Automated driving system and automated driving method

Abstract

To enable the automated operation of work vehicles while shifting the straight-line driving path, while preventing the automated operation of work vehicles using the straight-line driving path from becoming impossible. [Solution] The automatic driving system includes a route shifting unit that shifts the straight driving path for automatically driving the work vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the said straight driving path. The route shifting unit shifts the straight driving path when the route position change operation unit is operated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving system and an automatic driving method for automatically driving a work vehicle along a target driving route.

Background Art

[0002] The above automatic driving system automatically drives a work vehicle along a pre-generated target driving route based on the positioning information of the work vehicle obtained using a satellite positioning system or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the system described in Patent Document 1, the user actually drives the work vehicle to travel, sets any two points in the work area, and generates a straight line connecting the two points as a reference driving route. A plurality of driving routes are generated in a state of being arranged in parallel at intervals with respect to the reference driving route. Both the reference driving route and the plurality of driving routes are linear straight driving routes, and as the target driving route, a plurality of straight driving routes are generated so as to be arranged in parallel at intervals.

[0004] When performing work in the work area with the work vehicle, the work vehicle is automatically driven along a certain straight driving route. When the work vehicle reaches the end of the straight driving route, it is switched from automatic driving to manual driving, and the work vehicle is turned manually to the start of the adjacent next straight driving route. When the work vehicle reaches the start of the next straight driving route, it is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, and the work vehicle is automatically driven along the next straight driving route.

[0005] When manually turning a work vehicle to enter the next straight-line travel path, there are cases where the vehicle deviates from the starting point of the generated next straight-line travel path, or where it is desired to enter a position different from the starting point of the generated next straight-line travel path. Therefore, in the system described in Patent Document 1, when the vehicle has entered the next straight-line travel path, the generated next straight-line travel path is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the direction of straight-line travel so that the starting point of the generated next straight-line travel path matches the current position of the work vehicle. This allows the work vehicle to automatically travel along the shifted straight-line travel path. Incidentally, when the next straight-line travel path is shifted, the remaining straight-line travel paths are also shifted by the same amount in a direction perpendicular to the direction of straight-line travel. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6143716 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the system described in Patent Document 1 above, when the straight-line driving path is shifted, it is conceivable to update the pre-generated straight-line driving path and store the shifted straight-line driving path, or to store the amount of the shift, thereby storing only the state of the straight-line driving path after the shift.

[0008] However, for example, if work is to be performed in the same work area using a work vehicle in the following year, the previously generated straight-line travel route will not be stored, making it impossible to automatically drive the work vehicle using the pre-generated straight-line travel route. Therefore, the pre-generated straight-line travel route must be regenerated again, increasing the workload.

[0009] For example, shifts in the straight-line driving path are not performed constantly, but only temporarily to respond to changes in work conditions, etc. Therefore, if the straight-line driving path after a temporary shift is updated and stored, it becomes difficult to obtain the appropriate straight-line driving path when performing work under normal work conditions, making it difficult to perform the work properly.

[0010] In view of these circumstances, the main objective of the present invention is to provide an automated driving system and method that can automatically drive a work vehicle while shifting a pre-generated straight driving path, while preventing the automated driving of the work vehicle using the pre-generated straight driving path from becoming impossible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] An automated driving system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a path shifting unit that shifts a straight driving path for automatically driving a work vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the straight driving path. The path shifting unit shifts the straight driving path when a path position change operation unit is operated. An automatic driving method according to one aspect of the present invention involves operating a route position change operation unit to shift the straight driving path for automatically driving a work vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the said straight driving path. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Diagram showing the schematic configuration of an automated driving system. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the automated driving system. [Figure 3] Diagram showing the work area when the target travel path has been generated. [Figure 4] Diagram showing the work screen displayed on the display unit of a mobile communication terminal. [Figure 5] An enlarged view of a portion of the work screen displayed on the mobile communication terminal's display after route shifting processing has been performed. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the operation when performing a route shift operation. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a screen including a route offset button displayed on the display unit of a mobile communication terminal. [Figure 8] An enlarged view of a portion of the work screen displayed on the mobile communication terminal's display after route offset processing has been performed. [Figure 9] A flowchart illustrating the operation when performing path offset processing. [Figure 10] This diagram shows a confirmation screen to determine whether or not to save the route information after the shift. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] An embodiment of the automated driving system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, this automated driving system uses tractor 1 as the work vehicle, but it can also use other ride-on work vehicles such as ride-on rice transplanters, combine harvesters, ride-on lawnmowers, wheel loaders, and snowplows, as well as unmanned work vehicles such as unmanned lawnmowers.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this automated driving system includes an automated driving unit 2 mounted on a tractor 1, and a portable communication terminal 3 configured to communicate with the automated driving unit 2. The portable communication terminal 3 can be a tablet-type personal computer or smartphone with a touch-operable display unit 51 (e.g., an LCD panel).

[0015] The tractor 1 is equipped with a running body 7 having left and right front wheels 5 that function as drivable steering wheels, and left and right drivable rear wheels 6. A bonnet 8 is located at the front of the running body 7, and inside the bonnet 8 is an electronically controlled diesel engine (hereinafter referred to as the engine) 9 equipped with a common rail system. A cabin 10, which forms a boarded driver's compartment, is located behind the bonnet 8 of the running body 7.

[0016] At the rear of the traveling body 7, a rotary tiller, which is an example of the working device 12, is connected via a three-point link mechanism 11 so as to be able to be lifted and lowered and rolled, whereby the tractor 1 can be configured in a rotary tilling specification. At the rear of the tractor 1, instead of the rotary tiller, a working device 12 such as a plow, a seeding device, a spraying device, etc. can be connected.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the tractor 1 includes an electronically controlled transmission 13 that shifts the power from the engine 9, a full-hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 that steers the left and right front wheels 5, left and right side brakes (not shown) that brake the left and right rear wheels 6, an electronically controlled brake operation mechanism 15 that enables hydraulic operation of the left and right side brakes, a work clutch (not shown) that interrupts the transmission to the working device 12 such as the rotary tiller, an electronically controlled clutch operation mechanism 16 that enables hydraulic operation of the work clutch, an electro-hydraulic control type lifting drive mechanism 17 that drives the working device 12 such as the rotary tiller to be lifted and lowered, an in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 having various control programs related to the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, etc., a vehicle speed sensor 19 that detects the vehicle speed of the tractor 1, a steering angle sensor 20 that detects the steering angle of the front wheel 5, and a positioning unit 21 that measures the current position and current orientation of the tractor 1, etc. [[ID=q5]]

[0018] Note that an electronically controlled gasoline engine equipped with an electronic governor may be adopted for the engine 9. For the transmission 13, a hydro-mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMT), a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (HST), a belt-type continuously variable transmission, etc. can be adopted. For the power steering mechanism 14, an electric power steering mechanism 14 equipped with an electric motor, etc. may be adopted.

[0019] Inside the cab 10, as shown in Fig. 1, there are provided a steering wheel 38 that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 5 via the power steering mechanism 14 (see Fig. 2), a driver's seat 39 for the passenger, a touch panel type display unit, and various operation tools, etc.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the on-board electronic control unit 18 includes a gear shift control unit 181 that controls the operation of the transmission 13, a braking control unit 182 that controls the operation of the left and right side brakes, a work device control unit 183 that controls the operation of work devices 12 such as a rotary tiller, a steering angle setting unit 184 that sets target steering angles for the left and right front wheels 5 during automatic driving and outputs them to the power steering mechanism 14, and a non-volatile on-board storage unit 185 that stores pre-generated target driving routes P for automatic driving (see, for example, Figure 3).

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the positioning unit 21 is equipped with a satellite navigation device 22 that measures the current position and bearing of the tractor 1 using GPS (Global Positioning System), an example of a Navigation Satellite System (NSS), and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 23 that measures the attitude and bearing of the tractor 1 using a 3-axis gyroscope and 3-directional acceleration sensors. GPS-based positioning methods include DGPS (Differential GPS) and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic GPS). In this embodiment, RTK-GPS, which is suitable for positioning moving objects, is employed. Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, reference stations 4 that enable positioning by RTK-GPS are installed at known locations around the field.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, both the tractor 1 and the base station 4 are equipped with positioning antennas 24 and 61 that receive radio waves transmitted from positioning satellite 71 (see Figure 1), and communication modules 25 and 62 that enable wireless communication of various information, including positioning information, between the tractor 1 and the base station 4. As a result, the satellite navigation system 22 can measure the current position and bearing of the tractor 1 with high accuracy based on the positioning information obtained by the positioning antenna 24 on the tractor receiving radio waves from positioning satellite 71 and the positioning information obtained by the positioning antenna 61 on the base station receiving radio waves from positioning satellite 71. In addition, the positioning unit 21, equipped with the satellite navigation system 22 and the inertial measuring device 23, can measure the current position, bearing, and attitude angles (yaw angle, roll angle, pitch angle) of the tractor 1 with high accuracy.

[0023] The positioning antenna 24, communication module 25, and inertial measuring device 23, which are installed on the tractor 1, are housed in an antenna unit 80, as shown in Figure 1. The antenna unit 80 is located at the upper front position of the cabin 10.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 is equipped with a terminal electronic control unit 52 having various control programs for controlling the operation of the display unit 51 and the like, and a communication module 55 that enables wireless communication of various information, including positioning information, between the terminal electronic control unit 52 and the communication module 25 on the tractor side. The terminal electronic control unit 52 has a travel path generation unit 53 that generates a target travel path P (see, for example, Figure 3) for automatically driving the tractor 1, and a non-volatile terminal storage unit 54 that stores various input information entered by the user and the target travel path P generated by the travel path generation unit 53.

[0025] When the driving route generation unit 53 generates the target driving route P, the driver, manager, or other user inputs vehicle information such as the type and model of the work vehicle and work equipment 12 according to the input guidance for setting the target driving route displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3, and the input vehicle information is stored in the terminal storage unit 54. The work area S (see Figure 3) for which the target driving route P is to be generated is a field, and the terminal electronic control unit 52 of the mobile communication terminal 3 acquires field information including the shape and location of the field and stores it in the terminal storage unit 54.

[0026] To explain how field information is acquired, when a user or other person drives the tractor 1, the terminal electronic control unit 52 can acquire location information to identify the shape and location of the field from the current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21. The terminal electronic control unit 52 identifies the shape and location of the field from the acquired location information and acquires field information including the work area S identified from the shape and location of the field. Figure 3 shows an example in which a rectangular work area S has been identified.

[0027] Once field information, including the shape and location of the identified field, is stored in the terminal storage unit 54, the travel route generation unit 53 generates a target travel route P using the field information and vehicle information stored in the terminal storage unit 54.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the travel path generation unit 53 divides the work area S into a central area R1 and an outer peripheral area R2. The central area R1 is set in the center of the work area S and is a reciprocating work area where the tractor 1 is automatically driven in a reciprocating direction to perform predetermined tasks (for example, tilling). The outer peripheral area R2 is set around the central area R1. The travel path generation unit 53 determines the space required for turning to allow the tractor 1 to turn at the edge of the field, for example, from the turning radius, the front-to-rear width and left-to-right width of the tractor 1 included in the vehicle information. The travel path generation unit 53 divides the work area S into the central area R1 and the outer peripheral area R2 so as to secure the space determined around the outer perimeter of the central area R1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the travel path generation unit 53 generates a target travel path P using vehicle information, field information, etc. For example, the target travel path P has multiple linear work paths P1 arranged parallel to each other in the central region R1, with the same straight-line distance and a fixed distance corresponding to the work width. The multiple work paths P1 are paths for performing predetermined tasks while the tractor 1 travels in a straight line. The connecting path P2 is a U-turn path for changing the direction of travel of the tractor 1 by 180 degrees without performing predetermined tasks, and connects the end of a work path P1 to the beginning of the next adjacent work path P1. Incidentally, the target travel path P shown in Figure 3 is just one example, and the target travel path can be changed as appropriate.

[0030] The target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 53 can be displayed on the display unit 51 and is stored in the terminal storage unit 54 as route information associated with vehicle information and field information. The route information includes the azimuth angle of the target travel route P, and the set engine speed and target travel speed set according to the driving style of the tractor 1 on the target travel route P.

[0031] In this way, once the route generation unit 53 generates the target route P, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transfers the route information from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the tractor 1, allowing the on-board electronic control unit 18 of the tractor 1 to acquire the route information. Based on the acquired route information, the on-board electronic control unit 18 can automatically drive the tractor 1 along the target route P while acquiring its own current position (the current position of the tractor 1) using the positioning unit 21. The current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 is transmitted from the tractor 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, every few milliseconds), and the mobile communication terminal 3 is aware of the current position of the tractor 1.

[0032] Regarding the transfer of route information, the entire route information can be transferred all at once from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-board electronic control unit 18 before the tractor 1 starts automatic driving. Alternatively, for example, route information including the target driving route P can be divided into multiple route sections of predetermined distances with less information. In this case, before the tractor 1 starts automatic driving, only the initial route section of the route information is transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-board electronic control unit 18. After automatic driving begins, each time the tractor 1 reaches a route acquisition point set according to the amount of information, the route information for only the subsequent route section corresponding to that point may be transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-board electronic control unit 18.

[0033] To initiate automatic driving of tractor 1, for example, a user moves tractor 1 to the starting point, and once various automatic driving start conditions are met, the user operates the display unit 51 on the mobile communication terminal 3 to instruct the start of automatic driving, and the mobile communication terminal 3 transmits the instruction to start automatic driving to tractor 1. As a result, the on-board electronic control unit 18 in tractor 1 receives the instruction to start automatic driving and, while acquiring its current position (the current position of tractor 1) with the positioning unit 21, starts automatic driving control to drive tractor 1 automatically along the target driving path P. The on-board electronic control unit 18 is configured as an automatic driving control unit that performs automatic driving control to drive tractor 1 automatically along the target driving path P within the work area S, based on the positioning information of tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 using a satellite positioning system.

[0034] The automatic driving control includes automatic transmission control that automatically controls the operation of the transmission 13, automatic braking control that automatically controls the operation of the brake operating mechanism 15, automatic steering control that automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5, and automatic work control that automatically controls the operation of work equipment 12 such as a rotary tiller.

[0035] In automatic transmission control, the transmission control unit 181 automatically controls the operation of the transmission 13 based on route information of the target driving route P, including the target driving speed, the output of the positioning unit 21, and the output of the vehicle speed sensor 19, so that the target driving speed set according to the driving pattern of the tractor 1 on the target driving route P is obtained as the vehicle speed of the tractor 1.

[0036] In automatic braking control, the braking control unit 182 automatically controls the operation of the brake operation mechanism 15 so that the left and right side brakes properly brake the left and right rear wheels 6 in the braking area included in the route information of the target driving path P, based on the target driving path P and the output of the positioning unit 21.

[0037] In automatic steering control, the steering angle setting unit 184 determines and sets target steering angles for the left and right front wheels 5 based on the route information of the target route P and the output of the positioning unit 21, so that the tractor 1 automatically travels along the target travel path P, and outputs the set target steering angles to the power steering mechanism 14. The power steering mechanism 14 automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5 based on the target steering angles and the output of the steering angle sensor 20 so that the target steering angles are obtained as the steering angles of the left and right front wheels 5.

[0038] In the automatic control of the work, the work device control unit 183 automatically controls the operation of the clutch operating mechanism 16 and the lifting drive mechanism 17 based on the route information of the target travel path P and the output of the positioning unit 21, so that a predetermined operation (e.g., tilling) by the work device 12 is started when the tractor 1 reaches a work start point such as the beginning of the work path P1 (e.g., see Figure 3), and the predetermined operation by the work device 12 is stopped when the tractor 1 reaches a work end point such as the end of the work path P1 (e.g., see Figure 3).

[0039] In this way, the automatic driving unit 2 in the tractor 1 is composed of a transmission 13, a power steering mechanism 14, a brake operating mechanism 15, a clutch operating mechanism 16, a lifting drive mechanism 17, an on-board electronic control unit 18, a vehicle speed sensor 19, a steering angle sensor 20, a positioning unit 21, and a communication module 25, etc.

[0040] In this embodiment, it is possible to automatically drive the tractor 1 not only without a user or other passenger in the cabin 10, but also with a user or other passenger in the cabin 10. Therefore, not only can the tractor 1 be automatically driven along the target driving path P by the automatic driving control of the onboard electronic control unit 18 without a user or other passenger in the cabin 10, but even when a user or other passenger is in the cabin 10, the tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the target driving path P by the automatic driving control of the onboard electronic control unit 18.

[0041] When a user or other person is in the cabin 10, the on-board electronic control unit 18 can switch between an automatic driving state in which the tractor 1 is driven automatically and a manual driving state in which the tractor 1 is driven based on the user's driving. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state while the tractor is automatically driving along the target driving path P in the automatic driving state, and conversely, to switch from the manual driving state to the automatic driving state while driving in the manual driving state. For example, a switching operation unit for switching between the automatic driving state and the manual driving state can be provided near the driver's seat 39, and this switching operation unit can also be displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. In addition, when the on-board electronic control unit 18 is controlling the automatic driving state, the user can operate the steering wheel 38 to switch from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tractor 1 is equipped with an obstacle detection system 100 that detects obstacles around the tractor 1 (traveling body 7) and avoids collisions with those obstacles. The obstacle detection system 100 includes multiple lidar sensors 101, 102 that can measure the distance to an object in three dimensions using lasers, sonar units 103, 104 that have multiple sonars that can measure the distance to an object using ultrasound, an obstacle detection unit 110, and a collision avoidance control unit 111.

[0043] The objects measured by the lidar sensors 101, 102 and sonar units 103, 104 include objects and people. The lidar sensors 101 and 102 consist of a front lidar sensor 101 that measures the front side of the tractor 1 and a rear lidar sensor 102 that measures the rear side of the tractor 1. The sonar units 103 and 104 consist of a right sonar unit 103 that measures the right side of the tractor 1 and a left sonar unit 104 that measures the left side of the tractor 1.

[0044] The obstacle detection unit 110 is configured to perform obstacle detection processing to detect objects, people, and other objects within a predetermined distance as obstacles based on measurement information from the lidar sensors 101, 102 and sonar units 103, 104. The collision avoidance control unit 111 is configured to perform collision avoidance control, such as slowing down the tractor 1 or stopping the tractor 1 when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle. In collision avoidance control, the collision avoidance control unit 111 notifies that an obstacle is present not only by slowing down the tractor 1 or stopping the tractor 1, but also by activating a notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer or notification lamp. In collision avoidance control, the collision avoidance control unit 111 can also notify that an obstacle is present by using communication modules 25, 55 to communicate from the tractor 1 to the portable communication terminal 3 and displaying the presence of an obstacle on the display unit 51.

[0045] The obstacle detection unit 110 repeatedly performs obstacle detection processing in real time based on measurement information from the lidar sensors 101, 102 and sonar units 103, 104, and appropriately detects obstacles such as objects and people. The collision avoidance control unit 111 performs collision avoidance control to avoid collisions with obstacles detected in real time.

[0046] The obstacle detection unit 110 and the collision avoidance control unit 111 are provided in the on-board electronic control unit 18. The on-board electronic control unit 18 is communicated via CAN (Controller Area Network) to the engine's electronic control unit, lidar sensors 101 and 102, and sonar units 103 and 104, etc., which are included in the common rail system.

[0047] When the tractor 1 is to automatically travel along a target travel path P, there are cases where it is desirable to shift the work path P1 along the target travel path P in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, depending on the work situation or user requests. Therefore, this automatic travel system is equipped with a configuration that allows the work path P1 (corresponding to a straight travel path) along the target travel path P in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel (straight travel direction), both when the onboard electronic control unit 18 is not performing automatic travel control and when the onboard electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic travel control.

[0048] First, we will explain the route shift process that shifts the work route P1 when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is not executing automatic driving control. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 includes a first route shift unit 91 that shifts the work route P1 on the target driving route P in a direction perpendicular to the direction of driving when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is not performing automatic driving control, a terminal storage unit 54 (corresponding to a first post-shift route information storage unit) that stores post-shift route information regarding the work route P1 after the shift by the first route shift unit 91, and a first storage reset unit 92 that resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 when a predetermined first reset condition is met.

[0049] Incidentally, the post-shift path information in the path shift process can include, for example, position information for the work path P1 after the shift, and information regarding the shift direction and shift amount relative to the work path P1 before the shift.

[0050] Figure 4 shows the work screen displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. This work screen displays the work route P1 on the target travel route P, the current position of the tractor 1, etc. The mobile communication terminal 3 is equipped with a completed work registration unit 56 (see Figure 2) for registering completed work routes P1 on the target travel route P. On the work screen, completed work routes P1 can be distinguished from uncompleted work routes P1 by coloring (gray in Figure 4) the work routes P1 that have been registered as completed by the completed work registration unit 56. Figure 4 illustrates a state in which the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 is stopped midway along the work route P1, interrupting the work.

[0051] In the work screen shown in Figure 4, a route shift button 93 is displayed for shifting the work route P1 in a direction perpendicular to its direction of travel. This allows the user to press the route shift button 93 when the onboard electronic control unit 18 is not executing automatic driving control, such as before the onboard electronic control unit 18 executes automatic driving control. This causes the first route shift unit 91 to perform a route shift process, shifting the entire work route P1 in a direction perpendicular to its direction of travel so that the work route P1 aligns with the current position of the tractor 1. In the route shift process, for example, as shown in Figure 5, the entire work route P1 is shifted so that it aligns with the current position of the tractor 1. In Figure 5, the entire work route P1 is shifted, but for example, it is also possible to shift only the unworked work routes P1 and leave the completed work routes P1 untouched.

[0052] The route shifting process performed by the first route shifting unit 91 cannot be performed in all cases where the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control, even when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is not performing automatic driving control. Rather, the first route shifting unit 91 can perform route shifting processing only when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode.

[0053] In the straight-line mode, the on-board electronic control unit 18 is configured to execute a straight-line mode in automatic driving control, in which the tractor 1 is automatically driven only along multiple work paths P1 on the target driving path P. In the straight-line mode, the on-board electronic control unit 18 automatically drives the tractor 1 along each of the multiple work paths P1 from the beginning to the end of the work path P1, but switches to manual operation when the tractor 1 reaches the end of the work path P1. Therefore, turning from the end of work path P1 to the beginning of the next work path P1 is performed by manual operation by the user or other operator.

[0054] The route shifting process performed by the first route shifting unit 91 is a process that shifts the work route P1 when automatic driving control is performed in the straight-line mode, such as at the timing immediately before automatic driving control is performed in the straight-line mode. Since the straight-line mode can be started not only from the beginning of the work route P1 but also from the middle of the work route P1, the route shifting process by the first route shifting unit 91 can be performed not only when the tractor 1 is located at or near the beginning of the work route P1, but also when the tractor 1 is located in the middle of the work route P1.

[0055] When the first route shift unit 91 performs route shift processing, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transmits the shifted route information as route information using the communication module 55. The on-board electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control based on the shifted route information received by the communication module 25. As a result, when the on-board electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode after the first route shift unit 91 has performed route shift processing, the tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the shifted work route P1 that was shifted by the route shift processing.

[0056] When the work path P1 is shifted during the route shift process, the terminal electronic control unit 52 displays the shifted work path P1 on the work screen, as shown in Figure 5. The shifted work path P1 is created by shifting the entire work path P1 in a direction perpendicular to its direction of travel so that it coincides with the current position of the tractor 1. In Figure 5, the dotted line of work path P1 represents the work path P1 before the shift. Thus, when the route shift process is performed by the first route shift unit 91, the work path P1 is changed from its position before the shift to its position after the shift and displayed accordingly.

[0057] Based on the flowchart in Figure 6, the operation when the first route shift unit 91 performs route shift processing will be explained. First, before the on-board electronic control unit 18 executes automatic driving control in straight-line mode, position the tractor 1 at the location where you want to start work in straight-line mode, and press the route shift button 93 (see Figure 4) (Step #1).

[0058] When the route shift button 93 is pressed, the first route shift unit 91 performs a route shift process, shifting the entire work route P1 in a direction perpendicular to its direction of travel so that the work route P1 coincides with the current position of the tractor 1 (step #2 if step #1 is Yes). At this time, the work screen is also displayed with the work route P1 changed from its position before the shift to its position after the shift, as shown in Figure 5.

[0059] The terminal electronic control unit 52 stores the shifted route information for the work route P1 after the route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91 in the terminal storage unit 54 (step #3).

[0060] In this manner, once the route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91 and the storage of the shifted route information are completed, when the vehicle receives an instruction to start automatic driving in straight-line mode, the onboard electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode based on the shifted route information from which the route shift processing has been performed.

[0061] The post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54 is not stored indefinitely. When the first reset condition is met, the first memory reset unit 92 resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54 (step #5 if step #4 is Yes). The first memory reset unit 92 determines whether or not the first reset condition is met, and if the first reset condition is met, it deletes and resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54.

[0062] The route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91 is not performed continuously, but is performed temporarily to respond to changes in the work status in the work area S or requests from users, etc. Therefore, the first reset condition is set so that the first reset condition is met when work in the work area S is completed. This resets the post-shift route information when work in the work area S is completed, preventing the inconvenience of storing the post-shift route information.

[0063] Let's explain the first reset condition. The terminal memory unit 54 (corresponding to the route memory unit) stores the target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 53. However, it stores not only the target travel route P for one work area S, but also the target travel route P corresponding to each of the multiple work areas S. When the on-board electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode, the terminal electronic control unit 52 reads the target travel route P for the work area S being worked on from the target travel route P for each of the multiple work areas S stored in the terminal memory unit 54, and transfers the route information related to the work route P1 of that target travel route P to the tractor 1.

[0064] Therefore, the first reset condition can be set to the point when the target travel path P corresponding to the next work area S is read from the terminal storage unit 54. This allows the system to determine that work in the target work area S has been completed and that work to automatically drive the tractor 1 in the next work area S is being performed, and the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 can be reset.

[0065] Furthermore, the first reset condition can be set to a predetermined period of time elapsed since the first route shifting unit 91 performed a route shifting process (shift operation) to shift the work route P1. This allows the system to determine that work in the work area S has finished once the predetermined period of time has elapsed since the route shifting process, and to reset the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54.

[0066] Although not shown in the diagram, for example, a first reset button can be displayed on the work screen shown on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. The first reset condition can be set to when the first reset button is pressed by the user or other user. This allows the shift route information to be reset after confirming the user's intention.

[0067] As described above, the first reset condition can be set to various conditions. If multiple conditions are set as the first reset condition, for example, if even one of the conditions is met, the first reset condition can be considered to be met.

[0068] Next, we will explain the route offset process, which shifts the work route P1 while the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 includes a second route shift unit 94 that shifts the work route P1 on the target driving route P in a direction perpendicular to the direction of driving when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control, a terminal storage unit 54 (corresponding to a second post-shift route information storage unit) that stores post-shift route information regarding the work route P1 after the shift by the second route shift unit 94, and a second storage reset unit 95 that resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 when a predetermined second reset condition is met.

[0069] Incidentally, the post-shift path information in the path offset processing can include, for example, positional information for the shifted work path P1 and the connecting path P2 that connects the shifted work path P1, as well as information regarding the shift direction and shift amount relative to the work path P1 and connecting path P2 before the shift.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, a route offset button 96 for shifting the work route P1 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel is displayed on the work screen etc. displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. As a result, when the user presses the route offset button 96 while the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control, the second route shift unit 94 performs a route offset process that shifts all unworked work routes P1 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel. In the route offset process, for example, as shown in Figure 5, all unworked work routes P1 are shifted so that the unworked work routes P1 shown as dotted lines become unworked work routes P1 shown as solid lines.

[0071] The second path shift unit 94, in the path offset processing, determines the shift direction and shift amount for shifting the work path P1 according to whether the right path offset button 96 or the left path offset button 96 is pressed, the number of times the path offset button 96 is pressed, and shifts the unworked work path P1 by the determined shift direction and shift amount.

[0072] Unlike the route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91, the route offset processing by the second route shift unit 94 can be performed not only when the onboard electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode, but in all cases when the onboard electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control. Here, even during the execution of automatic driving control by the onboard electronic control unit 18, a timing is set in which pressing the route offset button 96 is disabled. During this timing in which pressing the route offset button 96 is disabled, the route offset processing by the second route shift unit 94 is not performed. When the tractor 1 is automatically driving along the coupled route P2 and the work route P1 is shifted, it becomes difficult to determine which direction the work route P1 is shifted in. Furthermore, if the tractor 1 is positioned between a predetermined distance (for example, 10m) before the start of the connecting path P2 and the start of the connecting path P2, shifting the working path P1 may cause the tractor 1 to reach the connecting path P2 before the control operation to shift the working path P1 can be performed stably, potentially leading to unstable control operation. Therefore, the timing for disabling push operation is set, for example, when the tractor 1 is automatically traveling along the connecting path P2, and when the tractor 1 is positioned between a predetermined distance (for example, 10m) before the start of the connecting path P2 and the start of the connecting path P2.

[0073] When the second route shift unit 94 performs route offset processing, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transmits the shifted route information as route information using the communication module 55. The on-board electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control based on the shifted route information received by the communication module 25. As a result, when the on-board electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control after the second route shift unit 94 has performed route offset processing, the tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the shifted work route P1 that has been shifted by the route offset processing. Incidentally, in this case, the connected route P2 is also modified so that the end of work route P1 and the beginning of the next work route P1 are connected in the shifted work route P1.

[0074] When the work path P1 is shifted during the path offset process, as shown in Figure 8, the terminal electronic control unit 52 maintains the display of the work path P1 before the shift on the work screen, and the current position of the tractor 1 is displayed at a position away from the work path P1. This allows the user to recognize that the second path shift unit 94 is performing a path offset process.

[0075] Based on the flowchart in Figure 9, the operation when the second path shift unit 94 performs path offset processing will be explained. First, while the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control, the user or another person presses the route offset button 96 (see Figure 7) (step #11).

[0076] When the route offset button 96 is pressed, the second route shift unit 94 performs route offset processing, shifting all unworked work routes P1 in a direction perpendicular to their direction of travel by the specified shift direction and shift amount (step #12 if Yes in step #11). At this time, as shown in Figure 8, the work screen displays the work route P1 in its position before the shift, and the current position of the tractor 1 is displayed at a position away from the work route P1.

[0077] The terminal electronic control unit 52 stores the shifted path information for the work path P1 after the path offset processing by the second path shift unit 94 in the terminal storage unit 54 (step #13).

[0078] In this manner, once the route offset processing by the second route shift unit 94 and the storage of the post-shift route information are completed, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 changes the route information used from the pre-shift route information to the post-shift route information and continues automatic driving control based on the post-shift route information.

[0079] The post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54 is not stored indefinitely. When the second reset condition is met, the second memory reset unit 95 resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54 (step #15 if step #14 is Yes). The second memory reset unit 95 determines whether or not the second reset condition is met, and if the second reset condition is met, it deletes and resets the post-shift route information stored in the terminal memory unit 54.

[0080] The route offset processing by the second route shift unit 94 is not performed continuously, but is performed temporarily to respond to changes in the work status during automatic driving or requests from the user. Therefore, the second reset condition is set so that the second reset condition is met when automatic driving has ended. This resets the post-shift route information when automatic driving has ended, preventing the inconvenience of storing the post-shift route information.

[0081] Let's explain the second reset condition. For example, the interruption of automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 can be used as the second reset condition. However, in this case, the shifted route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 will be reset at the moment the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 is interrupted. Therefore, it will not be possible to resume automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 from the shifted work route P1 in the route offset processing.

[0082] Therefore, the second reset condition can be set to the point where the tractor 1 is moved a predetermined distance by manual operation after the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 is interrupted. If not only is the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 interrupted, but the tractor 1 is then moved a predetermined distance by manual operation, it can be determined that automatic driving has ended and the system has switched to manual operation, and the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 can be reset.

[0083] Even if the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 is interrupted, the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 is not reset, and the state in which the post-shift route information is stored in the terminal storage unit 54 is maintained. Therefore, by using the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54, the automatic driving control by the on-board electronic control unit 18 can be resumed from the work route P1 that was shifted by the route offset processing.

[0084] When the tractor 1 is operating automatically, route information relating to the target driving route P is transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-board electronic control unit 18. As described above, after the start of automatic driving, route information for only a predetermined number of subsequent route sections can be transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-board electronic control unit 18 at each transmission timing, such as when the tractor 1 reaches a route acquisition point. In this case, the on-board electronic control unit 18 identifies a drivable driving route (work route P1 or connecting route P2) from the transferred route information and automatically drives the tractor 1 along the identified driving route.

[0085] Therefore, the second reset condition can be set to a different driving path identified by the on-board electronic control unit 18 from the route information. By setting the condition in this way, even if automatic driving is interrupted, if the driving path that the tractor 1 automatically drives remains the same, the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 will not be reset. However, if the driving path that the tractor 1 automatically drives changes, the post-shift route information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 can be reset.

[0086] Although not shown in the diagram, for example, a second reset button can be displayed on the work screen shown on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. The second reset condition can be set to when the second reset button is pressed by the user or other user. This allows the shift route information to be reset after confirming the user's intention.

[0087] As described above, various conditions can be set for the second reset condition. If multiple conditions are set for the second reset condition, for example, if even one of the conditions is met, the second reset condition can be considered to be met.

[0088] As mentioned above, the route information after the shift due to the route offset process is not stored indefinitely and is reset when certain conditions are met. However, there may be cases where users want to use the shifted route information for subsequent automated driving.

[0089] Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 10, the terminal electronic control unit 52 can display a confirmation screen on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 to confirm whether or not to save the shifted route information. In this case, when the user presses the "Yes" button, the terminal electronic control unit 52 saves the shifted route information in the terminal storage unit 54 (stored in a way that prevents resetting). The confirmation screen in Figure 10 can be displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 at the timing after the terminal electronic control unit 52 has performed the route offset processing.

[0090] [Another embodiment] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Furthermore, the configurations of each embodiment described below are not limited to being applied individually, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments.

[0091] (1) The configuration of the work vehicle can be modified in various ways. For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a hybrid specification equipped with an engine 9 and an electric motor for driving, or it may be configured as an electric specification equipped with an electric motor for driving instead of an engine 9. For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a semi-crawler type, with left and right crawlers instead of the left and right rear wheels (6) as the running gear. For example, the work vehicle may be configured with rear-wheel steering, where the left and right rear wheels 6 function as steering wheels.

[0092] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the travel path generation unit 53, the first path shift unit 91, the first memory reset unit 92, the second path shift unit 94, and the second memory reset unit 95 are provided on the mobile communication terminal 3. However, for example, the travel path generation unit 53, the first path shift unit 91, the first memory reset unit 92, the second path shift unit 94, and the second memory reset unit 95 can also be provided on the work vehicle side of the tractor 1.

[0093] (3) In the above embodiment, the route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91 is performed only when the onboard electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control in straight-line mode. However, the route shift processing by the first route shift unit 91 may be performed in all cases when the onboard electronic control unit 18 performs automatic driving control, not limited to straight-line mode.

[0094] (4) In the above embodiment, the route shifting process by the first route shifting unit 91 is performed when the on-board electronic control unit 18 is not performing automatic driving control. However, the route shifting process by the first route shifting unit 91 may be performed when the on-board electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control. Furthermore, while the second route shift unit 94 performs route offset processing when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is executing automatic driving control, the second route shift unit 94 may also perform route offset processing when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is not executing automatic driving control. In other words, the system only needs to have a configuration that shifts the work path P1 in both the state when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is not performing automatic driving control and the state when the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is performing automatic driving control, and how the work path P1 is shifted can be changed as appropriate.

[0095] <Notes on the invention> The first characteristic configuration of the present invention is a travel path generation unit that generates a target travel path including at least a plurality of straight travel paths that are spaced apart and parallel to each other in a work area, A route storage unit that stores the target route generated by the route generation unit, An automatic driving control unit performs automatic driving control to automatically drive the work vehicle along a target driving route based on positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by a satellite positioning system, When the automatic driving control unit is not performing automatic driving control, a first path shift unit shifts the straight driving path in the target driving path in a direction perpendicular to the straight driving direction, The first route shift unit includes a first post-shift route information storage unit that stores post-shift route information relating to the straight-line driving route after the shift, The system is further equipped with a first storage reset unit that resets the post-shift path information stored in the first post-shift path information storage unit when a predetermined first reset condition is met.

[0096] According to this configuration, when the automatic driving control unit is not performing automatic driving control, the first route shift unit shifts the straight driving route. The automatic driving control unit then performs automatic driving control using the target driving route, which includes the shifted straight driving route, thereby enabling the work vehicle to automatically drive along the shifted straight driving route. When the straight driving route is shifted by the first route shift unit, the shifted route information is stored in the first post-shift route memory unit. The first memory reset unit resets the shifted route information when the first reset condition is met. As a result, the shifted route information is not stored indefinitely and can be reset at the desired timing. Therefore, the shifted route information does not adversely affect the target driving route stored in the route memory unit, and the automatic driving control unit can perform automatic driving control using the target driving route stored in the route memory unit.

[0097] Based on the above, it is possible to automatically drive a work vehicle with a pre-generated straight-line driving path shifted, while preventing the automatic driving of the work vehicle using a target driving path that includes the pre-generated straight-line driving path from becoming impossible.

[0098] A second characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the route storage unit is configured to store target travel routes corresponding to each of the multiple work areas, The automatic driving control unit is configured to perform automatic driving control based on the target driving path corresponding to the work area of ​​the work target read from the path storage unit. The first reset condition is set to the point where a target travel path corresponding to the work area of ​​the next work target has been read from the path storage unit.

[0099] In this configuration, the target driving path generated by the driving path generation unit is stored in the path storage unit. Not only the target driving path for one work area, but also the target driving paths corresponding to each of multiple work areas are stored in the path storage unit. When the automatic driving control unit performs automatic driving control, it reads the target driving path for the work area being worked on from the target driving paths for each of the multiple work areas stored in the path storage unit, and performs automatic driving control using the read target driving path.

[0100] Therefore, the first reset condition is set to the point when the target travel route corresponding to the work area of ​​the next work target is read from the route memory unit. This allows the system to determine that work in the current work area has been completed and that work to automatically drive the work vehicle in the next work area is underway, enabling the post-shift route information to be reset at the appropriate time.

[0101] A third characteristic feature of the present invention is that the first reset condition is set to occur when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the shift operation in which the first path shift unit shifts the straight-line driving path.

[0102] When a predetermined period has elapsed since the shift operation in which the first path shift unit shifts the straight-line travel path, it can be determined that the work in the target work area has been completed and that work to automatically drive the tractor in the next work area is being performed. Therefore, by setting the first reset condition to the elapsed period since the shift operation in which the first path shift unit shifts the straight-line travel path, the post-shift path information can be reset at an appropriate timing.

[0103] A fourth feature configuration of the present invention is a travel path generation unit that generates a target travel path including at least a plurality of straight travel paths arranged parallel to each other at intervals with respect to a work area, A route storage unit that stores the target route generated by the route generation unit, An automatic driving control unit performs automatic driving control to automatically drive the work vehicle along a target driving route based on positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by a satellite positioning system, In the state in which the automatic driving control unit is performing automatic driving control, a second path shift unit shifts the straight driving path in the target driving path in a direction perpendicular to the direction of straight driving, The second route shift unit includes a second post-shift route information storage unit that stores post-shift route information relating to the straight-line driving route after the shift, The system is further equipped with a second storage reset unit that resets the post-shift path information stored in the second post-shift path information storage unit when a predetermined second reset condition is met.

[0104] According to this configuration, when the automatic driving control unit is executing automatic driving control, the second route shift unit shifts the straight driving path. The automatic driving control unit can then continue automatic driving control using the target driving path, which includes the shifted straight driving path, thereby enabling the work vehicle to automatically drive along the shifted straight driving path. When the straight driving path is shifted by the second route shift unit, the shifted path information is stored in the second post-shifted path memory unit. The second memory reset unit resets the shifted path information when the second reset condition is met. As a result, the shifted path information is not stored indefinitely and can be reset at the desired timing. Therefore, the shifted path information does not adversely affect the target driving path stored in the path memory unit, and the automatic driving control unit can perform automatic driving control using the target driving path stored in the path memory unit.

[0105] Based on the above, it is possible to automatically drive a work vehicle with a pre-generated straight-line driving path shifted, while preventing the automatic driving of the work vehicle using a target driving path that includes the pre-generated straight-line driving path from becoming impossible.

[0106] A fifth characteristic feature of the present invention is that the second reset condition is set so that the work vehicle is moved a predetermined distance by manual operation after the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit is interrupted.

[0107] The interruption of automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit can also be used as the second reset condition. However, in this case, the post-shift route information will be reset at the moment the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit is interrupted. Therefore, it will not be possible to resume automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit from the straight driving route after the shift.

[0108] Therefore, the second reset condition is set to the point where the work vehicle is moved a predetermined distance by manual operation after the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit is interrupted. If not only is the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit interrupted, but the work vehicle is then moved a predetermined distance by manual operation, it can be determined that automatic driving has ended and the system has switched to manual operation, and the post-shift route information can be reset at the appropriate timing.

[0109] Even if the automatic driving control by the automatic driving control unit is interrupted, the post-shift route information is not reset, and the system maintains the memory of the post-shift route information. Therefore, by using the stored post-shift route information, the automatic driving control unit can resume automatic driving control from the straight driving route after the shift.

[0110] An automated driving system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an automated driving control unit that performs automated driving control to automatically drive a work vehicle along a target driving path based on positioning information of the work vehicle, and a path shift unit that, while the automated driving control unit is performing automated driving control, shifts the target driving path in a direction perpendicular to the straight-line driving direction. The target driving path includes at least a plurality of straight-line driving paths that are generated with respect to the work area and arranged to be spaced apart. The path shift unit does not perform the process of shifting the target driving path during times when it is not possible to operate, even when the automated driving control is being executed.

[0111] An automatic driving method according to one aspect of the present invention involves shifting the straight driving path for automatically driving a work vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the said straight driving path by changing the path position. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0112] 1. Tractor (work vehicle) 18. On-board electronic control unit (automatic driving control unit) 53. Route generation unit 54 Terminal memory unit (route memory unit, route information memory unit after first shift, route information memory unit after second shift) 91 First Path Shift Section 92 First Memory Reset Unit 94 Second Route Shift Section 95 Second Memory Reset Unit P1 Work route (straight-line route) S work area

Claims

1. The system includes a path shifting unit that shifts the straight-line travel path for automatically driving a work vehicle in a direction perpendicular to the said straight-line travel path, The route shifting unit shifts the straight-line travel path when the route position change operation unit is operated. Automated driving system.

2. The route shifting unit shifts multiple straight-line travel routes simultaneously when the route position change operation unit is operated. The automated driving system according to claim 1.

3. The route shift unit, when the route shift operation unit included in the route position change operation unit is operated, shifts the straight-line travel route so that it coincides with the current position of the work vehicle. The automated driving system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The route shift unit, when a predetermined condition is met, including the fact that the work vehicle is not performing automatic driving, will shift the straight-line driving path so that it coincides with the current position of the work vehicle when the route shift operation unit is operated. The automated driving system according to claim 3.

5. The shift direction and shift amount can be specified by operating the route offset operation unit included in the route position change operation unit. The route shift unit shifts the straight-line travel path based on the shift direction and shift amount specified by the route offset operation unit. An automated driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The system includes a display control unit that displays the aforementioned straight-line travel path and the aforementioned path position change operation unit on a display unit. An automated driving system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The display control unit displays the straight-line travel path and the path position change operation unit on the same screen. The automated driving system according to claim 6.

8. When the route position change operation unit is operated, the straight-line travel path for automatically driving the work vehicle is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the straight-line travel path. Automatic driving method.

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