Notification system

Abstract

To provide a notification system capable of enhancing the coordination between transport operators and agricultural work vehicles.SOLUTION: A notification system comprises a combine harvester 1 which harvests grain, a portable terminal 61 used by a grain-transport operator who transports grain harvested by the combine harvester 1, and an ECU 50 which notifies the portable terminal 61 of information related to the combine harvester 1. The combine harvester 1 includes a grain tank 8 which stores harvested grain, and a deposition sensor 71 which detects the amount of grain in the grain tank 8. The ECU 50 includes predetermined-amount attainment advance notification means for predicting a time T at which the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 reaches a predetermined amount and sending a notification to the portable terminal 61 a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification system that notifies an external terminal of information related to an agricultural work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A system is known in the art that sends an email to the mobile terminal of a rice harvester predicting the time when the grain tank of a combine harvester will be full (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This system makes it possible to move the rice harvester to the field at the time when the grain tank will be full, which has the advantage of reducing the wait time of the combine harvester until the rice harvester arrives, improving the operation rate of the combine harvester, and reducing the overall harvesting time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-75511 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the system of Patent Document 1, an email was sent when the amount of crops inside the grain tank reached a certain specified amount. Therefore, if the crop storage speed changed depending on the situation (harvesting driving speed, crop type, etc.), the timing of sending the email could be too early or too late, leaving room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention was created in consideration of the above-mentioned current situation and with the aim of solving these problems. The invention of claim 1 is a notification system comprising an agricultural work vehicle that harvests crops, an external terminal used by a transporter who transports the crops harvested by the agricultural work vehicle, and a notification device that notifies the external terminal of information related to the agricultural work vehicle, wherein the agricultural work vehicle comprises a storage tank for storing harvested crops and a crop quantity detection means for detecting the amount of crops in the storage tank, and the notification device comprises a predetermined amount reaching advance notification means for predicting the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifying the external terminal a predetermined time before the predicted time, and an advance notification time setting means for changing the predetermined time in accordance with a user's setting operation. The invention of claim 2 is a notification system comprising an agricultural work vehicle that harvests crops, an external terminal used by a transporter who transports the crops harvested by the agricultural work vehicle, and a notification device that notifies the external terminal of information related to the agricultural work vehicle, wherein the agricultural work vehicle comprises a storage tank for storing the harvested crops and a crop quantity detection means for detecting the amount of crops in the storage tank, and the notification device comprises a predetermined amount reaching advance notification means that predicts the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifies the external terminal a predetermined time before the predicted time, and an advance notification time automatic setting means that predicts the travel time of the transporter based on the distance from the external terminal to the agricultural work vehicle or field and automatically sets the predetermined time based on the predicted travel time. Furthermore, the invention of claim 3 is a notification system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the advance notification means for notifying the user of reaching a predetermined amount graphs the progress of the crop amount in the storage tank based on the crop amount detected by the crop amount detection means, predicts the crop amount a predetermined time before the predicted time based on the graph, and notifies the external terminal when the predicted crop amount is reached. Furthermore, the invention of claim 4 is a notification system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the crop quantity detection means continuously detects the amount of crop in the storage tank, and the predetermined amount reaching advance notification means sequentially calculates a harvesting speed, which is the harvest amount per unit time, based on the detected crop quantity continuously detected by the crop quantity detection means, and predicts the time when the crop quantity in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount based on the harvesting speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, the notification device predicts the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifies the external terminal a predetermined time before the predicted time, thereby ensuring that the transportation worker has the necessary preparation time (such as the time it takes to travel to the field) and improving cooperation between the transportation worker and the agricultural work vehicle. In addition, the predetermined time can be changed according to a user's setting operation, so the timing of the notification to the external terminal can be optimized by changing the predetermined time according to the situation. According to the invention of claim 2, the notification device predicts the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifies the external terminal a predetermined time before the predicted time, thereby ensuring that the transportation worker has the necessary preparation time (such as travel time to the field) and improving cooperation between the transportation worker and the agricultural work vehicle. Furthermore, the notification device predicts the transportation worker's travel time based on the distance from the external terminal to the agricultural work vehicle or the field and automatically sets the predetermined time based on the predicted travel time, eliminating the need to change the predetermined time depending on the travel distance. Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 3, the notification device graphs the progress of the crop quantity in the storage tank based on the crop quantity detected by the crop quantity detection means, predicts the crop quantity a predetermined time before the predicted time based on the graph, and notifies the external terminal when the predicted crop quantity is reached.Therefore, not only can it accurately predict the time when the crop quantity in the storage tank will reach a predetermined quantity, but it can also notify the external terminal at an appropriate time based on the predicted time. In addition, according to the invention of claim 4, the notification device sequentially calculates the harvest speed, which is the harvest amount per unit time, based on the detected crop amount continuously detected by the crop amount detection means, and predicts the time when the crop amount in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount based on the harvest speed, thereby improving the accuracy of predicting the time when the crop amount in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the grain tank and its surrounding area. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a notification system. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for sending an email. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the display contents of the display device, where (a) is the standby screen, and (b) is the screen that appears when the monitor switching button is touched on the standby screen. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the display contents of the display device, where (a) is the screen that appears when the role allocation button is touched on the standby screen, and (b) is the screen that appears when the change button is touched on the screen shown in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the display contents of the display device, where (a) is the screen that appears when the setting button is touched on the standby screen, and (b) is the administrator screen that appears when the login button is touched on the screen shown in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the display contents of the display device, where (a) is the screen that appears when the information management button is touched on the administrator screen, and (b) is the screen that appears when the role allocation button is touched on the administrator screen. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B show the display contents of the display device, where (a) is the screen that appears when the user information button is touched on the administrator screen, and (b) is the screen that appears when changing information on the screen shown in FIG. 9A. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the display content of the display device, which is the screen when the email information button is touched on the administrator screen. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram showing the display content of the display device, which is the screen when the monitoring log display button is touched on the standby screen. FIG. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the contents of emails, where (a) is an email addressed to a rice-transport worker, and (b) is an email addressed to a dryer worker. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the timing for transmitting a predetermined amount arrival advance notification. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the contents of a predetermined amount reaching advance notice. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a display screen showing an example of setting an advance notification time. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a notification system according to a first modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a notification system according to a second modified example. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the notification system of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (combine) In this embodiment, the agricultural work vehicle of the present invention is applied to a combine harvester 1. The combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment is a general-purpose combine harvester, and as shown in FIG. 1 , has a traveling body 3, which is an example of a vehicle body, supported by a pair of left and right crawler-type traveling devices 2. A reaping unit 4 that reaps stalks in a field is provided in front of the traveling body 3 and is capable of moving up and down. A driving and operating unit 5 is provided on one side in front of the traveling body 3, on which an operator sits and operates the combine harvester 1. A threshing unit 6 that threshers the stalks reap and transported by the reaping unit 4 is provided on the other side of the traveling body 3, and a sorting unit 7 that sorts the threshed stalks is provided below the threshing unit 6. A grain tank 8 (storage tank) that stores the grain sorted by the sorting unit 7 is located behind the driving and operating unit 5, and a discharge auger 9 is provided behind the grain tank 8 to discharge the grain stored in the grain tank 8 outside the combine harvester. In this embodiment, the front direction X, which is the direction facing the operator seated on the driving operation unit 5 of the combine harvester 1 placed horizontally, is defined as the forward direction, and the front, rear, left and right directions are defined based on this direction.

[0010] An engine (not shown) is provided at the right front of the traveling body 3, and the power generated by the engine is split into power for the traveling system and power for the working system. The power for the traveling system is transmitted to the left and right crawler-type traveling devices 2, and the power for the working system is transmitted to the reaping unit 4 via a reaping clutch (not shown), and to the threshing unit 6, grain tank 8, etc. via a threshing clutch (not shown). The reaping unit 4 has a reel 10 extending in the left-right direction, a movable mechanism (not shown) that supports the reel 10 so that it can move up and down and back and forth, and a feeder 13 equipped with a reciprocating cutting blade 11 and a feeder conveyor 12. Grain stalks from the field raked in by the rotating reel 10 are cut by the cutting blade 11 and transported to the threshing unit 6 by the feeder conveyor 12.

[0011] The threshing section 6 has a threshing chamber 14 into which the stalks cut by the reaping section 4 are fed, and a threshing drum 15 that is rotatably supported within the threshing chamber 14 and has a guide plate 15a attached spirally to its outer periphery, and the guide plate 15a is provided with a plurality of protruding threshing teeth 15b that hook the stalks and rotate them together with the threshing drum 15. The stalks fed into the threshing chamber 14 are rotated together with the threshing drum 15 by the threshing teeth 15b, and are threshed by being rubbed against a receiving net (not shown) while being transported to the rear of the machine, and then fall into the sorting section 7 through the receiving net.

[0012] The sorting section 7 includes a oscillating sorting body 16 disposed below the threshing drum 15, and a winnowing fan 17 and a blower fan 18 that blow sorting air from the lower front of the oscillating sorting body 16 to the upper rear. The oscillating sorting body 16 has a two-stage structure with upper and lower chaff sieves. These oscillate back and forth to filter the grains, which are then separated into first-grade grains and second-grade grains by the sorting air from the winnowing fan 17 and the blower fan 18. The first-grade grains fall into the first spiral 19 and are transported to the inside of the grain tank 8 via a lifting conveying tube (not shown) and stored there. The second-grade grains fall into the second spiral 20 and are returned to the oscillating sorting body 16 via a return conveying tube (not shown). A moisture sensor 72 (see FIG. 3) is provided on the grain transport path from the threshing section 6 to the grain tank 8 to sample and detect moisture content of the grains.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, a discharge section 24 is provided at the upper part of one side of the grain tank 8, which discharges the grains threshed in the threshing section 6 into the grain tank 8. In addition, a discharge spiral 21 is provided at the innermost part of the grain tank 8 so as to be freely rotatable along the front-to-rear direction. The grains stored in the innermost part of the grain tank 8 are transported from the rear of the lower part of the grain tank 8 to the discharge auger 9 by the rotation of the discharge spiral 21, and are discharged outside the machine via the discharge auger 9. This discharge of the grains is carried out to a transport vehicle that transports the harvested grain to a drying facility or the like, and is carried out when the amount of grains (crop amount) in the grain tank 8 reaches a predetermined amount (for example, full capacity).

[0014] A pile sensor 71 (crop amount detection means) is provided on the ceiling of the grain tank 8 to detect the pile height (amount) of grain stored inside the grain tank 8. The pile sensor 71 is an optical distance sensor, and for example, a ToF (Time of Flight) type distance sensor using a laser is applied. Note that the pile sensor 71 is not limited to being a distance sensor, and for example, a detection unit that detects the pile height of grain using multiple mechanical switches arranged vertically may be applied.

[0015] The grain tank 8 is also provided with an agitator 46 that smooths the accumulation of grain stored inside the grain tank 8. The agitator 46 has a rotating shaft 47 arranged vertically inside the grain tank 8, a plurality of agitating bars 48 attached to the rotating shaft 47, and a motor 49 attached to the ceiling of the grain tank 8, and the rotating shaft 47 is rotated by the motor 49 as a drive source. A plurality of agitating bars 48 are provided at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 47, and each agitating bar 48 is arranged at 90° intervals around the axis of the rotating shaft 47.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 3, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The ECU 50 acquires and stores machine information 51 and user information 52, and also includes an information processing unit 53 that processes the stored information, an information management unit 54 that manages the information, an email creation unit 55 that creates emails, and an external communication unit 56 that transmits and receives information to and from the outside of the combine harvester 1 via the Internet 60, thereby functioning as a notification device of the present invention. The combine harvester 1 is also equipped with a communication device 57 as hardware such as an antenna and electrical components for connecting the external communication unit 56 of the ECU 50 to the Internet 60.

[0017] The combine harvester 1 is equipped with an information detection unit 70 that detects operation information related to the operation of the traveling body 3. The operation information here includes, for example, the position of the combine harvester 1, the amount of grain stored in the grain tank 8, the moisture content of the grain, etc. That is, the combine harvester 1 is equipped with an information management unit 54 and an email creation unit 55 that create emails based on the operation information (items to be sent) detected by the information detection unit 70, and an external communication unit 56 that sends emails to mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63 via the Internet 60.

[0018] The information detection unit 70 is provided with various sensors for detecting operation information, such as the above-mentioned accumulation sensor 71 and moisture sensor 72, as well as a GPS sensor 73. All of the information detection units 70 are connected to the ECU 50. The GPS sensor 73 is a machine position detection sensor (GNSS) that receives radio waves (data) from a GPS satellite, measures the position of the traveling machine body 3 using GPS, and transmits the acquired position information to the ECU 50. In addition to the accumulation sensor 71 and moisture sensor 72, the information detection unit 70 is also provided with, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the traveling machine body 3, a reaping clutch sensor that detects the engagement and disengagement of the reaping clutch, a threshing clutch sensor that detects the engagement and disengagement of the threshing clutch, a grain stalk sensor and a sorting layer thickness sensor provided in the sorting unit 7, and a fuel detection sensor that detects the remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank.

[0019] In addition, the ECU 50 is connected to a grain discharge switch that is located on the driving operation unit 5 and turns the discharge auger 9 on and off, a measurement start switch and a measurement end switch that are located on the driving operation unit 5 and instruct the start and end of measurement, a crop setting dial that is located on the driving operation unit 5 and sets the crop to be sorted from rice, wheat, soybeans, etc., a storage target adjustment switch that sets the increase or decrease of the storage target value, and a storage target alarm switch that turns the alarm on and off.

[0020] The ECU 50 is connected to a display device 74 that is disposed in the driving operation unit 5 and displays the output from the ECU 50, and a notification device 75 that includes an alarm buzzer, an alarm lamp, etc. The display device 74 is composed of a liquid crystal panel 76 having a display screen, and a touch panel 77 attached to the display screen of the liquid crystal panel 76, and touch input signals from the touch panel 77 can be input to the ECU 50.

[0021] As described above, the grain stored in the grain tank 8 is transferred to and loaded onto a transport vehicle by the discharge auger 9 when the grain tank 8 is full or nearly full. The transport vehicle moves to the dryer, where the grain is transferred to and stored in the dryer and dried. A rice transport worker (transport worker) who operates the transport vehicle has a mobile terminal 61 (external terminal) such as a smartphone or tablet, and a dryer worker who operates the dryer also has a mobile terminal 62 (external terminal) such as a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, a manager who manages the operating status of the combine harvester 1, the transport vehicle, and the dryer also has a mobile terminal 63 (external terminal) such as a smartphone or tablet. These mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63, i.e., multiple terminal devices, and the communication device 57 of the combine harvester 1 are connected to each other via the Internet 60, which is an example of a communication network.

[0022] (Notification System) Next, an overview of the notification system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the notification system includes a combine harvester 1, multiple mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63, an information management unit 54 as an email sending unit, an email creation unit 55, and an external communication unit 56. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63 are exemplified as recipients of email notifications, but the recipients may include terminals other than those mentioned above. For example, if an email is also sent to a drying facility terminal such as a PC installed in a drying facility where a rice transporter is likely to be working or waiting, it may be possible to notify the rice transporter via the drying facility terminal.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the steps of the email transmission method using this notification system. First, an overview of the steps of the email transmission method will be described with reference to the flowchart. As shown in FIG. 4, before performing work using the combine harvester 1, the manager performs various settings using the information management unit 54 (step S1, setting process). In the setting process, selection information (described below) and the timing for sending emails are set for each of the mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63, as will be described in detail later. In this embodiment, the manager performs various settings before performing work using the combine harvester 1, but this is not limited thereto, and various settings can be performed at any time, such as while the combine harvester 1 is working.

[0024] When the combine harvester 1 starts working, the combine harvester 1 detects operation information of the combine harvester 1 (step S2, information detection process). That is, in the information detection process, operation information related to the operation of the traveling machine body 3 of the combine harvester 1 performing agricultural work is detected by the information detection unit 70. The ECU 50 stores the user information 52 of the operator of the combine harvester 1 that was input in advance, and further stores the operation information detected by the information detection unit 70 as machine information 51. Note that, as measurement values ​​of each sensor are input to the ECU 50 from the information detection unit 70, the information processing unit 53 processes the measurement values ​​and acquires them as various types of operation information, and further, in a setting process, the information management unit 54 selects predetermined information from the operation information and sets the selected information.

[0025] The email creation unit 55 of the ECU 50 creates an email based on selection information (selection items) selected from the operation information (transmission items) described below (step S3). The external communication unit 56 of the ECU 50 transmits the email created by the email creation unit 55 to a plurality of mobile terminals via the Internet 60 (step S4). Steps S3 and S4 constitute an email transmission step. The transmission of the email completes one process of this email transmission method.

[0026] Next, the setting process and email sending process of the email sending method in this embodiment, i.e., the processing of the information management unit 54, email creation unit 55, and external communication unit 56 in the notification system, will be explained using specific examples shown in Figures 5(a) to 14.

[0027] Fig. 5(a) is a standby screen displayed on the display device 74 of the traveling body 3 when the combine harvester 1 is in operation. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the standby screen displays a monitoring switch button 81, a role assignment button 82, a settings button 83, a monitoring log display button 84, a screen switch button 85, and a monitoring status display section 86. The monitoring status display section 86 displays whether the monitoring status is monitoring in progress or monitoring stopped. When the combine harvester 1 is in operation, the monitoring status display section 86 displays "monitoring in progress."

[0028] The monitoring switch button 81 is a button for switching the monitoring status between monitoring in progress and monitoring stopped, and when the monitoring status is monitoring in progress, "stopped" is displayed. The role allocation button 82 is a button for setting the user category. The setting button 83 is a button for setting various user information and the like, and can only be set by the administrator. The monitoring log display button 84 is a button for displaying the results of email transmission and the like. The screen switch button 85 is a button for switching between this screen shown in Figure 5(a) and Figure 5(b) and another screen.

[0029] When the monitoring switch button 81 is touched on the standby screen shown in Fig. 5(a), the monitoring status switches to monitoring stopped, which triggers the detection of the end of work. Also, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the display of the monitoring status display section 86 switches to "monitoring stopped" and the display of the monitoring switch button 81 switches to "operating."

[0030] When the role assignment button 82 is touched on the standby screen shown in FIG. 5(a), the screen transitions to a screen showing category assignments (role assignments) as shown in FIG. 6(a). This screen displays a category display 87, a user display 88, a close button 89 for returning to the standby screen, a send email button 90, and a change button 91. The categories indicate the farm work roles related to the combine harvester 1. In this embodiment, the categories are set as manager, rice transporter, dryer operator, and others, and each is displayed in the category display 87. By assigning managers to categories in this way, information necessary for work management can be sent to the manager separately for operators such as rice transporter and dryer operator, thereby improving work efficiency. The user display 88 displays the user names or user identification numbers assigned to each category displayed in the category display 87. This allows the user to confirm which user is assigned to which category.

[0031] When the email send button 90 is touched, category allocation information is sent by email to all registered members. That is, when the email send button 90 is touched, the information management unit 54 and email creation unit 55 create an email containing a list of identification information for multiple mobile terminals and the categories (groups) to which they belong, and this email is sent by the external communication unit 56. This makes it possible to confirm which mobile terminals are assigned which roles, and also allows for an email sending test.

[0032] Touching the Change button 91 on the screen shown in FIG. 6(a) transitions to a screen where the user's affiliation for each category can be set, as shown in FIG. 6(b). This screen displays a user setting table 92, a Close button 93 for saving the changes and returning to the previous screen, and a Cancel button 94 for returning to the previous screen without saving the changes. In the setting table 92, the user touches the corresponding box to check or uncheck it, thereby setting the user's category via the information management unit 54. That is, the information management unit 54 can change the category (group) to which the mobile device belongs. Therefore, even if the person in charge changes on a daily basis, for example, all that is required is to change the category of the mobile device to be changed. Here, it is possible for a single user to belong to multiple categories (e.g., a rice-transportation worker group and a dryer operator group). Furthermore, one or more users can be registered in a single category. Note that the administrator is not displayed as a category on this screen.

[0033] When the setting button 83 is touched on the standby screen shown in Fig. 5(a), the screen transitions to a login screen for the administrator to log in, as shown in Fig. 7(a). This screen displays an input field 95 for inputting a user code and password, a login button 96, and a close button 97 for returning to the previous screen. When the administrator's user code and password are input in the input field 95 and the login button 96 is touched, the screen transitions to the administrator screen shown in Fig. 7(b).

[0034] The administrator screen shown in FIG. 7(b) displays an information management button 98, a role allocation button 99, a user information button 100, an email information button 101, and a close button 102 for returning to the previous screen. Touching the information management button 98 on this administrator screen displays the following items: machine code, machine name, sending email address, sending email password, number of retransmissions, retransmission interval, email subject, and All_Log email subject, as well as information 103 for each item, and a close button 104 for returning to the previous screen, as shown in FIG. 8(a). In this embodiment, the external communication unit 56 executes retransmission if an error occurs in sending email to a mobile terminal. This improves the reliability of email transmission.

[0035] Touching the role assignment button 99 on the administrator screen shown in FIG. 7(b) transitions to a screen where user affiliation can be set for each category, as shown in FIG. 8(b). This screen displays a user setting table 105, a close button 106 for saving changes and returning to the previous screen, and a cancel button 107 for returning to the previous screen without saving changes. In the setting table 105, the information management unit 54 sets the user's category by touching the corresponding box to check or uncheck it. That is, the information management unit 54 can change the category (group) to which the mobile device belongs. Therefore, even if a user's responsibilities change on a daily basis, it is sufficient to simply change the category of the mobile device to be changed. Here, it is possible for a single user to belong to multiple categories (e.g., the administrator group, the rice transporter group, and the dryer operator group). Furthermore, one or more users can be registered in a single category.

[0036] When the user touches the user information button 100 on the administrator screen shown in Fig. 7(b), a table 108 showing the user code, user name, and email address, a close button 109 for returning to the previous screen, and an add new user button 110 for adding a new user are displayed, as shown in Fig. 9(a). If the administrator wants to change the user's information, he touches the relevant user in table 108, and if he wants to add a new user, he touches the add new user button 110. As a result, a user information change screen 111 showing the user's user code, password, user name, email address, and phone number, a close button 112 for returning to the previous screen, and a register button 113 for registering the information are displayed, as shown in Fig. 9(b).

[0037] When the email information button 101 is touched on the administrator screen shown in Figure 7(b), as shown in Figure 10, a selection box 114 for selecting a category, a setting table 115 for setting the relationship between the timing (trigger) of sending emails and the items to be sent in the category selected in the selection box 114, a setting button 116 for operating the setting table 115, a close button 117 for saving the settings in the setting table 115 and returning to the previous screen, a cancel button 118 for returning to the previous screen without saving the settings, and a registration button 119 for saving the settings and not moving to another screen are displayed.

[0038] In the selection frame 114, the category can be switched between manager, rice transporter, dryer operator, and others. That is, the information management unit 54 can set the timing for sending e-mails and the items to be sent in the e-mails (operation information) for each category.

[0039] Setting table 115 shows examples of timing for sending emails, such as when the end of work is detected and the All_Log file is sent (All_Log), when the grain inside the grain tank 8 reaches a specified amount, when the grain discharge is completed, when the field area is confirmed, when the progress reaches 50%, when the progress reaches 100%, when the end of work is detected, when the grain discharge setting time is reached (a specified time before the expected time of reaching the specified amount, described below), and when the remaining fuel level is low (when the remaining fuel level is low).

[0040] Settings table 115 shows, as examples of transmission items, the date and time of transmission, the time of transmission, the longitude and latitude of the transmission location, the estimated field area, the actual harvested area (actual), the estimated yield, the yield (actual), the current amount of grain in the tank, the estimated time the tank will be full, the latest grain moisture content, the average grain moisture content in the field, the estimated total number of discharges, the number of discharges (actual), the estimated time of work completion, the total work time (actual), the remaining amount of fuel, the estimated amount of fuel used, the amount of fuel used (actual), the progress rate, the average grain moisture content in the tank, the latest amount of grain discharged, a map link (link information to a map display service on the Internet), and screen information (a screenshot of the progress display screen displayed on display device 74).

[0041] Here, the transmission date and time are acquired using a timer built into the ECU 50, and the longitude and latitude of the transmission location are acquired using the GPS sensor 73. The current amount of grain in the tank is acquired using the accumulation sensor 71, and the estimated time the tank will be filled can be acquired using a method using the ECU 50, described below. The latest grain moisture content and the average grain moisture content in the tank are acquired using the moisture sensor 72, and the average grain moisture content in the field can be acquired using a known method using the ECU 50. The remaining fuel amount is acquired using a remaining fuel amount sensor (not shown) in the information detection unit 70, and the estimated fuel consumption amount and the fuel consumption amount (actual) can be acquired using a known method using the ECU 50. In addition, the estimated field area, the actual reaping area (actual), the estimated yield, the yield (actual), the estimated total number of discharges, the number of discharges (actual), the estimated time of work completion, the total work time (actual), the progress rate, the latest grain discharge amount, the map link, and screen information can be acquired using a known method using the ECU 50.

[0042] Furthermore, in the setting table 115, items to be sent can be selected as selection items (selection information) from among the transmission items at each timing of sending an e-mail. This allows the information management unit 54 to set, for each category, the selection items to be selected from all the transmission items and the timing of sending an e-mail containing the selection items. Furthermore, since a user can be set for each category using the setting table 105 (see FIG. 8(b)), the information management unit 54 can set the selection items to be selected from among the transmission items and the timing of sending an e-mail for each mobile terminal (user) (setting step (see FIG. 4)). That is, the information management unit 54 can execute a group setting operation in which multiple mobile terminals are divided into groups by category and the selection items and transmission timing are set to the same within the category. Therefore, the selection items and timing can be set and managed collectively by category without having to set the selection items and timing for each of the multiple mobile terminals.

[0043] In addition, the display order (indicated by the numbers in FIG. 10) can be set for the selection items in the setting table 115. Also, by touching the timing for sending an email, a preview screen of the email to be sent at that timing can be displayed.

[0044] When the monitoring log display button 84 is touched on the standby screen shown in Fig. 5(a), a setting field 120 for setting the display range, a result table 121 showing the transmission results of the e-mail, etc., and a close button 122 for returning to the previous screen are displayed, as shown in Fig. 11. In the setting field 120, the date and time of the e-mail to be displayed in the result table 121 and whether the transmission was successful or failed are set. In the result table 121, as an example, the log number, the date and time of occurrence, the transmission result (successful or failed), location information, and the trigger which is the transmission timing are displayed.

[0045] As described above, the selection items to be included in the email and the sending timing can be set for each category to which the email is to be sent, and the ECU 50 operates accordingly. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the information management unit 54 sets the selection items, the email creation unit 55 creates the email based on the selection items, and the external communication unit 56 automatically sends the created email to multiple mobile terminals 61, 62, and 63 via the Internet 60.

[0046] Fig. 12 shows a specific example of an e-mail created by the e-mail creation unit 55. The items to be written in these e-mails and the display order are set in advance using the selection frame 114 and setting table 115 shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12(a) is an example of an e-mail 123 sent from the combine harvester 1 to the mobile terminal 61 (see Fig. 3) of the rice transporter, and in this case, the trigger for sending is, for example, when a specified amount of grain has been reached in the tank. In this e-mail 123, the following items are displayed in order as sending items 123a: sending date and time, sending time, estimated time when the tank is full, remaining amount of fuel, actual reaping area (actual), yield (actual), number of discharges (actual), total work time (actual), amount of fuel used (actual), progress rate, and map link.

[0047] 12(b) is an example of an email 124 sent from the combine harvester 1 to the dryer operator's mobile terminal 62 (see FIG. 3), where the trigger for sending is, for example, when the grain is discharged (when it is completed). In this email 124, the following items are displayed in order as sending items 124a: sending date and time, sending time, average moisture content of grain in the tank, latest grain discharge amount, estimated total number of discharges, number of discharges (actual), amount of fuel used (actual), progress rate, and map link.

[0048] (Advance notification of reaching the specified amount) Next, the advance notification of predetermined amount arrival, which is a main feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0049] The ECU 50 functioning as the notification device of the present invention includes a predetermined amount reach advance notification means and an advance notification time setting means as functional configurations realized by cooperation between hardware and software.

[0050] The predetermined amount reaching advance notification means predicts the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach the predetermined amount, and notifies the mobile terminals 61, 62, 63 a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T. Such predetermined amount reaching advance notification means can notify the mobile terminal 61 of the rice paddy transporter a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach the predetermined amount (for example, full amount), thereby ensuring that the rice paddy transporter has the necessary preparation time (such as travel time to the field) and improving cooperation between the rice paddy transporter and the combine harvester 1. For example, as shown in Figure 13, in the conventional technology in which advance notification is given when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 reaches a specified amount (the amount of grain set for advance notification), the time t until the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 reaches the specified amount after advance notification varies depending on the harvesting speed of the combine 1 (for example, A = high speed, B = low speed in Figure 13), so there is a possibility that the rice grain transporter (paddy transport vehicle) will arrive at the field too early or late.However, according to the advance notification means of the present invention for predetermined amount arrival, the time t1 until the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 reaches the specified amount after advance notification can be kept approximately constant regardless of the harvesting speed of the combine 1.

[0051] Methods for predicting the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount include, for example, the first and second methods described below. The first method is to graph the change in the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 based on the amount of grain continuously detected by the accumulation sensor 71, and predict the time when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount based on the graph. For example, as shown in Figure 13, if the change in the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 is linear in an XY coordinate system with the X axis representing time and the Y axis representing the amount of grain (crop amount), it is possible to easily estimate the future change in the grain amount from the past change in the grain amount, and easily predict the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount.

[0052] The second method is to sequentially calculate the harvest speed, which is the harvest amount per unit time, based on the amount of grain continuously detected by the accumulation sensor 71, and predict the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount based on the harvest speed. For example, the predicted time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount is calculated using the following formula: Time remaining to reach the specified amount = (specified amount - current amount) / harvest speed Estimated time to reach the specified amount T = current time + remaining time to reach the specified amount

[0053] The trigger for sending the predetermined amount reaching advance notification may be time, or the amount of grains detected by the accumulation sensor 71. When the trigger is time, the time a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T of the predetermined amount reaching is compared with the current time, and when the two times match, the predetermined amount reaching advance notification is sent. When the trigger is the detected grain amount, the grain amount H a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T of the predetermined amount reaching is predicted, and when the predicted grain amount H matches the detected grain amount, the predetermined amount reaching advance notification is sent.

[0054] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the contents of the advance notice of predetermined amount arrival. The predetermined amount arrival advance notice (email) shown in Figure 14 is an example of a predetermined amount arrival advance notice 125 sent from the combine harvester 1 to the mobile terminal 61 of the rice transporter. The trigger for sending the notice is the arrival of the grain before the set grain discharge time. In this predetermined amount arrival advance notice 125, the following items are displayed in order as transmission items 125a: transmission date and time, transmission time, estimated time of tank fullness, remaining fuel amount, actual harvested area (actual), yield (actual), number of discharges (actual), total work time (actual), amount of fuel used (actual), progress rate, map link, and screen information 125b. By receiving this predetermined amount arrival advance notice 125, the rice transporter recognizes that it is the predetermined time t1 before the estimated time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 of the combine harvester 1 will reach the predetermined amount, and can move to the harvest field of the combine harvester 1 at the appropriate time.

[0055] The screen information 125b included in the advance notification 125 of reaching the specified amount is, for example, a screenshot of the progress display screen 126 (see Figure 15) on which the display device 74 of the combine 1 displays the progress status during harvesting work, and the rice transport worker who receives the advance notification 125 of reaching the specified amount can visually recognize the work status of the combine 1 based on the screen information 125b.

[0056] The advance notification time setting means changes the predetermined time t1 in response to a user's setting operation. For example, an input section 126a for the predetermined time t1 is displayed on the progress display screen 126 shown in FIG. 15, and the value input into the input section 126a is set as the predetermined time t1. This makes it possible to change the predetermined time t1 according to the situation, thereby optimizing the timing of sending the predetermined amount reaching advance notification 125 to the mobile terminal 61, etc. In this embodiment, a call button 126b is provided on the progress display screen 126, and a call function is realized in which a call email is sent to the predetermined mobile terminal 61, 62, 63 in response to a touch operation of the call button 126b. With this call function, it is possible to call a rice transporter, etc. at any time.

[0057] According to this embodiment configured as described above, the notification system comprises a combine 1 that harvests grains, a mobile terminal 61 used by a rice grain transporter who transports the grain harvested by the combine 1, and an ECU 50 that notifies the mobile terminal 61 of information regarding the combine 1.The combine 1 comprises a grain tank 8 that stores the harvested grain and a deposition sensor 71 that detects the amount of grain in the grain tank 8, and the ECU 50 comprises a means for predicting the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount and notifying the mobile terminal 61 a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T, thereby appropriately ensuring the preparation time required for the rice grain transporter (such as the time required to travel to the field) and improving cooperation between the rice grain transporter and the combine 1.

[0058] Furthermore, the ECU 50 includes a pre-notification time setting means for changing the predetermined time t1 in response to a setting operation by the user, so that the timing of notification to the mobile terminal 61 can be optimized by changing the predetermined time t1 in response to the situation.

[0059] Furthermore, the predetermined amount reaching advance notification means can graph the progress of the grain amount in the grain tank 8 based on the crop amount detected by the accumulation sensor 71, predict the grain amount H a predetermined time t1 before the predicted time T based on the graph, and notify the mobile terminal 61 when the predicted grain amount H is reached. Such predetermined amount reaching advance notification means not only makes it possible to accurately predict the time T when the grain amount in the grain tank 8 will reach the predetermined amount, but also makes it possible to notify the mobile terminal 61 at an appropriate timing based on the predicted time T.

[0060] Furthermore, the predetermined amount reaching advance notification means sequentially calculates the harvest speed, which is the harvest amount per unit time, based on the amount of grain detected continuously by the accumulation sensor 71, and can predict the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach the predetermined amount based on the harvest speed. Such predetermined amount reaching advance notification means can further improve the accuracy of predicting the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach the predetermined amount.

[0061] (First Modification) Next, a first modified example of the notification system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 16, a combine harvester 1A according to a first modification differs from the above embodiment in that a mobile terminal 160 such as a tablet or smartphone, rather than an ECU 150, functions as the notification device of the present invention.

[0063] Specifically, the combine harvester 1A according to the first modification includes a traveling machine body 3A having an information detection unit 70, a portable terminal 160 connected to the traveling machine body 3A via wired or wireless communication, and an ECU 150. The portable terminal 160 acquires and stores user information 152, and also includes an information processing unit 153 that processes the stored information, an information management unit 154 that manages the information, an email creation unit 155 that creates emails, and an external communication unit 156 that transmits and receives information to and from the outside of the combine harvester 1A via the Internet 60. The portable terminal 160 functions as the predetermined amount arrival advance notification means and advance notification time setting means described above. The ECU 150 also acquires and stores machine body information 151.

[0064] According to this first modification, the mobile terminal 160, such as a tablet or smartphone, functions as the notification device of the present invention, so that the same mobile terminal 160 can be used with different combine harvesters to realize the predetermined amount reaching advance notification of the present invention. Also, the mobile terminal 160 can function as the notification device of the present invention in any agricultural work vehicle other than a combine harvester, as long as it is used for harvesting crops.

[0065] (Second Modification) Next, a second modified example of the notification system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 17, the second modification differs from the above embodiment in that a machine information server 260 provided outside the combine harvester 1B functions as the notification device of the present invention.

[0067] Specifically, the combine harvester 1B according to the second modification includes a traveling machine body 3B having an information detection unit 70, and an ECU 250 provided in the traveling machine body 3B. The ECU 250 acquires and stores machine body information 251. The traveling machine body 3B is also provided with a communication device 261 as hardware such as an antenna and electrical components for communicating with a machine body information server 260 via the Internet 60.

[0068] The machine information server 260 is a server device that is installed at an appropriate location inside or outside the field and is connected to the Internet 60, and may be, for example, a general rental server or a server device that is prepared in-house. The machine information server 260 acquires and stores user information 252, and also has an information processing unit 253 that processes the stored information, an information management unit 254 that manages the information, a mail creation unit 255 that creates e-mails, and an external communication unit 256 that transmits and receives information to and from outside the machine information server 260 via the Internet 60, and functions as the predetermined amount arrival advance notification means and advance notification time setting means described above.

[0069] According to this second modified example, the vehicle information server 260 functions as the notification device of the present invention, so there is no need to provide a notification device for each agricultural work vehicle, and costs can be kept down.

[0070] <Second embodiment> Next, a notification system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0071] The notification device of the notification system of the second embodiment, like the first embodiment described above, is equipped with a predetermined amount reaching advance notification means for predicting the time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount and sending a notification to the mobile terminal 61 a predetermined time t2 before the predicted time T, but differs from the first embodiment in that it is equipped with an advance notification time automatic setting means for automatically setting the predetermined time t2.

[0072] The automatic advance notification time setting means predicts the travel time of the rice transporter based on the distance from the mobile terminal 61 to the combine harvester 1 or the field, and automatically sets the predetermined time t2 based on the predicted travel time. Such automatic advance notification time setting means eliminates the need to change the predetermined time according to the travel distance, thereby reducing the user's workload. The specific procedure for calculating the predetermined time t2 will be described below.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 18, the notification device of the notification system according to the second embodiment first determines the start of work (S11). For example, in the case of a combine harvester 1, the start of reaping is determined based on whether a grain stalk sensor or a reaping clutch is ON.

[0074] If the determination result in step S1 is YES, the notification device acquires first location information indicating the location of the rice transporter and second location information indicating the location of the combine harvester 1 (S12). The acquired first location information may be location information (GPS positioning information) of the mobile terminal 61 carried by the rice transporter, or location information of a drying facility where the rice transporter is likely to be working or waiting (for example, selected from location information of multiple drying facilities registered in advance). Furthermore, the acquired second location information may be location information (GPS positioning information) of the combine harvester 1, or location information of the field where the combine harvester 1 is working (for example, selected from location information of multiple fields registered in advance).

[0075] Next, the notification device calculates a travel route from the first location to the second location (S13), and then calculates the travel distance and travel time of the travel route (S14). The travel route, travel distance, and travel time may be calculated by the notification device itself based on an algorithm of the navigation system, or may be calculated by an external navigation system.

[0076] Next, the notification device calculates the predetermined time t2 based on the calculated travel time (S15). The travel time may be used as the predetermined time t2 as is, or a spare time may be added to the travel time to determine the predetermined time t2.

[0077] The notification device then calculates the expected amount of grain a predetermined time t2 before the expected time T when the amount of grain in the grain tank 8 will reach a predetermined amount (full amount), and sets a notification schedule using this as a trigger for advance notification of reaching the predetermined amount (S16).

[0078] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the notification of the present invention is not limited to the above-described e-mail (including notifications via email services, short message services, mobile message services, social networking services, etc.), but may be notification via other means (for example, a pop-up display by a dedicated app, etc.). [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1, 1A, 1B Combine (agricultural vehicle) 8 Grain Tank (Storage Tank) 50 ECU (notification device) 61, 62, 63 Mobile terminal (external terminal) 71 Accumulation sensor (means for detecting crop amount) 160 Mobile terminal (notification device) 250 Machine information server (notification device)

Claims

1. A farm vehicle for harvesting crops; an external terminal used by a transporter who transports the crops harvested by the agricultural work vehicle; A notification system including: a notification device that notifies the external terminal of information related to the agricultural work vehicle, The agricultural work vehicle is a storage tank for storing harvested crops; a crop amount detection means for detecting the amount of crops in the storage tank, The notification device a predetermined amount reaching advance notification means for predicting the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifying the external terminal of the predicted time a predetermined time before the predicted time; a notification system comprising: a pre-notification time setting means for changing the predetermined time in response to a setting operation by a user.

2. A farm vehicle for harvesting crops; an external terminal used by a transporter who transports the crops harvested by the agricultural work vehicle; A notification system including: a notification device that notifies the external terminal of information related to the agricultural work vehicle, The agricultural work vehicle is a storage tank for storing harvested crops; a crop amount detection means for detecting the amount of crops in the storage tank, The notification device a predetermined amount reaching advance notification means for predicting the time when the amount of crops in the storage tank will reach a predetermined amount and notifying the external terminal of the predicted time a predetermined time before the predicted time; and an automatic advance notification time setting means for predicting the travel time of the transportation worker based on the distance from the external terminal to the agricultural work vehicle or field, and automatically setting the specified time based on the predicted travel time.

3. The notification system described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the predetermined amount reaching advance notification means graphs the change in the crop amount in the storage tank based on the crop amount detected by the crop amount detection means, predicts the crop amount a predetermined time before the predicted time based on the graph, and notifies the external terminal when the predicted crop amount is reached.

4. the crop amount detection means continuously detects the amount of crop in the storage tank; The notification system described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the predetermined amount reaching advance notification means sequentially calculates the harvest speed, which is the harvest amount per unit time, based on the detected crop amount continuously detected by the crop amount detection means, and predicts the time when the crop amount in the storage tank will reach the predetermined amount based on the harvest speed.

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