Operating device and working machine

Abstract

To provide an operating device and a working machine that can improve operability of the operating device for operating the working machine.SOLUTION: An operating device 20 comprises: a STOP button 232 arranged on a body front surface of the operating device 20, and configured to receive an instruction for making a rice transplanter 10 execute stop operation of automatic traveling, from a user; and partial protrusion parts 27a, 27b, and 27c arranged near the STOP button 232 on the body front surface, and protruding frontward from the body front surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating device for operating a work machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known work vehicles that can automatically travel within a field according to a predetermined target route. Also, there are known operating devices (remote controls) that allow a user to start or stop the automatic travel of the work vehicle from a location remote from the work vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-96512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The operating device is provided with a plurality of operating units (operation buttons) that accept user operations, and each operating unit is assigned a function for operating the work vehicle. When the operating device is provided with a plurality of operating units, it becomes difficult for the user to understand the functions assigned to each operating unit. As a result, when operating the desired operating unit, the user must directly look at the operating device to make sure they do not press the wrong button, which creates a problem of reduced operability.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an operating device and a work machine that are capable of improving the operability of an operating device that operates a work machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An operating device according to the present invention is an operating device for operating a work machine, and includes a first operating unit disposed on the front surface of a main body of the operating device and configured to receive instructions from a user to cause the work machine to perform a specific operation, and a protrusion disposed on the front surface of the main body near the first operating unit and protruding forward from the front surface of the main body.

[0007] Furthermore, the work machine according to the present invention starts and stops automatic traveling in accordance with instructions output from the operation device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an operating device and a work machine that are capable of improving the operability of an operating device that operates a work machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a side view showing an example of a work vehicle (rice transplanter) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a top view showing an example of the work vehicle (rice transplanter) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a farm field and a target route according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a storage section that stores the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the stored state of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing another configuration of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram showing another configuration of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the grip portion of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing an operating device according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a perspective view showing an operating device according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another configuration of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following embodiment is an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0011] 1, an automated driving system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rice transplanter 10 and an operation device 20. The rice transplanter 10 and the operation device 20 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1. For example, the rice transplanter 10 and the operation device 20 can communicate with each other via Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless LAN (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), infrared communication, or the like.

[0012] In this embodiment, a rice transplanter 10 will be described as an example of a work machine of the present invention. In other embodiments, the work machine may be a work vehicle such as a tractor, combine harvester, construction machine, or snowplow, or an aerial vehicle such as a drone for spraying work. The rice transplanter 10 is an autonomous vehicle configured to be able to automatically travel (autonomously travel) within a pre-registered field. For example, an operator (user) registers a field to be worked on and sets a travel route (target route) for the rice transplanter 10 to automatically travel through the field. The rice transplanter 10 automatically travels along the target route based on position information of the current position of the rice transplanter 10 calculated by the positioning unit 16. The rice transplanter 10 also performs planting work while automatically traveling within the field.

[0013] For example, the rice transplanter 10 automatically travels along a target route R in a field F shown in Fig. 3. The field F shown in Fig. 3 includes an inner area Fa and a headland area Fb (outer area). A target route R including a plurality of work routes is set in advance in the field F. For example, a work route Ra that travels back and forth in parallel from a travel start position S is set in the inner area Fa, and a work route Rb that travels in a spiral shape (circular travel) around the outer periphery toward a travel end position G is set in the headland area Fb.

[0014] The rice transplanter 10 starts automatic travel from a travel start position S and performs work while traveling back and forth along a work path Ra in the inner area Fa. The rice transplanter 10 also performs work while traveling in a circle along a work path Rb to a travel end position G in the headland area Fb.

[0015] Here, the work path Rb in the headland area Fb is set based on the number of work strokes. Fig. 3 shows the work path Rb when the number of work strokes is two, but the number of work strokes on the work path Rb may also be one. On the work path Rb shown in Fig. 3, the rice transplanter 10 performs work while traveling around the headland area Fb only two times. The width of the headland area Fb is set to a width according to the number of work strokes. Therefore, when the number of work strokes is two, the width of the headland area Fb is approximately twice the working width of the rice transplanter 10.

[0016] The target route R is not limited to the route shown in Fig. 3, but is set appropriately depending on the shape of the field F, the work content, etc. For example, the target route R is set appropriately depending on the number of work strokes in the headland area Fb or the width of the headland area Fb.

[0017] The operation device 20 is an operation remote control that is operated by an operator to operate the rice transplanter 10. For example, the operator can operate the operation device 20 from a location remote from the rice transplanter 10 to give instructions to the rice transplanter 10, such as to start and stop automatic travel, perform manual operation (forward and reverse), start and stop planting operations, change the vehicle speed, and raise and lower the work implement 14 (planting unit). The operation device 20 can give operation instructions to the rice transplanter 10 when it is located within a range where it can communicate with the rice transplanter 10. For example, the rice transplanter 10 starts and stops automatic travel in accordance with instructions output from the operation device 20.

[0018] The operation device 20 is provided with a plurality of operation units (operation buttons) that accept operations from the operator, and each operation unit is assigned one of the functions described above for operating the rice transplanter 10. In conventional operation devices, it is difficult for the operator to grasp the functions assigned to each operation unit, and when operating the desired operation unit, the operator must directly look at the operation device to ensure that they do not press the wrong button, resulting in a problem of reduced operability. In contrast, the operation device 20 according to this embodiment has a configuration that can improve its operability, as described below. The specific configurations of the rice transplanter 10 and the operation device 20 will be described below.

[0019] [Rice transplanter 10] 1, 2A, and 2B, the rice transplanter 10 includes a vehicle control device 11, a memory unit 12, a vehicle body unit 13, a work implement 14, a communication unit 15, a positioning unit 16, an obstacle detection unit 17, etc. The vehicle control device 11 is electrically connected to the memory unit 12, the vehicle body unit 13, the work implement 14, the positioning unit 16, the obstacle detection unit 17, etc. The vehicle control device 11 and the positioning unit 16 may be capable of wireless communication.

[0020] Fig. 2A is a side view of the rice transplanter 10, and Fig. 2B is a plan view of the rice transplanter 10. The rice transplanter 10 includes a vehicle body 13, a pair of left and right front wheels 132, a pair of left and right rear wheels 133, a work implement 14 (planting unit), and the like.

[0021] An engine (drive unit) 131 is disposed inside a hood 134 disposed at the front of the vehicle body 13. Power generated by the engine 131 is transmitted to front wheels 132 and rear wheels 133 via a transmission case 135. The power transmitted via the transmission case 135 is also transmitted to the work implement 14 via a PTO shaft 37 disposed at the rear of the vehicle body 13. The PTO shaft 37 is configured to transmit power via a planting clutch (work clutch, PTO clutch) (not shown). A driver's seat 138 for an operator to sit in is provided between the front wheels 132 and rear wheels 133 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body 13.

[0022] In front of the driver's seat 138, operating tools such as a steering wheel 137, a main speed change lever (not shown), and a planting clutch lever (not shown) are arranged. The steering wheel 137 is an operating tool for changing the steering angle of the rice transplanter 10. The main speed change lever is configured to be able to select at least the positions of "forward," "reverse," "neutral," and "seedling transplant." When the main speed change lever is operated to the "forward" position, power is transmitted so that the front wheels 132 and rear wheels 133 rotate in a direction that moves the rice transplanter 10 forward. When the main speed change lever is operated to the "reverse" position, power is transmitted so that the front wheels 132 and rear wheels 133 rotate in a direction that moves the rice transplanter 10 backward. When the main speed change lever is operated to the "neutral" position, power transmission to the front wheels 132 and rear wheels 133 is cut off. When the main speed change lever is operated to the "seedling transfer" position, power transmission to the front wheels 132, rear wheels 133, and PTO shaft 37 is interrupted. When the planting clutch lever is operated to the "on" position, the planting clutch enters a transmission state in which it transmits power to the PTO shaft 37 (i.e., the work implement 14), and when the planting clutch lever is operated to the "off" position, the planting clutch enters a disconnection state in which it does not transmit power to the PTO shaft 37. In other words, when the planting clutch lever is set to the "on" position, the work implement 14 starts to drive and the planting operation begins. When the planting clutch lever is set to the "off" position, the work implement 14 stops to drive and the planting operation stops.

[0023] In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 11 switches the planting clutch between "ON" and "OFF." When the vehicle control device 11 sets the planting clutch to "ON," the drive of the work implement 14 begins, and the planting operation begins. When the vehicle control device 11 sets the planting clutch to "OFF," the drive of the work implement 14 stops, and the planting operation stops. The vehicle control device 11 only needs to switch the planting clutch between "ON" and "OFF" as an internal process, and does not need to move the position of the planting clutch lever. The vehicle control device 11 can also switch the planting clutch between "ON" and "OFF" in response to user operation of the operating device 20 ("ON" and "OFF" of the PTO button 234 in Figure 4).

[0024] The work implement 14 is connected to the rear of the vehicle body 13 via a lifting link mechanism 31. The lifting link mechanism 31 is configured with a parallel link structure including a top link 39 and a lower link 38. A lifting cylinder (lifting device) 32 is connected to the lower link 38. By extending and contracting the lifting cylinder 32, the entire work implement 14 can be raised and lowered. This allows the height of the work implement 14 to be changed between a working position (working height) where the work implement 14 is lowered to perform planting work and a non-working position (non-working height) where the work implement 14 is not performed to perform planting work. Note that the lifting cylinder 32 is a hydraulic cylinder, but an electric cylinder may also be used. Furthermore, the work implement 14 may be raised and lowered by an actuator other than a cylinder. The vehicle control device 11 can also raise and lower the work implement 14 in response to user operation of the operating device 20 (the up button 237 and the down button 238 in FIG. 4 ).

[0025] The work machine 14 (planting section) includes a planting input case 33, a plurality of planting units 34, a seedling carrier 35, a plurality of floats 36, and the like.

[0026] Each planting unit 34 is equipped with a planting transmission case 41 and a rotating case 42. Power is transmitted to the planting transmission case 41 via the PTO shaft 37 and the planting input case 33. Each planting transmission case 41 has a rotating case 42 attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction. Two planting tines 43 are attached to each rotating case 42, lined up in the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 10. These two planting tines 43 plant one row.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2A, the seedling carrier 35 is positioned above and in front of the planting unit 34 and is configured to be able to place a seedling mat on it. The seedling carrier 35 is configured to be able to move back and forth laterally (slide laterally). The seedling carrier 35 is also configured to be able to intermittently transport the seedling mat vertically downward at the end of the seedling carrier 35's reciprocating movement. This configuration allows the seedling carrier 35 to supply seedlings from the seedling mat to each planting unit 34. In this way, the rice transplanter 10 can sequentially supply seedlings to each planting unit 34, allowing for continuous seedling planting.

[0028] The float 36 shown in FIG. 2A is provided below the working implement 14 and is positioned so that its underside can come into contact with the ground. When the float 36 comes into contact with the ground, the rice field surface is leveled before seedlings are planted. The float 36 is also provided with a float sensor (not shown) that detects the swing angle of the float 36. The swing angle of the float 36 corresponds to the distance between the rice field surface and the working implement 14. The rice transplanter 10 can maintain a constant height of the working implement 14 above the ground by operating the lifting cylinder 32 based on the swing angle of the float 36 to raise and lower the working implement 14.

[0029] The spare seedling trays 19 are positioned outside the hood 134 in the vehicle width direction, and can carry seedling boxes containing spare mat seedlings. The spare seedling trays 19 are fixed to connecting frames 18b that extend in the up-down and front-to-rear directions on each side of the hood 134. The tops of the pair of left and right spare seedling trays 19 are connected to each other by connecting frames 18a that extend in the up-down and front-to-rear directions. A positioning unit 16 is positioned in the center of the connecting frames 18a in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] A storage section 50 for storing the operating device 20 is disposed on the right-side connecting frame 18b. For example, when an operator gets on the rice transplanter 10, the operator can store the operating device 20 in the storage section 50. Details of the storage section 50 will be described later.

[0031] The positioning unit 16 is a communication device including a positioning control unit 161, a memory unit 162, a communication unit 163, and a positioning antenna 164 (see FIG. 1). For example, the positioning unit 16 is provided at the upper center of the front of the rice transplanter 10, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The installation location of the positioning unit 16 is not limited. The positioning control unit 161, the memory unit 162, the communication unit 163, and the positioning antenna 164 of the positioning unit 16 may be disposed in different locations in the rice transplanter 10. A battery is connected to the positioning unit 16, and the positioning unit 16 can operate even when the engine 131 is stopped. The positioning unit 16 may be substituted by, for example, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a quantum compass, or the like.

[0032] The positioning control unit 161 is a computer system including one or more processors and storage memories such as nonvolatile memory and RAM. The storage unit 162 is a nonvolatile memory that stores a program for causing the positioning control unit 161 to execute the positioning process, and data such as positioning information and movement information. For example, the program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 162. Note that the program may be downloaded to the positioning unit 16 from a server (not shown) via a communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 162.

[0033] The communication unit 163 is a communication interface that connects the positioning unit 16 to a communication network by wire or wirelessly, and executes data communication with an external device such as a base station server via the communication network in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

[0034] The positioning antenna 164 is an antenna that receives radio waves (GNSS signals) transmitted from satellites.

[0035] The positioning control unit 161 calculates the current position of the rice transplanter 10 based on the GNSS signals received from satellites by the positioning antenna 164. For example, when the rice transplanter 10 automatically travels within a field F, the positioning antenna 164 receives radio waves (such as transmission time and orbit information) transmitted from each of a plurality of satellites. The positioning control unit 161 calculates the distance between the positioning antenna 164 and each satellite, and calculates the current position (latitude and longitude) of the rice transplanter 10 based on the calculated distance. The positioning control unit 161 may also perform positioning using a real-time kinematic method (RTK-GNSS positioning method (RTK method)), which calculates the current position of the rice transplanter 10 using correction information corresponding to a base station (reference station) close to the rice transplanter 10. In this way, the rice transplanter 10 automatically travels using positioning information obtained by the RTK method. The current position of the rice transplanter 10 may be the same as the positioning position (for example, the position of the positioning antenna 164), or may be a position displaced from the positioning position (for example, the planting operation position of the planting unit 34). The positioning control unit 161 may calculate (position) the current position of the rice transplanter 10 using a quantum compass.

[0036] An obstacle detection unit 17 is provided in front of the vehicle body 13. The obstacle detection unit 17 is composed of a sensor that detects obstacles in a predetermined detection area using, for example, infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or millimeter waves. For example, the obstacle detection unit 17 may be a lidar sensor (distance sensor) that can measure the distance to a measurement object (obstacle) in three dimensions using a laser, or a sonar sensor with multiple sonars that can measure the distance to a measurement object using ultrasonic waves. The obstacle may be, for example, a ridge, a water intake, a utility pole, materials temporarily placed in the field F, or a person. When the obstacle detection unit 17 detects the obstacle, it transmits the detection result (measurement information) to the vehicle control device 11. When the obstacle detection unit 17 detects an obstacle in the detection area, the vehicle control device 11 slows down or stops the rice transplanter 10. The obstacle detection unit 17 may be provided at the front, rear, left side, and right side of the rice transplanter. In this case, the vehicle control device 11 controls the traveling of the rice transplanter 10 based on the detection results of each obstacle detection unit 17.

[0037] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory that stores various types of information. The storage unit 12 stores control programs, such as an automatic driving program for causing the vehicle control device 11 to execute automatic driving processing. For example, the automatic driving program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flash ROM, an EEPROM, a CD, or a DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12. The automatic driving program may be downloaded from a server (not shown) to the rice transplanter 10 via a communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 may also store route data of a target route R generated by the operation device 20.

[0038] The vehicle control device 11 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are pre-stored. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The vehicle control device 11 controls the rice transplanter 10 by having the CPU execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0039] The vehicle control device 11 controls the operation of the rice transplanter 10 in response to various user operations on the rice transplanter 10. In addition, the vehicle control device 11 executes automatic driving processing of the rice transplanter 10 based on the current position of the rice transplanter 10 calculated by the positioning unit 16 and a target route R set in advance.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control device 11 includes various processing units such as a driving processing unit 111, an elevation processing unit 112, a vehicle speed control processing unit 113, and a drive processing unit 114. The vehicle control device 11 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the automatic driving program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The automatic driving program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the processing units.

[0041] The travel processing unit 111 controls the travel of the rice transplanter 10. Specifically, the travel processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to automatically travel according to a target route R set in the field F. For example, the travel processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to start automatic travel when it receives a travel start instruction from the operation device 20. For example, when the rice transplanter 10 satisfies the conditions for starting automatic travel (work start conditions), and the operator presses (e.g., long presses) the start / stop button 233 (see FIG. 4 ) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs a travel start instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the travel start instruction is received from the operation device 20, the travel processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to start automatic travel according to the target route R. For example, the travel processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel straight from the start end to the end end of each work route and to travel in a circular motion from the start end to the end end of each circular motion route.

[0042] Furthermore, the travel processing unit 111 stops the travel of the rice transplanter 10 when it receives a stop instruction from the operation device 20. For example, when the operator presses (e.g., briefly presses) the start / stop button 233 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs a pause instruction to the rice transplanter 10. Also, for example, when the operator presses the STOP button 232 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs an automatic travel stop instruction to the rice transplanter 10.

[0043] When the driving processing unit 111 receives a pause instruction, it temporarily stops the automatic driving while maintaining the automatic driving mode. In this case, when the driving processing unit 111 receives the driving start instruction in the paused state, it resumes the automatic driving. Furthermore, when the driving processing unit 111 receives an automatic driving stop instruction, it stops the engine 131. In this case, the resumption of automatic driving by the operation device 20 is prohibited, and the driving processing unit 111 resumes automatic driving when the operator on board the rice transplanter 10 starts the engine and performs the automatic driving start operation again.

[0044] Furthermore, the travel processing unit 111 controls the travel of the rice transplanter 10 based on the detection result by the obstacle detection unit 17. Specifically, when the obstacle detection unit 17 detects an obstacle, the travel processing unit 111 slows down or stops the rice transplanter 10. Furthermore, the travel processing unit 111 may cause the rice transplanter 10 to perform avoidance travel to avoid the obstacle.

[0045] Furthermore, in a situation where manual operation is possible in the automatic traveling mode, the traveling processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel in accordance with a traveling instruction acquired from the operation device 20. For example, when the traveling processing unit 111 acquires a forward traveling instruction from the operation device 20 while the automatic traveling is paused, the traveling processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel forward. For example, when the operator presses the speed increase / forward traveling button 235 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs a forward traveling instruction to the rice transplanter 10, and the traveling processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel forward in accordance with the forward traveling instruction. Furthermore, when the traveling processing unit 111 acquires a reverse traveling instruction from the operation device 20 while the automatic traveling is paused, the rice transplanter 10 travels backward. For example, when the operator presses the speed decrease / reverse traveling button 236 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs a reverse traveling instruction to the rice transplanter 10, and the traveling processing unit 111 causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel backward in accordance with the reverse traveling instruction.

[0046] The lifting / lowering processing unit 112 controls the position (posture) of the working implement 14. Specifically, the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 changes the height of the working implement 14 between a working position (working height) where planting work is performed by lowering the working implement 14, and a non-working position (non-working height) where planting work is not performed by raising the working implement 14. The lifting / lowering processing unit 112 also lowers the working implement 14 to the working position when leveling the rice field surface with a float 36 (see FIG. 2A). The lifting / lowering processing unit 112 inputs a control signal to the lifting / lowering cylinder 32 to extend and retract the lifting / lowering cylinder 32, thereby lifting and lowering the working implement 14.

[0047] The lifting / lowering processing unit 112 also controls the lifting / lowering of the working implement 14 based on the position information of the rice transplanter 10. Specifically, the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 lowers the working implement 14 from a non-working position to a working position based on the work start position on the target route R.

[0048] Furthermore, the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 raises the work implement 14 when it receives an instruction to raise the work implement 14 from the operation device 20. For example, when the operator presses the raise button 237 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs an raise instruction to the rice transplanter 10, and the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 raises the work implement 14 in accordance with the raise instruction. Furthermore, when it receives an instruction to lower the work implement 14 from the operation device 20, the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 lowers the work implement 14. For example, when the operator presses the lower button 238 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20, the operation device 20 outputs a lower instruction to the rice transplanter 10, and the lifting / lowering processing unit 112 lowers the work implement 14 in accordance with the lower instruction.

[0049] The vehicle speed control processing unit 113 controls the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 10 during automatic traveling. Specifically, the vehicle speed control processing unit 113 switches the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 10 based on preset setting information. For example, when an operator sets the vehicle speed for straight traveling and the vehicle speed for turning traveling on an operation terminal (not shown), the vehicle speed control processing unit 113 switches the vehicle speed (set vehicle speed) of the rice transplanter 10 according to the traveling route (straight route, turning route, etc.). For example, the vehicle speed control processing unit 113 switches to the set vehicle speed for straight traveling when the rice transplanter 10 is traveling on a straight route, and switches to the set vehicle speed for turning traveling when the rice transplanter 10 is traveling on a turning route.

[0050] Furthermore, the vehicle speed control processing unit 113 changes the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 10 when it receives a vehicle speed change instruction from the operation device 20. For example, when the operator presses the speed increase / forward button 235 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the operation device 20 outputs a speed increase instruction to the rice transplanter 10. Furthermore, for example, when the operator presses the speed decrease / reverse button 236 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the operation device 20 outputs a deceleration instruction to the rice transplanter 10.

[0051] The drive processing unit 114 controls the drive of the work implement 14. Specifically, the drive processing unit 114 starts the drive of the work implement 14 to start the planting operation (the operation of the planting unit 34 planting seedlings in the rice field surface). Specifically, the drive processing unit 114 switches the planting clutch between "on" and "off" to switch between driving and stopping the work implement 14. For example, the drive processing unit 114 sets the planting clutch to "on" to start driving the work implement 14 and cause the planting unit 34 to start the planting operation. The drive processing unit 114 also sets the planting clutch to "off" to stop the drive of the work implement 14 and cause the planting unit 34 to stop the planting operation.

[0052] The drive processing unit 114 starts driving the work implement 14 at the work start position. Specifically, the drive processing unit 114 controls the timing of engaging the planting clutch so that the planting operation of the planting unit 34 starts when the rice transplanter 10 reaches the work start position, i.e., when the planting unit 34 reaches the work start position.

[0053] Furthermore, when the drive processing unit 114 receives a drive instruction for the planting unit 34 from the operation device 20, it sets the planting clutch to "ON" to cause the planting unit 34 to start planting operation. For example, when the operator presses the PTO button 234 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20 (turns the PTO ON), the operation device 20 outputs a drive instruction to the rice transplanter 10. Furthermore, when the drive processing unit 114 receives a drive stop instruction from the operation device 20, it sets the planting clutch to "OFF" to cause the planting unit 34 to stop planting operation. For example, when the operator presses the PTO button 234 (see FIG. 4) on the operation device 20 (turns the PTO OFF), the operation device 20 outputs a drive stop instruction to the rice transplanter 10.

[0054] [Operation device 20] As shown in Fig. 1, the operation device 20 is a device including an operation control unit 21, a memory unit 22, an operation unit 23, a vibration unit 24, and a communication unit 25. The operation device 20 is a device (remote controller) that can remotely operate the rice transplanter 10. The operation device 20 may also be a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Fig. 4 shows a remote control as an example of the operation device 20.

[0055] The communication unit 25 is a communication interface that connects the operating device 20 to the communication network N1 wirelessly or wired, and performs data communication with external devices such as the rice transplanter 10 via the communication network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

[0056] The vibration unit 24 is a vibrator that vibrates the main body of the operating device 20. The vibration unit 24 vibrates the main body of the operating device 20 by driving an internal motor to rotate a weight (not shown) in accordance with an instruction from the operation control unit 21. Note that the operating device 20 may be capable of switching between enabling and disabling a vibration function in response to a setting operation by the operator.

[0057] The operation unit 23 is an operation button that accepts operations by the operator. The operation unit 23 is arranged on the front surface of the main body of the operation device 20. The operation unit 23 is, for example, a physical switch that the operator can press with his / her finger. In another embodiment, the operation unit 23 may be an image icon displayed on a touch panel.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of operation units 23 are arranged on the front of the main body of the operating device 20. The plurality of operation units 23 include a power button 231, a STOP button 232, a start / stop button 233, a PTO button 234, an increase / forward button 235, a decrease / reverse button 236, an up button 237, and a down button 238. A function to operate the rice transplanter 10 is assigned to each operation unit 23. The specific functions of each operation unit 23 will be described later.

[0059] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory that stores various types of information. The storage unit 22 stores a control program for causing the operation control unit 21 to execute various processes. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flash ROM, EEPROM, CD, or DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 22. Note that the control program may be downloaded to the operation device 20 from a server (not shown) via the communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0060] The operation control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various types of arithmetic processing are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as temporary storage memory for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The operation control unit 21 controls the operation device 20 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0061] 1, the operation control unit 21 includes various processing units such as a reception processing unit 211, an output processing unit 212, and a notification processing unit 213. The operation control unit 21 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the control program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the processing units.

[0062] The reception processing unit 211 receives an operation by the operator on the operation unit 23. Specifically, the reception processing unit 211 receives a pressing operation by the operator on each of the plurality of operation units 23.

[0063] The output processing unit 212 outputs operation information (operation instructions) corresponding to the operator's operation received by the reception processing unit 211 to the rice transplanter 10. The rice transplanter 10 executes a predetermined operation in accordance with the operation information (operation instructions) acquired from the operation device 20. For example, when the operator presses a specific operation unit 23 of the operation device 20, the reception processing unit 211 accepts the pressing operation of the operation unit 23, and the output processing unit 212 outputs operation information (operation instructions) corresponding to the function assigned to the operation unit 23 to the rice transplanter 10. Upon acquiring the operation information (operation instructions), the rice transplanter 10 executes the operation corresponding to the operation information. Furthermore, upon acquiring the operation information (operation instructions), the rice transplanter 10 notifies (feeds back) the operation device 20 that the operation information has been acquired.

[0064] When the operation unit 23 receives an instruction from the operator, the notification processing unit 213 causes at least one of the operation device 20 and the rice transplanter 10 to notify information indicating that the instruction has been received. Specifically, when the operator presses the operation unit 23, the output processing unit 212 outputs the operation information to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 acquires the operation information, it notifies (feeds back) the operation device 20 that the operation information has been acquired. When the notification is acquired, the notification processing unit 213 vibrates the vibration unit 24. This allows the operator to know that the rice transplanter 10 has accepted his / her operation instruction and that an action corresponding to the operation instruction has been executed.

[0065] In another embodiment, when the operation device 20 includes a display unit, the notification processing unit 213 may cause the display unit to display information indicating that the instruction has been received. In another embodiment, when the operation device 20 includes a speaker, the notification processing unit 213 may cause the speaker to emit a sound (buzzer sound, voice, etc.) indicating that the instruction has been received.

[0066] In this way, the notification processing unit 213 may notify the information by at least one of the following methods: displaying the information on the display unit, emitting sound from the speaker, and vibrating the vibration unit 24.

[0067] The notification processing unit 213 may output a notification instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 acquires the notification instruction from the operation device 20, the rice transplanter 10 emits a sound (buzzer sound, voice, etc.) from a speaker provided in the rice transplanter 10 indicating that the instruction has been acquired, or displays information indicating that the instruction has been acquired on a display unit provided in the rice transplanter 10.

[0068] [Functions of operation unit 23] The specific functions of each operation unit 23 will be described below.

[0069] The power button 231 is an operation unit that turns on / off the power of the operation device 20. The power button 231 is located at the top end of the front surface of the main body of the operation device 20. When the power is turned on, the LED of the power button 231 lights up, and when the power is turned off, the LED of the power button 231 goes out.

[0070] The start / stop button 233 is an operation unit that starts the automatic traveling of the rice transplanter 10 or pauses the automatic traveling rice transplanter 10. The start / stop button 233 is located on the right side near the center in the vertical direction on the front of the main body of the operating device 20.

[0071] For example, the operator gets on the rice transplanter 10, moves the rice transplanter 10 to the work start position (manual driving), performs operations related to the work start conditions, and switches to automatic driving mode. This enables the operator to start automatic driving using the operation device 20 at a location away from the rice transplanter 10. For example, when the operator presses and holds the start / stop button 233 (an operation of continuing to press the button for a predetermined period of time or longer), the output processing unit 212 outputs a driving start instruction to the rice transplanter 10. Upon receiving the driving start instruction, the rice transplanter 10 starts automatic driving and work (planting work) according to the target route R.

[0072] Furthermore, when the operator presses (short presses) the start / stop button 233 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs a traveling stop instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 acquires the traveling stop instruction, it temporarily suspends the automatic traveling and stops the driving (working) of the PTO. Furthermore, when the operator presses and holds the start / stop button 233 while the rice transplanter 10 is temporarily suspended, the rice transplanter 10 resumes the automatic traveling and the driving (working) of the PTO. The operator can start or temporarily suspend the automatic traveling by operating the start / stop button 233 from a location away from the rice transplanter 10.

[0073] The PTO button 234 is an operation unit that turns the PTO drive ON / OFF. The PTO button 234 is located on the left side near the center in the vertical direction on the front of the main body of the operation device 20. For example, when the rice transplanter 10 pauses during automatic travel, the drive processing unit 114 switches the planting clutch to "OFF" to stop the drive of the work implement 14. When the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 10 pauses and the planting clutch is "OFF" (PTO OFF), the operator can operate the PTO button 234 to turn ON / OFF. For example, when the operator presses the PTO button 234 to turn it ON, the output processing unit 212 outputs a PTO drive command to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the PTO drive command, it switches the planting clutch to "ON" to enable planting by the planting unit 34. When the operator presses the PTO button 234 to turn it OFF, the output processing unit 212 outputs a PTO stop command to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the PTO stop command, it switches the planting clutch to "off" and stops the planting operation by the planting unit 34.

[0074] The STOP button 232 is an operation unit (emergency stop button) that stops the rice transplanter 10 during automatic travel. The STOP button 232 is located on the upper side of the front surface of the main body of the operation device 20, between the power button 231, the start / stop button 233, and the PTO button 234.

[0075] When the operator presses the STOP button 232 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs an instruction to stop automatic traveling to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the instruction to stop automatic traveling, it stops the engine 131 to stop automatic traveling and operation. As described above, the STOP button 232 is assigned an emergency stop function, unlike the pause function of the start / stop button 233. Therefore, when the STOP button 232 is pressed, the engine of the rice transplanter 10 is stopped. Therefore, to resume automatic traveling and operation, the operator must get into the rice transplanter 10, start the engine 131, and perform the operation to start automatic traveling again. As described above, when the STOP button 232 is pressed, the operation device 20 prohibits the operator from resuming automatic traveling from a remote location. Therefore, the operator must go to the location of the rice transplanter 10, confirm that the area around the rice transplanter 10 is safe, and then perform the operation to resume automatic traveling.

[0076] As such, since the STOP button 232 is an operation unit for emergency stop, it is desirable that it be configured so that it will not be pressed unnecessarily by being accidentally hit by a finger, and further desirable that it be configured so that it can be pressed immediately in an emergency. A specific configuration for the STOP button 232 to realize these requirements will be described later.

[0077] The speed increase / forward button 235 is an operation unit that increases the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 10 during automatic traveling, or causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel forward while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped. The speed increase / forward button 235 is located on the lower left side of the front of the main body of the operating device 20.

[0078] When the operator presses the increase speed / forward button 235 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs an increase speed instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the increase speed instruction, it increases the vehicle speed. Each time the increase speed / forward button 235 is pressed, the rice transplanter 10 increases the vehicle speed in stages. Furthermore, when the increase speed / forward button 235 is pressed and held, the rice transplanter 10 continuously increases the vehicle speed while the button is held down and held.

[0079] Furthermore, when the operator presses the increase speed / forward movement button 235 while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped, the output processing unit 212 outputs a forward movement instruction to the rice transplanter 10. The rice transplanter 10 travels forward when it receives the forward movement instruction. The rice transplanter 10 continues to travel forward while the increase speed / forward movement button 235 is pressed, and stops traveling when the increase speed / forward movement button 235 is no longer pressed.

[0080] The deceleration / reverse button 236 is an operation unit that decelerates the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 10 during automatic traveling, or causes the rice transplanter 10 to travel in reverse while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped. The deceleration / reverse button 236 is located on the lower left side of the front surface of the main body of the operating device 20 and below the acceleration / forward button 235.

[0081] When the operator presses the deceleration / reverse button 236 while the rice transplanter 10 is automatically traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs a deceleration instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the deceleration instruction, it decelerates its vehicle speed. Each time the deceleration / reverse button 236 is pressed, the rice transplanter 10 decelerates its vehicle speed in stages. Furthermore, when the deceleration / reverse button 236 is pressed and held, the rice transplanter 10 continuously decelerates its vehicle speed while the button is held down and held.

[0082] Furthermore, when the operator presses the deceleration / reverse button 236 while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped, the output processing unit 212 outputs a reverse traveling instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 acquires the reverse traveling instruction, the rice transplanter 10 travels in reverse. The rice transplanter 10 continues to travel in reverse while the deceleration / reverse button 236 is pressed, and when the deceleration / reverse button 236 is no longer pressed, the rice transplanter 10 stops traveling.

[0083] The lift button 237 is an operation unit that raises the working implement 14 while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped. The lift button 237 is located on the lower right side on the front of the main body of the operation device 20. When the operator presses the lift button 237 while the rice transplanter 10 is temporarily stopped during automatic traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs a lift instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the lift instruction, it raises the height of the working implement 14.

[0084] The lowering button 238 is an operation unit that lowers the working implement 14 while automatic traveling is temporarily stopped. The lowering button 238 is located on the lower right side of the front of the main body of the operating device 20 and below the raising button 237. When the operator presses the lowering button 238 while the rice transplanter 10 is temporarily stopped during automatic traveling, the output processing unit 212 outputs a lowering instruction to the rice transplanter 10. When the rice transplanter 10 receives the lowering instruction, it lowers the height of the working implement 14.

[0085] As described above, the operating device 20 can accept operations of each operating unit 23 by an operator at a location away from the rice transplanter 10, output operation instructions corresponding to the operations to the rice transplanter 10, and operate the rice transplanter 10.

[0086] The operating device 20 is also equipped with a communication display unit 251 (LED) that indicates the communication status with the rice transplanter 10, and an abnormality display unit 252 (LED) that lights up when the rice transplanter 10 detects an obstacle or when some kind of malfunction occurs in the rice transplanter 10.

[0087] In addition, a charging terminal 260 (see FIG. 4) is provided on the bottom surface of the operation device 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation device 20 can be stored in a storage section 50 attached to the connecting frame 18b of the rice transplanter 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the storage section 50 has a power supply terminal 51 on the inner bottom surface, and a cable 52 that supplies power to the battery of the rice transplanter 10 is connected to the power supply terminal 51. Therefore, when the operation device 20 is stored in the storage section 50, the battery of the operation device 20 can be charged by connecting the charging terminal 260 and the power supply terminal 51, as shown in FIG. 6. By storing the operation device 20 in the storage section 50 while riding on the rice transplanter 10, the operator can charge the operation device 20 and prevent the operation device 20 from being lost.

[0088] [Specific configuration of the STOP button 232] The specific configuration of the STOP button 232 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 7. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the operating device 20 as seen from the right side, and is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the STOP button 232.

[0089] The STOP button 232 is located on the upper side of the front surface of the main body of the operating device 20, and a protrusion 27 that protrudes forward from the front surface of the main body of the operating device 20 is located near the STOP button 232. The protrusion 27 is a long, thin wall-like member that rises forward from the front surface of the main body to a height of several mm, and has a structure that can be recognized by touch when the user touches it with their finger.

[0090] Specifically, the protrusion 27 is disposed around the STOP button 232. The protrusion 27 is also disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the STOP button 232.

[0091] Furthermore, protrusion 27 is configured to include a plurality of partial protrusions. In this embodiment, protrusion 27 is configured to include three partial protrusions 27a, 27b, and 27c. Partial protrusions 27a, 27b, and 27c each have the same shape. Partial protrusion 27a is located at the upper left of STOP button 232, partial protrusion 27b is located at the upper right of STOP button 232, and partial protrusion 27c is located below the center of STOP button 232.

[0092] Furthermore, gaps 28 are formed between adjacent partial protrusions. For example, gap 28a is formed between partial protrusion 27a and partial protrusion 27b, gap 28b is formed between partial protrusion 27b and partial protrusion 27c, and gap 28c is formed between partial protrusion 27c and partial protrusion 27a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when the center position of STOP button 232 is the center of the circle and gap 28a is positioned at 0 degrees (12 o'clock direction), gap 28b is located at a position of 120 degrees, and gap 28c is located at a position of 240 degrees. Note that the positions of gaps 28a, 28b, and 28c are not limited to these.

[0093] The gap 28 is a region on the front surface (surface) of the main body where no protrusion 27 is formed, and is a region between adjacent protrusions 27.

[0094] Furthermore, since the STOP button 232 of this embodiment has a circular shape, the protruding portion 27 is also formed in a circular shape to match the shape of the STOP button 232. Specifically, each of the partial protruding portions 27a, 27b, and 27c is formed in an arc shape.

[0095] According to the above configuration, the operator can recognize the position of the STOP button 232 by the feeling (tactile sensation) when his / her finger touches the protrusion 27, without looking at each operation section 23 of the operation device 20. Therefore, when the operator wants to stop the automatic traveling of the rice transplanter 10, he / she can immediately press the STOP button 232 without looking at the operation device 20. In addition, it is possible to prevent the operator from accidentally pressing the STOP button 232 unnecessarily. This improves the operability of the operation device 20.

[0096] In particular, since it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of the STOP button 232, as shown in this embodiment (see FIG. 4), it is possible to arrange a plurality of operation units 23 for other functions near the STOP button 232. This allows the functions of the operation device 20 to be expanded, further improving operability.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, gaps 28 are formed between the protruding portions 27 (see FIG. 7 ), which prevents foreign matter from accumulating on the STOP button 232. For example, when the rice transplanter 10 is traveling in the field F, water, mud, and the like may splash onto the operation device 20, or rainwater may splash onto the operation device 20. If the protruding portions 27 are arranged to surround the periphery of the STOP button 232, foreign matter may easily accumulate inside the protruding portions 27. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the protruding portions 27 are composed of multiple partial protruding portions, and gaps 28 are formed between adjacent partial protruding portions. Therefore, the gaps 28 function as a discharge passage from the inside to the outside of the protruding portions 27, allowing foreign matter inside the protruding portions 27 to be discharged. This prevents foreign matter from accumulating on the STOP button 232.

[0098] In order to improve the function of expelling foreign matter, partial protrusion 27c may be divided into partial protrusion 271c and partial protrusion 272c, and gap 28d may be disposed at a position opposite gap 28a, as shown in Fig. 8. This allows operating device 20 to assume an upright position when it is stored in storage section 50 or when it is gripped, making it easier to expel foreign matter from gap 28d.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the protrusions 27 are configured with three (see Figure 7) or four (see Figure 8), but the number of protrusions 27 is not limited and may be configured with one, or may be configured with five or more.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the shape of the STOP button 232 is circular, but in another embodiment, the shape of the STOP button 232 may be rectangular. For example, as shown in Fig. 9A, when the STOP button 232 is rectangular, the protrusion 27 is arranged linearly along the rectangle of the STOP button 232. Specifically, the protrusion 27 includes linear partial protrusions 27a to 27d, and the partial protrusions 27a to 27d are arranged adjacent to each side (left side, top side, right side, bottom side) of the STOP button 232. Furthermore, gaps 28a to 28d are formed between adjacent partial protrusions.

[0101] The configuration of the protrusion 27 and the gap 28 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 9A, and may be the configuration shown in FIG. 9B.

[0102] In another embodiment, the operating device 20 may have a recess hollowed out from the surface of the main body toward the inside, instead of the protrusion 27.

[0103] In each of the above-described embodiments, the protrusion 27 is disposed near (around) the STOP button 232, but the operation unit 23 on which the protrusion 27 is to be disposed is not limited to the STOP button 232. For example, disposing the protrusion 27 can improve operability and prevent erroneous operation, so it is desirable to dispose the protrusion 27 near an operation unit 23 that is particularly important. For example, the protrusion 27 is disposed near an operation unit 23 where an operation (e.g., a traveling operation) of the rice transplanter 10 is started, or an operation where an operation that changes the posture of a component of the rice transplanter 10 (e.g., the work implement 14) is started. Furthermore, it is desirable that the operation unit 23 on which the protrusion 27 is to be disposed has an outer size larger than that of the other operation units 23 (second operation units of the present invention).

[0104] That is, the STOP button 232 is an example of a first operation unit of the present invention, and the first operation unit of the present invention may be any operation unit that accepts an instruction from a user to cause the work machine to perform a specific operation.

[0105] Furthermore, protrusions 27 may be arranged at positions corresponding to the plurality of operation units 23. For example, protrusions 27 may be arranged near the STOP button 232 and near the start / stop button 233. In this case, the shape and number of protrusions 27 arranged near the STOP button 232 may be different from the shape and number of protrusions 27 arranged near the start / stop button 233 so that they can be distinguished by the operator's sense of touch.

[0106] Furthermore, the notification processing unit 213 may use different notification methods when an instruction is received from the operator by the operation unit 23 on which the protrusion 27 is arranged (the STOP button 232 in the above example) and when an instruction is received from the operator by another operation unit 23. For example, when the operator presses the STOP button 232, the notification processing unit 213 vibrates the vibration unit 24 for a long period of time, and when the operator presses another operation unit 23, the notification processing unit 213 vibrates the vibration unit 24 for only a short period of time. In another embodiment, the notification processing unit 213 may use different vibration cycles of the vibration unit 24, display colors of the display unit, output sounds of the speaker, etc. between the operation unit 23 on which the protrusion 27 is arranged and the other operation units 23.

[0107] [Grip configuration] As shown in FIG. 4 , grip portions 20L and 20R are formed on the side surfaces of the main body of the operating device 20 so that the operator can grip the operating device 20. The grip portion 20L is located on the lower left side surface of the operating device 20, and the grip portion 20R is located on the lower right side surface of the operating device 20. The grip portions 20L and 20R are narrowed portions where the side surfaces of the operating device 20 curve inward, and are located in positions to be gripped by the hands. The operator can stably operate the operating device 20 by gripping the grip portions 20L and 20R between the palms of their hands. For example, the operator can hold the operating device 20 at the grip portions 20L and 20R with one hand and press each operating portion 23 with the thumb of that hand.

[0108] Here, in order to prevent erroneous operation of the STOP button 232 during automatic traveling, the STOP button 232 may be located at a position that is a predetermined distance L1 or more away from the grips 20L, 20R, as shown in Fig. 10, for example. For example, the predetermined distance L1 is a distance that prevents the thumb of an operator from reaching the STOP button 232 when the operator holds the operation device 20 with one hand at the position of the grips 20L, 20R. This makes it possible to prevent the STOP button 232 from being unnecessarily pressed during automatic traveling.

[0109] It is also desirable that the operation units 23 other than the STOP button 232 are arranged within a predetermined distance L1 (see FIG. 10). This allows the operator to easily operate each operation unit 23 arranged within the predetermined distance L1 with one hand.

[0110] As described above, the control device 20 according to this embodiment is a device for operating a work machine. The control device 20 includes an operation unit 23 disposed on the front surface of the control device 20 and configured to receive instructions from a user to cause the work machine to perform a specific operation, and a protrusion 27 disposed on the front surface of the control device 20 near the operation unit 23 and protruding forward from the front surface of the control device 20. For example, the operation unit 23 is a STOP button 232 that stops the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 10, and the protrusion 27 is disposed around the STOP button 232. The protrusion 27 also includes multiple partial protrusions disposed around the STOP button 232, with gaps 28 formed between adjacent partial protrusions. This configuration allows the control unit 23 to be identified solely by tactile sensation, improving the operability of the control device 20. Furthermore, the gaps 28 allow foreign objects within the control unit 23 to be removed, improving the operability of the control unit 23.

[0111] [Variations] An operation device 20 in which the protrusion 27 is omitted will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, the protrusion 27 (see FIG. 4) is not arranged around the STOP button 232 of the operation device 20. In this case, a step is provided on the STOP button 232 so that the operator can recognize the position of the STOP button 232 by touch (tactile sensation) with their fingers without looking at the operation device 20. Specifically, a step 29a is formed so that the front surface (surface) of the STOP button 232 is located lower than the front surface of the main body of the operation device 20.

[0112] As another example, as shown in FIG. 11B, the STOP button 232 may be arranged so that the front surface (surface) of the STOP button 232 protrudes forward from the front surface of the main body of the operating device 20 to form a step 29b.

[0113] 11A and 11B, the operator can recognize the position of the STOP button 232 by recognizing the steps 29a and 29b with the tactile sense of the fingers. Note that the present invention may also apply the configuration shown in Fig. 11A and 11B to the configuration shown in Fig. 4. That is, in the operation device 20, the step 29a or 29b may be provided on the STOP button 232, and the protrusion 27 may be disposed near the STOP button 232.

[0114] [Other embodiments] As another embodiment of the operating device 20, a switching button (not shown) for switching between enabling and disabling the long press function may be arranged on the front surface of the main body of the operating device 20.

[0115] For example, when the operator presses the switch button to enable the long press function, the reception processing unit 211 allows the operation of the operation unit 23 to start a predetermined operation of the rice transplanter 10 to be accepted on the condition that the operation is a long press operation, and refuses to accept a short press operation. For example, when the operator presses the switch button to enable the long press function, the reception processing unit 211 allows the operation to be accepted if the operator performs a long press operation for each of the start / stop button 233, PTO button 234, speed increase / forward button 235, speed decrease / reverse button 236, up button 237, and down button 238. This makes it possible to prevent an operation unintended by the operator from being erroneously accepted, thereby improving safety.

[0116] Note that, since the STOP button 232 needs to immediately stop the autonomous driving in an emergency, it allows acceptance of a short press operation even when the long press function is enabled. Furthermore, the start / stop button 233 may only allow a long press operation when starting the autonomous driving, and allow a short press operation when pausing the autonomous driving, regardless of the setting state of the long press function. In another embodiment, when the long press function is disabled, acceptance of a short press operation may be allowed for all operation units.

[0117] In another embodiment of the operating device 20, the gap 28 may be a cutout portion of the annular protrusion 27. For example, the gap 28 may be a portion (cutout portion) where the height (forward protrusion height) of the annular protrusion 27 is low. Alternatively, the gap 28 may be a through-hole formed by cutting out the lower side (the front side of the main body) of the annular protrusion 27. For example, FIG. 12 shows a plan view of a portion (upper side) of the operating device 20 and a bottom view of the portion. As shown in FIG. 12, the protrusion 27 is formed in a continuous annular shape on the front side, and the rear side is hollowed out to form the gap 28 (through-hole). The configuration shown in FIG. 12 allows the user to tactilely recognize the protrusion 27 around the entire periphery of the STOP button 232, and the gap 28 prevents foreign matter from accumulating on the STOP button 232.

[0118] In another embodiment, the automatic driving system 1 may include an operation terminal (e.g., a tablet terminal) for performing various setting operations. The operation terminal performs, for example, registration processing of the field F, registration processing of the work vehicle, registration processing of the work implement, generation processing of the target route, setting processing of the driving information, etc. in response to operations by the operator. Furthermore, the operation terminal can accept various operations that can be performed by the operation device 20, such as starting and stopping automatic driving, and remotely control the operation of the rice transplanter 10. Furthermore, the operation terminal can display the status during automatic driving on a display unit.

[0119] [Notes on the Invention] The following is a summary of the invention extracted from the embodiments. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined as desired.

[0120] <Appendix 1> An operating device for operating a work machine, a first operation unit that is disposed on a front surface of a main body of the operation device and that receives instructions from a user to cause the work machine to perform a specific operation; a protrusion disposed near the first operation unit on the front surface of the main body and protruding forward from the front surface of the main body; An operating device comprising:

[0121] <Appendix 2> the first operation unit is a stop operation unit that stops the automatic traveling of the work machine, The protrusion is disposed around the stop operation portion. 10. The operating device of claim 1.

[0122] <Appendix 3> the protrusion includes a plurality of partial protrusions arranged around the stop operation portion, A gap is formed between adjacent partial protrusions. 10. The operating device according to claim 2.

[0123] <Appendix 4> a plurality of second operation units are arranged on a front surface of a main body of the operation device to receive instructions from a user to cause the work machine to execute a predetermined operation different from the specific operation, The first operating unit has an outer size larger than each of the second operating units. 4. The operating device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3.

[0124] <Appendix 5> When the first operation unit receives an instruction from a user, at least one of the operation device and the work machine issues a notification of information indicating that the instruction has been received. 5. The operating device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4.

[0125] <Appendix 6> The information is notified by at least one of a method of displaying the information on a display unit provided in the operation device, a method of emitting sound from a speaker provided in the operation device, and a method of vibrating a vibration unit provided in the operation device. 6. The operating device according to claim 5.

[0126] <Appendix 7> a second operation unit that receives an instruction from a user to cause the work machine to execute a predetermined operation different from the specific operation is disposed on the front surface of the main body of the operation device, a notification method when the first operation unit receives an instruction from a user and a notification method when the second operation unit receives an instruction from a user are made different from each other; 6. The operating device according to claim 5.

[0127] <Appendix 8> a grip portion for a user to grip the operating device is provided on a side surface of the main body of the operating device; The first operation unit is disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance or more from the grip unit. An operating device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1:Automated driving system 10: Rice transplanter (working machine) 11: Vehicle control device 14: Work equipment 18a: Connecting frame 18b: Connecting frame 111: Driving processing unit 112: Lifting processing section 113: Vehicle speed control processing unit 114: Drive processing unit 50: Storage area 51: Power supply terminal 52: Cable 20: Operating device 20L: Grip part 20R: Grip part 21: Operation control section 22: Storage section 23:Operation unit 24: Vibration part 25: Communications Department 27:Protruding part 27a: Partial protrusion 27b: Partial protrusion 27c: Partial protrusion 28:Gap 211: Reception processing unit 212: Output processing section 213: Notification processing unit 231: Power button 232: STOP button (first operation part) 233: Start / Stop button (second operation part) 234: PTO button (second operation part) 235: Accelerate / forward button (second operation part) 236: Deceleration / reverse button (second operation part) 237: Up button (second operation part) 238: Down button (second operation part) 260: Charging terminal F: Field L1: Predetermined distance R: Target route

Claims

1. An operating device for operating a work machine, a first operation unit that is disposed on a front surface of a main body of the operation device and that receives instructions from a user to cause the work machine to perform a specific operation; a protrusion disposed on the front surface of the main body near the first operation unit and protruding forward from the front surface of the main body; An operating device comprising:

2. the first operation unit is a stop operation unit that stops the automatic traveling of the work machine, The protrusion is disposed around the stop operation portion. The operating device according to claim 1 .

3. the protrusion includes a plurality of partial protrusions arranged around the stop operation portion, A gap is formed between adjacent partial protrusions. The operating device according to claim 2 .

4. a second operation unit that receives an instruction from a user to cause the work machine to execute a predetermined operation different from the specific operation is disposed on a front surface of the main body of the operation device, The first operating unit has an outer size larger than that of the second operating unit. The operating device according to claim 1 .

5. When the first operation unit receives an instruction from a user, at least one of the operation device and the work machine issues a notification of information indicating that the instruction has been received. The operating device according to claim 1 .

6. The information is notified by at least one of a method of displaying the information on a display unit provided in the operation device, a method of emitting sound from a speaker provided in the operation device, and a method of vibrating a vibration unit provided in the operation device. The operating device according to claim 5 .

7. a second operation unit that receives an instruction from a user to cause the work machine to execute a predetermined operation different from the specific operation is disposed on a front surface of the main body of the operation device, a notification method when the first operation unit receives an instruction from a user and a notification method when the second operation unit receives an instruction from a user are made different from each other; The operating device according to claim 5 .

8. a grip portion for a user to grip the operating device is provided on a side surface of the main body of the operating device; The first operation unit is disposed at a position spaced apart from the grip unit by a predetermined distance or more. The operating device according to claim 1 .

9. A work machine that starts and stops automatic traveling in accordance with instructions output from the operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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