Vehicle control system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control system for preventing the occurrence of work loss.SOLUTION: A plurality of main work vehicles T1 configured to be capable of automatically traveling in a field F, a subsidiary work vehicle T1 configured to travel in conjunction with one of the main work vehicles T2, and a computing device A capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the main work vehicles T1 and the subsidiary work vehicle T2, when the information processor A receives, from the main work car T1, a work suspension signal indicating that the work has been suspended, the information processor A switches the linkage of the subsidiary work car T1 from the main work car T1 that has suspended the work to another main work car T2 that can be linked, and when the plurality of main work cars T1 that can be linked are present in a plurality of different fields and a plurality of fields F are present as destination candidates of the subsidiary work car T2, the subsidiary work car F moves to the field F having a higher work preference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control system for controlling a work vehicle that performs agricultural work. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, as the aging of agricultural workers and labor shortages have led to an increase in abandoned farmland, the efficient consolidation of farmland into new entrants and the next generation of farmers seeking to expand has become an important issue. Against this backdrop, as of 2021, the amount of farmland per farm household in Japan is on the rise, a trend predicted to continue. Accordingly, there has been growing interest in smart agriculture, which utilizes robotics and ICT to achieve ultra-low-labor, high-quality production.

[0003] In the technical field of work vehicles that perform agricultural work in fields, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a vehicle control system has been known that uses a positioning satellite system such as GPS to determine the current position of the work vehicle and causes the work vehicle to travel by unmanned operation.

[0004] Furthermore, a work vehicle control system is known that applies this technology to link a manned work vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a manned work vehicle) with an unmanned work vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an unmanned work vehicle) and is configured to perform agricultural work more efficiently.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a vehicle control system that sequentially determines target travel positions based on the actual travel positions of a manned work vehicle, and steers an unmanned work vehicle toward the target travel positions.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 listed below discloses a vehicle control system that determines the travel trajectory of an unmanned work vehicle according to the travel position of the unmanned work vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-266608 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,732,024 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-6009 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in conventional vehicle control systems that are designed to link manned and unmanned vehicles, if the manned vehicle stops due to some factor, such as a malfunction, the unmanned vehicle linked to the manned vehicle must also stop, resulting in the unmanned vehicle being idle and resulting in a loss of work.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control system that can solve such problems and prevent the occurrence of work loss. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides A plurality of main work vehicles configured to be able to travel automatically in a field; a sub-work vehicle that travels in conjunction with one main work vehicle; an information processing terminal capable of sending and receiving information to and from the main work vehicle and the sub work vehicle; When the information processing terminal receives a work interruption signal from the main work vehicle notifying that work has been interrupted, Switching the linkage of the sub work vehicle from the main work vehicle that has suspended work to another main work vehicle that can be linked. 、 If the linkable main work vehicle and the main work vehicle that has suspended work are in different fields, the sub work vehicle is moved to the field of the linkable main work vehicle, A work priority is assigned to each field, and if there are multiple fields that are candidates for the destination of the sub-work vehicle, the vehicle is moved to the field with the highest work priority. The present invention provides a vehicle control system characterized by the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a vehicle control system that prevents the occurrence of work loss can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the basic operations of the main work vehicle and the sub work vehicle in the vehicle control system of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram including a control unit of the work vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle by the main traveling section. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle by the sub-traveling section. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle to a workable point by the sub-traveling unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram including a control unit of the information processing terminal. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of vehicle information, Figure 8(b) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of field information, and Figure 8(c) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of work information. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the inter-field movement route included in the field information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of the instruction unit while the work vehicle is traveling. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sub-travel unit while the work vehicle is traveling.

[0013] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the forward direction of the harvesting vehicle is referred to as the front, the opposite direction is referred to as the rear, and the right side when facing forward is referred to as the right, and the left side is referred to as the left.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control system 1 of the present invention is configured to connect an information processing terminal A that transmits control signals to a plurality of work vehicles T via a network NW, enabling bidirectional transmission and reception of information.

[0016] The work vehicle T is, for example, a tractor equipped with a work implement W, and is equipped with a main work vehicle T1 that takes the lead in working in the field, and a sub work vehicle T2 that works while traveling alongside the main work vehicle.

[0017] The present invention is configured with at least two or more main work vehicles T1 and at least one or more sub work vehicles T2, and in the example shown there are four main work vehicles T1 and two sub work vehicles T2. Each sub work vehicle T2 is configured to travel accompanying one of the main work vehicles T1. "Accompanying" refers to traveling in a manner that follows.

[0018] The work implement W (W1) attached to the rear of the main work vehicle T1 is a so-called rake that collects grass clippings that have been scattered on the ground, and the work implement W (W2) attached to the rear of the sub work vehicle T1 is a so-called roll baler that collects the collected grass clippings, creates grass rolls, and packs them into rolls, but is not limited to these, and the work implement W is configured to be freely attached and detached to the rear of the vehicle, and various types can be used.

[0019] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the basic operations of the main work vehicle T1 and the sub work vehicle T2 in the vehicle control system 1 of the present invention.

[0020] The vehicle control system 1 of the present invention is intended for work in at least two or more fields F, and in the illustrated example, a main work vehicle T1 is deployed in each of the four fields F (F1 to F4), and a sub work vehicle T2 is deployed in fields F1 and F2. Furthermore, only the main work vehicle T1 is deployed in fields F3 and F4. The main work vehicle T1 travels along a planned travel route R set for each field, and the sub work vehicle T2 is configured to travel on the travel trajectory of the linked main work vehicle T1.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram including a control unit C of the work vehicle T.

[0022] The control unit C is an information processing device that includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit C of the work vehicle T is equipped with a communication module c1 that can send and receive information wirelessly via a communication antenna AN1, a position information calculation unit c2 that receives satellite signals transmitted from a positioning satellite ST such as GPS via a positioning antenna AN2 and calculates the position of the vehicle itself, a travel control unit c3 that controls the travel of the vehicle, a route calculation module c4 that calculates a planned travel route R when traveling unmanned, a work device control unit c5 that controls the drive of the work device W, and an abnormality detection unit c6 that detects abnormalities in the vehicle. The abnormality detection unit c6 is connected to a failure detection sensor s1 that detects malfunctions in the vehicle, an obstacle sensor s2 that detects obstacles around the vehicle using, for example, an obstacle radar, and a fuel sensor s3 that detects when the vehicle has run out of fuel.

[0023] Here, the driving control unit c3 has a manual driving mode c31 realized by a control program that controls various driving mechanisms during manual driving by a person, and an automatic driving mode c32 realized by a control program that controls various driving mechanisms during automatic driving by an unmanned person, and these modes are configured to be switchable by a predetermined operation by an operator or a control signal.

[0024] The automatic driving mode c32 is equipped with a main driving unit c33 that controls driving when the work vehicle T is set as the main work vehicle T1, and a sub driving unit c34 that controls driving when the work vehicle T is set as the sub work vehicle T2.As a result, the work vehicle T is configured to be able to switch between driving as the main work vehicle T1 or driving as the sub work vehicle T2 by a specified operation by the worker or a control signal.

[0025] The main driving section c33 is equipped with a planned driving path driving means that drives the machine along the planned driving path R (see Figure 4) using position information from the position information calculation unit c2, and a work interruption determination means that determines whether to stop driving and interrupt work when an abnormality in the machine is detected by the abnormality detection unit c6.

[0026] The sub-traveling unit c34 is equipped with an actual travel path traveling means for traveling the machine along the actual travel path L (see Figure 5), which is the travel trajectory of the linked main work vehicle T1, a workable point traveling means for traveling the machine to a workable point P4 (see Figure 6), and an inter-field traveling means for traveling the machine between fields along the inter-field movement path L3 (see Figure 9).

[0027] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle T by the main traveling section c33.

[0028] The main driving unit c33 acquires information regarding the planned driving route R of the field F to be worked on, which is included in the work information Dr, from the information processing terminal A, and automatically controls the steering mechanism, such as the steering handle, so that the machine travels along the planned driving route R.

[0029] 4, the planned travel route R is a route that travels in a single stroke from the work start point P1 to the work end point P2, repeating a straight travel route r1 that travels straight and a turning route r2 that turns between straight travel routes r1. Work by the work implement W is carried out while traveling along the straight travel route r1, and in the travel of the main work vehicle T2 on the planned travel route R, one straight travel route r1 is counted as one process.

[0030] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle T by the sub-traveling section c34.

[0031] The actual driving path driving means of the sub-driving unit c34 acquires information about the actual driving path L of the main work vehicle T1 linked to the vehicle itself, which is included in the work information Dr, from the information processing terminal A, and automatically controls the steering mechanism such as the steering handle so that the vehicle travels along the actual driving path L.

[0032] The actual travel route L is calculated by the information processing terminal A acquiring the current position of the main work vehicle T1 at predetermined time intervals, storing it each time in the work information storage unit m23, and then performing processing by the actual travel route calculation unit m32 (see FIG. 7) to connect the passing points l1, l2, l3, . . . , ln of the main work vehicle T1. Here, when the actual travel route L is created, the actual travel route calculation unit m32 calculates a calculated straight-line travel route L2 corresponding to the straight-line travel route r1 based on the rate of change in the travel direction between adjacent passing points l1, l2, l3, . . . , ln. That is, for the straight-line travel route r1, the travel trajectory is approximately straight, so the rate of change is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and for the turning route r2, it is larger. As a result, when the sub work vehicle T2 travels on the actual travel route L, one calculated straight-line travel route L2 is counted as one step. This allows the sub work vehicle T2 to travel in accordance with the actual travel trajectory of the main work vehicle T1.

[0033] The actual travel path travel means of the sub-travel unit c34 travels the sub-work vehicle T2 at a distance of one process from the main work vehicle T1 to prevent contact between the main work vehicle T1 and the sub-work vehicle T2.

[0034] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the traveling of the work vehicle T to a workable point by the sub-traveling section c34.

[0035] When the workable point traveling means of the sub-traveling unit c34 receives an instruction from the information processing terminal A to travel to the workable point P4, it travels the machine to the workable point P4 and then enters a standby state. Here, the workable point P4 is set to the end point of the calculated straight-line traveling route L2 along which the sub-work vehicle T2 is currently working.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram including a control unit M of the information processing terminal A. As shown in FIG.

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, the information processing terminal A has a display unit a1 that displays information to the worker, an operation unit a2 that accepts operations from the worker, and a communication unit a3 that has a communication antenna AN and is capable of sending and receiving information to and from the outside.

[0038] Here, the control unit M is an information processing device that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and is equipped with a setting unit m1 that performs various settings, a memory unit m2 that stores various information, a calculation unit m3 that calculates various information necessary for work, and an instruction unit m4 that issues various instructions to the work vehicle T.

[0039] The setting unit m1 includes a vehicle information setting unit m11 that sets vehicle information Dt by receiving operations from the operator via the operation unit a2, a field information setting unit m12 that sets field information Df, and a work information setting unit m13 that sets work information Dr.

[0040] The storage unit m2 includes a vehicle information storage unit m21 that stores vehicle information Dt, a field information storage unit m22 that stores field information Df, and a work information storage unit m23 that sets work information Dr.

[0041] The calculation unit m3 includes a planned driving route calculation unit m31 that calculates a planned driving route R from information such as the field information Df and the working width input from the operation unit a2, an actual driving route calculation unit m32 that calculates the actual driving route L, and a workable point calculation unit m33 that calculates a workable point P4 from information on the current position of the sub work vehicle T2 and the calculated straight-line driving route L2.

[0042] The instruction unit m4 includes a work interruption monitoring unit m41 that monitors the occurrence of work interruptions in the main work vehicle T1, a driving mode switching unit m42 that instructs the driving control unit c3 to switch the driving mode, and a switching instruction unit m43 that instructs the switching of the sub work vehicle T2 (switching of the linked main work vehicle T1).

[0043] Figure 8(a) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of vehicle information Dt, Figure 8(b) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of field information Df, and Figure 8(c) is a schematic diagram showing the data contents of work information Dr.

[0044] The vehicle information Dt stores records consisting of field information such as a vehicle number that uniquely identifies the work vehicle T, a driving setting that stores whether each work vehicle T is in manual driving mode or automatic driving mode, a linked vehicle that stores the vehicle number of the linked work vehicle T, a machine status that stores the machine status including any abnormalities in the machine, a work status that stores whether work is in progress or not, the current position of the work vehicle T, and a return position where the current position (corresponding to the workable point P4) is stored when switching to each work vehicle T and moving from the field currently being worked on to another field.

[0045] The field information Df stores records consisting of field information such as a field number that uniquely identifies the field, a work priority that determines the order of priority when there are multiple candidate fields to which the sub-work vehicle T2 can move, a field location that indicates the location of field F, a field size that indicates the size of the field, a field shape that indicates the shape of the field, and a field entrance / exit point that serves as a target point when the sub-work vehicle T2 moves between fields.

[0046] The work information Dr stores records consisting of field information such as the work start point for each field, the work end point, the planned driving route R, the actual driving route L, the inter-field movement route L3, the work area which is the area of ​​the field to be worked on where the straight driving route r1 is set, and the headland area where the turning route r2 is set, and this information is referenced when work is carried out by the work vehicle T.

[0047] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the inter-field movement route L3 included in the field information Df.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, the inter-field travel route L3 indicates a route for travel between different fields (i.e., a route connecting field entrance / exit points P3), and data for this route is created by teaching travel, etc. By referencing the information on the inter-field travel route L3, the sub work vehicle T2 is able to travel between different fields.

[0049] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of the instruction unit m4 while the work vehicle T is traveling.

[0050] When the work vehicle T starts traveling, the work interruption monitoring unit m41 monitors for the interruption of work by the main work vehicle T1 (#1). Specifically, it monitors whether a work interruption signal notifying the interruption of work has been transmitted from a work vehicle T working in each field F.

[0051] Here, when the abnormality detection unit c6 detects an abnormality while the work vehicle T is traveling, the work interruption determination means of the main traveling section c33 acquires the detection information and determines whether or not to interrupt work based on the acquired detection result. If it determines that work should be interrupted, the work vehicle stops traveling and transmits a work interruption signal to the information processing terminal A along with the abnormality detection information. Examples of reasons for detecting an abnormality include the failure detection sensor s1 detecting a malfunction of the work equipment W, the obstacle sensor s2 detecting an obstacle in the traveling direction, or the combustion sensor s3 detecting a fuel shortage. Furthermore, the determination criteria (for example, a predetermined threshold value is set) by the work interruption determination means for determining that work should be interrupted can be preset based on the level (mild to severe) of abnormality detected by the abnormality detection sensor s1. For example, if the level of the abnormality is mild, work can be continued without being determined to be interrupted, and if the level is severe, work can be interrupted.

[0052] When a work interruption signal is received from the main work vehicle T2, the work interruption monitoring unit m41 identifies the work vehicle T2 that has interrupted work from the vehicle number of the main work vehicle T2, calculates the workable point P4 of the sub-work vehicle T2 linked to the main work vehicle T2 that has interrupted work using the workable point calculation unit m33, and sends instructions to the linked sub-work vehicle T2 to travel to the workable point P4 along with information on the calculated workable point P4 (#2 to #4).

[0053] As a result, the sub work vehicle T2, which has received the instruction to travel to the available work point P4, travels to the available work point P2, performs work, and then goes into a standby state (#23, #25, #26 in FIG. 11).

[0054] Next, a search is made for a main work vehicle T2 to which the linked sub work vehicle T2 can switch by referencing the vehicle information Dt and field information Df. For example, in the examples shown in Figures 2, 8(a) and 8(b), the main work vehicle T1 with vehicle number T01 has suspended work due to a serious abnormality, and a search is made for a new linked main work vehicle T1 for the linked sub work vehicle T2 with vehicle number T02.

[0055] At this time, the main work vehicles T1 that will be new linkage candidates will be the main work vehicles T1 with vehicle numbers T05 and T06, which are listed as "none" as linked vehicles in the vehicle information Dt, but as a general rule, those in normal vehicle condition will be candidates. Note that the settings may be configured to include vehicles with minor abnormalities, for example. In the illustrated example, vehicle number T05 is excluded from the candidates for new linkage destinations because its vehicle condition is out of fuel, and the new linkage destination main work vehicle T1 will be the vehicle with vehicle number T06.

[0056] If there are multiple main work vehicles T1 that are candidates for new linkage destinations, the field information Df is referenced, and the vehicle with the lowest work priority number for the field F to which the candidate main work vehicle T1 belongs (at this time, the field of the field to be worked on is referenced) is selected as the vehicle with the lowest work priority number. The work priority can be set using the operation unit a2.

[0057] When a new main work vehicle T1 that can be linked is found, the linked vehicle field in the vehicle information Dt is updated, and the sub work vehicle T2 sends its return position to the information processing terminal A for storage, and then obtains from the information processing terminal A information on the inter-field travel route L3 to the field of the newly linked main work vehicle T1, the field entrance / exit point P3, and the work start point P1, and first travels through the headland area to the field entrance / exit point P3 of the current field, then travels along the inter-field travel route L3 to the field F to which the newly linked main work vehicle T1 belongs, travels to the field entrance / exit point P3 of the field F of the newly linked main work vehicle T1, travels to the new work start point P1, and travels alongside the newly linked main work vehicle T1 to begin work (#6, #7). In this way, if the main work vehicle T1 suspends work, the linked sub work vehicle T2 can switch its link to another main work vehicle T1, thereby avoiding idleness and preventing work losses.

[0058] If a new main work vehicle T1 that can be linked is not found, the subsidiary work vehicle T2 is placed on standby until the interruption signal is resolved (#8, #9).

[0059] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the sub-travel unit c34 while the work vehicle T is traveling.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 11, the sub work vehicle T2 travels alongside the linked main work vehicle T1 until it receives a travel instruction to work start point P4 from instruction unit m4 (#21, #22). Here, when the sub work vehicle T2 receives a travel instruction to work start point P4 (#23), it travels to work start point P4 and enters a standby state (#25, #26). Furthermore, when it receives information about the newly linked main work vehicle T1, it moves to the field F of the newly linked main work vehicle T1, as described above, and begins work from the new work start point P1 after moving (#29, #30, #21, #22). Note that the sub work vehicle T2 may be configured so that, when work in the field F after movement is completed, it automatically returns to the position in the field F where work ended before movement (workable point P4) by referencing the return position stored in information processing terminal A, so that it can quickly resume work after the interruption signal is cleared.

[0061] Furthermore, the information processing terminal A may be configured so that, upon receiving a work interruption signal from the main work vehicle A, it displays that fact on the display unit a1 to notify the worker, and by accepting input from the operation unit a2, the worker can select whether to wait as is or move to another field, and send instructions to the target sub work vehicle T2. This improves convenience for the worker.

[0062] Furthermore, when information processing terminal A receives a work interruption signal from main work vehicle T2, it may be configured to notify the worker of the abnormality detection information for main work vehicle A only if it is out of fuel, and to accept input from operation unit a2 so that the worker can choose whether to continue waiting or move to another field. This reduces the burden of checking on the worker.

[0063] Furthermore, when the information processing terminal A receives a work interruption signal from the main work vehicle T1, it refers to the vehicle status of the linked sub work vehicle T2, and is configured not to issue a switching command if the sub work vehicle T2 is malfunctioning or out of fuel, thereby preventing waste. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Vehicle control system A. Information processing terminal T Work vehicle T1 Main work vehicle T2 Sub-work vehicle NW Network W Work Equipment F field

Claims

1. A plurality of main work vehicles configured to be able to travel automatically in a field; a sub-work vehicle that travels in conjunction with one main work vehicle; an information processing terminal capable of sending and receiving information to and from the main work vehicle and the sub work vehicle; When the information processing terminal receives a work interruption signal from the main work vehicle notifying that work has been interrupted, Switching the linkage of the sub work vehicle from the main work vehicle that has suspended work to another main work vehicle that can be linked; If the linkable main work vehicle and the main work vehicle that has suspended work are in different fields, the sub work vehicle is moved to the field of the linkable main work vehicle, A vehicle control system that assigns a work priority to each field, and when there are multiple fields as candidate destinations for the sub-work vehicle, moves it to the field with the highest work priority.

2. A method for controlling a vehicle using a headland area for which a turning path is set for each field, When moving to the field of the linkable main work vehicle, the sub work vehicle travels through a headland area to the field entrance / exit point of the source field, Traveling along an inter-field route connecting the field entrance / exit point of the source field and the field entrance / exit point of the destination field; 2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle moves from an entrance / exit point of a destination field to a work start point of the destination field and starts work.

3. The vehicle control system described in Claim 1, characterized in that when the information processing terminal receives information that the main work vehicle has run out of fuel in the work interruption signal, it notifies the worker that the main work vehicle has run out of fuel and allows the worker to decide whether to keep the sub work vehicle waiting or move it to another field.

4. 4. A vehicle control system according to claim 2 or 3, configured to store the position of the sub work vehicle as a return position when the sub work vehicle is moved to the field of the linkable main work vehicle.

Images