one parallel route to the next parallel route, the notification control unit issues a notification indicating the deviation between the position of the work vehicle after manual driving ends and the start position of automatic driving on the next parallel route, so that the work vehicle can be guided to the start position of automatic driving on the next parallel route. This allows automatic driving on the next parallel route to be started smoothly, and automatic driving along the next parallel route can be performed efficiently and appropriately.

[0116] An automated driving system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a driving path generation unit and an automated driving control unit. The driving path generation unit generates parallel paths in the work area, each extending in a different direction and parallel to a plurality of reference lines registered separately from one side of the outline of the work area. The automated driving control unit automatically drives a work vehicle along the parallel paths generated by the driving path generation unit.

[0117] An automated driving system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a driving path generation unit and an automated driving control unit. The driving path generation unit generates parallel paths that are parallel to a plurality of reference lines that extend in different directions. The automated driving control unit automatically drives a work vehicle along the parallel paths generated by the driving path generation unit. The driving path generation unit selects one of the plurality of reference lines based on predetermined conditions related to at least position information of the work vehicle, and generates the parallel path that is parallel to the selected reference line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1 Rice transplanter (work vehicle) 46 In-vehicle electronic control unit (automatic driving control unit) 46F On-vehicle storage section (memory section) 46G notification control unit 74 Travel route generation unit 75 Terminal memory unit (memory unit) 206 Display control unit K1 1st reference line K2 2nd reference line P1 First parallel path P2 Second parallel path P5 First parallel route P6 Second parallel path

Claims

1. an automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the work vehicle along each of a plurality of reference directions that serve as references when the work vehicle is automatically driven; The plurality of reference directions are set in different directions. Autonomous driving system.

2. At least one of the plurality of reference directions is set based on position information of the work vehicle. The automated driving system according to claim 1 .

3. each of the plurality of reference directions is set based on two points set in response to a user operation; The automatic driving system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a selection processing unit that selects one of the plurality of reference orientations as a reference orientation when causing the work vehicle to automatically travel; The automatic driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the selection processing unit selects one of the plurality of reference orientations based on a predetermined condition; The automated driving system according to claim 4.

6. the predetermined condition includes a condition regarding the relationship between the current heading of the work vehicle and the reference heading. The automated driving system according to claim 5 .

7. The method includes automatically driving the work vehicle along each of a plurality of reference directions that serve as references when the work vehicle is automatically driven, The plurality of reference directions are set in different directions. Automated driving method.

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