Automated driving methods, work vehicles, and automated driving systems

Abstract

The present invention provides an automated driving method, a work vehicle, and an automated driving system that can appropriately level uneven soil surfaces in a field using a work vehicle equipped with work implements. [Solution] A tractor 1 that automatically drives with an implement 3 attached to perform work on the soil of field 100 includes a detection unit such as a vehicle body imaging unit 28 that detects the soil condition of the soil, a determination unit 35 that determines the position of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, and an operation control unit 37 that controls the automatic driving of the tractor 1 and the work of the implement 3 based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving method, a work vehicle, and an automatic driving system for a work vehicle that performs automatic driving while mounting a working machine that works on the soil of a farm field.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, some work vehicles such as tractors are equipped with a working machine that works on the soil of a farm field and perform work by the working machine while driving automatically.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, an autonomous driving work vehicle capable of autonomous driving without a driver and a manned accompanying driving work vehicle in which an operator performs a steering operation while accompanying this autonomous driving work vehicle are tractors, and a rotary tiller is mounted on each of the autonomous driving work vehicle and the accompanying driving work vehicle as a working machine.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional work vehicles, when performing automatic driving accompanied by work, the unevenness of the soil in the farm field is not considered, so the unevenness of the soil in the farm field cannot be leveled, and the state of the soil in the farm field cannot be improved. As a result, the workability of subsequent work may decrease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in conventional work vehicles in terms of considering the position of the unevenness of the soil in the farm field during automatic driving accompanied by work.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving method, a work vehicle, and an automatic driving system capable of appropriately leveling the unevenness of the soil in a farm field by a work vehicle equipped with a working machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an automated driving method for a work vehicle equipped with a work machine that performs work on the soil of a field and which drives automatically, comprising: a detection step for detecting the soil condition of the soil; a determination step for determining the position of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition; and a driving control step for controlling the automated driving of the work vehicle and the work of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a work vehicle that is equipped with a work machine for performing work on the soil of a field and is driven automatically, and is characterized by having a detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil, a determination step for determining the position of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, and an operation control unit for controlling the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an automated driving system for a work vehicle equipped with a work machine that performs work on the soil of a field and drives automatically, characterized by comprising: a detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil; a determination step for determining the position of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition; and an operation control unit for controlling the automated driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides an automated driving method, a work vehicle, and an automated driving system that can appropriately level uneven soil surfaces in a field using a work vehicle equipped with a work implement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing an example of a tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]This is a block diagram of a tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention operates. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of automatic straight-line driving operation in a tractor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Figure 10] This is a plan view showing an example of a field in which a tractor according to a modified example of the present invention is used for work. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The work vehicle of the present invention performs work by driving on a field while operating an implement, either automatically or manually. As an example of a work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, a tractor 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1, etc. As shown in Figure 1, the tractor 1 comprises a body 2 and an implement 3, and is configured to perform work such as tilling with the implement 3 while driving on the body 2. Various implements 3 such as rotary tillers, harrows, loaders, plows, and box scrapers are attached to the body 2 of the tractor 1 as needed. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the tractor 1 is equipped with a control device 4 that controls the operation of each part.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, in the field 100 where the tractor 1 travels and performs operations, there may be unevenness in the soil, and there are positions where the soil is at the normal height (within the reference height or the vertical error range from the reference height), positions that are recesses lower than the normal height, and positions that are protrusions higher than the normal height. In FIG. 3, the area of the normal height is shown in white, the area of the low recess is shown with left shoulder-down hatching, and the area of the high protrusion is shown with right shoulder-down hatching.

[0014] The tractor 1 is set to one of the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode. When the manual driving mode is set, the tractor 1 performs manual driving in the field 100 in response to the operation of various operating tools (such as a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a shift lever, etc.) by the operator.

[0015] When the automatic driving mode is set, the control device 4 controls the vehicle speed and steering, etc., so that the tractor 1 performs automatic driving along the set automatic driving route, and the control device 4 controls the working machine 3 so as to perform automatic operations accompanying the automatic driving.

[0016] For example, when the tractor 1 is automatically driven to perform operations in the field 100, first, the tractor 1 is driven manually along the outer periphery of the field 100 for one round to obtain information on the outer shape of the field 100. Also, based on the obtained information, the tractor 1 performs operations while automatically driving in the central region of the field 100. For example, the tractor 1 performs automatic driving such as reciprocating driving that reciprocates along a plurality of straight paths in the field 100, or circular driving that repeats while shifting the circular path of the straight path from the central side of the field 100 toward the outside. Further, the tractor 1 is automatically driven to perform operations while performing headland driving along the outer periphery of the field 100 outside the central region of the field 100.

[0017] A pair of left and right front wheels 10 are provided on the lower front side of the vehicle body 2, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11 are provided on the lower rear side of the vehicle body 2. A cabin 12 for the operator to board is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 2, and a driver's seat and various operating tools (such as a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a shift lever, etc.) are provided inside the cabin 12.

[0018] In addition, the vehicle body 2 is provided with an engine 13, a transmission 14, a work implement lifting mechanism 15, a positioning unit 16 (see FIG. 2), an inertial measurement unit 17 (IMU) (see FIG. 2), and a control device 4.

[0019] The engine 13 is built in the front part of the vehicle body 2, and the transmission 14 is provided between a pair of left and right rear wheels 11. The power of the engine 13 is transmitted to each front wheel 10 and each rear wheel 11 after being shifted by the transmission 14.

[0020] A pair of left and right lower links 18, a top link 19, and a PTO shaft 20 are connected to the rear part of the transmission 14, and each lower link 18, top link 19, and PTO shaft 20 are arranged to extend rearward. The work implement 3 is connected to the rear ends of each lower link 18, top link 19, and PTO shaft 20 and is driven by the PTO shaft 20.

[0021] The work implement lifting mechanism 15 includes a pair of left and right lift arms 21 and a lift cylinder 22 composed of a hydraulic cylinder. The tip of one lift arm 21 is connected to one lower link 18 via a link member 23, and the tip of the other lift arm 21 is connected to the other lower link 18 via a rolling cylinder 24. The work implement lifting mechanism 15 can change the height of the work implement 3 supported by the vehicle body 2 by driving the lift cylinder 22.

[0022] The work implement 3 is composed of, for example, a rotary tiller or a rotary harrow for rotary tilling and includes a tillage cover 25 extending in the left - right direction. A tillage rotary shaft 26 having a rotary shaft extending in the left - right direction is rotatably attached to the tillage cover 25, and the tillage rotary shaft 26 rotates by the power transmitted from the PTO shaft 20. In addition, a plurality of tillage claws 27 are provided at intervals in the left - right direction on the tillage rotary shaft 26. The work implement 3 is configured such that the tillage rotary shaft 26 and the tillage claws 27 rotate with respect to the soil of the field 100 for tillage.

[0023] The positioning unit 16 is configured to acquire the position information (positioning point) of the tractor 1 using a satellite positioning system such as GNSS. It receives positioning signals from positioning satellites via a positioning antenna and acquires the position information of the positioning unit 16, i.e., the position information of the tractor 1, based on the positioning signals.

[0024] The inertial measurement device 17 measures the attitude of the vehicle body 2 (roll angle, pitch angle, yaw angle, etc.) and outputs it as IMU information.

[0025] Furthermore, the tractor 1 is equipped with a detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the field 100. For example, the vehicle body 2 is provided with a vehicle body imaging unit 28 as a detection unit, which images the work status of the implement 3 (such as the degree of completion of tilling or puddling work). The vehicle body imaging unit 28 is controlled by the control device 4 to capture images of the work status as the soil condition of the field 100, for example, images of the soil worked on by the implement 3 (soil images) and images of the implement 3 when it is working on the soil (implementation equipment images). The vehicle body imaging unit 28 is positioned at the rear of the vehicle body 2, for example, behind the cabin 12, and captures images of the work status following the implement 3 from the front, and inputs the captured images to the control device 4.

[0026] Next, the control unit 4 will be described. The control unit 4 is composed of a computer such as a CPU and, as shown in Figure 2, is connected to a storage unit 31 such as ROM, RAM, hard disk drive, and flash memory, and a communication unit 32 that communicates with external devices.

[0027] The memory unit 31 stores programs and data for controlling various components and functions of the tractor 1, and the control device 4 controls the various components and functions by performing calculations based on the programs and data stored in the memory unit 31. For example, the control device 4 controls the positioning unit 16 to obtain the position of the tractor 1.

[0028] The memory unit 31 stores field information of the field 100, which is the target of the tractor 1's work. This field information includes, for example, the shape, size, and location information (coordinates, etc.) of the field edges that constitute the outer perimeter of the field, as well as the shape, size, and location information (coordinates, etc.) of the work area of ​​the field 100. The field information also includes information such as the shape, size, and location information (coordinates, etc.) of unworked areas where work has not yet been performed, and completed work areas where work has already been completed.

[0029] The communication unit 32 can communicate wirelessly with external devices such as the mobile terminal 5 held by the worker and the artificial intelligence server 6 via a wireless communication antenna. The control device 4 controls the communication unit 32 to communicate wirelessly with the mobile terminal 5 and the artificial intelligence server 6, and sends and receives various information between the two.

[0030] The mobile terminal 5 is one of the components of the tractor 1 and is a terminal that can remotely control the tractor 1. It consists of, for example, a tablet terminal equipped with a touch panel or a notebook-type personal computer. The mobile terminal 5 is equipped with a terminal imaging unit 5a as a detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil in the field 100. The terminal imaging unit 5a captures images of the work being done by the implement 3 and transmits the captured images, such as soil images and implement images, to the tractor 1. The tractor 1 receives the captured images from the mobile terminal 5 via the communication unit 32 and inputs them to the control device 4.

[0031] Furthermore, the control device 4 operates as a determination unit 35, a route creation unit 36, and an operation control unit 37 by executing a program stored in the memory unit 31. The determination unit 35, route creation unit 36, and operation control unit 37 realize the determination process, route creation process, and operation control process of the automatic driving method according to the present invention. In addition, the vehicle body imaging unit 28 and terminal imaging unit 5a, which are detection units for detecting soil conditions, realize the detection process of the automatic driving method according to the present invention.

[0032] The determination unit 35 determines the location of irregularities (irregularities) in the soil of field 100 based on the soil condition of field 100 detected by the detection unit. The determination unit 35 may determine the location of leveled soil in field 100 (for example, the location at the reference height or the location within the vertical error range from the reference height) and the location of irregularities relative to this (for example, the location exceeding the vertical error range from the reference height). For example, when the tractor 1 is working with the implement 3 while driving along the headland along the outer perimeter of field 100 or driving back and forth or in a circular motion inside the headland, the determination unit 35 acquires the soil condition of field 100 detected by the detection unit and determines the location of irregularities in the soil of field 100 based on that soil condition.

[0033] Specifically, the determination unit 35 determines the location of soil irregularities based on the captured images taken by the vehicle body imaging unit 28 and the terminal imaging unit 5a as the soil condition of the field 100. The determination unit 35 determines the location of irregularities present in the soil indicated by the captured images by performing image processing on the captured images of the soil.

[0034] For example, the determination unit 35 detects feature points from the soil image through image processing, detects the unevenness of the soil shown in the soil image based on the arrangement and vectors of the feature points, and determines the location of the unevenness in the soil image based on the detection results. At this time, the determination unit 35 may determine the leveled position of the soil, and the convex parts (positions higher than the reference height) and concave parts (positions lower than the reference height) of the soil relative to this position, based on the amount of change of other feature points or other groups of feature points relative to one feature point or one group of feature points. Furthermore, the determination unit 35 determines the position of the soil shown in the soil image in the field 100 (soil position) based on the position of the tractor 1 when the soil image was acquired and the image processing results of the soil shown in the soil image, and determines the location of the unevenness of the soil in the field 100 based on this soil position and the unevenness position.

[0035] Furthermore, the tractor 1 may detect other soil conditions, such as its own position when capturing soil images, the IMU information of the vehicle body 2, the driving information of the tractor 1 (engine speed, engine load ratio, etc.), the working operation information of the implement 3 by the tractor 1 (PTO speed, etc.), and the implement image of the implement 3. In this case, the positioning unit 16, the inertial measuring device 17, and the sensors that detect driving information and working operation information function as detection units for detecting the soil conditions of the field 100. The determination unit 35 then determines the location of soil irregularities in the field 100 based on other soil conditions, in addition to or instead of the soil images.

[0036] For example, the determination unit 35 determines the difference between the position the tractor 1 should travel on the automated driving path and the actual position of the tractor 1, as well as the difference between the speed at which it should travel and the actual speed of the tractor 1, based on the vehicle's position, IMU information, engine speed, engine load ratio, etc. Based on these differences, it determines whether the tractor 1 has driven onto a protrusion in the soil or fallen into a depression in the soil, and determines the location of the soil irregularities based on the determination result. The determination unit 35 also determines whether the tractor 1 or implement 3 is passing over a protrusion in the soil or a depression in the soil, based on the engine speed, engine load ratio, PTO speed, etc., and determines the location of the soil irregularities based on the determination result. Furthermore, the determination unit 35 determines the inclination of the tractor 1 or implement 3 relative to the soil based on the IMU information, PTO speed, etc., and determines the location of the soil irregularities based on the determination result.

[0037] Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the above-mentioned determination, the determination unit 35 may generate a machine learning model by machine learning the soil condition of the field 100 using artificial intelligence (AI) and store it in the memory unit 31. For example, it may generate machine learning models for normal soil conditions and abnormal soil conditions including unevenness.

[0038] The determination unit 35 may then input the soil condition of the field 100 detected by the detection unit and use a machine learning model to determine whether or not there are irregularities in the soil condition and at what locations the irregularities exist.

[0039] Furthermore, the determination unit 35 uses machine learning to analyze the soil conditions of the field 100, including soil images, the position of the tractor 1, IMU information of the vehicle body 2, driving information of the tractor 1, work operation information of the implement 3, and images of the implement 3, to generate individual machine learning models, or, if necessary, machine learning models that combine two or more of them.

[0040] The route creation unit 36, in order to perform the first run on the field 100, creates an automated travel route for the tractor 1 to work with the implement 3 while making back-and-forth or circular movements in the center of the field 100 (inside the headland), or an automated travel route for the tractor 1 to work with the implement 3 while making headland movements along the outer perimeter of the field 100, based on the field information of the field 100 and various setting information of the tractor 1.

[0041] Furthermore, if the determination unit 35 determines the presence of uneven soil based on the soil condition detected by the detection unit during the first run (such as soil images captured by the vehicle imaging unit 28), the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated run path based on the uneven soil location, in order to perform a second run, such as a finishing run on the field 100, by automatically driving and working (automatic run operation) with the tractor 1 to level out the convex and concave areas. At this time, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates automated run paths that break up or scatter soil clumps on convex areas, and automated run paths that fill concave areas with soil clumps, etc.

[0042] For example, the path creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated driving path for automated driving operations that fills the depression with soil clumps from the surrounding area, by having the tractor 1 automatically drive forward from the vicinity of the depression towards the depression while the implement 3 performs the work, based on the location of the depression in the soil determined by the determination unit 35. In this case, even if there are no protrusions around the depression, the path creation unit 36 ​​may create an automated driving path that gathers soil clumps from the flat area around the depression towards the depression. The path creation unit 36 ​​may also make the area around the depression where soil clumps should be gathered wider when there are no protrusions around the depression compared to when there are protrusions around the depression.

[0043] Furthermore, the path creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated driving path for automated driving operations that fills the depressions with soil clumps from the surrounding protrusions, by having the implement 3 perform work while the tractor 1 automatically drives forward from the protrusions around the depressions toward the depressions, based on the positions of the depressions and protrusions of the soil determined by the determination unit 35.

[0044] Furthermore, the path creation unit 36, based on the positions of depressions and protrusions in the soil determined by the determination unit 35, creates an automated driving path for automated driving operations in which the implement 3 works while the tractor 1 is automatically driven forward in the direction of travel of the tractor 1 moving toward the depression, starting from the protrusions upstream of the depression and moving toward the depression, thereby filling the depression with soil clumps from the protrusions around the depression.

[0045] The route creation unit 36 ​​may have a preset maximum number of travel operations for the field 100, or it may be set according to the operator's arbitrary operation. For example, if the maximum number of travel operations is set to 3 or more, when the determination unit 35 determines the location of unevenness in the soil based on the soil condition detected by the detection unit during the second travel operation, the route creation unit 36 ​​will create an automatic travel route based on the location of the unevenness, in order to perform a third travel operation, similar to the second travel operation, by having the tractor 1 automatically travel to level the raised and recessed areas of the soil. In this way, the route creation unit 36 ​​repeats the creation of automatic travel routes until there are no more uneven areas in the soil of the field 100, or until the maximum number of travel operations set is reached.

[0046] Furthermore, the route creation unit 36 ​​may appropriately set the vehicle speed and work intensity according to the number of driving operations when creating an automated driving route, relative to the maximum number of driving operations. For example, the route creation unit 36 ​​may create an automated driving route by making the vehicle speed slower and the work intensity stronger for uneven surfaces when the maximum number of operations is small, or by making the vehicle speed faster and the work intensity weaker for uneven surfaces when the maximum number of operations is large.

[0047] Furthermore, the route creation unit 36 ​​may generate a machine learning model by using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn the locations of soil irregularities in the field 100 and the corresponding automatic driving routes and driving patterns, and store it in the memory unit 31, in order to create an automatic driving route for the tractor 1 based on the locations of soil irregularities determined by the determination unit 35. For example, it may generate a machine learning model of each arrangement pattern of irregularities and the appropriate automatic driving route and driving pattern for each. In this case, the route creation unit 36 ​​generates a machine learning model of an automatic driving route and driving pattern that performs soil mounding to level out convex and concave areas relative to leveled soil.

[0048] The route creation unit 36 ​​then receives input from the determination unit 35 regarding the location of soil irregularities and uses a machine learning model to determine an appropriate automatic driving route or driving pattern for those irregularities. If a driving pattern is determined, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automatic driving route based on the field information, the location of soil irregularities, and the driving pattern.

[0049] Furthermore, in order to determine an appropriate automatic driving route and driving pattern, the route creation unit 36 ​​may use machine learning on soil images, the position of the tractor 1, IMU information of the vehicle body 2, driving information of the tractor 1, work operation information of the implement 3, implement images of the implement 3, etc., in addition to the location of soil irregularities, to generate individual machine learning models, or machine learning models that combine two or more as needed.

[0050] Furthermore, the route creation unit 36 ​​may generate automatic driving routes and driving patterns using a generating AI based on a machine learning model such as the location of unevenness in the soil, regardless of the machine learning model for automatic driving routes and driving patterns.

[0051] The driving control unit 37 controls the vehicle speed and steering of the tractor 1 by controlling the engine 13, the transmission 14 and the steering device (not shown), and controls the operation of the implement 3 by controlling the implement lifting mechanism 15 and the PTO shaft 20, thereby controlling the automatic driving operation of the tractor 1.

[0052] For example, the operation control unit 37 acquires field information set for the field 100 and an automatic travel route created by the route creation unit 36. When automatic harvesting starts, the operation control unit 37 acquires the position of the tractor 1 from the positioning unit 16 and controls each part so that the tractor 1 performs automatic driving work along the automatic travel route based on the position, field information, and automatic travel route.

[0053] Alternatively, when the operation control unit 37 performs a second or subsequent run on the field 100, it may control the tractor 1's automatic operation to level out the convex and concave areas based on the field information and the determination result of the determination unit 35 regarding the location of unevenness in the soil, without creating an automatic travel route in the route creation unit 36.

[0054] For example, the operation control unit 37 controls the automatic driving operation so that the soil mass from the surrounding area fills the depression, by moving the tractor 1 to the vicinity of the depression based on the location of the depression in the soil determined by the determination unit 35, and then having the implement 3 work while the tractor 1 automatically drives forward from the vicinity of the depression towards the depression. In this case, even if there is no protrusion around the depression, the operation control unit 37 may control the automatic driving operation so that soil masses are brought together from the flat area around the depression towards the depression. The operation control unit 37 may also make the area around the depression where soil masses should be brought together wider when there is no protrusion around the depression compared to when there is a protrusion around the depression.

[0055] Furthermore, the operation control unit 37 controls the automatic driving operation by moving the tractor 1 to the convex areas around the concave areas based on the positions of the concave and convex areas of the soil determined by the determination unit 35, and having the implement 3 work while the tractor 1 automatically drives forward from the convex areas towards the concave areas, so that the concave areas are filled with soil clumps from the convex areas around the concave areas.

[0056] Furthermore, the operation control unit 37 moves the tractor 1 in a forward direction with the convex parts facing upstream and the concave parts facing downstream, based on the positions of the concave and convex parts of the soil determined by the determination unit 35. In this direction, the operation control unit 37 controls the automatic driving operation so that the soil mass from the convex parts upstream of the concave parts fills the concave parts, while the tractor 1 is automatically driven forward and the implement 3 works.

[0057] Furthermore, the driving control unit 37 may, without creating an automatic driving route in the route creation unit 36, use artificial intelligence (AI) to machine-learn the locations of soil irregularities in the field 100 and the instructions for automatic driving of the tractor 1 and the work instructions for the implement 3, i.e., instructions for automatic driving operations, in order to control the automatic driving operation of the tractor 1 based on the locations of soil irregularities determined by the determination unit 35, thereby generating a machine learning model and storing it in the memory unit 31. In this case, the driving control unit 37 generates a machine learning model for instructions for automatic driving operations, such as leveling out protrusions and depressions in areas where the soil has been leveled.

[0058] The operation control unit 37 then receives input from the determination unit 35 regarding the location of soil irregularities and uses a machine learning model to determine the appropriate instruction for automated driving operations at those locations.

[0059] In order to determine appropriate instructions for automated driving operations, the driving control unit 37 may use machine learning to analyze not only the location of uneven soil surfaces, but also soil images, the position of the tractor 1, IMU information of the vehicle body 2, driving information of the tractor 1, work operation information of the implement 3, and images of the implement 3, etc., to generate individual machine learning models, or, if necessary, machine learning models combining two or more of them.

[0060] Furthermore, the driving control unit 37 may generate instructions for automatic driving of the tractor 1 and instructions for work of the implement 3 in response to uneven positions, based on a machine learning model of the uneven positions of the soil, using a generating AI, regardless of the machine learning model for instructions for automatic driving of the tractor 1 and instructions for work of the implement 3 in response to uneven positions.

[0061] Next, an example of the automatic driving operation of the tractor 1 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. Note that the tractor 1 performs its work operations as needed in the field 100, but this will not be explained below.

[0062] First, the tractor 1 performs its first run by manually or automatically driving over the field 100 while working on the soil with the implement 3 (step S1). At this time, the tractor 1 detects the soil condition using the detection unit and, for example, captures a soil image using the vehicle body imaging unit 28 (step S2).

[0063] Furthermore, once the tractor 1 has completed its first run, the determination unit 35 determines the location of unevenness in the soil of the field 100 based on the soil condition of the field 100 detected by the detection unit (step S3). If there are no uneven areas in the field 100 (step S3: No), the tractor 1 terminates its automatic run.

[0064] If there are uneven areas in the field 100 (Step S3: Yes), the tractor 1 uses the path creation unit 36 ​​to create an automated driving path for the tractor 1 to perform the automated driving operation as the second driving operation, based on the uneven areas (Step S4).

[0065] Next, the tractor 1 performs the second run by automatically driving to the field 100 according to the automatically created driving path for the second run, and working on the soil with the implement 3 (step S5). At this time, the tractor 1 detects the soil condition of the soil with the detection unit and captures a soil image with, for example, the vehicle body imaging unit 28 (step S6).

[0066] Furthermore, once the tractor 1 has completed its second run, it returns to step S3, where the determination unit 35 determines the location of unevenness in the soil of the field 100 based on the soil condition of the field 100 detected by the detection unit (step S3). In this way, the tractor 1 repeats the run until there are no more uneven areas in the field 100.

[0067] As described above, according to this embodiment, the work vehicle is a tractor 1 that automatically drives with an implement 3 attached to perform work on the soil of the field 100, and comprises a detection unit such as a vehicle body imaging unit 28 for detecting the soil condition of the soil, a determination unit 35 for determining the position of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, and an operation control unit 37 for controlling the automatic driving of the tractor 1 and the work of the implement 3 based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

[0068] In other words, the present invention provides an automatic driving method for a work vehicle such as a tractor 1 that is equipped with a work implement 3 for working on the soil of a field 100 and drives automatically, comprising: a detection step for detecting the soil condition of the soil; a determination step for determining the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition; and a driving control step for controlling the automatic driving of the tractor 1 and the work of the work implement 3 based on the determined location of unevenness in the soil.

[0069] Specifically, according to the tractor 1 of this embodiment, the determination unit 35 determines the location of the depression in the soil based on the detected soil condition, and the operation control unit 37 automatically drives the tractor 1 from the vicinity of the depression towards the depression while having the implement 3 perform the work based on the location of the depression in the soil.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the tractor 1 of this embodiment, the determination unit 35 determines the position of the protrusions in the soil around the recess based on the detected soil condition, and the operation control unit 37 automatically drives the tractor 1 from the protrusions around the recess toward the recess, while having the implement 3 perform the work, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the tractor 1 of this embodiment, the driving control unit 37, based on the position of unevenness in the soil, causes the tractor 1 to automatically travel toward the recess, from the protrusions located upstream of the recess toward the recess, while the implement 3 performs its work.

[0072] As a result, according to the present invention, when an automated driving operation is performed by a work vehicle such as a tractor 1, the location of unevenness in the soil of the field 100 can be taken into consideration and the unevenness can be appropriately leveled, improving the condition of the soil in the field 100, and as a result, the workability of subsequent operations can be improved.

[0073] Furthermore, as a modification of the above-described embodiment, the tractor 1 is configured to perform automatic driving that appropriately levels the wheel tracks as unevenness in the soil of the field 100. When the tractor 1 moves in a straight line forward, it can erase the wheel tracks by performing work with the implement 3. However, when moving in reverse or turning, it is not possible to perform work with the implement 3, so it performs automatic driving to appropriately level the wheel tracks created when moving in reverse or turning.

[0074] In a modified example, the determination unit 35 determines the position of the wheel tracks of the tractor's front wheels 10 and rear wheels 11 as recesses, based on the soil condition detected by the detection unit, when the tractor 1 performs automatic driving work in the center of the field 100 and then drives along the headland along the outer perimeter of the field 100.

[0075] Furthermore, the determination unit 35 may, similar to the embodiment described above, use artificial intelligence (AI) and a machine learning model of the soil condition of the field 100 to determine the location of wheel tracks as unevenness in the soil.

[0076] In a modified example, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route that performs the tractor 1's automated travel operation in a way that erases the wheel tracks in the soil, based on the wheel tracks determined by the determination unit 35. For example, when the tractor 1 travels along the perimeter of the field 100, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route that erases the wheel tracks created when turning at the edge of the field, such as at the corner of the field. Furthermore, the route creation unit 36 ​​may create an automated travel route that erases the wheel tracks created in the field 100 by the work of the implement 3, and then automatically travels the final leg (for example, the final leg of the headland travel) towards the exit of the field 100.

[0077] Furthermore, for example, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route that, based on the uneven positions of the soil including wheel tracks, automatically drives the tractor 1 in reverse to the position where wheel tracks remain, and then drives the tractor 1 forward from the position where wheel tracks remain while the implement 3 performs its work. In addition, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route that drives forward so as to pass through the positions of the wheel tracks created during the reverse driving.

[0078] Specifically, for the field corner between the first side 101 and the second side 102 of the field 100 as shown in Figure 5, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automatic travel path in which the tractor 1 travels forward along the first side 101 of the field 100, performing work with the implement 3, to the edge of the field. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automatic travel path in which the tractor 1 reverses a predetermined distance and then turns towards the second side 102 of the field 100.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automatic travel route in which the tractor 1 travels in reverse along the second side 102 of the field 100 to the edge of the field. At this time, wheel tracks from turning and wheel tracks from reversing will be left on the field 100.

[0080] Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route in which the tractor 1 travels forward along the second side 102 of the field 100 to the edge of the field while performing work with the implement 3.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route in which the tractor 1 travels in reverse through areas where wheel tracks are still visible. In addition, as shown in Figure 10, the route creation unit 36 ​​creates an automated travel route in which the tractor 1 travels forward to the edge of the field, while performing work with the implement 3 through areas where wheel tracks are still visible.

[0082] Furthermore, the route creation unit 36 ​​may, similar to the embodiment described above, use artificial intelligence (AI) to create an automated driving route that erases wheel tracks, using a machine learning model that includes the location of unevenness in the soil.

[0083] In a modified example, the driving control unit 37 may control each part of the tractor 1 to perform automatic driving operations along the automatic driving path, based on the position of the tractor 1, field information of the field 100, and the automatic driving path, as in the above embodiment.

[0084] Alternatively, in a modified example, the driving control unit 37 may control the automatic driving operation of the tractor 1 to erase wheel tracks based on field information and the determination result of the determination unit 35 for the position of unevenness including wheel tracks in the soil, without creating an automatic driving path in the path creation unit 36 ​​as in the above embodiment.

[0085] Furthermore, the operation control unit 37 may, similar to the embodiment described above, use artificial intelligence (AI) to control the automatic driving operation of the tractor 1 in order to erase the wheel tracks, using a machine learning model of the location of unevenness in the soil, etc.

[0086] As described above, according to a modified version of this embodiment, in the tractor 1, the determination unit 35 determines the position of the tractor 1's wheel tracks as recesses based on the detected soil condition, and the operation control unit 37, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil, automatically drives the tractor 1 in reverse to the position where the wheel tracks remain, and then drives the tractor 1 forward from the position where the wheel tracks remain, allowing the implement 3 to perform the work.

[0087] Furthermore, according to a modified version of this embodiment, in the tractor 1, the driving control unit 37 performs forward driving so as to pass over the position of the wheel tracks created by reverse driving.

[0088] As a result, according to the present invention, when an automated driving operation is performed by a work vehicle such as a tractor 1, the position of the wheel tracks in the soil of the field 100 can be taken into consideration and the wheel tracks can be appropriately erased, thereby improving the condition of the soil in the field 100, and as a result, the workability of subsequent operations can be improved.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which a machine learning model of the soil condition of field 100, a machine learning model of the location of soil irregularities in field 100, a machine learning model of the automatic driving route and driving pattern, a machine learning model of the location of soil irregularities, and a machine learning model of instructions for automatic driving of tractor 1 and instructions for operation of implement 3 are stored in the storage unit 31 of tractor 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. In other examples, a machine learning model of the soil condition of field 100, a machine learning model of the location of soil irregularities in field 100, a machine learning model of the automatic driving route and driving pattern, a machine learning model of the location of soil irregularities, and a machine learning model of instructions for automatic driving of tractor 1 and instructions for operation of implement 3 may be stored in a mobile terminal 5 or an artificial intelligence server 6.

[0090] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explains an example in which the determination unit 35, route creation unit 36, and operation control unit 37 operate on the computer of the control device 4 of the tractor 1, the present invention is not limited to this example. In other examples, the determination unit 35, route creation unit 36, and operation control unit 37 may be configured to operate on the computer of the mobile terminal 5 or the computer of the artificial intelligence server 6. In this case, the determination unit 35, route creation unit 36, and operation control unit 37 may operate as artificial intelligence (AI) on the computer of the mobile terminal 5 or the computer of the artificial intelligence server 6.

[0091] In other words, according to this embodiment, the automatic driving system for a work vehicle such as a tractor 1 only needs to include a determination unit 35, a route creation unit 36, and a driving control unit 37. Here, the determination unit 35, the route creation unit 36, and the driving control unit 37 may be executed by the control device 4 of the tractor 1, or they may be executed by the computer of the mobile terminal 5 or the computer of the artificial intelligence server 6.

[0092] In the embodiments described above, an example was explained in which the work vehicle is composed of a tractor 1, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the work vehicle of the present invention may be composed of other agricultural machinery such as a combine harvester, rice transplanter, or lawnmower, or it may be composed of other work vehicles other than agricultural machinery.

[0093] Furthermore, the present invention may be modified as appropriate, provided that it does not contradict the gist or idea of ​​the invention as can be inferred from the claims and the specification as a whole. Automated driving methods, work vehicles, and automated driving systems that involve such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention.

[0094] [Notes on the invention] The following is an overview of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiments. Note that each configuration and processing function described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0095] <Note 1> An automated driving method for a work vehicle equipped with a work implement for performing work on the soil of a field and driven automatically, A detection step for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination step of determining the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, An automated driving method characterized by comprising a driving control step that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

[0096] <Note 2> The determination step determines the location of the depressions in the soil based on the detected soil condition, The automatic operation method according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the operation control step is to have the work machine perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven from the vicinity of the recess toward the recess based on the position of the recess in the soil.

[0097] <Note 3> The determination step determines the position of the protrusions in the soil around the recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic operation method according to Appendix 2, characterized in that the operation control step is to have the work machine perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven from the protrusions around the recess toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil.

[0098] <Note 4> The automatic operation method according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the operation control step is to have the work machine perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven toward the recess, from a protrusion located upstream of the recess toward the recess, in the direction of travel of the work vehicle which is moving toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil.

[0099] <Note 5> The determination step determines the location of the wheel tracks of the work vehicle as a recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic driving method according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the driving control step involves automatically driving the work vehicle in reverse to the position where the wheel tracks remain, based on the position of unevenness in the soil, and then driving the work vehicle forward from the position where the wheel tracks remain while the work machine performs the work.

[0100] <Note 6> The automatic driving method according to Appendix 5, characterized in that the driving control step involves driving forward so as to pass over the position of the wheel tracks created by the reverse driving.

[0101] <Note 7> The automatic driving method according to any one of the appendices 1 to 6, characterized in that the determination step determines the position of the unevenness using a generating AI.

[0102] <Note 8> The automatic driving method according to any one of the appendices 1 to 7, characterized in that the driving control step generates instructions for the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine by generating AI.

[0103] <Note 9> A work vehicle equipped with a work implement for performing work on the soil of a field and capable of autonomous driving, A detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination unit that determines the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, A work vehicle characterized by comprising an operation control unit that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

[0104] <Note 10> The determination unit determines the location of the depressions in the soil based on the detected soil condition, The work vehicle according to Appendix 9, characterized in that the operation control unit automatically drives the work vehicle from the vicinity of the recess toward the recess based on the position of the recess in the soil, while causing the work machine to perform the work.

[0105] <Note 11> The determination unit determines the position of the protrusions in the soil around the recess based on the detected soil condition, The work vehicle according to Appendix 10, characterized in that the operation control unit automatically drives the work vehicle from the protrusions around the recess toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil, while causing the work machine to perform the work.

[0106] <Note 12> The work vehicle according to Appendix 9, characterized in that the operation control unit, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil, causes the work vehicle to automatically travel toward the recess, from a protrusion located upstream of the recess toward the recess, while causing the work machine to perform the work.

[0107] <Note 13> The determination unit determines the position of the wheel tracks of the work vehicle as a recess based on the detected soil condition, The work vehicle according to Appendix 9, characterized in that the operation control unit automatically drives the work vehicle in reverse to the position where the wheel tracks remain, based on the unevenness of the soil, and then drives the work vehicle forward from the position where the wheel tracks remain, while the work machine performs the work.

[0108] <Note 14> The work vehicle according to Appendix 13, characterized in that the operation control unit performs forward travel so as to pass the position of the wheel tracks created by the reverse travel.

[0109] <Note 15> The work vehicle according to any one of the appendices 9 to 14, characterized in that the determination unit determines the position of the unevenness by generating AI.

[0110] <Note 16> The work vehicle according to any one of the appendices 9 to 15, characterized in that the operation control unit generates instructions for the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine using generated AI.

[0111] <Note 17> An automated driving system for a work vehicle equipped with a work implement that performs work on the soil of a field and automatically drives itself, A detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination unit that determines the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, An automated driving system characterized by comprising: an operation control unit that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined location of unevenness in the soil.

[0112] <Note 18> The determination unit determines the location of the depressions in the soil based on the detected soil condition, The automatic driving system according to Appendix 17, characterized in that the operation control unit automatically drives the work vehicle from the vicinity of the recess toward the recess based on the position of the recess in the soil, while causing the work machine to perform work.

[0113] <Note 19> The determination unit determines the position of the protrusions in the soil around the recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic driving system according to Appendix 18, characterized in that the operation control unit automatically drives the work vehicle from the protrusions around the recess toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil, while causing the work machine to perform the work.

[0114] <Note 20> The automatic driving system according to Appendix 17, characterized in that the driving control unit, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil, causes the work machine to perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven toward the recess from a protrusion located upstream of the recess in the direction of travel of the work vehicle moving toward the recess.

[0115] <Note 21> The determination unit determines the position of the wheel tracks of the work vehicle as a recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic driving system according to Appendix 17, characterized in that the operation control unit, based on the unevenness of the soil, automatically drives the work vehicle in reverse to the position where the wheel tracks remain, and then drives the work vehicle forward from the position where the wheel tracks remain while the work machine performs the work.

[0116] <Note 22> The automatic driving system according to Appendix 21, characterized in that the driving control unit performs the forward driving so as to pass over the position of the wheel tracks created by the reverse driving.

[0117] <Note 23> The automatic driving system according to any one of the appendices 17 to 22, characterized in that the determination unit determines the position of the unevenness using a generating AI.

[0118] <Note 24> The automatic driving system according to any one of the appendices 17 to 23, characterized in that the driving control unit generates instructions for the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine using generated AI. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 1. Tractor (work vehicle) 2 car bodies 3. Work equipment 4. Control device 5 Mobile devices 6. Artificial Intelligence Server 13 Engine 14. Transmission 15. Lifting mechanism for work equipment 16 Positioning Units 17. Inertial measuring device 28. Vehicle body imaging unit (detection unit) 31 Storage section 32 Communications Department 35 Judgment section 36 Route Creation Section 37 Operation Control Unit 100 fields

Claims

1. An automated driving method for a work vehicle equipped with a work implement for performing work on the soil of a field and driven automatically, A detection step for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination step of determining the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, An automated driving method characterized by comprising a driving control step that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

2. The determination step determines the location of the depressions in the soil based on the detected soil condition, The automatic operation method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation control step is to have the work machine perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven from the vicinity of the recess toward the recess based on the position of the recess in the soil.

3. The determination step determines the position of the protrusions in the soil around the recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic operation method according to claim 2, characterized in that the operation control step is to have the work machine perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven from the protrusions around the recess toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil.

4. The automatic operation method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation control step is to cause the work machine to perform work while the work vehicle is automatically driven toward the recess, from a protrusion located upstream of the recess toward the recess, in the direction of travel of the work vehicle which is moving toward the recess, based on the position of the unevenness of the soil.

5. The determination step determines the location of the wheel tracks of the work vehicle as a recess based on the detected soil condition, The automatic driving method according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving control step involves automatically driving the work vehicle in reverse to the position where the wheel tracks remain, based on the position of unevenness in the soil, and then driving the work vehicle forward from the position where the wheel tracks remain while the work machine performs the work.

6. The automatic driving method according to claim 5, characterized in that the driving control step involves driving forward so as to pass over the position of the wheel tracks created by the reverse driving.

7. The automatic driving method according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination step determines the position of the unevenness by generating AI.

8. The automatic driving method according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving control step generates instructions for the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine by generated AI.

9. A work vehicle equipped with a work implement for performing work on the soil of a field and capable of autonomous driving, A detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination step of determining the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, A work vehicle characterized by comprising an operation control unit that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined position of unevenness in the soil.

10. An automated driving system for a work vehicle equipped with a work implement that performs work on the soil of a field and automatically drives itself, A detection unit for detecting the soil condition of the soil, A determination step of determining the location of unevenness in the soil based on the detected soil condition, An automated driving system characterized by comprising: an operation control unit that controls the automatic driving of the work vehicle and the operation of the work machine based on the determined location of unevenness in the soil.

Images