Management system for work vehicle

Abstract

To provide a travel route creation system for a work vehicle that enables safe and efficient movement travel through appropriate route creation.SOLUTION: A travel route creation system includes a control unit 150 that creates a planned work route R1 within a work area A and controls so as to perform work travel on the created planned work route R1. The control unit 150 creates a planned movement route G1 that does not involve work, separate from the planned work route R1. The planned movement route G1 connects a movement start point P1 which is the position of a work vehicle 1 that has arrived outside a work area A to an arbitrarily set destination point P4. The travel route creation system includes a headland travel route section G12 that travels along a headland travel route M2 created between the work area A and a field outline F1, a movement start route section G11 that connects the travel start point P1 and the headland travel route section G12, and a movement end route section G13 that connects the headland travel route section G12 and the destination point P4. The headland travel route section G12 is created within a predetermined distance of the field outline F1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for a work vehicle such as an agricultural tractor. [Background technology]

[0002] An automated driving system for a work vehicle is known that is equipped with a positioning device and a camera, communicates with the work vehicle that automatically travels along a set route, and has a remote control device that displays camera images mounted on the work vehicle while it is traveling (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-95661 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, depending on the communication method used between the remote control device and the work vehicle, it may be possible to monitor the work vehicle from a remote location that is not visible to the vehicle, or automatic operation may continue even in the event of delays or poor radio signal reception, making it difficult to respond in an emergency and potentially resulting in a management state that is undesirable from a safety standpoint.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a work vehicle management system that allows for appropriate remote monitoring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides the following technical means to solve the above problems.

[0007] The system is equipped with a positioning device that measures the position of the work vehicle, a control unit that creates a planned work route and automatically drives the work vehicle to travel along the created planned work route, and a mobile terminal device that displays information about the work vehicle and remotely monitors it, and when it detects that the distance between the mobile terminal positioning device and the work vehicle is greater than a predetermined value, the system stops automatic driving. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a work vehicle traveling for work by automatic driving can be remotely monitored in an appropriate state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a tractor according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified side view of a tractor showing the detection range of a sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of a tractor plane showing the detection range of a sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system for a tractor according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating planned work route creation in a tractor travel route creation system according to an embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 is an overall side view of a tractor 1 according to an embodiment in which a work implement 200 is mounted on a traveling body 2 shown as an example of a work vehicle, and the power of an engine E mounted inside a hood 18 at the front of the tractor 1 is appropriately changed in a transmission case 3 and transmitted to a front axle 4 and a rear axle 5 to drive both front wheels 6 and rear wheels 7 or only the rear wheels 7, and the tractor travels while steering the front wheels 6 to control the direction of travel. A work implement 200 such as a rotary tiller is attached to a lower link 9 protruding rearward from the body, and the work implement 200 is driven via a PTO shaft 11 protruding rearward from the transmission case 3.

[0012] A hydraulic clutch (not shown) is configured inside the transmission case 3, and the pressure during engagement is controlled by the control unit 150. When the clutch is engaged, hydraulic oil is supplied to the hydraulic clutch oil chamber at full pressure. After an initial time has elapsed, the pressure is controlled to increase from low pressure along a preset pressure increase curve, thereby suppressing shock during gear changes. In addition, when the clutch is engaged, the engine stop time before clutch engagement is measured and the initial time is extended according to the engine stop time. This allows the time until clutch engagement is completed to be appropriately shortened even if hydraulic oil is lost from the hydraulic clutch oil chamber due to the hydraulic pump stopping when the engine is stopped. At this time, if the capacity of the oil chambers on the forward and reverse sides differs, adjusting the initial time to match the capacity can more accurately shorten the clutch engagement time and suppress any discomfort during driving.

[0013] A positioning device (GNSS antenna unit) 174 is provided on the upper surface of the cabin roof 27, and this positioning device 174 can measure its own position by receiving positioning signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites. The positioning device 174 is attached to the cabin roof 27 by a positioning device stay 173 composed of a girder 173a provided across the left and right sides of the cabin roof 27 and an antenna fixing part 173b extending forward from the rear end of the cabin roof 27 to the upper surface along the roof shape. In addition, a stacked light stay 181 is provided on the girder 173a, and the stacked light 180 is attached in a position where it can be seen from anywhere. Furthermore, a right side camera 182 and a left side camera 183 are attached to the left and right sides of the underside of the stacked light stay 181.

[0014] The front camera 102 is attached to the front center of the cabin roof 27 and photographs the area in front of the tractor 1. The rear camera 103 is attached to the rear of the antenna fixing part 173b of the positioning device stay 173 and photographs the area behind the tractor 1 from the rear center of the cabin roof 27. A rear obstacle sensor 107 is attached to the rear of the antenna fixing part 173b so as to be positioned rearward and above the rear camera 103. The rear obstacle sensor 107 emits infrared rays rearward and receives the reflected light, and if an obstacle is present behind the tractor 1, it detects the distance to the obstacle and its shape.

[0015] Below the hood 18 is a body frame 12 to which the front wheel axle 4 is attached, and at the front end of the body frame 12 is attached a weight bracket 13 to which a weight 14 is attached to maintain the weight balance of the vehicle. An obstacle sensor stay 108 is attached upward and forward from the weight bracket 13, and a front obstacle sensor 105 is attached forward of the rear end of the weight 14 and above the weight 14. This makes it possible to set the detection range of the front obstacle sensor 105 to a wide range both vertically and horizontally, avoiding the weight 14.

[0016] The forward obstacle sensor 105 is equipped with a first forward obstacle sensor 105a that emits electromagnetic waves forward and receives their reflection to detect the distance to the obstacle if there is one in front of the tractor 1, and a second forward obstacle sensor 105b that emits sound waves and receives their reflection to detect the distance to the obstacle if there is one in front of the tractor 1. The first forward obstacle sensor 105a is attached to the center of the lower part of the sensor mounting portion 108a of the obstacle sensor stay 108, and the second forward obstacle sensors 105b are attached as a pair on the left and right sides of the sensor mounting portion 108a, which has a shape that rises upward toward the sides, outside and above the first forward obstacle sensor 105a.

[0017] The obstacle sensor stay 108 is detachably fixed to the outer surface of the weight bracket 13 by a support frame 108b. The support frame 108b extends in the left-right direction at the bottom and in the up-down direction at the center of the vehicle, and is shaped so as not to overlap with the headlights provided at the bottom of the hood 18 in a front view. In addition, the obstacle sensor stay 108 is fixed in a position so as not to overlap with the work lights 16 provided at the top of the hood 18 in a front view or a side view.

[0018] Side obstacle sensors 109 are provided on the sides of the tractor 1. Side stays 110, on which the front side obstacle sensors 109a are attached, are detachably attached to the underside of the fuel tank and the lower step 22. The side stays 110 extend forward at their lower parts and bend upward, and the front side obstacle sensors 109a are provided in front of and above the fuel tank 21, between the front wheels 6 and the rear wheels 7, and below the upper ends of the front wheels 6 and the floor surface 28 that constitutes the floor of the riding section 26 where people board. This allows the front side obstacle sensors 109a to detect obstacles near the step 22 without obstructing the view of the lower front area from inside the riding section 26. The front side obstacle sensors 109a are also provided in a position that does not interfere with the lower step 22, the step section 21a of the fuel tank 21, or the fuel filler opening 21b in a side view. This allows for smooth entry and exit from the side, refueling, and other operations.

[0019] The first rear-side obstacle sensor 109b and the second rear-side obstacle sensor 109c are attached in orientations that differ by approximately 90° to a front convex portion 111a and a rear convex portion 111b of a rear stay 111 fixed to a rear wheel fender 17 that covers the front and upper parts of the rear wheel 7. An intermediate concave portion 111c is provided between the front convex portion 111a and the rear convex portion 111b to facilitate maintenance such as attachment and detachment of the rear wheel 7. The first rear-side obstacle sensor 109b and the second rear-side obstacle sensor 109c are attached at the front and rear of the rear wheel fender 17, sandwiching the rear wheel axle 5 in a side view, and the second rear-side obstacle sensor 109c is attached rearward and above the first rear-side obstacle sensor 109b.

[0020] The upper part of the rear stay 111 has a curved shape that roughly follows the shape of the rear wheel fender 17, and is fixed to the underside of the rear wheel fender 17 at both ends of the mounting part 111d, but the mounting part 111d is bent upward on the side of the rear wheel fender 17, so that the upper part of the rear side stay 111 is positioned higher than the opposing part of the outer end face of the rear wheel fender 17. This makes it possible to position the first rear side obstacle sensor 109b and the second rear side obstacle sensor 109c above the rear wheel 7, avoiding the rear wheel 7.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a side view showing the detection ranges of the obstacle sensors according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the detection ranges of the obstacle sensors according to the embodiment. The obstacle detection range 115b of the front second obstacle sensor 105b, the obstacle detection range 119a of the front lateral obstacle sensor 109a, the obstacle detection range 119b of the rear lateral first obstacle sensor 109b, and the obstacle detection range 119c of the rear lateral second obstacle sensor 109c each have a flat, voluminous shape. The major axes of the obstacle detection range 115b of the front second obstacle sensor 105b, the obstacle detection range 119a of the front lateral obstacle sensor 109a, and the obstacle detection range 119b of the rear lateral first obstacle sensor 109b are set to be approximately horizontal, whereas the major axis of the obstacle detection range 119c of the rear lateral second obstacle sensor 109c is set to be approximately vertical, so that the orientation of the sensors relative to the other sensors is changed. This prevents the detection range from jumping out to the rear, and prevents the work implement 200 attached to the rear of the tractor 1 from being mistakenly detected as an obstacle.

[0022] The front side obstacle sensor 109a is located outside the inner end of the front wheel 6 when the front wheel 6 is in a straight-ahead position in a plan view. This allows the sensor to detect obstacles over a wide area while avoiding false detection of the steered front wheel 6 as an obstacle. In addition, by providing a distance to the side from the engine E inside the hood 18, the effect of hot air from the engine E can be reduced.

[0023] In this embodiment, the side stays 110 are attached to the underside of the fuel tank 21 having the step portion 21a, but they may also be attached to a normal step for getting on and off. Also, the front obstacle sensor 105 and the side obstacle sensor 109 are configured so that the obstacle sensor stays 108, side stays 110, and rear stay 111 can be attached and detached together, and can be retrofitted to existing work vehicles.

[0024] 4 is a block diagram showing a control system for a work vehicle according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 150 includes an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 151, a travel ECU 152, a work implement lifting ECU 153, an automatic driving ECU 154, and a communication unit 155.

[0025] The engine ECU 151 controls the rotation speed of the engine E. The travel system ECU 152 controls the rotation of the drive wheels (rear wheels 4) to control the travel speed of the travel vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1). The work implement lifting system ECU 153 controls the lifting device 13 to lift and lower the work implement 200. The autonomous driving ECU 154 creates a travel route, and in autonomous driving mode, compares the vehicle's own position with the planned work route R1, etc., and communicates with the engine ECU 151, travel system ECU 152, and work implement lifting system ECU 153 to control each device.

[0026] The control unit 150 is capable of controlling each part through electronic control, and is equipped with a processing unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, as well as a memory unit consisting of, for example, a hard disk, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., in which necessary data such as various programs and the planned work route R1 of the traveling vehicle body 2 that is set in advance for each field is stored.

[0027] 4, the control unit 150 is connected to a positioning device 174, an azimuth angle sensor 170, an engine rotation sensor 110, a vehicle speed sensor 111, a gear change sensor 112, a steering angle sensor 113, etc. The control unit 150 is also connected to an engine E, a gear change device 121, a steering device 122, an elevator device 13, etc.

[0028] The engine rotation sensor 110 detects the rotation speed of the engine E. The vehicle speed sensor 111 detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the traveling vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1). The gear change sensor 112 detects which of a plurality of gears the transmission 121 is in. The turning angle sensor 113 detects the turning angle of the front wheels 6 (see FIG. 1), which are steered wheels.

[0029] The control unit 150 receives inputs of information on the position (self-position) of the traveling vehicle body 2 in a field or the like from the positioning device 174, the number of revolutions of the engine E from the engine rotation sensor 110, the vehicle speed of the traveling vehicle body 2 from the vehicle speed sensor 111, the current gear position from the gear change sensor 112, and the turning angle of the front wheels 6 from the turning angle sensor 113. When the control unit 150 causes the traveling vehicle body 2 to travel autonomously, as described above, the control unit 150 uses the detection value of the turning angle sensor 113 to feed back the turning angle of the front wheels 6, thereby controlling the steering device 122, which is an electric motor connected to the steering wheel 8 (see FIG. 1), to steer the steering wheel 8. This steering device 122 may be one that controls a steering shaft (not shown), which is the rotation axis of the steering wheel 8, using the electric motor, or may be a hydraulic control device such as a valve and solenoid that controls a steering cylinder that steers the front wheels 6.

[0030] In the control unit 150, the engine ECU 101 is connected to the engine E, the travel system ECU 102 is connected to the transmission 121 and the steering system 122, and the work implement lifting system ECU 103 is connected to the lifting device 13. The work implement lifting system ECU 103 raises and lowers the work implement via the lifting device 13.

[0031] Furthermore, when the traveling vehicle body 2 is caused to travel autonomously, the control unit 150 determines in advance for each field a planned work route R1 (see FIG. 5) corresponding to the work width of the work implement 6, converts it into data, and stores it in the memory unit. Based on the measurement results of the positioning device 174, the control unit 150 controls the engine E, transmission 121, steering device 122, lifting device 13, etc. so that work is performed while traveling along the planned work route R1 stored in the memory unit. The planned work route R1 is set according to the shape and size of the field, the work width of the work implement, etc. Furthermore, the control unit 150 sets in advance the turning radius of the tractor 1 (traveling vehicle body 2) when moving within the field.

[0032] As described above, the control unit 150 is wirelessly connected via the communication unit 155 to the mobile terminal device 160 that can be carried by the worker, by selecting either wireless LAN communication 141 or the communication standard 142 of the mobile communication system. The control unit 150 controls each part of the tractor 1 based on instruction signals from the mobile terminal device 160 operated by the worker. The control unit 150 may have a machine information database for the tractor 1 and be configured to be able to exchange information such as the model from the mobile terminal device 160, etc. By inputting the type of attached work implement 200, the work width W, the work overlap W1, dimensional information of the work implement 200, etc., it becomes possible to calculate the outer edge of the tractor 1 relative to the positioning device 174 and the distance between planned work routes R1 when setting the planned work route R1.

[0033] Furthermore, communication unit 155 communicates with remote control 130, which communicates using wireless communication standard 143 that is different from wireless LAN communication 141 or communication standard 142 of the mobile communication system. When mobile terminal device 160 has selected to communicate with communication unit 155 using wireless LAN communication 141, instructions to start and stop autonomous driving can only be given from remote control 130, and starting and stopping of driving by mobile terminal device 160 is prohibited. When mobile terminal device 160 has selected to communicate with communication unit 155 using communication standard 142 of the mobile communication system, instructions to start autonomous driving can only be given from mobile terminal device 160, and stop instructions can be accepted from both mobile terminal device 160 and remote control 130.

[0034] Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 160 has a built-in mobile terminal positioning device 161 and can acquire location information. This makes it possible to calculate the straight-line distance between the two from the difference in latitude and longitude between the location information of the mobile terminal device 160 and the location information of the tractor 1 (traveling body 2) acquired from the positioning device 174. When the control unit 150 detects that the distance between the mobile terminal device 160 and the tractor 1 is greater than a predetermined distance (for example, greater than 500 m, which is considered to be visible), if the tractor 1 is in automatic driving mode, the control unit 150 stops the tractor 1 from traveling, and if the tractor 1 is not in automatic driving mode, the control unit 150 restricts the start of automatic driving. The distance between the mobile terminal device 160 and the tractor 1 may be detected by the strength of communication between the two. For example, it is also possible to recognize that the two have moved a predetermined distance apart when radio waves from the wireless LAN communication 141 can no longer reach each other.

[0035] In addition, when communication via wireless LAN communication 141 or the communication standard 142 of the mobile communication system is interrupted, when it is detected that the communication strength has weakened to a predetermined value or less, or when it is detected that the communication delay has exceeded a predetermined time, it is determined that the wireless communication state has reached a predetermined state and the tractor 1 stops traveling automatically.

[0036] The control unit 150 is equipped with a camera unit 156 that processes video data captured by the front camera 102, rear camera 103, right side camera 182, and left side camera 183 and transmits the video to the mobile terminal device 160 via the communication unit 155.If an abnormality is detected in the input camera video data, the control unit 150 diagnoses that the camera has failed and outputs a signal to stop the tractor 1 from automatically driving.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of planned work path creation in a tractor travel path creation system according to an embodiment. The autonomous driving ECU 154 acquires the field outline F1 from the travel trajectory of the positioning device 174 when traveling along the boundary of the field F. The autonomous driving ECU 153 is pre-entered with the working width W and work overlap W1 of the attached work implement 200, and headland travel paths M1, M2, and M3 are set based on the difference between the working width W and the work overlap W1. A work area A is set inside the innermost headland travel path M3, and a planned work path R1 is set to work the entire work area A. The planned work path R1 is, for example, composed of a straight path that repeatedly goes back and forth, and the straight paths are connected by a turning path T to form a single stroke.

[0038] The automatic driving ECU 154 of the control unit 150 controls the engine E, transmission 121, and lifting device 13 to work at a preset vehicle speed, while comparing the planned work route R1 with the position and travel path of the tractor 1 obtained from the positioning device 174 and the travel direction of the tractor 1 obtained from the azimuth sensor 170, and controls the front wheels 6 with the steering device 122 so that the tractor travels along the planned work route R1.

[0039] In the turning path T, for example, if the turning angle sensor 113 detects that the turning angle of the front wheels 6 has been turned by more than a predetermined angle, the work implement 200 will rise and the drive of the PTO shaft 11 will stop. At the same time, if a turning method is set in which one of the rear wheels 7 on the inside of the turn is turned with a brake, and the front wheels 6 are accelerated to switch to four-wheel drive, the tractor 1 will be able to turn with the smallest possible turning radius.

[0040] The position of the tractor 1 is determined by the positioning device 174, but the position of the work implement 200 relative to the positioning device 174 is set in advance, and the turning is controlled to start when the position of the work implement 200 reaches the end of the working area A.

[0041] As described above, the work vehicle management system according to the embodiment includes a positioning device 174 that measures the position of the work vehicle (tractor) 1, a control unit 150 that creates a planned work route R1 and automatically drives the work vehicle to travel along the created planned work route R1, and a mobile terminal device 160 that displays information about the work vehicle 1 and monitors it remotely, and when it detects that the distance between the mobile terminal positioning device 160 and the work vehicle 1 is greater than a predetermined value, the system stops automatic driving.

[0042] In addition, in the work vehicle management system of the embodiment, the mobile terminal device 160 has a built-in mobile terminal positioning device 161 that measures the position, and the distance between the mobile terminal positioning device 161 and the work vehicle 1 is calculated from the position of the mobile terminal positioning device 160 obtained from the mobile terminal positioning device 161 and the position of the work vehicle 1 obtained from the positioning device.

[0043] This prevents situations where a malfunction cannot be dealt with immediately due to continuing automatic driving at a distance beyond the view of the human eye, and allows the work vehicle 1 to be remotely monitored in an appropriate state.

[0044] Furthermore, in the work vehicle management system according to the embodiment, the mobile terminal device 160 communicates wirelessly with the work vehicle, and when it detects that the wireless communication state has reached a predetermined state, it stops the work vehicle from traveling by autonomous driving.

[0045] This prevents situations where automatic operation continues when remote monitoring cannot be performed properly due to poor communication, delays, or interruptions, and therefore prevents a situation where an immediate response cannot be made when a malfunction occurs, allowing the work vehicle 1 to be remotely monitored in an appropriate state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Tractor (work vehicle) 150 control section 160 Portable terminal device 161 Mobile terminal positioning device 174 Positioning Device R1 Planned work route

Claims

1. a positioning device for measuring the position of the work vehicle; Create a planned work route, a control unit that automatically drives the vehicle to travel along the created planned work route; A mobile terminal device is provided for remotely monitoring and displaying information about the work vehicle, When it is detected that the distance between the mobile terminal positioning device and the work vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the automatic driving is stopped. Work vehicle management system.

2. the mobile terminal device has a built-in mobile terminal positioning device that measures its position; The distance between the mobile terminal positioning device and the work vehicle is calculated from the position of the mobile terminal positioning device acquired from the mobile terminal positioning device and the position of the work vehicle acquired from the positioning device. The work vehicle management system according to claim 1 .

3. the mobile terminal device wirelessly communicates with the work vehicle; If it detects that the wireless communication status is in a certain state, autonomous driving will be stopped.

3. A work vehicle management system according to claim 1 or 2.

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