Remote-controlled driving control system for agricultural machinery

Abstract

This prevents agricultural machinery from being driven in unintended areas or under unintended conditions when remotely controlled. [Solution] The driving control system is a driving control system for agricultural machinery that can be driven remotely. The driving control system includes a storage device that stores the location of an permitted area where remote driving is permitted and the location of a restricted area where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote driving, and a control device that can operate in a remote operation mode to control the driving of the agricultural machinery by remote operation. The control device restricts the operation of the agricultural machinery by remote operation when a remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machinery from the permitted area into the restricted area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a travel control system for an agricultural machine capable of remotely operated travel.

Background Art

[0002] Research and development toward automation of agricultural machines used in fields has been underway. For example, work vehicles such as tractors, combines, and rice transplanters that automatically travel within a field using a positioning system such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) have been put into practical use. Research and development of work vehicles that automatically travel not only within a field but also outside the field has also been underway. Development of technology for remotely operating agricultural machines has also been underway.

[0003] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an example of a system for automatically driving an unmanned work vehicle between two fields separated from each other by a road. Patent Document 3 discloses an example of a device for remotely operating a work vehicle that performs autonomous driving.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a system for suppressing the travel of an agricultural machine in an unintended area or state during remote operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A driving control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a driving control system for agricultural machinery capable of remote operation. The driving control system includes a storage device that stores the locations of permitted areas where remote operation is permitted and prohibited areas where remote operation is prohibited, and a control device that can operate in an automatic driving mode for automatically driving the agricultural machinery in an automatic driving area and in a remote operation mode for controlling the driving of the agricultural machinery by remote operation. The control device disables remote operation that causes the agricultural machinery to enter the prohibited area, sets at least a portion of the automatic driving area as the permitted area, sets the area outside the automatic driving area as the prohibited area, and stores the locations of the permitted area and the prohibited area in the storage device.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a driving control system for a remotely controlled agricultural machine. The driving control system includes a storage device that stores the locations of permitted areas where remote driving is permitted and the locations of restricted areas where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote driving, and a control device that can operate in a remote operation mode to control the driving of the agricultural machine by remote operation. The control device restricts the operation of the agricultural machine by remote operation when a remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machine from the permitted area into the restricted area.

[0008] Agricultural machinery according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure comprises the travel control system and a travel device controlled by the control device.

[0009] The comprehensive or specific embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented by apparatus, systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or computer-readable non-temporary storage media, or any combination thereof. Computer-readable storage media may include volatile storage media or non-volatile storage media. Apparatus may consist of multiple devices. If apparatus consists of two or more devices, these two or more devices may be located in a single device or in two or more separate devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to embodiments of this disclosure, it is possible to prevent agricultural machinery from being driven in unintended areas or conditions during remote operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an overview of an agricultural management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing an example of a work vehicle and an implement connected to the work vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a work vehicle and implement. [Figure 4] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that performs positioning using RTK-GNSS. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of an operating terminal and a group of operating switches installed inside the cabin. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the management device and terminal device. [Figure 7] This diagram schematically illustrates an example of a work vehicle that automatically travels along a target route within a field. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of steering control operation during autonomous driving. [Figure 9A] This figure shows an example of a work vehicle traveling along a target route P. [Figure 9B] It is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle located at a position shifted to the right from the target path P. [Figure 9C] It is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle located at a position shifted to the left from the target path P. [Figure 9D] It is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle facing in a direction inclined with respect to the target path P. [Figure 10] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of a situation where a plurality of work vehicles are automatically traveling on the roads inside and outside the field. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of setting a permitted area in the environment where the work vehicle travels. [Figure 12] It is a table showing an example of the permission conditions for remote operation driving in each of the first permitted area and the second permitted area. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of an agricultural work schedule. [Figure 14A] It is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the automatic driving mode. [Figure 14B] It is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the remote operation mode. [Figure 14C] It is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the remote operation mode. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device in the remote operation mode. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing another example of setting the permitted area and the permission conditions. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the remote operation mode. [Figure 18] It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a work vehicle located at the entrance and exit of the field. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing another example where a plurality of permitted areas are set in the field. [Figure 20] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a prohibited area when there are a plurality of trees in the automatic driving area. [Figure 21] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a prohibited area when there are ridges in the automatic driving area. [Figure 22] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of setting a prohibited area when crop rows are present within the automated driving area. [Figure 23] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting up a restricted area. [Figure 24] This table shows examples of the operational restrictions in each restricted area. [Figure 25] This flowchart shows an example of how a control device operates when the environment in which a work vehicle is traveling includes both permitted and restricted areas. [Figure 26] This figure shows an example of a warning display. [Figure 27] This figure shows an example of a display indicating the recommended operator type. [Figure 28] This figure shows an example of a table illustrating the correspondence between the area where a work vehicle is located and the type of operator for whom remote control is recommended. [Figure 29] This figure shows another example of an agricultural management system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] (Definition of terms) In this disclosure, “agricultural machinery” means machinery used for agricultural purposes. Examples of agricultural machinery include tractors, harvesters, rice transplanters, riding cultivators, vegetable transplanters, mowers, seeders, fertilizer spreaders, and agricultural mobile robots. Not only may a work vehicle such as a tractor function as “agricultural machinery” on its own, but the entire work vehicle, including implements attached to or towed by the work vehicle, may function as a single “agricultural machinery.” Agricultural machinery performs agricultural work on the ground in a field, such as tilling, sowing, pest control, fertilizing, planting crops, or harvesting. These agricultural work may be referred to as “ground work” or simply “work.” When a vehicle-type agricultural machine moves while performing agricultural work, it may be referred to as “working while moving.”

[0013] "Autonomous driving" means controlling the movement of agricultural machinery through the operation of a control device, without manual operation by a driver. Agricultural machinery that performs autonomous driving is sometimes called "autonomous farm machinery" or "robot farm machinery." During autonomous driving, not only the movement of the agricultural machinery but also the actions of agricultural work (e.g., the operation of implements) may be controlled automatically. If the agricultural machinery is a vehicle-type machine, the movement of the agricultural machinery by autonomous driving is called "autonomous driving." The control device may control at least one of the following necessary actions for the movement of the agricultural machinery: steering, adjustment of movement speed, starting and stopping of movement. When controlling a work vehicle equipped with implements, the control device may also control actions such as raising and lowering the implements, and starting and stopping the operation of the implements. Movement by autonomous driving may include not only movement of agricultural machinery along a predetermined path toward a destination but also movement following a target. Agricultural machinery that performs autonomous driving may move partially based on user instructions. In addition to the autonomous driving mode, agricultural machinery that performs autonomous driving may also operate in a manual driving mode in which it is moved by manual operation by a driver. The steering of agricultural machinery by a control device, without manual intervention, is called "automatic steering." Part or all of the control device may be located outside the agricultural machinery. Communication, such as control signals, commands, or data, may take place between the external control device and the agricultural machinery. An autonomously operating agricultural machine may move autonomously while sensing its surroundings, without human intervention in controlling its movement. An autonomously moving agricultural machine can travel unmanned within or outside the field (e.g., on a road). Obstacle detection and obstacle avoidance maneuvers may be performed during autonomous movement.

[0014] "Remote control" (also called "remote operation") refers to the operation of agricultural machinery using a remote control device. Remote control can be performed by an operator located away from the agricultural machinery (e.g., a system administrator or user of the agricultural machinery). "Remote-controlled driving" refers to the agricultural machinery driving in response to signals transmitted from a remote control device. A remote control device may include devices with signal transmission capabilities, such as a personal computer (PC), laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, or remote controller (remote control). By operating the remote control device, the operator can give commands to the agricultural machinery, such as starting, stopping, accelerating, decelerating, or changing direction of travel. The mode in which the control device controls the driving of the agricultural machinery in response to these commands is called "remote control mode."

[0015] A “permitted area” refers to an area where remote operation of agricultural machinery is permitted. Permitted areas may include areas where remote operation of agricultural machinery is conditionally permitted. Permitted areas where remote operation is conditionally permitted are sometimes called “conditionally permitted areas.” On the other hand, permitted areas where remote operation is unconditionally permitted are sometimes called “unconditionally permitted areas.” All permitted areas may be “conditionally permitted areas,” or only some permitted areas may be “conditionally permitted areas.” Depending on the embodiment, all permitted areas may be “unconditionally permitted areas.” In remote operation mode, when agricultural machinery is located in a conditionally permitted area, if the permission conditions associated with that conditionally permitted area are not met, remote operation to move the agricultural machinery within that permitted area is disabled. For example, if the state of the agricultural machinery (e.g., a work vehicle), or the type or state of implements attached to the work vehicle, does not meet the conditions for permitted remote operation within that conditionally permitted area, remote operation to move the agricultural machinery within that permitted area may be disabled. For example, if agricultural machinery enters a conditionally permitted area where remote control operation is not permitted from a permitted area where remote control operation is permitted, the agricultural machinery will stop, and any remote control to instruct it to move further may be invalidated. However, if agricultural machinery enters a conditionally permitted area where remote control operation is not permitted from a permitted area where remote control operation is permitted, remote control to return the agricultural machinery from that conditionally permitted area to the original permitted area (for example, by reversing) may be permitted. In this way, remote control to return agricultural machinery to a permitted area where remote control operation is permitted after entering a conditionally permitted area where remote control operation is not permitted is interpreted as not constituting "remote control to operate agricultural machinery within a conditionally permitted area."

[0016] A "prohibited area" refers to an area where remote control operation is prohibited. In remote control mode, if an agricultural machine is located in a prohibited area, remote control to operate the machine within the prohibited area is disabled. For example, if an agricultural machine enters a prohibited area from a permitted area where remote control operation is allowed, the machine will stop, and remote control to instruct it to move further may be disabled. However, if an agricultural machine enters a prohibited area from a permitted area where remote control operation is allowed, remote control to return the machine from the prohibited area to the original permitted area (for example, in reverse) may be permitted. In this way, remote control to return an agricultural machine to a permitted area where remote control operation is allowed after entering a prohibited area is not considered "remote control to operate the agricultural machine within a prohibited area."

[0017] A “restricted area” refers to an area where remote operation is possible, but where some restrictions are imposed on the operation of agricultural machinery during remote operation. These restrictions may include, for example, at least one of the following: restrictions on travel speed, restrictions on engine speed, and restrictions on the operation of implements.

[0018] A "work plan" is data that outlines the schedule for one or more farm operations performed by agricultural machinery. A work plan may include, for example, information indicating the sequence of farm operations performed by the agricultural machinery and the field in which each operation will be carried out. A work plan may also include information on the scheduled date and time for each operation. A work plan containing information on the scheduled date and time for each operation is specifically referred to as a "work schedule" or simply a "schedule." A work schedule may include information on the scheduled start and / or end times for each farm operation performed on each workday. For each farm operation, a work plan or work schedule may include information such as the nature of the operation, the implements used, and / or the type and quantity of agricultural materials used. Here, "agricultural materials" means the materials used in farm operations performed by agricultural machinery. Agricultural materials are sometimes simply referred to as "materials." Agricultural materials may include, for example, materials consumed by farm operations, such as pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, or seedlings. A work plan may be created by a processing device that communicates with agricultural machinery to manage farm operations, or by a processing device installed on agricultural machinery. The processing device can, for example, create a work plan based on information entered by a user (such as an agricultural manager or farm worker) by operating a terminal device. In this specification, a processing device that communicates with agricultural machinery to manage agricultural work is referred to as a "management device." The management device may manage the agricultural work of multiple agricultural machines. In this case, the management device may create a work plan that includes information about each agricultural work performed by each of the multiple agricultural machines. The work plan may be downloaded by each agricultural machine and stored in a storage device. Each agricultural machine can automatically go to the field and perform the agricultural work in accordance with the work plan to carry out the scheduled agricultural work.

[0019] An "environmental map" is data that represents the location or area of ​​objects in the environment in which agricultural machinery operates, using a predetermined coordinate system. Environmental maps are sometimes simply referred to as "maps" or "map data." The coordinate system that defines an environmental map may be a world coordinate system, such as a geographic coordinate system fixed to the Earth. Environmental maps may include information other than location about objects in the environment (e.g., attribute information or other information). Environmental maps include various forms of maps, such as point cloud maps or grid maps. Data of local maps or submaps generated or processed in the process of constructing an environmental map is also called a "map" or "map data."

[0020] "Agricultural roads" refer to roads primarily used for agricultural purposes. Agricultural roads are not limited to asphalt-paved roads, but also include unpaved roads covered with soil or gravel. Agricultural roads include roads exclusively passable by agricultural machinery (such as tractors and other work vehicles) (including private roads) and roads that can also be used by general vehicles (passenger cars, trucks, buses, etc.). Work vehicles may travel automatically on general roads in addition to agricultural roads. General roads are roads that are maintained for the traffic of general vehicles.

[0021] A "global path" refers to the data of the route from a starting point to a destination point when agricultural machinery moves automatically, as generated by a path planning processing unit. The process of generating a global path is called global path planning. In the following explanation, the global path will also be referred to as the "target path" or simply the "path". A global path can be defined, for example, by the coordinate values ​​of several points that the agricultural machinery must pass through. The points that the agricultural machinery must pass through are called "waypoints," and the line segments connecting adjacent waypoints are called "links."

[0022] A "local path" refers to a localized path that avoids obstacles and is sequentially generated as agricultural machinery automatically moves along a global path. The process of generating a local path is called local path planning. Local paths are generated sequentially based on data acquired by one or more sensing devices on the agricultural machinery while it is moving. A local path may be defined by multiple waypoints along a portion of the global path. However, if there are obstacles near the global path, waypoints may be set to bypass those obstacles. The length of the links between waypoints in a local path is shorter than the length of the links between waypoints in the global path. The device that generates the local path may be the same as or different from the device that generates the global path. For example, a management device that manages agricultural work by agricultural machinery may generate the global path, and a control device mounted on the agricultural machinery may generate the local path. In that case, the combination of the management device and the control device functions as a "processing device" that performs path planning. The control device for agricultural machinery may function as a processing device that performs both global and local path planning.

[0023] (Embodiment) Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. However, descriptions that are unnecessarily detailed may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art. The inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the present disclosure, and not to limit the subject matter described in the claims. In the following description, components having the same or similar function are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0024] The following embodiments are illustrative, and the technology of this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the numerical values, shapes, materials, steps, order of steps, and display screen layouts shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not create a technical inconsistency. Furthermore, it is possible to combine one embodiment with another as long as it does not create a technical inconsistency.

[0025] The following primarily describes embodiments in which the technology of this disclosure is applied to work vehicles such as tractors, which are an example of agricultural machinery. The technology of this disclosure can be applied not only to tractors but also to other types of agricultural machinery that can be remotely controlled (e.g., rice transplanters, combine harvesters, harvesters, riding cultivators, vegetable transplanters, lawnmowers, seeders, fertilizer spreaders, and agricultural mobile robots). As an example, the following describes an embodiment in which a driving control system for realizing automatic driving and remote control functions is installed on a work vehicle. At least some of the functions of the driving control system may be implemented in other devices that communicate with the work vehicle (e.g., a terminal device or server for remote control).

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an exemplary embodiment of an agricultural management system according to the present disclosure. The agricultural management system shown in Figure 1 comprises a work vehicle 100, a terminal device 400, and a management device 600. The terminal device 400 is a computer used by a user to remotely monitor the work vehicle 100. The management device 600 is a computer managed by the operator of the agricultural management system. The work vehicle 100, the terminal device 400, and the management device 600 can communicate with each other via a network 80. Although Figure 1 illustrates one work vehicle 100, the agricultural management system may include multiple work vehicles or other agricultural machinery.

[0027] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 is a tractor. The work vehicle 100 can be fitted with implements on either the rear or front, or both. The work vehicle 100 can travel within the field while performing agricultural work according to the type of implement. The work vehicle 100 may also travel within or outside the field without any implements attached.

[0028] The work vehicle 100 in this embodiment is equipped with an automatic driving function. That is, the work vehicle 100 can be driven by the operation of a control device without manual operation. The control device in this embodiment is installed inside the work vehicle 100 and can control both the speed and steering of the work vehicle 100. The work vehicle 100 can automatically drive not only within the field but also outside the field (for example, on roads). The mode in which the control device causes the work vehicle 100 to drive automatically is called the "automatic driving mode".

[0029] The work vehicle 100 is also equipped with a remote control function. The control device can change the travel speed and direction of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the travel device in response to remote control by the user using the terminal device 400. The work vehicle 100 can perform remote control driving not only within the field but also outside the field. The mode in which the control device remotely controls the work vehicle 100 is called "remote control mode".

[0030] The work vehicle 100 is equipped with devices used for positioning or self-localization, such as a GNSS receiver and a LiDAR sensor. In automatic driving mode, the control device of the work vehicle 100 automatically drives the work vehicle 100 based on the position of the work vehicle 100 and information on the target route generated by the management device 600. In addition to controlling the driving of the work vehicle 100, the control device also controls the operation of the implement. This allows the work vehicle 100 to perform agricultural work using the implement while automatically driving within the field. Furthermore, the work vehicle 100 can automatically drive along a target route on a road outside the field (e.g., a farm road or public road). When the work vehicle 100 is automatically driving along a road outside the field, it drives while generating a local route that can avoid obstacles along the target route based on data output from sensing devices such as a camera or a LiDAR sensor. The work vehicle 100 may, within the field, travel while generating a local path as described above, or it may travel along a target path without generating a local path and stop when an obstacle is detected.

[0031] The management device 600 is a computer that manages agricultural work performed by the work vehicle 100. The management device 600 may be a server computer that centrally manages field-related information on the cloud and supports agriculture by utilizing the data on the cloud. For example, the management device 600 can create a work plan for the work vehicle 100 and generate a target route for the work vehicle 100 according to that work plan. Alternatively, the management device 600 may generate a target route for the work vehicle 100 in response to operations performed by the user using the terminal device 400.

[0032] The control device 600 generates target routes in different ways for inside and outside the field. The control device 600 generates target routes inside the field based on information about the field. For example, the control device 600 can generate target routes inside the field based on various information such as the outline of the field, the area of ​​the field, the location of the field entrance and exit, the width of the work vehicle 100, the width of the implement, the content of the work, the type of crop to be cultivated, the crop growth area, the crop growth status, or the spacing of crop rows or furrows. The control device 600 generates target routes inside the field based on information entered by the user using the terminal device 400 or other devices. The control device 600 generates routes inside the field to cover, for example, the entire work area where the work is performed. On the other hand, the control device 600 generates target routes outside the field according to the work plan or user instructions. For example, the management device 600 can generate target routes outside the field based on various information such as the sequence of agricultural work indicated in the work plan, the location of the field where each agricultural work is performed, the location of the field entrances and exits, the scheduled start and end times of each agricultural work, road surface conditions, weather conditions, or traffic conditions. The management device 600 may also generate target routes based on information indicating routes or waypoints specified by the user operating the terminal device 400, regardless of the work plan. In this way, the management device 600 can generate target routes, i.e., perform global route planning, in various ways.

[0033] The management device 600 may further generate and edit environmental maps based on data collected by the work vehicle 100 or other mobile bodies using sensing devices such as LiDAR sensors. The management device 600 transmits the generated work plan, target route, and environmental map data to the work vehicle 100. The work vehicle 100 automatically performs movement and farm work based on this data.

[0034] Note that the generation (or editing) of global route planning and environmental maps is not limited to the management device 600; other devices may also perform this task. For example, the control device of the work vehicle 100 may perform the generation or editing of global route planning or environmental maps.

[0035] The terminal device 400 is a computer used by a user located away from the work vehicle 100. The terminal device 400 shown in Figure 1 is a laptop computer, but is not limited to this. The terminal device 400 may be a stationary computer such as a desktop PC (personal computer), or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet computer.

[0036] The terminal device 400 can be used to remotely monitor or remotely control the work vehicle 100. For example, the terminal device 400 can display video footage captured by one or more cameras on the work vehicle 100 on a display. The user can view the video footage to check the situation around the work vehicle 100 and send instructions to the work vehicle 100, such as stopping, starting, accelerating, decelerating, or changing direction of travel.

[0037] The terminal device 400 can also display a settings screen on its display for the user to input information necessary to create a work plan for the work vehicle 100 (e.g., a schedule for each farm task). When the user inputs the necessary information on the settings screen and performs a transmission operation, the terminal device 400 transmits the input information to the management device 600. The management device 600 creates a work plan based on that information. The terminal device 400 can also be used to register one or more fields where the work vehicle 100 will perform farm work, a storage location for the work vehicle 100, and one or more waiting locations where the work vehicle 100 will temporarily wait. The terminal device 400 may also have a function to display a settings screen on its display for the user to input information necessary to set a target route.

[0038] The system configuration and operation in this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0039] [1. Structure] Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a work vehicle 100 and an implement 300 connected to the work vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 can operate in both manual and automatic driving modes. In automatic driving mode, the work vehicle 100 can travel unmanned. The work vehicle 100 can be driven automatically both inside and outside the field. In automatic driving mode, the control device can operate in an automatic driving mode that drives the work vehicle 100 along a preset target route, and a remote control mode that drives the work vehicle 100 in response to operations by the user using a terminal device 400. Switching between automatic driving mode and remote control mode can be performed by the user performing a predetermined operation using the terminal device 400. For example, in automatic driving mode, if the user performs an operation using the terminal device 400 to instruct the start of remote control, the system will switch to remote control mode. Also, in remote control mode, if the user performs an operation using the terminal device 400 to instruct the start of automatic driving, the system will switch to automatic driving mode.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the work vehicle 100 comprises a vehicle body 101, a prime mover (engine) 102, and a transmission 103. The vehicle body 101 is provided with a running gear including wheels 104 with tires, and a cabin 105. The running gear includes four wheels 104, axles that rotate the four wheels, and brakes that brake each axle. The wheels 104 include a pair of front wheels 104F and a pair of rear wheels 104R. Inside the cabin 105 are a driver's seat 107, a steering gear 106, an operating terminal 200, and a group of switches for operation. When the work vehicle 100 is performing work in a field, one or both of the front wheels 104F and the rear wheels 104R may be replaced with multiple wheels (crawlers) fitted with tracks instead of wheels with tires.

[0041] The work vehicle 100 can switch between a four-wheel drive (4W) mode in which all of the front wheels 104F and rear wheels 104R are driven wheels, and a two-wheel drive (2W) mode in which either the front wheels 104F or the rear wheels 104R are driven wheels. The work vehicle 100 can also switch between a state where the left and right brakes are connected and a state where they are disconnected. By disconnecting the left and right brakes, the left and right wheels 104 can be braked independently. This makes it possible to make turns with a small turning radius.

[0042] The work vehicle 100 is equipped with multiple sensing devices that sense the area around the work vehicle 100. In the example shown in Figure 2, the sensing devices include multiple cameras 120, a LiDAR sensor 140, and multiple obstacle sensors 130.

[0043] Cameras 120 may be installed, for example, on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the work vehicle 100. Cameras 120 capture images of the environment around the work vehicle 100 and generate image data. Images acquired by cameras 120 may be transmitted to a terminal device 400 for remote monitoring. These images may be used to monitor the work vehicle 100 when it is operating unmanned. Cameras 120 may also be used to generate images for recognizing surrounding features or obstacles, white lines, signs, or markings when the work vehicle 100 is traveling on a road outside the field (agricultural road or public road).

[0044] In the example shown in Figure 2, the LiDAR sensor 140 is located at the lower front of the vehicle body 101. The LiDAR sensor 140 may be located in other positions. While the work vehicle 100 is mainly traveling outside the field, the LiDAR sensor 140 repeatedly outputs sensor data indicating the distance and direction to each measurement point of objects in the surrounding environment, or the 2D or 3D coordinate values ​​of each measurement point. The sensor data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 is processed by the control device of the work vehicle 100. The control device can perform self-position estimation of the work vehicle 100 by matching the sensor data with an environmental map. Furthermore, based on the sensor data, the control device can detect objects such as obstacles in the vicinity of the work vehicle 100 and generate a local path that the work vehicle 100 should actually take, along with a global path. The control device can also generate or edit an environmental map using algorithms such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). The work vehicle 100 may be equipped with multiple LiDAR sensors positioned at different locations and in different orientations.

[0045] The multiple obstacle sensors 130 shown in Figure 2 are located at the front and rear of the cabin 105. Obstacle sensors 130 may also be located in other areas. For example, one or more obstacle sensors 130 may be provided at any location on the sides, front, and rear of the vehicle body 101. Obstacle sensors 130 may include, for example, laser scanners or ultrasonic sonar. Obstacle sensors 130 are used to detect surrounding obstacles during autonomous driving and to stop or bypass the work vehicle 100. A LiDAR sensor 140 may be used as one of the obstacle sensors 130.

[0046] The work vehicle 100 further includes a GNSS unit 110. The GNSS unit 110 includes a GNSS receiver. The GNSS receiver may include an antenna that receives signals from GNSS satellites and a processor that calculates the position of the work vehicle 100 based on the signals received by the antenna. The GNSS unit 110 receives satellite signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites and performs positioning based on the satellite signals. In this embodiment, the GNSS unit 110 is located on top of the cabin 105, but it may be located in other positions.

[0047] The GNSS unit 110 may include an inertial measuring unit (IMU). Signals from the IMU can be used to supplement positional data. The IMU can measure the tilt and minute movements of the work vehicle 100. By using the data acquired by the IMU to supplement positional data based on satellite signals, positioning performance can be improved.

[0048] The control device of the work vehicle 100 may use sensing data acquired by sensing devices such as a camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140 for positioning, in addition to the positioning results from the GNSS unit 110. If there are features that function as characteristic points in the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels, such as farm roads, forest roads, public roads, or orchards, the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy based on the data acquired by the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140 and an environmental map stored in a storage device in advance. By correcting or supplementing the position data based on satellite signals using the data acquired by the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140, the position of the work vehicle 100 can be determined with even higher accuracy.

[0049] The prime mover 102 may be, for example, a diesel engine. An electric motor may be used instead of a diesel engine. The transmission 103 can change the propulsion force and travel speed of the work vehicle 100 by shifting gears. The transmission 103 can also switch the work vehicle 100 between forward and reverse.

[0050] The steering system 106 includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, and a power steering system that assists steering by the steering wheel. The front wheels 104F are steering wheels, and the direction of travel of the work vehicle 100 can be changed by changing their steering angle (also referred to as the "steering angle"). The steering angle of the front wheels 104F can be changed by operating the steering wheel. The power steering system includes a hydraulic system or electric motor that supplies auxiliary force to change the steering angle of the front wheels 104F. When automatic steering is performed, the steering angle is automatically adjusted by the force of the hydraulic system or electric motor under control from a control device located inside the work vehicle 100.

[0051] A coupling device 108 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 101. The coupling device 108 includes, for example, a three-point support device (also referred to as a "three-point link" or "three-point hitch"), a PTO (Power Take Off) shaft, a universal joint, and a communication cable. The coupling device 108 allows the implement 300 to be attached to and detached from the work vehicle 100. The coupling device 108 can change the position or orientation of the implement 300 by raising and lowering the three-point link, for example, by a hydraulic device. Power can also be supplied from the work vehicle 100 to the implement 300 via the universal joint. The work vehicle 100 can pull the implement 300 and cause the implement 300 to perform a predetermined operation. The coupling device may be provided at the front of the vehicle body 101. In that case, the implement can be connected to the front of the work vehicle 100.

[0052] The implement 300 shown in Figure 2 is a rotary tiller, but the implement 300 is not limited to a rotary tiller. For example, any implement such as a seeder, spreader, transplanter, mower, rake, baler, harvester, spreader, or harrow can be connected to the work vehicle 100 and used.

[0053] The work vehicle 100 shown in Figure 2 is capable of being operated by a person, but may also be designed for unmanned operation only. In that case, components necessary only for manned operation, such as the cabin 105, steering system 106, and driver's seat 107, do not need to be provided on the work vehicle 100. The unmanned work vehicle 100 can be driven autonomously or by remote control by a user.

[0054] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a work vehicle 100 and an implement 300. The work vehicle 100 and the implement 300 can communicate with each other via a communication cable included in the coupling device 108. The work vehicle 100 can communicate with the terminal device 400 and the management device 600 via the network 80.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 3, the work vehicle 100 includes a GNSS unit 110, a camera 120, an obstacle sensor 130, a LiDAR sensor 140, and an operating terminal 200, as well as a group of sensors 150 for detecting the operating status of the work vehicle 100, a driving control system 160, a communication device 190, a group of operating switches 210, a buzzer 220, and a drive unit 240. These components are connected to each other via a bus for communication. The GNSS unit 110 includes a GNSS receiver 111, an RTK receiver 112, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 115, and a processing circuit 116. The group of sensors 150 includes a steering wheel sensor 152, a steering angle sensor 154, and an axle sensor 156. The driving control system 160 includes a storage device 170 and a control device 180. The control device 180 includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 181 to 186. The implement 300 comprises a drive unit 340, a control unit 380, and a communication device 390. Figure 3 shows components that are relatively highly relevant to the operation of the automated driving of the work vehicle 100, and other components are not shown.

[0056] The GNSS receiver 111 in the GNSS unit 110 receives satellite signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites and generates GNSS data based on the satellite signals. The GNSS data is generated in a predetermined format, such as NMEA-0183 format. The GNSS data may include, for example, the identification number, elevation angle, azimuth angle, and received signal strength of each satellite from which the satellite signal was received.

[0057] The GNSS unit 110 shown in Figure 3 uses RTK (Real Time Kinematic)-GNSS to position the work vehicle 100. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a work vehicle 100 performing positioning using RTK-GNSS. In RTK-GNSS positioning, in addition to satellite signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites 50, a correction signal transmitted from a base station 60 is used. The base station 60 may be installed near the field where the work vehicle 100 is performing its work (for example, within 10 km of the work vehicle 100). Based on the satellite signals received from multiple GNSS satellites 50, the base station 60 generates a correction signal, for example, in RTCM format and transmits it to the GNSS unit 110. The RTK receiver 112 includes an antenna and a modem and receives the correction signal transmitted from the base station 60. The processing circuit 116 of the GNSS unit 110 corrects the positioning result from the GNSS receiver 111 based on the correction signal. By using RTK-GNSS, it is possible to perform positioning with an accuracy of, for example, an error of a few centimeters. Position information, including latitude, longitude, and altitude, is acquired by high-precision positioning using RTK-GNSS. The GNSS unit 110 calculates the position of the work vehicle 100 at a frequency of, for example, 1 to 10 times per second.

[0058] Furthermore, the positioning method is not limited to RTK-GNSS; any positioning method that can obtain the necessary accuracy of positional information (such as interferometric positioning or relative positioning) can be used. For example, positioning using VRS (Virtual Reference Station) or DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) may be performed. If the necessary accuracy of positional information can be obtained without using the correction signal transmitted from the base station 60, the positional information may be generated without using the correction signal. In that case, the GNSS unit 110 does not need to be equipped with an RTK receiver 112.

[0059] Even when using RTK-GNSS, in locations where correction signals from the base station 60 cannot be obtained (for example, on a road far from the field), the position of the work vehicle 100 is estimated by other means, without relying on signals from the RTK receiver 112. For example, the position of the work vehicle 100 can be estimated by matching data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 and / or camera 120 with a high-precision environmental map.

[0060] The GNSS unit 110 in this embodiment further includes an IMU 115. The IMU 115 may include a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope. The IMU 115 may also include an orientation sensor such as a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. The IMU 115 functions as a motion sensor and can output signals indicating various quantities such as acceleration, velocity, displacement, and attitude of the work vehicle 100. The processing circuit 116 can estimate the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 with higher accuracy based on the signals output from the IMU 115 in addition to the satellite signals and correction signals. The signals output from the IMU 115 can be used to correct or complement the position calculated based on the satellite signals and correction signals. The IMU 115 outputs signals at a higher frequency than the GNSS receiver 111. By utilizing these high-frequency signals, the processing circuit 116 can measure the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 at a higher frequency (e.g., 10 Hz or higher). Instead of the IMU 115, a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope may be provided separately. The IMU115 may be provided as a separate device from the GNSS unit 110.

[0061] Camera 120 is an imaging device that captures the environment around the work vehicle 100. Camera 120 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). Camera 120 may also include an optical system including one or more lenses and a signal processing circuit. While the work vehicle 100 is in motion, Camera 120 captures the environment around the work vehicle 100 and generates image (e.g., video) data. Camera 120 can capture video at a frame rate of, for example, 3 frames per second (fps) or higher. The images generated by Camera 120 can be used, for example, when a remote observer uses a terminal device 400 to check the environment around the work vehicle 100. The images generated by Camera 120 may be used for positioning or obstacle detection. As shown in Figure 2, multiple cameras 120 may be installed at different locations on the work vehicle 100, or a single camera may be installed. A visible light camera that generates visible light images and an infrared camera that generates infrared images may be provided separately. Both the visible light camera and the infrared camera may be provided as cameras that generate surveillance images. The infrared camera can also be used for detecting obstacles at night.

[0062] The obstacle sensor 130 detects objects present around the work vehicle 100. The obstacle sensor 130 may include, for example, a laser scanner or an ultrasonic sonar. The obstacle sensor 130 outputs a signal indicating the presence of an obstacle when an object is closer than a predetermined distance from the obstacle sensor 130. Multiple obstacle sensors 130 may be installed at different locations on the work vehicle 100. For example, multiple laser scanners and multiple ultrasonic sonars may be placed at different locations on the work vehicle 100. By providing many such obstacle sensors 130, blind spots in monitoring obstacles around the work vehicle 100 can be reduced.

[0063] The steering wheel sensor 152 measures the rotation angle of the steering wheel of the work vehicle 100. The steering angle sensor 154 measures the steering angle of the front wheels 104F, which are the steering wheels. The values ​​measured by the steering wheel sensor 152 and the steering angle sensor 154 are used for steering control by the control device 180.

[0064] The axle sensor 156 measures the rotational speed of the axle connected to the wheel 104, i.e., the number of rotations per unit time. The axle sensor 156 may be a sensor that utilizes, for example, a magnetoresistive element (MR), a Hall element, or an electromagnetic pickup. The axle sensor 156 outputs a numerical value indicating, for example, the number of rotations of the axle per minute (in rpm). The axle sensor 156 is used to measure the speed of the work vehicle 100.

[0065] The drive system 240 includes various devices necessary for the movement of the work vehicle 100 and the drive of the implement 300, such as the prime mover 102, the transmission 103, the steering system 106, and the coupling device 108. The prime mover 102 may be an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine. The drive system 240 may also be equipped with an electric motor for traction, either in place of or in conjunction with the internal combustion engine.

[0066] The buzzer 220 is an audio output device that emits a warning sound to notify of an abnormality. For example, the buzzer 220 emits a warning sound when an obstacle is detected during autonomous driving. The buzzer 220 is controlled by the control device 180.

[0067] The storage device 170 includes one or more storage media such as flash memory or magnetic disks. The storage device 170 stores various data generated by the GNSS unit 110, camera 120, obstacle sensor 130, LiDAR sensor 140, sensor group 150, and control device 180. The data stored in the storage device 170 may include map data of the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels (environmental map) and data of a global route for autonomous driving (target route). The environmental map includes information on multiple fields where the work vehicle 100 performs agricultural work and the roads around them. The environmental map and target route can be generated by a processing unit (i.e., processor) in the management device 600. In this embodiment, the control device 180 may also have a function to generate or edit the environmental map and target route. The control device 180 can edit the environmental map and target route acquired from the management device 600 according to the driving environment of the work vehicle 100.

[0068] The storage device 170 also stores work plan data received by the communication device 190 from the management device 600. The work plan includes information about multiple farming tasks to be performed by the work vehicle 100 over multiple work days. The work plan may be work schedule data, for example, including information about the scheduled time for each farming task to be performed by the work vehicle 100 on each work day. The storage device 170 also stores computer programs that cause each ECU in the control device 180 to perform various operations described later. Such computer programs may be provided to the work vehicle 100 via a storage medium (e.g., semiconductor memory or optical disc) or a telecommunications line (e.g., the Internet). Such computer programs may be sold as commercial software.

[0069] In this embodiment, the storage device 170 further stores the locations of permitted areas where remote operation of the work vehicle 100 is permitted, and the locations of prohibited areas where remote operation is prohibited. Some or all of the permitted areas may be conditionally permitted areas where remote operation is permitted under certain conditions. The permitted areas may include unconditionally permitted areas where remote operation is permitted unconditionally. The storage device 170 may store the locations of a plurality of conditionally permitted areas with different conditions for permitting remote operation, and the conditions for permitting remote operation in each conditionally permitted area. The storage device 170 may store the locations of either permitted areas or prohibited areas. For example, if only the locations of permitted areas are stored, locations other than permitted areas may be treated as prohibited areas. Conversely, if only the locations of prohibited areas are stored, locations other than prohibited areas may be treated as permitted areas (conditionally permitted areas or unconditionally permitted areas). In this disclosure, even if the locations of prohibited areas are stored and other areas are treated as permitted areas, it is interpreted that the locations of permitted areas are (indirectly) stored in the storage device 170.

[0070] The storage device 170 may also store the locations of restricted areas where limitations are imposed on the operation of the remotely controlled vehicle. For example, the storage device 170 may store the locations of restricted areas where limitations are imposed on the driving speed, engine speed, or operation of the implement 300 during remote control operation, as well as information indicating the content of the restrictions. Multiple restricted areas with different content of operation restrictions may be set. The storage device 170 may store the locations of multiple restricted areas and information indicating the content of the restrictions in each restricted area.

[0071] The control device 180 includes a plurality of ECUs. These plurality of ECUs include, for example, an ECU 181 for speed control, an ECU 182 for steering control, an ECU 183 for implement control, an ECU 184 for autonomous driving control, an ECU 185 for route generation, and an ECU 186 for map generation.

[0072] The ECU 181 controls the speed of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the prime mover 102, the transmission 103, and the brakes, which are included in the drive unit 240.

[0073] The ECU 182 controls the steering of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the hydraulic system or electric motor included in the steering device 106 based on the measurements of the steering wheel sensor 152.

[0074] The ECU 183 controls the movement of the three-point link and PTO shaft, etc., included in the coupling device 108, in order to cause the implement 300 to perform the desired operation. The ECU 183 also generates signals that control the operation of the implement 300 and transmits these signals from the communication device 190 to the implement 300.

[0075] The ECU 184 performs calculations and controls to achieve autonomous driving based on data output from the GNSS unit 110, camera 120, obstacle sensor 130, LiDAR sensor 140, and sensor group 150. For example, the ECU 184 determines the position of the work vehicle 100 based on data output from at least one of the GNSS unit 110, camera 120, and LiDAR sensor 140. Within the field, the ECU 184 may determine the position of the work vehicle 100 based only on data output from the GNSS unit 110. The ECU 184 may estimate or correct the position of the work vehicle 100 based on data acquired by the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140. By utilizing data acquired by the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140, the accuracy of positioning can be further improved. Outside the field, the ECU 184 estimates the position of the work vehicle 100 using data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 or camera 120. For example, ECU 184 may estimate the position of the work vehicle 100 by matching data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 or camera 120 with an environmental map. During autonomous driving, ECU 184 performs calculations necessary for the work vehicle 100 to travel along a target path or local path based on the estimated position of the work vehicle 100. ECU 184 sends a command to ECU 181 to change speed and a command to ECU 182 to change steering angle. ECU 181 changes the speed of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the engine 102, transmission 103, or brakes in response to the command to change speed. ECU 182 changes the steering angle by controlling the steering device 106 in response to the command to change steering angle.

[0076] ECU184 also controls the remote operation of the work vehicle 100. In remote operation mode, ECU184 controls ECUs 181, 182, and 183 in response to signals received by the communication device 190 from the terminal device 400. This allows the work vehicle 100 to perform operations such as speed control, steering control, raising and lowering of the implement 300, and turning the implement 300 on and off in response to remote operation from the user.

[0077] The ECU 185 sequentially generates local paths that can avoid obstacles while the work vehicle 100 is traveling along the target path. While the work vehicle 100 is traveling, the ECU 185 recognizes obstacles present around the work vehicle 100 based on data output from the camera 120, obstacle sensor 130, and LiDAR sensor 140. The ECU 185 generates local paths to avoid the recognized obstacles.

[0078] The ECU 185 may have a function to perform global route planning on behalf of the management device 600. In that case, the ECU 185 may determine the destination of the work vehicle 100 based on the work plan stored in the storage device 170 and determine the target route from the starting point to the destination point of the work vehicle 100's movement. Based on the environmental map containing road information stored in the storage device 170, the ECU 185 can create a target route that, for example, can reach the destination in the shortest time. Alternatively, the ECU 185 may generate a target route that prioritizes a specific type of road (for example, a road along a specific feature such as a farm road or waterway, or a road that can receive satellite signals from a GNSS satellite well) based on the attribute information of each road included in the environmental map.

[0079] The ECU 186 generates or edits a map of the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels. In this embodiment, an environment map generated by an external device such as a management device 600 is transmitted to the work vehicle 100 and recorded in the storage device 170, but the ECU 186 can also generate or edit the environment map instead. The operation when the ECU 186 generates an environment map is described below. The environment map can be generated based on sensor data output from the LiDAR sensor 140. When generating an environment map, the ECU 186 sequentially generates three-dimensional point cloud data based on the sensor data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 while the work vehicle 100 is traveling. The ECU 186 can generate an environment map by stitching together the sequentially generated point cloud data using an algorithm such as SLAM. The environment map thus generated is a high-precision three-dimensional map and can be used for self-localization by the ECU 184. Based on this three-dimensional map, a two-dimensional map used for global path planning can be generated. In this specification, both the 3D map used for self-localization and the 2D map used for global path planning are referred to as "environmental maps." The ECU186 can also edit the map by adding various attribute information to the map, such as features recognized based on data output from the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140 (e.g., waterways, rivers, grass, trees, etc.), road types (e.g., whether or not it is a farm road), road surface conditions, or road passability.

[0080] Through the operation of these ECUs, the control unit 180 enables automatic driving and remotely controlled driving. During automatic driving, the control unit 180 controls the drive unit 240 based on the measured or estimated position of the work vehicle 100 and the generated path. This allows the control unit 180 to drive the work vehicle 100 along the target path. During remotely controlled driving, the control unit 180 controls the drive unit 240 in response to operations performed by the user using the terminal device 400. This allows the control unit 180 to drive the work vehicle 100 according to instructions from the user.

[0081] Multiple ECUs included in the control unit 180 can communicate with each other according to a vehicle bus standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). Instead of CAN, a faster communication method such as Automotive Ethernet (registered trademark) may be used. In Figure 3, each of the ECUs 181 to 186 is shown as a separate block, but each of their functions may be implemented by multiple ECUs. An on-board computer integrating at least some of the functions of ECUs 181 to 186 may be provided. The control unit 180 may also include ECUs other than ECUs 181 to 186, and any number of ECUs can be provided depending on their function. Each ECU includes a processing circuit containing one or more processors.

[0082] The communication device 190 is a device that includes circuits for communicating with the implement 300, the terminal device 400, and the management device 600. The communication device 190 includes circuits for transmitting and receiving signals compliant with ISOBUS standards, such as ISOBUS-TIM, to and from the communication device 390 of the implement 300. This allows the implement 300 to perform desired operations or to obtain information from the implement 300. The communication device 190 may further include antennas and communication circuits for transmitting and receiving signals via the network 80 to and from the respective communication devices of the terminal device 400 and the management device 600. The network 80 may include, for example, a cellular mobile communication network such as 3G, 4G, or 5G and the internet. The communication device 190 may also have the function of communicating with a portable terminal used by a monitor near the work vehicle 100. Communication with such mobile devices may take place using any wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi®, 3G, 4G, or 5G cellular mobile communication, or Bluetooth®.

[0083] The operation terminal 200 is a terminal for the user to perform operations related to the driving of the work vehicle 100 and the operation of the implement 300, and is also called a virtual terminal (VT). The operation terminal 200 may be equipped with a display device such as a touchscreen and / or one or more buttons. The display device may be a display such as a liquid crystal or organic light-emitting diode (OLED). By operating the operation terminal 200, the user can perform various operations such as switching the automatic driving mode on / off, switching the remote control mode on / off, recording or editing the environmental map, setting a target route, and switching the implement 300 on / off. At least some of these operations can also be achieved by operating the operation switch group 210. The operation terminal 200 may be configured to be detachable from the work vehicle 100. A user located away from the work vehicle 100 may control the operation of the work vehicle 100 by operating the detached operation terminal 200. The user may control the operation of the work vehicle 100 by operating a computer with the necessary application software installed, such as a terminal device 400, instead of the operating terminal 200.

[0084] Figure 5 shows an example of an operating terminal 200 and a group of operating switches 210 provided inside the cabin 105. Inside the cabin 105 is a group of switches 210 that includes multiple switches that can be operated by the user. The group of operating switches 210 may include, for example, a switch for selecting the gear of the main or sub-transmission, a switch for switching between automatic driving mode and manual driving mode, a switch for switching between forward and reverse, a switch for switching between four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive, a switch for releasing the coupling of the left and right brakes, and a switch for raising and lowering the implement 300. Note that if the work vehicle 100 only performs unmanned operation and does not have the function of manned operation, the work vehicle 100 does not need to be equipped with a group of operating switches 210.

[0085] At least some of the operations that can be performed by the operation terminal 200 or the operation switch group 210 can also be performed by remote operation using the terminal device 400. Any of the above operations can be performed by the user performing a predetermined operation on the screen displayed on the display of the terminal device 400.

[0086] The drive unit 340 in the implement 300 shown in Figure 3 performs the operations necessary for the implement 300 to perform a predetermined task. The drive unit 340 includes devices depending on the application of the implement 300, such as a hydraulic system, an electric motor, or a pump. The control device 380 controls the operation of the drive unit 340. The control device 380 causes the drive unit 340 to perform various operations in response to signals transmitted from the work vehicle 100 via the communication device 390. It can also transmit signals corresponding to the state of the implement 300 from the communication device 390 to the work vehicle 100.

[0087] Next, the configuration of the management device 600 and the terminal device 400 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the general hardware configuration of the management device 600 and the terminal device 400.

[0088] The management device 600 comprises a storage device 650, a processor 660, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 670, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 680, and a communication device 690. These components are connected to each other via a bus for communication. The management device 600 manages the schedule of agricultural work performed by the work vehicle 100 in the field and can function as a cloud server to support agriculture by utilizing the managed data. Users can input the information necessary to create a work plan using the terminal device 400 and upload that information to the management device 600 via the network 80. Based on this information, the management device 600 can create a schedule for agricultural work, i.e., a work plan. The management device 600 can also generate or edit environmental maps and perform global route planning for the work vehicle 100. The environmental maps may be distributed from a computer outside the management device 600.

[0089] The communication device 690 is a communication module for communicating with the work vehicle 100 and the terminal device 400 via the network 80. The communication device 690 can perform wired communication compliant with communication standards such as IEEE 1394 (registered trademark) or Ethernet (registered trademark). The communication device 690 may also perform wireless communication compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi standards, or cellular mobile communication such as 3G, 4G, or 5G.

[0090] Processor 660 could be, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit including a central processing unit (CPU). Processor 660 could be implemented by a microprocessor or microcontroller. Alternatively, Processor 660 could be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or ASSP (Application Specific Standard Product) equipped with a CPU. Alternatively, this can also be achieved by a combination of two or more circuits selected from these circuits. The processor 660 sequentially executes a computer program stored in the ROM 670, which describes a set of instructions for performing at least one process, to achieve the desired process.

[0091] ROM670 can be, for example, writable memory (e.g., PROM), rewritable memory (e.g., flash memory), or read-only memory. ROM670 stores programs that control the operation of processor 660. ROM670 does not have to be a single storage medium; it may be a collection of multiple storage media. Some of these storage media may be removable memory.

[0092] RAM680 provides a workspace for temporarily unpacking the control program stored in ROM670 during boot-up. RAM680 does not need to be a single storage medium; it may be a collection of multiple storage media.

[0093] The storage device 650 primarily functions as database storage. The storage device 650 may be, for example, a magnetic storage device or a semiconductor storage device. An example of a magnetic storage device is a hard disk drive (HDD). An example of a semiconductor storage device is a solid-state drive (SSD). The storage device 650 may be a device independent of the management device 600. For example, the storage device 650 may be a storage device connected to the management device 600 via the network 80, such as cloud storage.

[0094] The terminal device 400 comprises an input device 420, a display device (display) 430, a storage device 450, a processor 460, a ROM 470, a RAM 480, and a communication device 490. These components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The input device 420 is a device for converting user instructions into data and inputting them into the computer. The input device 420 may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel. The display device 430 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The descriptions of the processor 460, ROM 470, RAM 480, storage device 450, and communication device 490 are as described in the hardware configuration example of the management device 600, and are therefore omitted here.

[0095] [2. Operation] Next, the operation of the work vehicle 100, the terminal device 400, and the management device 600 will be explained.

[0096] [2-1. Automatic Driving Operation] First, an example of the operation of the work vehicle 100 in automatic driving mode will be described. In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 can drive automatically both inside and outside the field. Inside the field, the work vehicle 100 drives along a pre-set target route and drives the implement 300 to perform predetermined agricultural work. If the work vehicle 100 detects an obstacle by the obstacle sensor 130 while driving inside the field, it stops driving, emits a warning sound from the buzzer 220, and transmits a warning signal to the terminal device 400. Inside the field, the positioning of the work vehicle 100 is mainly based on data output from the GNSS unit 110. On the other hand, outside the field, the work vehicle 100 drives automatically along a target route set on an agricultural road or public road outside the field. While the work vehicle 100 is traveling outside the field, it performs local path planning based on data acquired by the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140. Outside the field, if the work vehicle 100 detects an obstacle, it will either avoid the obstacle or stop in place. Outside the field, the position of the work vehicle 100 is estimated based on positioning data output from the GNSS unit 110, as well as data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 or camera 120.

[0097] The operation of the work vehicle 100 when it is automatically traveling within the field will be explained below. The operation of the work vehicle 100 when it is automatically traveling outside the field will be described later.

[0098] Figure 7 schematically shows an example of a work vehicle 100 that automatically travels within a field along a target path. In this example, the field includes a work area 72 where the work vehicle 100 performs work using the implement 300, and a headland 74 located near the outer edge of the field. The user can pre-set which areas of the field on the map correspond to the work area 72 or the headland 74. The target path in this example includes a plurality of parallel main paths P1 and a plurality of turning paths P2 connecting the plurality of main paths P1. The main paths P1 are located within the work area 72, and the turning paths P2 are located within the headland 74. Although each main path P1 shown in Figure 7 is a straight path, each main path P1 may include a curved portion. The main route P1 can be automatically generated, for example, by the user specifying two points near the edge of the field (points A and B in Figure 7) while viewing a map of the field displayed on the operating terminal 200 or terminal device 400. In this case, multiple main routes P1 are set parallel to the line segment connecting points A and B specified by the user, and the target route within the field is generated by connecting these main routes P1 with a turning route P2. The dashed line in Figure 7 represents the working width of the implement 300. The working width is pre-set and recorded in the storage device 170. The working width can be set and recorded by the user operating the operating terminal 200 or terminal device 400. Alternatively, the working width may be automatically recognized and recorded when the implement 300 is connected to the work vehicle 100. The spacing between the multiple main routes P1 can be set according to the working width. The target route can be created based on user operations before automatic operation starts. The target route can be created, for example, to cover the entire work area 72 within the field. The work vehicle 100 automatically travels along the target route, as shown in Figure 7, repeatedly going back and forth from the start point to the end point of the work. Note that the target route shown in Figure 7 is merely an example, and the method of defining the target route is arbitrary.

[0099] Next, we will explain an example of control during automatic operation in a field using the control device 180.

[0100] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of steering control operation during automatic driving performed by the control device 180. The control device 180 performs automatic steering while the work vehicle 100 is in motion by executing the operations from steps S121 to S125 shown in Figure 8. The speed is maintained, for example, at a preset speed. While the work vehicle 100 is in motion, the control device 180 acquires data indicating the position of the work vehicle 100 generated by the GNSS unit 110 (step S121). Next, the control device 180 calculates the deviation between the position of the work vehicle 100 and the target path (step S122). The deviation represents the distance between the position of the work vehicle 100 at that time and the target path. The control device 180 determines whether the calculated position deviation exceeds a preset threshold (step S123). If the deviation exceeds the threshold, the control device 180 changes the steering angle by changing the control parameters of the steering device included in the drive device 240 so that the deviation becomes smaller. If the deviation does not exceed the threshold in step S123, the operation in step S124 is omitted. In the following step S125, the control device 180 determines whether or not it has received a command to terminate the operation. A command to terminate the operation may be issued, for example, when a user remotely instructs the automatic operation to stop, or when the work vehicle 100 reaches its destination. If no command to terminate the operation has been issued, the process returns to step S121 and performs the same operation based on the newly measured position of the work vehicle 100. The control device 180 repeats the operations from steps S121 to S125 until a command to terminate the operation is issued. The above operations are performed by the ECUs 182 and 184 in the control device 180.

[0101] In the example shown in Figure 8, the control device 180 controls the drive unit 240 based only on the deviation between the position of the work vehicle 100 identified by the GNSS unit 110 and the target path, but it may also take into account the azimuth deviation. For example, if the azimuth deviation, which is the angular difference between the orientation of the work vehicle 100 identified by the GNSS unit 110 and the direction of the target path, exceeds a preset threshold, the control device 180 may change the control parameters of the steering device of the drive unit 240 (e.g., steering angle) according to that deviation.

[0102] Below, we will explain in more detail an example of steering control by the control device 180, referring to Figures 9A to 9D.

[0103] Figure 9A shows an example of a work vehicle 100 traveling along a target path P. Figure 9B shows an example of a work vehicle 100 positioned to the right of the target path P. Figure 9C shows an example of a work vehicle 100 positioned to the left of the target path P. Figure 9D shows an example of a work vehicle 100 facing inclined relative to the target path P. In these figures, the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 as measured by the GNSS unit 110 are represented as r(x,y,θ). (x,y) are coordinates representing the position of the reference point of the work vehicle 100 in the XY coordinate system, which is a two-dimensional coordinate system fixed to the Earth. In the examples shown in Figures 9A to 9D, the reference point of the work vehicle 100 is located where the GNSS antenna is installed on the cabin, but the position of the reference point is arbitrary. θ is the angle representing the measured orientation of the work vehicle 100. In the illustrated examples, the target path P is parallel to the Y axis, but generally, the target path P is not necessarily parallel to the Y axis.

[0104] As shown in Figure 9A, if the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 are not deviating from the target path P, the control device 180 maintains the steering angle and speed of the work vehicle 100 without changing them.

[0105] As shown in Figure 9B, if the position of the work vehicle 100 is shifted to the right of the target path P, the control device 180 changes the steering angle so that the direction of travel of the work vehicle 100 is tilted to the left and approaches path P. At this time, the speed may also be changed in addition to the steering angle. The magnitude of the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the magnitude of the position deviation Δx.

[0106] As shown in Figure 9C, if the position of the work vehicle 100 is shifted to the left of the target path P, the control device 180 changes the steering angle so that the direction of travel of the work vehicle 100 is tilted to the right and approaches path P. In this case as well, the speed may be changed in addition to the steering angle. The amount of change in the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the magnitude of the position deviation Δx.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9D, if the position of the work vehicle 100 is not significantly off the target path P, but its orientation differs from that of the target path P, the control device 180 changes the steering angle to reduce the azimuth deviation Δθ. In this case as well, the speed may be changed in addition to the steering angle. The magnitude of the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the magnitudes of the position deviation Δx and the azimuth deviation Δθ. For example, the smaller the absolute value of the position deviation Δx, the larger the amount of change in the steering angle corresponding to the azimuth deviation Δθ may be. When the absolute value of the position deviation Δx is large, the steering angle will be changed significantly in order to return to path P, so the absolute value of the azimuth deviation Δθ will inevitably be large. Conversely, when the absolute value of the position deviation Δx is small, it is necessary to bring the azimuth deviation Δθ closer to zero. For this reason, it is appropriate to relatively increase the weight (i.e., control gain) of the azimuth deviation Δθ used to determine the steering angle.

[0108] Control technologies such as PID control or MPC control (model predictive control) can be applied to the steering and speed control of the work vehicle 100. By applying these control technologies, the control of the work vehicle 100 to approach the target path P can be made smoother.

[0109] Furthermore, if one or more obstacles are detected by the obstacle sensors 130 while the vehicle is in motion, the control device 180 will stop the work vehicle 100. At this time, the buzzer 220 may emit a warning sound or a warning signal may be sent to the terminal device 400. If it is possible to avoid the obstacle, the control device 180 may control the drive unit 240 to avoid the obstacle.

[0110] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 can operate automatically not only within the field but also outside the field. Outside the field, the control device 180 can detect objects (for example, other vehicles or pedestrians, etc.) located relatively far from the work vehicle 100 based on data output from the camera 120 or LiDAR sensor 140. The control device 180 can achieve automatic driving on roads outside the field by generating a local path to avoid the detected object and performing speed control and steering control along the local path.

[0111] As described above, the work vehicle 100 in this embodiment can automatically travel inside and outside the field without a driver. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a situation in which multiple work vehicles 100 are automatically traveling inside the field 70 and on the road 76 outside the field 70. The storage device 170 records an environmental map and target route for an area including multiple fields and the surrounding roads. The environmental map and target route can be generated by the management device 600 or the ECU 185. When the work vehicle 100 is traveling on a road, the work vehicle 100 travels along the target route with the implement 300 raised, sensing the surroundings using sensing devices such as the camera 120 and the LiDAR sensor 140. While traveling, the control device 180 sequentially generates local routes and drives the work vehicle 100 along the local routes. This allows for automatic travel while avoiding obstacles. The target route may be changed during travel depending on the situation. Thus, the control device 180 in this embodiment can generate a target route for automatic driving within the field and on the roads surrounding the field. In automatic driving mode, the control device 180 causes the work vehicle 100 to automatically drive within the automatic driving area defined by the field and roads on which the target route has been generated.

[0112] [2-2. Remote-controlled driving] Next, we will explain the operation of the remotely controlled driving of the work vehicle 100.

[0113] [2-2-1. Overview of operations related to remotely controlled driving] In this embodiment, the storage device 170 stores the locations of one or more permitted areas where remote driving is permitted. Each permitted area may be a conditionally permitted area where remote driving is permitted under certain conditions, or an unconditionally permitted area where remote driving is permitted unconditionally. Which area corresponds to which type of permitted area, and the conditions for permitting remote driving in each conditionally permitted area, are predetermined and this information can be recorded in the storage device 170. When the work vehicle 100 performs automatic driving within an automatic driving area, as in this embodiment, the same area as the automatic driving area may be automatically set as a permitted area. Alternatively, a part of the automatic driving area may be set as a permitted area. The user (i.e., operator) may use the terminal device 400 to set the permitted areas and the permit conditions for each permitted area.

[0114] In remote control mode, the control device 180 disables remote control to move the work vehicle 100 within a permitted area if the conditions for permitted remote control movement within that area are not met. For example, if the state of the work vehicle 100, or the type or state of the implement 300, does not meet the conditions for permitted remote control movement within the permitted area, the control device 180 disables remote control to move the work vehicle 100 within the permitted area. This operation allows for the restriction of remote control movement in situations where it is undesirable for the work vehicle 100 to move within the permitted area. For example, remote control movement within a permitted area set on a public road may be disabled when the work vehicle 100 is holding the implement 300 in a low position for agricultural work, or when the work vehicle 100 is supplying power to the implement 300. Alternatively, on a given workday, remote control to move the work vehicle 100 into a permitted area set on a field where no agricultural work is scheduled may be disabled.

[0115] The control device 180 acquires location information of the work vehicle 100 from a positioning device such as a GNSS unit 110 that performs positioning of the work vehicle 100, and can identify the area in which the work vehicle 100 is located based on this location information. This allows the control device 180 to determine whether the work vehicle 100 is located in an permitted area or a prohibited area. Positioning may be performed using a LiDAR sensor 140 or a camera 120 instead of the GNSS unit 110. In that case, the LiDAR sensor 140 or camera 120 may function as part of the positioning device.

[0116] The storage device 170 may store, in addition to the locations of permitted areas, the locations of prohibited areas where remote operation is prohibited. Alternatively, areas other than permitted areas may be treated as prohibited areas. Even if only the locations of permitted areas are stored and the locations of prohibited areas are not explicitly stored, if areas other than permitted areas are treated as prohibited areas, it shall be interpreted that the storage device 170 (indirectly) stores the locations of prohibited areas. Prohibited areas may be set in areas where the operation of the work vehicle 100 is not expected. For example, areas on both sides of a road where vehicles cannot pass, the levees around a field, waterways, busy roads, roads far from the field, and fields or other private land not managed by the user of the work vehicle 100 may be set as prohibited areas. If a remote operation is performed to move the work vehicle 100 into a prohibited area, the control device 180 will disable that remote operation. This prevents remote operation in prohibited areas.

[0117] The control device 180 controls the work vehicle 100 to stop, for example, when remote control is disabled. This prevents further entry of the work vehicle 100 if remote control is attempted to move it into an area where remote control is not permitted (i.e., a prohibited area or a certain conditionally permitted area).

[0118] In this embodiment, the control device 180 can operate in an automatic driving mode that automatically drives the work vehicle 100 within the automatic driving area, and in a remote control mode that controls the movement of the work vehicle 100 by remote operation. The control device 180 may set at least a portion of the automatic driving area as an permitted area, set the area outside the automatic driving area as a prohibited area, and store the locations of the permitted area and the prohibited area in the storage device 170. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from unnecessarily entering an area where automatic driving is not planned by remote operation.

[0119] In remote control mode, the control device 180 may display an image on the display 430 of the terminal device 400 indicating areas where remote control driving is not permitted. For example, the control device 180 may display an image on the display 430 indicating a conditionally permitted area where remote control driving is not permitted at that time, or a prohibited area. The conditionally permitted area where remote control driving is not permitted may be determined, for example, depending on the state of the work vehicle 100 or the type or state of the implement 300. The control device 180 may display the conditionally permitted area where remote control driving is not permitted on the display 430 in a manner that allows for distinction between the permitted area and the prohibited area. This allows the user (i.e., operator) monitoring using the terminal device 400 to understand the areas where the work vehicle 100 cannot drive.

[0120] The control device 180 may display on the display 430 an image in which the camera image captured by the camera 120 mounted on the work vehicle 100 is superimposed with an indication of areas where remote control driving is not permitted. For example, the control device 180 may display on the display 430 an image in which the camera image is superimposed with an indication of conditionally permitted areas or prohibited areas where remote control driving is not permitted at that time, which is determined according to the state of the work vehicle 100 or the type or state of the implement 300. This allows the operator to understand the situation around the work vehicle 100 and the location of areas where remote control driving is not permitted by looking at the image (e.g., a moving image) displayed on the display 430. By performing remote control while looking at the displayed image, the operator can, for example, drive the work vehicle 100 while avoiding those areas.

[0121] The control device 180 may display a warning on the display 430 of the terminal device 400 used by the operator performing the remote control when the remote control operation attempts to move the work vehicle 100 into an area where remote control operation is not permitted (a conditionally permitted area or a prohibited area). For example, it may display a message such as "You cannot enter that area," or it may change the display of the area being entered to a more conspicuous color or make it flash to alert the operator. Upon seeing the warning, the operator can, for example, reverse the work vehicle 100 to return it to a permitted area where remote control operation is permitted, or change the state of the work vehicle 100 or implement 300 to a state that meets the permit conditions. Alternatively, it may contact a worker near the work vehicle 100 and have them change the state of the work vehicle 100 or implement 300, or replace the implement 300. After disabling remote control, the control device 180 may reactivate remote control to drive the work vehicle 100 within the permitted area if the state of the work vehicle 100 or the type or state of the implement 300 changes to a state or type that satisfies the conditions for remote control driving within the permitted area.

[0122] The storage device 170 may store the locations of multiple permitted areas, each with different conditions for which remote operation is permitted. In this case, the storage device 170 may further store the conditions for which remote operation is permitted in each of the multiple permitted areas. If the condition of the work vehicle 100 or the type or condition of the implement 300 does not meet the conditions for remote operation within that permitted area, the control device 180 disables remote operation to allow the work vehicle 100 to travel within the permitted area. This makes it possible, for example, to set different permit conditions for fields and farm roads, or to set multiple permitted areas with different permit conditions within a single field.

[0123] Multiple permitted areas may include a first permitted area and a second permitted area that are adjacent to each other. In this case, if the condition of the work vehicle 100 or the type or condition of the implement 300 satisfies the first condition for remotely controlled driving to be permitted within the first permitted area, but does not satisfy the second condition for remotely controlled driving to be permitted within the second permitted area, the control device 180 will disable the remote control to move the work vehicle 100 from the first permitted area to the second permitted area. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from moving from the first permitted area to the second permitted area when the work vehicle 100 or the implement 300 is not in a condition suitable for driving within the second permitted area.

[0124] Multiple permitted areas may include a first permitted area within the field and a second permitted area outside the field. For example, the entire field, including an entrance or exit (collectively referred to as "entrance / exit"), may be designated as the first permitted area, and the road adjacent to the entrance / exit may be designated as the second permitted area. In this case, if the condition of the work vehicle 100 or the type or condition of the implement 300 satisfies the first condition for permitted remote operation within the field, but does not satisfy the second condition for permitted remote operation outside the field, the control device 180 will disable remote operation to move the work vehicle 100 from the first permitted area within the field to the second permitted area outside the field. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from leaving the field if it is not suitable for traveling on the road outside the field.

[0125] The agricultural machinery in this embodiment is a work vehicle 100 to which an implement is attached. The control device 180 may determine that the state of the work vehicle 100 does not satisfy the second condition when the work vehicle 100 is in a state where the implement 300 is lower than a reference height, or when the work vehicle 100 is supplying power to the implement 300. In that case, the control device 180 disables the remote control to move the work vehicle 100 from the first permitted area in the field to the second permitted area outside the field. The state in which the work vehicle 100 is in a state where the implement 300 is lower than a reference height may be, for example, a state in which the height from the ground of the connection between the three-point hitch on the work vehicle 100 and the implement 300 is lower than a preset reference height. The state in which the work vehicle 100 is supplying power to the implement 300 may be, for example, a state in which the PTO shaft on the work vehicle 100 is rotating and the implement 300 is operating. In such circumstances, it may not be legally permitted to drive on public roads outside the field. Therefore, in such circumstances, the control device 180 may disable the remote control function that allows the work vehicle 100 to drive on roads outside the field.

[0126] The storage device 170 may further store the types of implements that are suitable for the agricultural work scheduled in the field. The control device 180 may disable remote control to move the agricultural machinery from the second permitted area outside the field to the first permitted area inside the field if the type of implement 300 attached to the work vehicle 100 is not suitable for the agricultural work scheduled in the field. This prevents work vehicles 100 that are not equipped with implements 300 suitable for the agricultural work scheduled in the field from entering the field unnecessarily. Information indicating the agricultural work scheduled in the field and the types of implements suitable for said work may be included, for example, in a work plan generated by the management device 600. By referring to the work plan, the control device 180 can identify the agricultural work scheduled in the field at a given date and time, and the types of implements suitable for said work.

[0127] Multiple permitted areas where remote operation is conditionally permitted may include a third permitted area where remote operation is permitted only if the width of the implement 300 is within a specific range. The control device 180 may disable remote operation to drive the work vehicle 100 within the third permitted area if the width of the implement 300 is not within that specific range. For example, if the law permits the work vehicle 100 equipped with the implement 300 to travel on public roads only if the width of the implement 300 is smaller than a predetermined standard value, then the public road may be designated as the third permitted area. In that case, when the width of the implement 300 is less than the standard value, the condition that the width is "within a specific range" is met. The control device 180 can obtain information on the width of the implement 300, for example, through ISOBUS standard-compliant communication between the work vehicle 100 and the implement 300.

[0128] The third permitted area may be located on the outer perimeter of the field. The outer perimeter of the field is the area within the field that is near the boundary between the field and the outside. If the implement 300 is wide, a portion of the implement 300 may extend outside the field when the work vehicle 100 is located on the outer perimeter of the field. Therefore, it is effective to set the outer perimeter of the field as the third permitted area and to allow remote operation only when the width of the implement 300 is within a specific range (for example, below a threshold) within the third permitted area. The width of the area on the outer perimeter of the field to be set as the third permitted area can be appropriately determined depending on the type of implement used.

[0129] Some implements have a variable width. If implement 300 is such a model, it may be possible to change the width of implement 300 by operating the terminal device 400. If the width of implement 300 is variable, widening the width of implement 300 may cause the tip of implement 300 to extend outside the field or collide with an obstacle. Therefore, the control device 180 may disable the remote operation to widen the width of implement 300 if widening the width of implement 300 would cause the tip of implement 300 to extend outside the field or collide with an obstacle. This makes it possible to avoid the tip of implement 300 extending outside the field or colliding with an obstacle by widening the width of implement 300 via remote operation. The control device 180 can determine, based on positioning using the GNSS unit 110 and sensing results using the camera 120 and LiDAR sensor 140, whether widening the implement 300 would cause the tip of the implement 300 to extend outside the field or collide with an obstacle.

[0130] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 is a tractor in which the left and right brakes can be disengaged. By disengaging the left and right brakes, it is possible to perform turns with a small turning radius by applying the brake only to the inner wheel during a turn, for example. On the other hand, if the brakes are accidentally applied suddenly to only one side while driving, an unexpected sharp turn may occur. For this reason, it is preferable that the left and right brakes are connected, especially when the work vehicle 100 is driving on a road outside the field. Therefore, when the work vehicle 100 has disengaged the left and right brakes, the control device 180 may determine that the state of the work vehicle 100 does not satisfy the second condition and disable the remote control that moves the work vehicle 100 from the first permitted area inside the field to the second permitted area outside the field. This prevents unintended sharp turns from occurring on roads outside the field during remote control.

[0131] Contrary to the above example, the control device 180 may disable remote control to move the work vehicle 100 from the second permitted area outside the field to the first permitted area inside the field if the condition of the work vehicle 100 or the type or condition of the implement 300 does not meet the first condition for which remote control movement within the field is permitted. For example, if the work vehicle 100 is not equipped with the implement 300 necessary for the agricultural work planned in that field, remote control to move it into the first permitted area inside the field may be disabled. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from unnecessarily entering fields where no agricultural work is planned.

[0132] The storage device 170 may also store the date and time when the work vehicle 100 is scheduled to perform agricultural work in the field. The scheduled date and time of agricultural work in the field may be recorded as schedule data in the work plan described above. The control device 180 may disable remote control to move the work vehicle 100 into the first permitted area in the field, except during a limited period that includes the scheduled date and time. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from unnecessarily entering the field at times not included in the above period.

[0133] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 can switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Multiple permitted areas where remote operation is conditionally permitted may include a first permitted area excluding the exit of the field and a second permitted area including the exit of the field. The field may be located at a lower elevation compared to the surrounding roads. In that case, the exit of the field may include an uphill slope. Four-wheel drive is suitable for driving uphill. Therefore, the control device 180 may disable remote operation to move the work vehicle 100 from the first permitted area excluding the exit of the field to the second permitted area including the exit when the work vehicle 100 is in two-wheel drive mode. This allows the vehicle to enter the second permitted area including the exit only when it is in four-wheel drive mode. As a result, it is possible to avoid situations where the vehicle enters a steep uphill slope in two-wheel drive mode during remote operation and is unable to climb it.

[0134] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 is a tractor with an implement 300 attached to its rear. Compared to a work vehicle 100 without the implement 300, the center of gravity of such a work vehicle 100 is shifted to the rear. As a result, when traveling up a steep slope, the front wheels 104F may lift, making it impossible to climb the slope. In that case, the work vehicle 100 will have to travel up the slope in reverse. Therefore, when a remote control is performed to move the work vehicle 100 forward onto an uphill slope with an incline of a predetermined angle or greater, the control device 180 may disable the remote control and stop the work vehicle 100. On the other hand, when a remote control is performed to move the work vehicle 100 in reverse onto an uphill slope with an incline of a predetermined angle or greater, the control device 180 may have the work vehicle 100 reverse up the slope according to the remote control. The location of an uphill slope with an incline of a predetermined angle or greater can be recorded in advance in the storage device 170. The control device 180 can detect when the work vehicle 100 is heading uphill based on the location of an uphill slope recorded in advance and the position and orientation information of the work vehicle 100 obtained from a positioning device such as a GNSS unit 110. Such uphill slopes can exist in various locations, such as near the exit of a field or on a farm road.

[0135] If the permitted area includes a field and the exit of the field includes an uphill slope with an angle of inclination greater than a predetermined angle, the control device 180 may disable the remote control and stop the work vehicle 100 when a remote control is performed to move the work vehicle 100 forward onto the uphill slope at the exit. On the other hand, when a remote control is performed to move the work vehicle 100 backward onto the uphill slope at the exit, the control device 180 may make the work vehicle 100 reverse up the slope according to the remote control. This makes it possible to avoid a situation where the front wheels 104F lift up when moving forward on a steep uphill slope at the exit of the field, making it impossible to climb the slope.

[0136] The control device 180 may set a prohibited area within a predetermined distance from the trunks of trees included in the automated driving area. The trunks of trees present in the automated driving area can be detected in advance using a sensing device such as a camera 120 or a LiDAR sensor 140, or a sensing device provided by a mobile body other than the work vehicle 100. The position of each detected tree can be recorded in the storage device 170. The control device 180 may also set a prohibited area within a predetermined distance (for example, about 1 to 3 meters) from the previously recorded positions of the tree trunks. This makes it possible to avoid the work vehicle 100 colliding with trees during remote operation.

[0137] The control device 180 may set areas within the field that contain rows of crops or furrows, which are included in the automated driving area, as prohibited areas. Rows of crops or furrows can be detected, for example, using a camera 120 or a camera on a mobile body other than the work vehicle 100. By setting areas where detected rows of crops or furrows exist as prohibited areas, the control device 180 can avoid the work vehicle 100 running over rows of crops or furrows during remote operation.

[0138] The control device 180 can generate a target route for automatic driving within the field and on the roads surrounding the field. In automatic driving mode, the control device 180 can cause the work vehicle 100 to automatically drive within the area defined by the field and roads on which the target route has been generated, using this area as the automatic driving area.

[0139] In addition to permitted areas where remote-controlled driving is allowed, there may also be restricted areas where remote-controlled driving is permitted with limitations. "Remote-controlled driving permitted with limitations" means that remote-controlled driving is possible, but its operation is restricted. For example, in a restricted area, restrictions may be imposed on the driving speed, engine speed, or the operation of implements when remotely controlled.

[0140] In such a configuration, the storage device 170 can store the locations of permitted areas where remote operation is permitted and the locations of restricted areas where remote operation is permitted with limitations. In this case, the permitted areas may be either conditionally permitted areas or unconditionally permitted areas. The control device 180 restricts the operation of the work vehicle 100 by remote operation when remote operation is performed to move the work vehicle 100 from a permitted area into a restricted area.

[0141] The restricted area may be set, for example, in a field or on a road surrounding a field. The restricted area may be set in an area where it is undesirable for the work vehicle 100 to travel at high speed, make noise, or travel with the implement 300 lowered. The location of the restricted area and the content of the operational restrictions within that restricted area may be associated and stored in the storage device 170.

[0142] For example, the control device 180 may limit the speed of the work vehicle 100 when it is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area. This limits the speed of the work vehicle 100 within the restricted area to below the speed limit. For example, if the restricted area is located within a field, the control device 180 may limit the speed of the work vehicle 100 to a speed appropriate to the planned agricultural work in the field when it is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area within the field.

[0143] The speeds corresponding to the planned agricultural work in the field are set in advance for each agricultural work, and this information can be recorded in the storage device 170. For example, different speed limits may be set depending on the type of agricultural work, such as tilling, sowing, fertilizing, pest control, or harvesting. The planned agricultural work in the field is recorded in the work plan generated by the management device 600.

[0144] The control device 180 may limit the engine speed of the work vehicle 100 when it is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area. For example, the control device 180 may limit the engine speed of the work vehicle 100 when the restricted area includes roads or fields surrounding at least one of a house and a livestock shed, and it is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area. It is undesirable for the work vehicle 100 to make noise while driving around houses and livestock sheds. Therefore, it is effective to limit the engine speed to a predetermined value or less on roads around houses and livestock sheds to reduce noise.

[0145] The control device 180 may restrict the operation of the implement 300 attached to the work vehicle 100 when remote control is performed to move the work vehicle 100 into the restricted area. For example, the control device 180 may disable remote control to lower the height of the implement 300 below a predetermined height when the work vehicle 100 is located in the restricted area. Such a configuration is particularly effective when the restricted area is set on a road outside the field. On a road, if the work vehicle 100 travels with the implement 300 lowered, problems such as the implement 300 coming into contact with the road surface may occur. To avoid such problems, it is effective to disable remote control to lower the height of the implement 300 below a predetermined height in a restricted area set on a road outside the field.

[0146] The control device 180 may change the restrictions on the operation of the work vehicle 100 depending on the position of the work vehicle 100 in the restricted area. The storage device 170 may store a table that defines the correspondence between the position in the restricted area and the restrictions on the operation of the work vehicle 100. The control device 180 may determine the restrictions on the operation of the work vehicle 100 based on such a table.

[0147] The control device 180 may display information indicating the type of operator who is permitted to remotely operate the work vehicle 100 on the display 430 of the terminal device used by the operator, depending on the position of the work vehicle 100.

[0148] In remote operation mode, the control device 180 may display an image indicating the restricted area on the display 430 of the terminal device 400 used by the operator performing the remote operation. For example, the control device 180 may display an image on the display 430 in which the restricted area is superimposed on an image captured by a camera mounted on the work vehicle 100. This allows the operator to know which areas are restricted areas based on the displayed image.

[0149] The control device 180 may display a warning on the display 430 of the terminal device used by the operator performing the remote control when the work vehicle 100 is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area. This allows the operator to know that the work vehicle 100 has entered the restricted area based on the warning.

[0150] The control device 180 may set the area outside the automatic driving area as a prohibited area where remote control driving is not permitted, and set at least a portion of the automatic driving area as a permitted or restricted area. This allows the work vehicle 100 to be driven remotely within the automatic driving area.

[0151] [2-2-2. Specific examples of operations related to remotely controlled driving] Next, with reference to Figure 11, the operation of the control device 180 in remote control mode will be explained in more detail.

[0152] Figure 11 shows an example of setting up permitted areas in the environment in which the work vehicle 100 operates. Figure 11 shows an example of an environmental map including multiple fields 70 in which the work vehicle 100 performs agricultural work, and roads 76 surrounding those fields 70. The environmental map shown in Figure 11 also shows a storage area 90 for the work vehicle 100 and a waiting area 96 where the work vehicle 100 will temporarily wait. The storage area 90 and the waiting area 96 are set up as needed.

[0153] In the example shown in Figure 11, two types of permitted areas (i.e., the first permitted area and the second permitted area) with different conditions for permitting remote operation are set up. The first permitted area is set up within a portion of the fields 70 where the work vehicle 100 performs agricultural work. The second permitted area is set up on a portion of the roads 76 where the work vehicle 100 may travel. In Figure 11, the first permitted area is represented by a dot pattern, and the second permitted area is represented by a diagonal line pattern. Areas other than these permitted areas may be treated as prohibited areas.

[0154] A map like the one shown in Figure 11 may be displayed, for example, on the display 430 of the operating terminal 200 or terminal device 400. The user can understand the locations of each permitted and prohibited area by looking at the displayed map. The user can also set permitted and prohibited areas while looking at the displayed map.

[0155] In this example, the storage device 170 stores the location of the first permitted area within the field 70, the location of the second permitted area on the road 76, and the permit conditions for remote operation in each permitted area. The location of each permitted area and the permit conditions in each permitted area can be set, for example, by a user operating the operation terminal 200 or terminal device 400. Alternatively, the control device 180 may automatically determine the location of each permitted area and the permit conditions for each permitted area based on the work plan created by the management device 600. For example, the control device 180 may determine that the area within the field 70 is the first permitted area and the area on the road 76 outside the field 70 is the second permitted area, among the automated driving areas defined by the target route generated based on the work plan.

[0156] Figure 12 is a table showing examples of the conditions for permitting remote-controlled driving in the first permitted area and the second permitted area, respectively. In this example, in the first permitted area set in field 70, remote-controlled driving may be permitted if the following conditions (a1) and (a2) are met. (a1) An implement 300 suitable for the planned agricultural work in field 70 is attached to the work vehicle 100. (a2) The date and time at that time falls within the scheduled work period which includes the scheduled date and time of the agricultural work specified in the work plan.

[0157] Regarding condition (a1), the types of implements 300 suitable for the agricultural work that the work vehicle 100 will perform in each field 70 are pre-recorded in the storage device 170. The control device 180 refers to the data recorded in the storage device 170 and determines whether the type of implement 300 attached to the work vehicle 100 is suitable for the agricultural work planned in the field 70. If the type of implement 300 is not suitable for the agricultural work planned in the field 70, the control device 180 disables the remote control that would cause the work vehicle 100 to enter the first permitted area within the field 70. That is, even if a remote control is made to cause the work vehicle 100 to enter the field 70 from the road 76, the control device 180 ignores that remote control and stops the work vehicle 100, for example, before the entrance to the field 70.

[0158] Regarding condition (a2), the work plan specifies the schedule of agricultural work to be performed by the work vehicle 100. Figure 13 shows an example of a work plan. The work plan shown in Figure 13 may include information indicating the day and time when agricultural work will be performed, the field, the work content, and the type of implement to be used for each registered agricultural machine, including the work vehicle 100. Such a work plan may be generated by the processor 660 of the control device 600. The processor 660 generates a target route for the work vehicle 100 along a road on a map according to the work plan. The control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 downloads the work plan data and the target route data from the control device 600 and stores that data in the storage device 170. In automatic driving mode, the work vehicle 100 automatically drives along the target route according to the schedule indicated by the work plan. The control device 180 may be configured to allow remote operation in each field 70 only for a relatively short period of time, including the scheduled duration of agricultural work specified in the work plan (e.g., a few hours, tens of hours, a few days, a few weeks, etc.).

[0159] In the example shown in Figure 12, remote operation in the second permitted area set on Road 76 may be permitted if all of the following conditions (b1) to (b3) are met. (b1) The work vehicle 100 holds the implement 300 at a height above the standard height. (b2) Power supply from work vehicle 100 to implement 300 has been stopped. (b3) The left and right brakes of the work vehicle 100 are connected.

[0160] Regarding condition (b1), if the implement 300 is held in a low position, such as when the three-point hitch is lowered, part of the implement 300 may come into contact with the road, or the lights of the work vehicle 100 may be obscured from view by other vehicles, potentially failing to meet the safety standards stipulated by law. For this reason, in the example shown in Figure 12, the control device 180 disables remote operation within the second permitted area set on road 76 when the work vehicle 100 has the implement 300 lower than the standard height. In this case, remote operation to move the work vehicle 100 from the exit of field 70 onto road 76 is disabled, and the work vehicle 100 stops near the boundary between the exit and road 76.

[0161] Regarding condition (b2), it is undesirable for the vehicle to travel on road 76 with power supplied from the work vehicle 100 to the implement 300, such as when the PTO is ON, and the implement 300 is being driven. For this reason, in the second permitted area on road 76, for example, the PTO being OFF and the power supply to the implement 300 being stopped may be set as one of the permitted conditions for remotely controlled driving.

[0162] Regarding condition (b3), the work vehicle 100 can independently apply brakes to its left and right wheels in order to achieve tight turns in the headlands of fields, etc. This state is described as "the left and right brakes are not linked." On the other hand, in Road 76, it is desirable to link the left and right brakes to prevent accidental braking on only one side and causing unintended sharp turns. For this reason, in Road 76, the linking of the left and right brakes may be set as one of the conditions for permitting remote operation.

[0163] By imposing the conditions shown in Figure 12, remote operation in the first permitted area within the field 70 and the second permitted area on the road 76 becomes possible only when the work vehicle 100 or implement 300 is in an appropriate state. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from entering areas where it is undesirable to operate in remote operation mode.

[0164] Next, we will explain an example of switching between automatic driving mode and remotely controlled driving mode.

[0165] In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 automatically performs driving and agricultural work in the fields 70 on each workday according to a pre-generated work plan and target route. In the example shown in Figure 11, the work vehicle 100 departs from the storage area 90, automatically drives along the road 76, visits multiple fields 70, performs predetermined agricultural work in each field 70, and then moves to the waiting area 96. On the next workday, the work vehicle 100 again departs from the waiting area 96 according to the work plan, automatically drives along the road 76, visits multiple other fields 70 in sequence to perform agricultural work, and then moves to the waiting area 96, another waiting area, or the storage area 90. Such operations can be performed on each workday. In this example, a waiting area 96 is provided in addition to the storage area 90, but a waiting area 96 is not required. In that case, the work vehicle 100 will return to the storage area 90 after all agricultural work for the day is completed. Furthermore, multiple waiting areas 96 may be provided in different locations. By providing one or more waiting areas 96, agricultural work can be made more efficient in many fields 70 that are dispersed over a wide area.

[0166] When the work vehicle 100 is operating autonomously, the user can remotely monitor and control the work vehicle 100 using the terminal device 400. When the work vehicle 100 is operating autonomously, the control device 180 transmits images (e.g., moving images) captured by one or more cameras 120 mounted on the work vehicle 100 to the terminal device 400 via the communication device 190. The terminal device 400 displays the images on the display 430. The user can check the surroundings of the work vehicle 100 while viewing the displayed images and, if necessary, initiate remote control driving.

[0167] Figure 14A shows an example of an image displayed on the display 430 of the terminal device 400. The image in Figure 14A shows the field 70, the road 76, and the front of the work vehicle 100. This image was captured by a camera 120 that photographs the front of the work vehicle 100. Not limited to the camera 120 that photographs the front of the work vehicle 100, images captured by cameras 120 that photograph, for example, the rear, right, or left, may also be displayed on the display 430. The display 430 displays moving images with a frame rate of, for example, 3 fps or more (typically 30 fps or 60 fps, etc.). Multiple images captured by multiple cameras 120 may be displayed on multiple displays. In that case, the user (operator), who is the monitor, can check the situation around the work vehicle 100 in detail by looking at multiple images displayed on multiple displays. In addition to images captured by the camera 120, a map of the area including the work vehicle 100 may also be displayed on the display.

[0168] In the example shown in Figure 14A, the displayed image includes a button 81 for instructing the start of remote control (also called "remote operation") and a button 82 for emergency stopping the work vehicle 100 (emergency stop button). The user can switch from automatic driving mode to remote control mode by touching or clicking the remote control start button 81. The user can also emergency stop the work vehicle 100 by touching or clicking the emergency stop button 82.

[0169] Figure 14B shows an example of the display screen after the remote control start button 81 is pressed. In this example, when the remote control start button 81 is pressed, several arrows 83 for remotely controlling the work vehicle 100 are displayed. The up arrow is for acceleration, the down arrow is for deceleration, the right arrow is for turning right, and the left arrow is for turning left. The user can control the work vehicle 100 by touching or clicking these arrows 83. The control device 180 responds to the user's operation and causes the work vehicle 100 to perform the instructed action. The user can also switch the display / hide of the arrows 83 by performing a predetermined operation. In the example of Figure 14B, since the work vehicle 100 is traveling on the road 76, buttons for raising and lowering the implement 300 and switching the implement 300 on / off are not displayed. When the work vehicle 100 is located in the field 70, buttons for raising and lowering the implement 300 and switching the implement 300 on / off may be displayed. Remote control is not limited to the display of arrow 83 as shown in Figure 14B; it may also be performed by operating a controller such as a control device or joystick connected to the terminal device 400. The user can switch from remote control mode to automatic driving mode by touching or clicking the automatic driving start button 84 on the screen shown in Figure 14B.

[0170] In this example, when the remote control start button 81 shown in Figure 14A is pressed, a barrier 77 is displayed, as shown in Figure 14B, indicating an area where remote control of the work vehicle 100 is not permitted at that time. The barrier 77 indicates the boundary between a prohibited area or a permitted area that does not meet the conditions for remote control, and an area where the work vehicle 100 can be remotely controlled. The barrier 77 can also be called a "geofence." The barrier 77 illustrated in Figure 14B is displayed on the boundary between the road 76 and the field 70, excluding the entrance / exit 71 of the field 70. The display of this barrier 77 may change depending on various conditions such as the status of the work vehicle 100, the type or status of the implement 300, or the date and time. For example, on a given workday, the barrier 77 may not be displayed at the entrance / exit 71 of the field 70 where the work vehicle 100 is scheduled to perform agricultural work, but may be displayed at the entrance / exit of other fields. Furthermore, if the work vehicle 100 is equipped with an implement 300 suitable for the agricultural work to be performed on that work day, the barrier 77 will not be displayed at the entrance 71 of the field 70. However, if the work vehicle 100 is not equipped with an implement 300 suitable for the agricultural work to be performed on that work day, the barrier 77 may be displayed at the entrance 71 of the field 70.

[0171] Figure 14C shows an example of the display screen in remote control mode when the work vehicle 100 is located within the field 70. In this example, buttons 85-87 for raising / lowering the implement 300 and switching the implement 300 ON / OFF are displayed. These buttons allow the user to change the position, orientation, or operating state of the implement 300.

[0172] In the example shown in Figure 14C, the barrier 77 is displayed on the outer perimeter of the field 70, excluding the entrance / exit 71. The display of this barrier 77 may change depending on the state of the work vehicle 100 or the implement 300. For example, when the left and right brakes of the work vehicle 100 are released, when the implement 300 is in a low position, or when the implement 300 is being driven, the barrier 77 may also be displayed at the entrance / exit 71. Remote operation to move the work vehicle 100 outside the barrier 77 is disabled by the control device 180.

[0173] The control of the display as described above is performed by the processor 460 of the terminal device 400 based on information obtained from the control device 180 or management device 600 of the work vehicle 100. The control device 180 transmits to the terminal device 400 information indicating the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100, and image information acquired by the camera 120. The management device 600 transmits to the terminal device 400 information indicating the distribution of each permitted area and / or prohibited area in the environment in which the work vehicle 100 is traveling. Based on this information, the processor of the terminal device 400 can display an image on the display 430 that distinguishes between areas where remote operation of the work vehicle 100 is permitted and areas where it is not permitted at that time.

[0174] Next, with reference to Figure 15, the operation of the control device 180 in remote control mode will be explained in more detail.

[0175] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 180 in remote control mode. The ECU 184 of the control device 180 performs the operations from steps S141 to S149 shown in Figure 15 in remote control mode. The operations shown in Figure 15 are started when the user operates the terminal device 400 to instruct the start of remote control mode.

[0176] In step S141, the control device 180 determines whether or not it has received a remote control signal from the terminal device 400 via the communication device 190. The remote control signal is a signal that includes a command to drive the work vehicle 100. The remote control signal may include, for example, a command to change the travel speed or travel direction of the work vehicle 100. The remote control signal may also include a command to change the position or orientation of the implement 300, or a command to change the operating state of the implement 300. If a remote control signal is received, the process proceeds to step S142. If a remote control signal is not received, the process proceeds to step S149.

[0177] In step S142, the control device 180 acquires position data of the work vehicle 100 from a positioning device such as the GNSS unit 110 (step S142). If self-position estimation is performed using sensor data output from the LiDAR sensor 140 instead of the GNSS unit 110, the control device 180 acquires position data based on the sensor data.

[0178] In step S143, the control device 180 determines whether the position of the work vehicle 100, as indicated by the acquired position data, is within one of the permitted areas. The location of each permitted area is recorded in the storage device 170. Based on the position data of the work vehicle 100 and the location data of the permitted areas, the control device 180 determines whether the work vehicle 100 is located within one of the permitted areas. If the work vehicle 100 is located within one of the permitted areas, the process proceeds to step S144. If the work vehicle 100 is not located within any permitted area (i.e., located within a prohibited area), the process proceeds to step S146.

[0179] In step S144, the control device 180 determines whether the conditions for remote operation permission in the permitted area where the work vehicle 100 is located are satisfied. For example, in the example in Figure 12, if the permitted area is the first permitted area within the field, the control device 180 determines whether conditions (a1) and (a2) are satisfied. That is, the control device 180 determines whether the implement 300 suitable for the planned farm work is attached to the work vehicle 100, and whether the current date and time are within the planned work period. On the other hand, if the permitted area is the second permitted area on the road, the control device 180 determines whether conditions (b1) to (b3) are satisfied. That is, the control device 180 determines whether the three-point hitch is higher than the reference height, whether the PTO shaft is rotating, and whether the left and right brakes are connected. If the permission conditions are satisfied, the process proceeds to step S145. If the permission conditions are not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S146.

[0180] In step S145, the control device 180 controls the drive unit 240, including the running gear, according to the remote control signal. Based on the remote control signal, the control device 180 controls the engine, transmission, accelerator, brakes, steering, PTO shaft, or three-point hitch, etc. In this way, the control device 180 causes the work vehicle 100 to perform the desired operation according to the remote control from the user.

[0181] If it is determined that the work vehicle 100 is not within the permitted area, or if it is determined that the work vehicle 100 is within the permitted area but the predetermined permission conditions are not met, the process proceeds to step S146. In step S146, the control device 180 disables remote control for driving within that area, stops the work vehicle 100, and sends a warning signal to the terminal device 400. Upon receiving the warning signal, the terminal device 400 displays a warning on the display 430 indicating that the work vehicle 100 is located in an area where remote control is not permitted. By seeing this warning display, the user can be aware that the work vehicle 100 has entered an area where remote control is not permitted. In this case, the user can perform a recovery operation, such as reversing the work vehicle 100 to return it to an area where remote control is permitted, or changing the state of the work vehicle 100 or implement 300 so that the permission conditions are met. The reset operation may include, for example, stopping the rotation of the PTO shaft to cut off the power supply to the implement 300, or lowering the three-point hitch to lower the height of the implement 300 below the reference height.

[0182] In step S147, the control device 180 determines whether a recovery operation has been performed based on the signal transmitted from the terminal device 400. If a recovery operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S148.

[0183] In step S148, the control device 180 controls the drive unit 240 based on a signal instructing a return operation. As a result, the work vehicle 100 performs the instructed return operation.

[0184] In step S149, the control device 180 determines whether a signal has been issued to terminate the remote control mode. The signal to terminate the remote control mode may be transmitted from the terminal device 400, for example, when a user performs an operation to terminate the remote control mode using the terminal device 400. If the signal is received, the control device 180 terminates the remote control mode. After the remote control mode is terminated, the control device 180 either switches to automatic driving mode or stops driving, according to the signal transmitted from the terminal device 400. If no signal to terminate the remote control mode is received, the process returns to step S141.

[0185] The above operations may be repeated until an instruction to end the remote control mode is issued. This allows the work vehicle 100 to travel within the permitted area in accordance with the remote control from the user. According to this embodiment, remote control to travel within an area is activated only when the permission conditions corresponding to the area in which the work vehicle 100 is located are met. Therefore, it is possible to avoid inappropriate travel by remote control when the state of the work vehicle 100 or implement 300 is not suitable for performing remote control.

[0186] In this embodiment, the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 performs a process to disable remote control, which would otherwise cause the work vehicle 100 to travel in an area where remote control is not permitted. However, the terminal device 400 may perform this process instead. Alternatively, if a remote control signal from the terminal device 400 is transmitted to the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 via the management device 600, the processor 660 of the management device 600 may perform the above process. In such a configuration, the processor of the terminal device 400 or the management device 600 acts as a control device that controls remote control driving.

[0187] The setting of permitted areas and permission conditions is not limited to the examples above. For example, there may be one type of permitted area, or three or more types. In addition to permitted areas where remote control driving is permitted under certain conditions, there may also be permitted areas where remote control driving is permitted unconditionally. Other examples of setting permitted areas and permission conditions are described below.

[0188] Figure 16 shows another example of setting permitted areas and permitted conditions. In this example, the field 70 is lower than the surrounding road 76, and there is an uphill slope at the entrance 71 to the field 70. In such a case, the control device 180 may disable remote control to drive the work vehicle 100 in the area 75 around the entrance 71 when the work vehicle 100 is in two-wheel drive mode. For example, in the example in Figure 14C, if remote control is performed to switch the work vehicle 100 from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive mode, a barrier 77 may also be displayed near the entrance 71 on the display screen, as shown in Figure 17. In the illustrated example, the display screen includes a button 88 for switching between two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD). The user can switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes by clicking or touching this button 88. In the example shown in Figure 17, when the vehicle switches from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive, remote control driving becomes possible near the entrance / exit 71, and as shown in Figure 14C, the indicator for the barrier 77 at the entrance / exit 71 disappears. This prevents a situation where the work vehicle 100, while in two-wheel drive mode, is unable to climb the uphill slope at the entrance / exit 71 when attempting to leave the field 70.

[0189] In the example shown in Figure 16, a first permitted area is set within the field 70, and a second permitted area is set on the road 76. However, different permission conditions are set for the area 75 near the entrance / exit 71 in the field 70 compared to other areas in the field 70. In the area 75 near the entrance / exit 71, an additional permission condition may be added, as described above, that the work vehicle 100 must be in four-wheel drive mode. This allows the work vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled to travel around the entrance / exit 71, including uphill sections, only when it is in four-wheel drive mode. Similar permission conditions may be set not only for the entrance / exit 71, but also for areas with poor ground conditions, such as muddy areas. The user may also use the terminal device 400 to set specific locations within the field 70 or on the road 76 as permitted areas where travel is only permitted in four-wheel drive mode.

[0190] Figure 18 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a work vehicle 100 located at the entrance / exit 71 of a field 70. In this example, the work vehicle 100 is permitted to exit the entrance / exit 71 of the field 70 onto the external road 76 only when it is in reverse (backing up). The control device 180 disables remote control to allow the work vehicle 100 to enter the entrance / exit 71, including any uphill sections, when the work vehicle 100 is moving forward. This prevents situations where the work vehicle 100, equipped with the implement 300, enters an uphill section while moving forward, causing its front wheels to lift and the vehicle to lose balance. Similar permission conditions can be applied not only to the entrance / exit 71 of a field, but also to any area including an uphill section with an inclination angle greater than a predetermined angle. Such areas including uphill sections can be pre-set and stored in the storage device 170. As in this example, the control device 180 may decide whether or not to allow remote control driving based on the relationship between the state of the work vehicle 100 and the state of the field.

[0191] Figure 19 shows another example in which multiple permitted areas are set within the field 70. In this example, the permitted areas include a permitted area 79 in which remote operation is permitted only when the width of the implement 300 is within a specific range. The permitted area 79 is set on the outer perimeter of the field. The outermost perimeter 69 of the field 70 is set as a prohibited area, and the permitted area 79 is located inside the outermost perimeter 69. If the implement 300 is wide, a part of the implement 300 may extend outside the field when the work vehicle 100 is located near the outer perimeter of the field. For example, the work vehicle 100B shown in Figure 19 is equipped with an implement 300 that is wider than that of work vehicle 100A, and when it travels within the permitted area 79, the front of the implement 300 may extend outside the field or collide with obstacles such as ridges. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 19, the control device 180 permits remote operation in the permitted area 79 only when the width of the implement 300 is less than a threshold. This prevents the tip of the implement 300 from extending outside the field 70 or colliding with obstacles when the work vehicle 100B, which has a large implement 300 width, travels near the outer perimeter of the field 70.

[0192] The implement 300 may be a model whose width can be changed. In that case, the width of the implement 300 may be changed by operating the terminal device 400. However, if the width of the implement 300 is increased at the outer edge of the field 70, the tip of the implement 300 may extend outside the field or collide with an obstacle. Therefore, the control device 180 may disable the remote operation to widen the implement 300 if widening the implement 300 would cause the tip of the implement 300 to extend outside the field or collide with an obstacle.

[0193] In the example shown in Figure 19, the work area other than the outermost 69 and the permitted area 79 in the field 70 may be set as a permitted area where remote operation is permitted only when no agricultural work has been performed. The work vehicle 100 shown in Figure 19 performs predetermined agricultural work by moving back and forth within the work area of ​​the field 70. The illustrated work area includes a completed work area 73 where agricultural work has already been completed and an unworked area 78 where agricultural work has not yet been performed. If the work vehicle 100 tramples through the completed work area 73, it will impair the effectiveness of the agricultural work that has already been done. Therefore, in the example in Figure 19, the control device 180 disables remote operation to drive through the completed work area 73. Remote operation of the work vehicle 100 is possible in the unworked area 78. Whether the work vehicle 100 is located in the completed work area 73 or the unworked area 78 can be determined based on the movement of the work vehicle 100 and log data of agricultural work. In this example, the work vehicle 100 can avoid trampling the already worked area 73 by remotely controlling its movement. As in this example, the control device 180 may permit the remote control movement of the work vehicle 100 when the condition of the field 70 meets predetermined conditions (for example, that no agricultural work has been carried out yet).

[0194] As described above, the management device 600 in this embodiment generates a target route for the work vehicle 100 on the map of roads and fields according to a pre-created work plan or instructions from the user. The control device 180 for the work vehicle 100 designates the area defined by the target route as an automatic driving area and drives the work vehicle 100 within the automatic driving area. The control device 180 may set the same area or a part of the automatic driving area as a permitted area for remote operation, and set the area outside the automatic driving area as a prohibited area. Such settings prevent the work vehicle 100 from unnecessarily entering areas where automatic operation is not planned via remote control.

[0195] In such a configuration, the control device 180 may set a prohibited area within the automated driving area. For example, the prohibited area may be defined as an area where the distance from the trunks of trees included in the automated driving area is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0196] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a situation in which multiple trees 93 exist within the automated driving area 92. In this example, the control device 180 sets the area within a predetermined distance from the trunk of each tree 93 as a prohibited area 91. In this example, the map data includes the location information of each tree 93. Based on this location information, the control device 180 can identify the location of the trunks of the trees 93 that are present within the automated driving area 92. The control device 180 sets the area within a predetermined distance from the location of the trunk of each tree 93 as a prohibited area 91. This makes it possible to avoid the work vehicle 100 colliding with trees during remote operation.

[0197] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a prohibited area when rows 94 exist within the automatic driving area 92. As shown in Figure 21, the control device 180 may set the area in the field containing rows 94 within the automatic driving area 92 as a prohibited area 91. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from accidentally running over rows 94 in remote operation mode.

[0198] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a prohibited area when crop rows 95 are present within the automatic driving area 92. As shown in Figure 22, the control device 180 may set the area within the field containing crop rows 95 that is included in the automatic driving area 92 as a prohibited area 91. This prevents the work vehicle 100 from accidentally running over crop rows 95 in remote operation mode.

[0199] The control device 180 can determine the location of the furrow rows 94 or crop rows 95 based on data output from the camera 120 and GNSS unit 110 on the work vehicle 100. The control device 180 may also determine the location of the furrow rows 94 or crop rows 95 based on data previously acquired by a sensing device mounted on a mobile body other than the work vehicle 100. The control device 180 sets a restricted area 91 to include the entire furrow rows 94 or crop rows 95.

[0200] In the above embodiments, remote operation of the work vehicle 100 is permitted in each permitted area if the permitted conditions set for that area are met. When the permitted conditions are met, no particular restrictions are imposed on remote operation in that permitted area. On the other hand, in permitted areas where the permitted conditions are not met, the control device 180 disables remote operation and stops the work vehicle 100. In each of the above embodiments, restricted areas may be set instead of, or in addition to, permitted areas, where restrictions are imposed on the operation of remote operation. In restricted areas, remote operation is possible, but restrictions are imposed on the operation of the work vehicle 100 or implement 300 during remote operation. For example, restrictions may be imposed on the travel speed of the work vehicle 100, engine speed, operation of the three-point hitch, or operation of the PTO shaft, etc. In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the permitted areas may be replaced with restricted areas. In such embodiments, the work vehicle 100 that has entered a restricted area by remote operation may not stop, but may continue to be remotely operated with restrictions.

[0201] Restricted areas can be set both within the field and on roads outside the field. For example, in a restricted area set within the field, the travel speed of the work vehicle 100 may be limited to a speed appropriate to the agricultural work planned for that field. Alternatively, the operation of lowering the implement 300 beyond a height or depth suitable for the agricultural work planned for that field (e.g., tilling or pesticide spraying) may be restricted. Furthermore, if it is preferable for the work vehicle 100 to operate in four-wheel drive mode within the field, the control device 180 may send a warning to the terminal device 400 via the communication device 190 while the work vehicle 100 is in two-wheel drive mode. For example, the display 430 of the terminal device 400 may display a message such as "Please switch to 4WD." This prompts the user to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. The control device 180 may also set restricted areas outside the field to limit travel speed. For example, the speed of travel in restricted areas set on roads may be limited so as not to exceed the speed limits set on each road outside the field. Also, on roads or fields near houses or livestock sheds, the engine speed or travel speed may be limited to reduce noise. Such restrictions may be implemented only at night. The control device 180 can determine whether it is nighttime or not by referring to a clock, such as a real-time clock.

[0202] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting up restricted areas. Figure 24 is a table showing examples of the content of operation restrictions in each restricted area. In this example, three types of restricted areas with different content of operation restrictions are set up. Field 70 is set as the first restricted area. Road 76 (excluding the area around house 97 or livestock shed 98) is set as the second restricted area. The area 99 around house 97 or livestock shed 98 is set as the third restricted area. In the first restricted area within field 70, for example, the travel speed may be limited to a speed or less corresponding to the planned farm work. In addition to or instead of this restriction, in the first restricted area, the lowering of implement 300 beyond a height or depth corresponding to the planned farm work may be prohibited. In the second restricted area, for example, the travel speed may be limited to a speed or less corresponding to the speed limit set on road 76. In addition to or instead of this restriction, in the second restricted area, the operation of lowering implement 300 may be prohibited. In the third restricted area, in addition to the restrictions in the second restricted area, the engine speed may be restricted to below a threshold. In the example in Figure 23, the third restricted area is set on the road surrounding the house 97 or the livestock shed 98, but it may also include a part of the field 70. In that case, in the third restricted area within the field 70, in addition to the restrictions in the first restricted area, an engine speed restriction may be imposed. The engine speed restriction may be imposed only during predetermined time periods, such as at night.

[0203] Figure 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 180 when the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels includes both permitted and restricted areas. The flowchart shown in Figure 25 is the same as the flowchart shown in Figure 15, except that steps S150, S151, and S152 are added. The differences from the operation in Figure 15 will be explained below.

[0204] In the example shown in Figure 25, after step S142, the control device determines whether the work vehicle 100 is located within the restricted area. If the work vehicle 100 is located within the restricted area, the process proceeds to step S151. If the work vehicle 100 is not located within the restricted area, the process proceeds to step S143, and the operations from step S143 onward in Figure 15 are executed.

[0205] In step S151, the control device 180 determines whether the driving conditions associated with the restricted area where the work vehicle 100 is located are satisfied. For example, the control device 180 reads data such as a table defining the correspondence between the location of the restricted area and the content of the restriction, as shown in Figure 24, from the storage device 170. Based on this data, the control device 180 can determine whether the driving state indicated by the remote control signal satisfies the driving conditions in that restricted area. If the driving conditions are satisfied, the process proceeds to step S145, where the drive unit 240 is controlled according to the remote control signal to drive the work vehicle 100 as instructed. If the driving conditions are not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S152.

[0206] In step S152, the control device 180 controls the drive unit 240 according to the remote control signal while imposing operational restrictions to satisfy the driving conditions. For example, as illustrated in Figure 24, it controls the driving speed, implement height or depth, and / or engine speed, etc., to stay within a predetermined range. At this time, the control device 180 may transmit a signal to the terminal device 400 indicating that operational restrictions have been imposed. The terminal device 400 may display a warning based on the signal.

[0207] Figure 26 shows an example of a warning display. In this example, the warning display 89 includes messages such as "The implement cannot be lowered any further," "The speed cannot be increased any further," and "Switch to 4WD." Such warning displays allow the user to know that the remote control of the work vehicle 100 is being performed with restrictions. In the display screen shown in Figure 26, areas such as the field 70 that are set as restricted areas may be highlighted with a conspicuous color, for example. Such displays allow the user to know which areas are restricted areas. In addition, as in the embodiments described above, a barrier 77 indicating areas where remote control driving is not permitted may also be displayed.

[0208] After step S152, the process proceeds to step S149. Thereafter, the operation shown in Figure 25 may be repeated until an instruction to terminate the remote control mode is issued.

[0209] Through the above operations, the control device 180 can restrict the operation of remotely controlled driving according to each restricted area. This makes it possible to drive appropriately according to the characteristics of each restricted area when remotely controlled.

[0210] The above operation flow, the settings for permitted and restricted areas, and the content of permission conditions and operation restrictions are merely examples and can be modified in various ways. For example, only some of the permission conditions in each permitted area shown in Figure 12 may be used as permission conditions. Similarly, only some of the operation restrictions in each restricted area shown in Figure 24 may be applied. Which areas are permitted or restricted areas, whether or not there are conditional permitted areas, the permission conditions in each conditional permitted area, whether or not there are restricted areas, and the content of operation restrictions in each restricted area can be set as appropriate depending on the system.

[0211] In each of the above examples, the control device 180 may display information on the display 430 of the terminal device 400 indicating the type of operator permitted to remotely control the work vehicle 100, depending on the location of the work vehicle 100. Figure 27 shows an example of such a display. Figure 27 shows an example of information displayed when the work vehicle 100 is being remotely controlled on a public road. In this example, the message "On public roads, please have a skilled operator perform the remote control." is displayed. If the user sees this display and determines that they do not have the skills to remotely control the work vehicle on a public road, they can take action such as requesting a skilled operator to remotely control it. The type of operator permitted to remotely control the work vehicle 100 may vary depending on the location of the work vehicle 100. For example, it is preferable for a highly skilled operator to remotely control the work vehicle 100 when it is entering or leaving a garage, operating it at the entrance or exit of a field, and driving it on a public road with relatively heavy traffic. For this reason, it is effective to display information on the terminal device 400 indicating the type of operator permitted to remotely control the work vehicle 100 according to the difficulty of remote control at the location of the work vehicle 100.

[0212] In the example shown in Figure 27, data defining the correspondence between the location of the work vehicle 100 and the type of operator for whom remote operation is permitted or recommended can be stored in the storage device 170 in advance. Figure 28 shows an example of such data. The data shown in Figure 28 is a table defining the relationship between the type of location where the work vehicle 100 is located and the type of operator recommended for remote operation. Based on this data, the control device 180 can determine the type of operator according to the location of the work vehicle 100. In the example in Figure 28, it is recommended that a highly skilled operator perform remote operation at field entrances, busy public roads, and garages. On farm roads, it is recommended that an intermediate or advanced operator with moderate to above-average remote operation skills perform remote operation. In areas other than field entrances and on the user's private property excluding garages, even a novice operator with low remote operation skills is permitted to perform remote operation. Note that the correspondence between areas and operator types shown in Figure 28 is just an example and can be changed as appropriate. The map pre-records which locations correspond to fields, field entrances / exits, busy public roads, farm roads, user's private property, or garages. The control device 180 can determine the operator type corresponding to the location of the work vehicle 100 based on the data shown in Figure 28, the positioning results of the work vehicle 100, and the map. The control device 180 transmits a command to the terminal device 400 via the communication device 190 to display information indicating the determined operator type on the display 430. The display 430 can respond to this command by displaying a message as shown in Figure 27. Alternatively, instead of the control device 180, the processor 660 of the management device 600 may identify the operator type corresponding to the area where the work vehicle 100 is located based on the data shown in Figure 28 and transmit a display command to the terminal device 400.

[0213] In the above embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 1, the work vehicle 100 can be remotely controlled using a terminal device 400, which is a household computer. Remote control is not limited to the terminal device 400; other devices may also be used. For example, as shown in Figure 29, remote control may be performed using a computer installed in a facility such as a remote monitoring center.

[0214] The agricultural management system shown in Figure 29 includes multiple work vehicles 100. While Figure 29 illustrates three work vehicles 100, the number of work vehicles 100 is arbitrary. Other agricultural machinery (e.g., agricultural drones) may also be included in the system. In this example, a remote device 510 located at a remote monitoring center for agricultural machinery transmits remote control signals to each work vehicle 100. The remote device 510 is a computer connected to a remote control unit 520 used by an operator at the remote monitoring center and one or more displays 530. While Figure 29 illustrates five displays 530, the number of displays 530 is arbitrary. The remote control unit 520 may include various devices for remotely controlling the work vehicles 100 (e.g., a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, left and right brake pedals, clutch pedal, and various switches or levers). The remote control unit 520 shown in Figure 29 is a device that mimics the operating equipment used for manually driving the work vehicles 100, but the remote control unit 520 is not limited to such a device. For example, remote control may be performed using a controller such as a joystick. Each display 530 can display, for example, an environmental map of the area including the field where the work vehicle 100 performs agricultural work, and images (e.g., moving images) taken by one or more cameras mounted on the work vehicle 100. The operator can understand the situation around the work vehicle 100 by looking at the images displayed on the display 530. Depending on the situation around each work vehicle 100, the operator can switch between automatic driving mode and remote control mode, or remotely control each agricultural machine. The operator can remotely control the work vehicle 100 by operating the remote control device 520, similar to the example using the terminal device 400 described above.

[0215] The configurations and operations of the embodiments described above are illustrative only, and this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the various embodiments described above may be combined as appropriate to form other embodiments.

[0216] In the above embodiment, the processor 660 of the management device 600 creates a work plan, generates an environmental map, plans the global route of the work vehicle 100, and sets permitted areas, prohibited areas, or restricted areas, while the control device 180 located inside the work vehicle 100 performs local route planning and driving control of the work vehicle 100. Alternatively, some of the operations of the management device 600 may be performed by the control device 180, the operation terminal 200, the remote device 510, or the terminal device 400. For example, the generation of the global route may be performed by the control device 180, the operation terminal 200, or the terminal device 400.

[0217] In the above embodiment, the agricultural machinery operates automatically, but the agricultural machinery does not necessarily have to have an autonomous driving function. The technology of this disclosure can be broadly applied to remotely controlled agricultural machinery.

[0218] The driving control systems that control automatic and / or remotely controlled driving in the above embodiments can also be retrofitted to agricultural machinery that does not have those functions. Such systems can be manufactured and sold independently of agricultural machinery. Computer programs used in such systems can also be manufactured and sold independently of agricultural machinery. Computer programs can be provided, for example, stored in a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. Computer programs can also be provided by download via telecommunications lines (e.g., the Internet).

[0219] As described above, this disclosure includes the following driving control systems, agricultural machinery, and driving control methods.

[0220] [Item 1] A driving control system for agricultural machinery capable of automatic and remotely controlled driving, A storage device that stores the locations of permitted areas where remote operation is permitted and prohibited areas where remote operation is prohibited, A control device capable of operating in an automatic driving mode for automatically driving the agricultural machinery in an automatic driving area and a remote control mode for controlling the movement of the agricultural machinery by remote control, comprising a control device that disables remote control for entering the prohibited area, Equipped with, The control device sets at least a portion of the automatic driving area as the permitted area, sets the area outside the automatic driving area as the prohibited area, and stores the locations of the permitted area and the prohibited area in the storage device. Driving control system.

[0221] [Item 2] The control device is a driving control system according to item 1, wherein the control device sets the prohibited area to a range where the distance from the trunk of a tree included in the automatic driving area is less than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0222] [Item 3] The driving control system according to item 1 or 2, wherein the control device sets the area in the field containing rows of crops or rows of furrows that are included in the automatic driving area as the prohibited area.

[0223] [Item 4] The control device is A target route for automated driving is generated within the field and on the roads surrounding the field. In the aforementioned automatic driving mode, the agricultural machinery is made to automatically drive in the area defined by the field and the road on which the target route is generated, with the area defined as the automatic driving area. A driving control system as described in any of items 1 to 3.

[0224] [Item 5] The aforementioned agricultural machine is a work vehicle with an implement attached to its rear, The control device is When remote control is performed to move the aforementioned work vehicle forward onto an uphill slope with an incline angle greater than a predetermined angle, the remote control is disabled and the agricultural machinery is stopped. When the aforementioned work vehicle is remotely controlled to enter an uphill slope with an incline angle greater than or equal to the predetermined angle while in reverse, the agricultural machinery is instructed to reverse up the uphill slope in accordance with the remote control. A driving control system as described in any of items 1 through 4.

[0225] [Item 6] The control device is If the permitted area includes a field, and the exit of the field includes an uphill slope with an angle of inclination greater than or equal to the predetermined angle, When remote control is performed to move the aforementioned work vehicle forward onto the aforementioned uphill slope, the remote control is disabled and the agricultural machinery is stopped. When remote control is performed to move the agricultural machine into the uphill slope in reverse, the agricultural machine is instructed to move in reverse up the uphill slope according to the remote control. The driving control system described in item 5.

[0226] [Item 7] The permitted area includes the area where the remote-controlled driving is permitted under certain conditions. The control device, in the remote control mode, disables remote control of the agricultural machinery to move it within the permitted area if the state of the agricultural machinery does not meet the conditions for permitted remote operation within the permitted area. A driving control system as described in any of items 1 through 6.

[0227] [Item 8] In the remote control mode, the control device displays the image indicating the prohibited area. To be displayed on the terminal device used by the operator performing the remote operation, A driving control system as described in any of items 1 through 7.

[0228] [Item 9] The control device is a driving control system according to item 8, which displays on the display an image on which the prohibited area is superimposed on an image taken by a camera mounted on the agricultural machine.

[0229] [Item 10] The driving control system according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the control device displays a warning on the display of a terminal device used by the operator performing the remote operation when a remote operation is performed to cause the vehicle to enter the prohibited area.

[0230] [Item 11] The control device acquires location information of the agricultural machinery from a positioning device that positions the agricultural machinery, and identifies the area where the agricultural machinery is located based on the location information, according to any one of items 1 to 10.

[0231] [Item 12] A driving control system described in any of items 1 to 11, A traveling device controlled by the aforementioned control device, Agricultural machinery equipped with [specific features / equipment].

[0232] [Item 13] A remote-controlled driving control system for agricultural machinery, A storage device that stores the locations of permitted areas where remote operation is permitted and the locations of restricted areas where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote operation, A control device capable of operating in a remote control mode that controls the movement of the agricultural machinery by remote operation, the control device that restricts the operation of the agricultural machinery by remote operation when remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machinery from the permitted area to the restricted area, A driving control system equipped with the following features.

[0233] [Item 14] The control device limits the travel speed of the agricultural machinery when it is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area, as described in item 13.

[0234] [Item 15] The aforementioned restricted area is located within the field. When the control device is remotely operated to move the agricultural machinery into the restricted area within the field, it limits the travel speed of the agricultural machinery to a speed corresponding to the planned agricultural work in the field. The driving control system described in item 14.

[0235] [Item 16] The control device is a driving control system according to any one of items 13 to 15, which limits the engine speed of the agricultural machine when remote control is performed to move the agricultural machine into the restricted area.

[0236] [Item 17] The control device is a driving control system according to item 16, wherein the restricted area includes a road or field surrounding at least one of a house and a barn, and the remote control is performed to move the agricultural machinery into the restricted area, thereby limiting the engine speed of the agricultural machinery.

[0237] [Item 18] The aforementioned agricultural machinery is a work vehicle to which implements are attached. The control device, when remote control is performed to move the agricultural machine into the restricted area, restricts the operation of the implement. A driving control system as described in any of items 13 to 17.

[0238] [Item 19] The driving control system according to item 18, wherein the control device disables a remote operation to lower the height of the implement below a predetermined height when the agricultural machine is remotely operated to enter the restricted area.

[0239] [Item 20] The control device is the travel control system according to any one of items 13 to 19, which changes the restriction on the operation of the agricultural machine according to the position of the agricultural machine in the restricted area.

[0240] [Item 21] The control device is the travel control system according to item 20, which determines the restriction on the operation of the agricultural machine based on a table defining the correspondence between the position in the restricted area and the restriction on the operation of the agricultural machine.

[0241] [Item 22] The control device is the travel control system according to any one of items 13 to 21, which causes the display of the terminal device used by the operator to display information indicating the type of operator permitted for the remote operation according to the position of the agricultural machine.

[0242] [Item 23] The permitted area includes an area where the remote operation travel is permitted conditionally. The control device, in the remote operation mode, invalidates the remote operation for causing the agricultural machine to travel within the permitted area when the state of the agricultural machine does not satisfy the conditions for permitting the remote operation travel within the permitted area. The travel control system according to any one of items 13 to 22. The travel control system according to any one of items 13 to 22.

[0243] [Item 24] The control device, in the remote operation mode, causes the display of the terminal device used by the operator performing the remote operation to display an image indicating the restricted area. The travel control system according to any one of items 13 to 23.

[0244] [Item 25] The control device is the travel control system according to item 24, which causes the display to display an image in which the display of the restricted area is superimposed on the image captured by the camera mounted on the agricultural machine.

[0245] [Item 26] The control device is the travel control system according to any one of Items 13 to 25, which causes a warning to be displayed on a display of a terminal device used by an operator who performs the remote operation when the remote operation to cause the agricultural machine to enter the restricted area is performed.

[0246] [Item 27] The control device is capable of operating in an automatic travel mode in which the agricultural machine travels automatically within an automatic travel area, sets an outside of the automatic travel area as a prohibited area where the remote operation travel is not permitted, and sets at least a part of the automatic travel area as the permitted area or the restricted area. The travel control system according to any one of Items 13 to 26.

[0247] [Item 28] The control device is the travel control system according to any one of Items 13 to 27, which acquires position information of the agricultural machine from a positioning device that performs positioning of the agricultural machine and identifies an area where the agricultural machine is located based on the position information.

[0248] [Item 29] The travel control system according to any one of Items 13 to 28, a travel device controlled by the control device, and an agricultural machine including the same.

[0249] [Item 30] A travel control method for an agricultural machine capable of automatic travel and remote operation travel, including: acquiring information indicating positions of a permitted area where the remote operation travel is permitted and a prohibited area where the remote operation travel is prohibited; operating in an automatic travel mode in which the agricultural machine travels automatically in an automatic travel area and a remote operation mode in which the travel of the agricultural machine is controlled by remote operation; In the aforementioned remote control mode, the remote control that causes the agricultural machinery to enter the prohibited area is disabled, Setting at least a portion of the automated driving area as the permitted area, setting the area outside the automated driving area as the prohibited area, and storing the locations of the permitted area and the prohibited area in a storage device, A driving control method including the following.

[0250] [Item 31] A method for controlling the movement of agricultural machinery that can be remotely operated, To obtain information indicating the location of the permitted area where remote operation is permitted and the location of the restricted area where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote operation, In a remote control mode in which the movement of the agricultural machinery is controlled by remote operation, when a remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machinery from the permitted area into the restricted area, the operation of the agricultural machinery by remote operation is restricted. A driving control method including the following. [Industrial applicability]

[0251] The technology disclosed herein can be applied to a driving control system for autonomous agricultural machinery such as tractors, harvesters, rice transplanters, riding cultivators, vegetable transplanters, lawnmowers, seeders, fertilizer spreaders, or agricultural robots. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0252] 50...GNSS satellite, 60...Reference station, 70...Field, 71...Entrance / exit, 72...Work area, 74...Headland, 76...Road, 77...Barrier, 80...Network, 90...Storage area, 96...Standby area, 100...Work vehicle, 101...Vehicle body, 102...Motor (engine), 103...Transmission, 104...Wheels, 105... Cabin, 106... Steering system, 107... Driver's seat, 108... Coupling device, 110... Positioning device, 111... GNSS receiver, 112... RTK receiver, 115... Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), 116... Processing circuit, 120... Camera, 130... Obstacle sensor, 140... LiDAR sensor, 150... Sensor group, 152... Steering wheel sensor, 154... Steering angle sensor, 156... Axle sensor, 160... Control system, 170... Memory device, 180... Control device, 181-186... ECU, 190... Communication device, 200... Operation terminal, 210... Operation switch group, 220... Buzzer, 240... Drive unit, 300... Implement, 340... Drive unit, 380... Control device, 390... Communication device, 400... Terminal End device, 420...Input device, 430...Display device, 450...Storage device, 460...Processor, 470...ROM, 480...RAM, 490...Communication device, 510...Remote device, 520...Remote control device, 530...Display, 600...Management device, 660...Processor, 670...Storage device, 670...ROM, 680...RAM, 690...Communication device

Claims

1. A remote-controlled driving control system for agricultural machinery, A storage device that stores the locations of permitted areas where remote operation is permitted and the locations of restricted areas where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote operation, A control device capable of operating in a remote control mode that controls the movement of the agricultural machinery by remote operation, the control device that restricts the operation of the agricultural machinery by remote operation when remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machinery from the permitted area to the restricted area, A driving control system equipped with the following features.

2. The travel control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device limits the travel speed of the agricultural machinery when remote control is performed to move the agricultural machinery into the restricted area.

3. The aforementioned restricted area is located within the field. When the control device is remotely operated to move the agricultural machinery into the restricted area within the field, it limits the travel speed of the agricultural machinery to a speed corresponding to the planned agricultural work in the field. The driving control system according to claim 2.

4. The driving control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device limits the engine speed of the agricultural machine when remote control is performed to move the agricultural machine into the restricted area.

5. The driving control system according to claim 4, wherein the control device limits the engine speed of the agricultural machinery when the restricted area includes a road or field surrounding at least one of a house and a barn, and when the agricultural machinery is remotely controlled to enter the restricted area.

6. The aforementioned agricultural machinery is a work vehicle to which implements are attached. The control device, when remote control is performed to move the agricultural machine into the restricted area, restricts the operation of the implement. The driving control system according to claim 1.

7. The driving control system according to claim 6, wherein the control device disables a remote operation to lower the height of the implement below a predetermined height when the agricultural machine is remotely operated to enter the restricted area.

8. The travel control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device changes the restrictions on the operation of the agricultural machine according to the position of the agricultural machine in the restricted area.

9. The travel control system according to claim 8, wherein the control device determines the limitations on the operation of the agricultural machine based on a table that defines the correspondence between the position in the restricted area and the limitations on the operation of the agricultural machine.

10. The driving control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device causes the operator to display information indicating the type of operator who is permitted to perform the remote operation, according to the position of the agricultural machine, on the display of a terminal device used by the operator.

11. The permitted area includes the area where the remote-controlled driving is permitted under certain conditions. In the remote control mode, the control device determines that the state of the agricultural machine is within the permitted area. If the conditions for permitted remote operation within area A are not met, the remote operation to operate the agricultural machinery within the permitted area is disabled. The driving control system according to claim 1.

12. In the remote operation mode, the control device displays an image indicating the restricted area on the display of the terminal device used by the operator performing the remote operation. The driving control system according to claim 1.

13. The driving control system according to claim 12, wherein the control device displays on the display an image on which the display of the restricted area is superimposed on an image taken by a camera mounted on the agricultural machine.

14. The driving control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device displays a warning on the display of a terminal device used by the operator performing the remote operation when the agricultural machine is remotely operated to enter the restricted area.

15. The control device is The aforementioned agricultural machinery can be operated in an automatic driving mode, which allows it to automatically drive within an automatic driving area. The area outside the aforementioned automated driving area is designated as a prohibited area where remote control driving is not permitted. Set at least a portion of the automated driving area as the permitted area or the restricted area. The driving control system according to claim 1.

16. The control device acquires location information of the agricultural machinery from a positioning device that positions the agricultural machinery, and identifies the area in which the agricultural machinery is located based on the location information, as described in claim 1.

17. A driving control system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, A traveling device controlled by the aforementioned control device, Agricultural machinery equipped with [specific features / equipment].

18. A method for controlling the movement of agricultural machinery that can be remotely operated, To obtain information indicating the location of the permitted area where remote operation is permitted and the location of the restricted area where restrictions are imposed on the operation of the remote operation, In a remote control mode in which the movement of the agricultural machinery is controlled by remote operation, when a remote operation is performed to move the agricultural machinery from the permitted area into the restricted area, the operation of the agricultural machinery by remote operation is restricted. A driving control method including the following.

Images