Support device for work machine, support system for work machine, and support method for work machine

Abstract

By appropriately selecting a positioning method, the accuracy of detecting the position of the work machine is improved. [Solution] The support system for the work machine includes a support device having a selection unit that selects either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite received by a base station and a reference point of the base station that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including the satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations and a virtual reference point based on the reference points of the three or more base stations, and a work machine that receives the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit, wherein the selection unit selects the first correction information or the second correction information according to the positional relationship between the polygonal area formed by connecting the reference points of the three or more base stations and the work machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device for a work machine, a support system for a work machine, and a support method for a work machine.

Background Art

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, the RTK (Real Time Kinematic) method is known as a technique for relatively easily realizing high-precision positioning. In this RTK method, there are an RRS (Real Reference Station)-GNSS method that uses the actual reference point (absolute position) of a base station (electronic reference point) as a reference point, and a VRS (Virtual Reference Station)-GNSS method that uses a virtual reference point virtually created near a mobile station as a reference point.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the RRS-GNSS method, the VRS-GNSS method, etc., correction information based on satellite signals transmitted from a reference point and positioning satellites is transmitted to a mobile station, and the position of the mobile station is calculated on the mobile station side based on the satellite signals and the correction information, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the mobile station.

[0005] However, depending on the positional relationship between the mobile station and the base stations around the mobile station, there may be cases where the positioning accuracy in the RRS-GNSS method cannot be maintained, or cases where the positioning accuracy in the VRS-GNSS method cannot be maintained.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a support device for work equipment, a support system for work equipment, and a support method for work equipment that can improve the accuracy of position detection of work equipment by appropriately selecting a positioning method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A support system for a work machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a support device having a selection unit that selects either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite received by a base station and a reference point of the base station that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including the satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations and a virtual reference point based on the reference points of the three or more base stations; and a work machine that receives the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit, wherein the selection unit selects the first correction information or the second correction information according to the positional relationship between a polygonal area formed by connecting the reference points of the three or more base stations and the work machine.

[0008] If the work machine is located outside the area, the selection unit may preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

[0009] The selection unit, when the relative distance between the reference point of the base station closest to the work machine and the work machine is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, prioritizes the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine. You may choose to do so.

[0010] The support system for the work machine includes a first monitoring unit that monitors the communication status between a vehicle positioning device, which is installed on the work machine and receives satellite signals from the positioning satellite, and the positioning satellite. If the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite is poor, the selection unit may preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

[0011] The first monitoring unit monitors the strength of the radio waves received by the vehicle positioning device from the positioning satellite as the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite. If the strength of the radio waves is below a predetermined second threshold and the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite is poor, the selection unit may preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

[0012] The support system for the work machine includes a third monitoring unit that monitors the position detection accuracy, which is the accuracy of position detection based on the second correction information. The selection unit may, if the position detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined determination value, preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

[0013] The third monitoring unit may use the second correction information to calculate the position of a base station other than the three or more base stations among the plurality of base stations, and monitor the position detection accuracy based on the positional deviation between the calculated position of the other base station and the reference point of the other base station.

[0014] The support system for the work machine includes a memory device that stores a combination of the position detection accuracy and the three or more base stations, and the selection unit may preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine if the position detection accuracy stored in the memory device is lower than the determination value.

[0015] The support system for the work machine may include an acquisition unit that acquires the work details of the work device of the work machine, and a modification unit that changes the determination value according to the work details acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0016] The support system for the work machine includes a fourth monitoring unit that monitors the status of the base station, and the selection unit selects the base station closest to the work machine and the three or more base stations that are in good condition, and does not need to select the base station that is in poor condition.

[0017] The work machine support system includes an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a vehicle positioning device provided on the work machine and that detects the position of the work machine, and a storage device that stores a management table indicating a combination of whether the vehicle positioning device is suitable for position detection using the second correction information and the identification information, and the selection unit may, based on the identification information and the management table, preferentially select the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine if the vehicle positioning device is not suitable for position detection using the second correction information.

[0018] A method for supporting a work machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first step in which a selection unit of the support device selects either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite received by a base station and a reference point of the base station that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including a virtual reference point based on a satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations and the reference points of the three or more base stations; and a second step in which the vehicle communication device of the work machine receives the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit in the first step, wherein the selection unit is the first... At the step, the first correction information or the second correction information is selected according to the positional relationship between the polygonal area formed by connecting the reference points of the three or more base stations and the work machine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the above-described support device for the work machine, support system for the work machine, and support method for the work machine, the positioning method can be appropriately selected to improve the accuracy of position detection of the work machine. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the support system for the work equipment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an automated work machine. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the entire work machine. [Figure 4]It is a block diagram of a support system for a work machine. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the flow of data in an arithmetic unit. [Figure 6] It is FIG. 1 for explaining a series of flows of processes performed by a selection unit, a generation unit, a transmission control unit, and a communication control unit. [Figure 7] It is FIG. 2 for explaining a series of flows of processes performed by a selection unit, a generation unit, a transmission control unit, and a communication control unit. [Figure 8] It is FIG. 3 for explaining a series of flows of processes performed by a selection unit, a generation unit, a transmission control unit, and a communication control unit. [Figure 9] It is FIG. 4 for explaining a series of flows of processes performed by a selection unit, a generation unit, a transmission control unit, and a communication control unit.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a support system S for a work machine 1. The support system S for the work machine 1 includes a support device 50 for the work machine 1, and the work machine 1 that measures its own position (vehicle body position VP) based on a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning satellite G and correction information transmitted from the support device 50. FIG. 2 shows a situation where the work machine 1 is automatically traveling along a planned travel route L based on the measured vehicle body position VP. In the present embodiment, the work machine 1 performs automatic travel based on the measured own position and the planned travel route L.

[0022] First, the work machine 1 will be described. The work machine 1 is an agricultural machine such as a tractor, a combine, or a rice transplanter. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a tractor as an example of the work machine 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the work machine 1 includes a vehicle body 3, a prime mover 4, and a transmission 5. A traveling device 7 is provided on the vehicle body 3, and the traveling device 7 is a device having front wheels 7F and rear wheels 7R. A cabin 9 is provided on the vehicle body 3, and a driver's seat 10 is provided in the cabin 9.

[0023] The prime mover 4 is a diesel engine, electric motor, etc. The transmission 5 can change the speed and direction of rotation (forward and reverse movement of the vehicle body 3) of the power transmitted to the running gear 7.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a lifting device 8, consisting of a three-point linkage mechanism, is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 3. An implement 2 can be attached to and detached from the lifting device 8. By connecting the implement 2 to the lifting device 8, the implement 2 can be towed by the vehicle body 3.

[0025] Work equipment 2 includes a digging device for digging up potatoes and carrots, a fertilizer spreading device (fertilizer application device) for spreading fertilizer, a pesticide spraying device for spraying pesticides, a seeding device for sowing seeds in field H, a harvesting device for harvesting, a digging device for cutting pasture grass, and a device for spreading pasture grass. These include a diffusion device, a hay collection device for collecting hay and other grasses, a shaping device for shaping hay and other grasses, and a ground work device for performing ground operations on field H. The ground work device includes a rough tillage device (stubble cultivator) for rough tillage, a puddling device (drive harrow) for puddling, and a tilling device (rotary tiller) for tilling.

[0026] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the support system S of the work machine 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the work machine 1 is equipped with a steering device 11. The steering device 11 includes a handle (steering wheel) 11a, a rotating shaft (steering shaft) 11b that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 11a, and an auxiliary mechanism (power steering mechanism) 11c that assists in steering the handle 11a. The auxiliary mechanism 11c includes a hydraulic pump 12, a control valve 13 to which hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 12 is supplied, and a steering cylinder 14 that is operated by the control valve 13. The control valve 13 is a solenoid valve that operates based on a control signal. The control valve 13 is a three-position changeable valve that can be switched by, for example, the movement of a spool. The control valve 13 can also be switched by steering the steering shaft 11b. The steering cylinder 14 is connected to an arm (knuckle arm) 15 that changes the direction of the front wheel 7F.

[0027] Therefore, by operating the handle 11a, the switching position and opening degree of the control valve 13 are switched in accordance with the handle 11a, and the steering cylinder 14 extends or retracts to the left or right in accordance with the switching position and opening degree of the control valve 13, thereby changing the steering direction of the front wheel 7F. Note that the steering device 11 described above is just one example and is not limited to the above configuration.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the work machine 1 is equipped with a vehicle communication device 21, a vehicle positioning device 22, a control device 23, and a vehicle storage device 24. The vehicle communication device 21 is a device that transmits various data to the outside of the work machine 1 (for example, a support device 50) and receives data transmitted from the outside. The vehicle communication device 21 communicates wirelessly with the outside using, for example, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark) of the IEEE 802.11 series, a mobile phone communication network, or a data communication network. The vehicle communication device 21 requests correction information from the support device 50 for positioning using the RTK method, and receives the correction information from the support device 50. The vehicle communication device 21 requests correction information at predetermined time intervals.

[0029] When the work machine 1 performs positioning using the RRS-GNSS method, the correction information includes, for example, the position information (including latitude and longitude) of the base station 30's reference point (absolute position) RP, and the distance information between the reference point RP and the positioning satellite G. When the work machine 1 performs positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, the correction information includes, for example, the position information of a virtual reference point VRP virtually defined in the vicinity of the work machine 1, and the distance information between the virtual reference point VRP and the positioning satellite G.

[0030] The vehicle positioning device 22 is a device that receives satellite signals transmitted from positioning satellite G (position of positioning satellite G, transmission time when positioning satellite G transmitted the satellite signal, etc.) and determines the position of the vehicle 3 (work machine 1) (vehicle position VP). The vehicle positioning device 22 has an antenna 22a that receives satellite signals. Positioning satellite G is a satellite positioning system such as D-GPS, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, or Michibiki.

[0031] The vehicle positioning device 22 determines the vehicle position VP using the RTK method based on the satellite signal received by the antenna 22a and the correction information received by the vehicle communication device 21. When the vehicle communication device 21 receives correction information, the vehicle positioning device 22 performs positioning using the RRS-GNSS or VRS-GNSS method based on the satellite signal and the correction information. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle positioning device 22 is mounted on the vehicle body 3, more specifically on the cabin 9.

[0032] The vehicle positioning device 22 performs positioning using the RRS-GNSS or VRS-GNSS method. It is preferable that this is possible, but it is sufficient if positioning using the RRS-GNSS method is possible.

[0033] Furthermore, the vehicle positioning device 22 may be capable of independent positioning based on satellite signals received by the antenna 22a. If the vehicle positioning device 22 has multiple antennas 22a, it may calculate the orientation of the vehicle 3 (vehicle orientation) based on the determined vehicle position VP.

[0034] Furthermore, the vehicle positioning device 22 may also have an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 22b. The inertial measurement unit 22b has an acceleration sensor to detect acceleration, a gyro sensor to detect angular velocity, etc., and the information detected by the inertial measurement unit 22b is used to supplement the position information determined by satellite signals received by the vehicle positioning device 22.

[0035] The control device 23 is located inside the vehicle body 3 or cabin 9 and consists of electrical and electronic circuits, a CPU, memory, and programs stored in it. The control device 23 controls various devices connected to the vehicle network N of the work machine 1. The control device 23 also performs various calculations based on input signals.

[0036] The vehicle storage device 24 is a storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various information related to the work machine 1.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the control device 23 includes an automatic driving control unit 23a and a definition unit 23b. The automatic driving control unit 23a and the definition unit 23b are composed of electrical and electronic circuits, a CPU, and programs stored in memory provided in the control device 23.

[0038] The automatic driving control unit 23a controls the steering angle (rotation angle of the steering shaft 11b) and driving speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle body 3 so that the vehicle body 3 travels along the planned driving route L. As shown in Figure 2, the planned driving route L includes, for example, a straight-line section L1 for straight-line driving and a turning section L2 for turning driving.

[0039] The planned route L may be pre-stored in the vehicle storage device 24, or it may be created (defined) based on the vehicle position VP detected by the vehicle positioning device 22 when the work machine 1 is actually traveling. Alternatively, the planned route L may be created based on information input via the input interface.

[0040] The input interface is, for example, a display device 16 provided on the work machine 1 and capable of input operation. The display device 16 has a display screen 16a that displays a screen, as well as, for example, a touchpad or a hardware-type switch. The input interface only needs to be capable of inputting information and to be able to acquire the input information into the control device 23. It may also be a terminal that is communicatively connected to the vehicle communication device 21 and capable of operation, such as a smartphone. Furthermore, the input interface may create the planned route L, or another processing unit may create the planned route L based on the information received by the input interface.

[0041] The automatic driving control unit 23a automatically changes the control valve 13 of the steering device 11, the gear of the transmission 5, the rotational speed of the prime mover 4, etc., based on the vehicle position VP and / or vehicle orientation (at least one of the vehicle position VP and vehicle orientation) determined by the vehicle positioning device 22 and the planned driving route L.

[0042] For example, the automatic driving control unit 23a sets a threshold when the positional deviation between the vehicle body position VP and the planned driving route L is The steering angle is controlled to remain below a certain value (automatic driving control). In other words, if the positional deviation between the vehicle position VP and the planned route L is less than the threshold, the automatic driving control unit 23a controls the control valve 13 of the steering device 11 to maintain the steering angle. On the other hand, if the positional deviation between the vehicle position VP and the planned route L is greater than or equal to the threshold, the automatic driving control unit 23a controls the control valve 13 of the steering device 11 to change the steering angle in a direction that reduces the positional deviation. The automatic driving control unit 23a also changes the driving speed depending on whether the vehicle position VP is located in the straight section L1 or the turning section L2 of the planned route L. The automatic driving control unit 23a controls the driving speed to be lower when the vehicle position VP is located in the turning section L2 compared to when the vehicle position VP is located in the straight section L1.

[0043] The above-mentioned automated driving control is just one example and is not limited to this control.

[0044] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained using the case where the control device 23 has an automatic driving control unit 23a as an example, the work machine 1 only needs to be able to perform work based on the vehicle position VP determined by the vehicle positioning device 22. For example, in addition to the automatic driving control unit 23a, or instead, the control device 23 may have an automatic steering control unit (not shown) that controls the steering angle of the vehicle body 3 so that the vehicle body 3 travels along the planned route L. Also, the display device 16 may display the current position of the work machine 1 on the field map based on the vehicle position VP determined by the vehicle positioning device 22 and the field map stored in the storage device 53 that shows the field H.

[0045] The definition unit 23b defines the information (request information) that the vehicle body communication device 21 sends to the support device 50 when it requests correction information from the support device 50. The request information includes the location information of the vehicle body position VP determined by the vehicle body positioning device 22. The location information of the vehicle body position VP included in the request information is the location information determined by the vehicle body positioning device 22 using the RTK method. However, if the vehicle body positioning device 22 is unable to perform positioning using the RTK method (for example, immediately after the start of the work machine 1, when the vehicle body communication device 21 has not yet received correction information), the location information may be determined by standalone positioning.

[0046] In this embodiment, the requested information includes, in addition to the location information of the vehicle body position VP, identification information indicating the work equipment 1, usage information indicating the work content, identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22, and satellite signals received by the vehicle positioning device 22. The identification information indicating the work equipment 1 is a unique string of characters for identifying each individual work equipment 1. The identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22 is a unique string of characters for identifying the model of the vehicle positioning device 22. This identification information is pre-stored, for example, in the vehicle storage device 24.

[0047] Furthermore, the application information is information indicating the work content of the work device 2 connected to the work machine 1. The definition unit 23b acquires the work content and defines the application information based on the information input through the input interface. For example, the display device 16 displays a predetermined work selection screen (not shown) on the display screen 16a and accepts the selection operation of the options displayed on the work selection screen. The definition unit 23b acquires the information input by the display device 16 through the selection operation.

[0048] Furthermore, the definition unit 23b may acquire work details from sources other than the input interface. If the work device 2 and the control device 23 are connected in a communicative manner, and the control device 23 can identify the work details based on the identification information of the work device 2, the definition unit 23b may acquire the identified work details.

[0049] Furthermore, the information included in the request information described above is just an example, and may include, for example, authentication information for authenticating communication between the work machine 1 and the support device 50.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1, the base station 30 is located at a predetermined reference point RP and is connected to the positioning satellite G. The satellite signals are received. The base station 30 is a fixed base station installed at a predetermined reference point RP (absolute position) by, for example, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, an agricultural machinery manufacturer, an agricultural cooperative, or a management company. Multiple base stations 30 are arranged around the field H and the work machine 1 located in the field H. Each of the multiple base stations 30 is equipped with a base communication device 31, a base positioning device 32, a base computing device 33, and a base storage device 34.

[0051] The base station communication device 31 is a device that transmits various data to the outside of the base station 30 (for example, the support device 50 or the management center 40 described later) and receives data transmitted from the outside. The base station communication device 31 communicates wirelessly with the outside using, for example, the IEEE 802.11 series Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark), a mobile phone communication network, or a data communication network. In this embodiment, the base station communication device 31 transmits observation information (information based on satellite signals) as data to the support device 50 via the management center 40.

[0052] Furthermore, the base communication device 31 only needs to be able to transmit observation information to the support device 50, and may transmit observation information directly to the support device 50 without going through the management center 40.

[0053] The base positioning device 32 is a device that receives satellite signals transmitted from positioning satellite G (such as the position of positioning satellite G and the time of transmission when positioning satellite G transmitted the satellite signal). The base positioning device 32 has an antenna 32a that receives satellite signals.

[0054] The base computing unit 33 is a device composed of electrical and electronic circuits, a CPU, programs stored in memory, etc. The base computing unit 33 performs various calculations related to the base station 30. The base computing unit 33 defines (calculates) the observation information transmitted by the base communication device 31. For example, the base computing unit 33 defines the observation information by adding its own identification information (for example, a predetermined string) to the satellite signal.

[0055] The base computing unit 33 may define observation information by adding its own reference point RP (specifically, the position information of the reference point RP) to the satellite signal.

[0056] The base station memory device 34 is a storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various information related to the base station 30. For example, the base station memory device 34 stores identification information of the reference station and location information of the reference point RP.

[0057] The management center 40 is a fixed terminal (server), such as a fixed computer, located outside the work machine 1. The management center 40 is installed in, for example, an agricultural machinery manufacturer, an agricultural cooperative, or a management company. The management center 40 is equipped with a management communication device 41, a management calculation device 42, and a management storage device 43.

[0058] The management communication device 41 is a device that transmits various data to an external location (e.g., a support device 50) of the management center 40, and receives data transmitted from an external location (e.g., a base station 30). The management communication device 41 communicates wirelessly with the outside world using, for example, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark) of the IEEE 802.11 series, a mobile phone network, or a data communication network. In this embodiment, the management communication device 41 transmits observation information received from the base station communication devices 31 of one or more base stations 30 to the support device 50.

[0059] The management arithmetic unit 42 is a device composed of electrical and electronic circuits, a CPU, memory, and programs stored in it. The management arithmetic unit 42 performs various calculations related to the management center 40.

[0060] The management storage device 43 is a storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various information related to the management center 40. The management storage device 43 may store, for example, a management table that associates the identification information of the base station 30 with the location information of the reference point RP.

[0061] As a result, if the support device 50 does not store the location information of the reference point RP of each base station 30, and the observation information transmitted from the base station communication device 31 does not include the location information of the reference point RP, and the identification information of the base station 30 is attached, the management calculation device 42 may acquire the location information of the reference point RP based on the identification information and the management table of the management storage device 43, and attach the location information of the reference point RP to the observation information. In this embodiment, the case in which the support device 50 stores the location information of the reference point RP of each base station 30 will be explained as an example.

[0062] The support device 50 is a fixed terminal (server), such as a fixed computer, installed outside the work machine 1. The support device 50 is installed, for example, in an agricultural machinery manufacturer, an agricultural cooperative, or a management company. The support device 50 includes a communication device 51, a computing device 52, and a storage device 53.

[0063] The communication device 51 is a device that transmits various data to the outside of the support device 50 (for example, the work machine 1 or the management center 40) and receives data transmitted from the outside (for example, the work machine 1 or the management center 40). The communication device 51 communicates wirelessly with the outside using, for example, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark) of the IEEE 802.11 series, a mobile phone communication network, or a data communication network. In this embodiment, the communication device 51 receives observation information from one or more management communication devices 41 and receives request information from the vehicle body communication device 21. The communication device 51 also transmits correction information to the vehicle body communication device 21.

[0064] Furthermore, the communication device 51 only needs to be able to receive observation information transmitted from multiple (at least three or more) base stations 30, and the management communication device 41 that the communication device 51 uses for wireless communication may be one or multiple.

[0065] The arithmetic unit 52 is a device composed of electrical and electronic circuits, a CPU, memory, and programs stored in it. The arithmetic unit 52 performs various calculations related to the support device 50.

[0066] The storage device 53 is a storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various information related to the support device 50. For example, the storage device 53 stores the identification information of each base station 30 and the location information of the reference point RP of the base station 30 in association with each other.

[0067] The support device 50 generates correction information (first correction information) to be used in the RRS-GNSS system based on the satellite signal and the reference point RP, and generates correction information (second correction information including the virtual reference point VRP) to be used in the VRS-GNSS system based on the satellite signal and the reference point RP. As shown in Figure 4, the support device 50 (arithmetic unit 52) ​​has a communication control unit 52a, a request processing unit 52b, a conversion unit 52c, a fourth monitoring unit 52d, a first monitoring unit 52e, a second monitoring unit 52f, a fifth monitoring unit 52g, a sixth monitoring unit 52h, a third monitoring unit 52i, a modification unit 52j, a selection unit 52k, a management unit 52l, a generation unit 52m, and a transmission control unit 52n. The communication control unit 52a, request processing unit 52b, conversion unit 52c, fourth monitoring unit 52d, first monitoring unit 52e, second monitoring unit 52f, fifth monitoring unit 52g, sixth monitoring unit 52h, third monitoring unit 52i, modification unit 52j, selection unit 52k, management unit 52l, generation unit 52m, and transmission control unit 52n are software stored in the electrical and electronic circuits, CPU, and memory provided in the arithmetic unit 52. It consists of programs and other components.

[0068] Of the software in the arithmetic unit 52, the communication control unit 52a, the conversion unit 52c, the fourth monitoring unit 52d, the fifth monitoring unit 52g, the sixth monitoring unit 52h, and the management unit 52l operate continuously regardless of the request information transmitted from the vehicle body communication device 21. On the other hand, the request processing unit 52b, the first monitoring unit 52e, the second monitoring unit 52f, the third monitoring unit 52i, the modification unit 52j, the selection unit 52k, the generation unit 52m, and the transmission control unit 52n operate in accordance with the request information received by the communication device 51 from the vehicle body communication device 21.

[0069] Figure 5 illustrates the data flow in the arithmetic unit 52. The software of the arithmetic unit 52 will be explained in detail below using Figures 4 and 5.

[0070] The communication control unit 52a is software that controls the communication device 51 to receive information transmitted from the vehicle body communication device 21, and to transmit information from the communication device 51 to the vehicle body communication device 21. For example, the communication control unit 52a controls the communication device 51 to receive request information transmitted from the vehicle body communication device 21. The communication control unit 52a also controls the communication device 51 based on data (including identification information indicating the work machine 1, and data after formatting by the request processing unit 52b, which will be described later) to transmit correction information from the communication device 51 to the vehicle body communication device 21. The communication control unit 52a outputs the request information received by the communication device 51 to the request processing unit 52b.

[0071] The request processing unit 52b acquires at least the location information of the vehicle body position VP, the usage information indicating the work content, and the satellite signal received by the vehicle positioning device 22 from the request information received by the communication control unit 52a to the communication device 51, and formats (converts) this information into data that is easy for the support device 50 to process. In this embodiment, the request processing unit 52b acquires the location information of the vehicle body position VP, the identification information indicating the work machine 1, the usage information indicating the work content, the identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22, and the satellite signal received by the vehicle positioning device 22 from the request information, and formats this information into data that is easy for the support device 50 to process.

[0072] The request processing unit 52b outputs the formatted data, including the satellite signal received by the vehicle positioning device 22, to the first monitoring unit 52e and the second monitoring unit 52f. The request processing unit 52b also outputs the formatted data, including the usage information, to the modification unit 52j, and outputs the formatted data, including the location information of the vehicle position VP and the identification information of the vehicle positioning device 22, to the selection unit 52k.

[0073] Furthermore, the software that acquires usage information and the software that acquires identification information for the vehicle positioning device 22 within the request processing unit 52b is sometimes referred to as the "second acquisition unit 52b1". In other words, the second acquisition unit 52b1 can acquire work details and identification information for the vehicle positioning device 22.

[0074] The conversion unit 52c is software that controls the communication device 51 to receive information transmitted from the management communication device 41, and to format (convert) the received information into data that is easy for the support device 50 to process. For example, the conversion unit 52c controls the communication device 51 to receive observation information transmitted from the management communication device 41. The conversion unit 52c also acquires the observation information received by the communication device 51 and formats (converts) the observation information into data that is easy for the support device 50 to process. The conversion unit 52c outputs the formatted data, including the observation information, to the fourth monitoring unit 52d, the third monitoring unit 52i, and the management unit 52l.

[0075] The software that acquires observation information within the conversion unit 52c is sometimes referred to as the "first acquisition unit 52c1". In other words, the first acquisition unit 52c1 can acquire satellite signals from positioning satellites G received by multiple base stations 30.

[0076] The fourth monitoring unit 52d is software that monitors the status of the base station 30. The fourth monitoring unit 52d obtains formatted data including observation information from the conversion unit 52c and determines whether the status of the base station 30 is good (the base station 30 is operating normally) or bad (an abnormality has occurred in the base station 30) based on the observation information contained in the data. For example, the fourth monitoring unit 52d extracts the transmission time when the positioning satellite G transmitted the satellite signal from the satellite signal of the observation information, and determines that an abnormality has occurred in the base station 30 if the difference between the transmission time and the time when the communication device 51 received the signal is 5 seconds or more. The fourth monitoring unit 52d outputs the identification information of the base station 30 that it has determined to be in good condition to the selection unit 52k and outputs the identification information of the base station 30 that it has determined to be in bad condition to the management unit 52l.

[0077] The first monitoring unit 52e is software that monitors the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G. Specifically, the first monitoring unit 52e monitors the strength of the radio waves received by the vehicle positioning device 22 from the positioning satellite G as the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G. The first monitoring unit 52e obtains the formatted data, including the satellite signal received by the vehicle positioning device 22, from the request processing unit 52b and calculates the electric field strength of the satellite signal included in the data.

[0078] The first monitoring unit 52e determines that the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is good if the calculated electric field strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (second threshold), and determines that the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is poor if the electric field strength is less than the second threshold. The second threshold is a predetermined value pre-stored in the storage device 53, for example, 7 dBm. The second threshold may be changed to any numerical value via an input interface that is communicatively connected to the support device 50. The first monitoring unit 52e outputs the monitoring result to the selection unit 52k.

[0079] The second monitoring unit 52f is software that monitors the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1. Specifically, the second monitoring unit 52f monitors the degree of delay in communication between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 as the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1. For example, the second monitoring unit 52f obtains formatted data including satellite signals from the request processing unit 52b and extracts the transmission time when the positioning satellite G transmitted the satellite signal from the satellite signals contained in the data. The second monitoring unit 52f monitors the time difference between the extracted transmission time and the time when the request information was transmitted from the vehicle communication device 21 to the communication device 51 (or the time when the communication device 51 received the request information from the vehicle communication device 21) as the degree of communication delay. The second monitoring unit 52f outputs the monitoring results to the selection unit 52k.

[0080] The method for monitoring the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 by the second monitoring device is not limited to the method described above. In addition to the above method, or alternatively, the second monitoring unit 52f may monitor the time interval at which the vehicle body communication device 21 transmits information to the communication device 51 (or the time interval at which request information is transmitted from the vehicle body communication device 21 to the communication device 51), and monitor the communication delay rate based on this time interval. The second monitoring unit 52f determines that the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 is good if the communication delay rate is less than a predetermined third threshold (e.g., 5 seconds), and determines that the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 is poor if the communication delay rate is equal to or greater than the predetermined third threshold. The third threshold is a predetermined value stored in the storage device 53, and may be changed to any numerical value via an input interface that is communicatively connected to the support device 50.

[0081] The fifth monitoring unit 52g is software that monitors the status of other software provided by the support system S. The fifth monitoring unit 52g monitors whether the other software is operating normally. For example, the fifth monitoring unit 52g causes the other software to periodically send signals at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 3 seconds). Therefore, the fifth monitoring unit 52g determines that the software that sends signals at predetermined time intervals is operating normally. On the other hand, the fifth monitoring unit 52g also determines that the software that sends signals even if the predetermined time interval is exceeded does not send signals. If the software does not perform the function, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred. The fifth monitoring unit 52g outputs the monitoring results to the selection unit 52k.

[0082] Furthermore, the method by which the fifth monitoring unit 52g monitors the status of other software is not limited to the method described above. For example, the fifth monitoring unit 52g may send a signal to other software, and if the signal sent by the other software in response to that signal matches a predetermined signal, it may determine that the other software is operating normally, and if it does not match, it may determine that an abnormality has occurred.

[0083] The sixth monitoring unit 52h is software that monitors the status of the hardware provided by the support device 50 (for example, the CPU and memory of the arithmetic unit 52, the storage device 53, and the communication device 51). The sixth monitoring unit 52h monitors whether the hardware is operating normally. For example, the sixth monitoring unit 52h determines whether each piece of hardware is operating normally based on the CPU load (CPU usage rate) and CPU temperature of the arithmetic unit 52, the communication speed between the arithmetic unit 52 and the storage device 53, the communication speed of the communication device 51, etc.

[0084] In this embodiment, the sixth monitoring unit 52h determines whether the arithmetic unit 52 is operating normally based on whether the CPU load of the arithmetic unit 52 is below a predetermined value, whether the CPU temperature is below a predetermined value, etc. The sixth monitoring unit 52h also determines whether the communication device 51 is operating normally based on the communication speed of the communication device 51. The sixth monitoring unit 52h outputs the monitoring results to the selection unit 52k.

[0085] Furthermore, the sixth monitoring unit 52h may determine whether the hardware is operating normally by means of other methods in addition to, or instead of, the method described above. For example, if a part of the communication device 51 is malfunctioning, the sixth monitoring unit 52h may estimate that the communication speed of the communication device 51 has decreased and determine that the communication device 51 is not operating normally.

[0086] The third monitoring unit 52i monitors the position detection accuracy, which is the accuracy of position detection (positioning using the VRS-GNSS method) based on the second correction information. The third monitoring unit 52i determines whether the position detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined judgment value. The position detection accuracy can be any accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, and can be defined in various ways. The judgment value can also be defined according to this method.

[0087] The third monitoring unit 52i calculates the position of a base station 30 (reference base station 30A) that is different from three or more of the base stations 30 among the multiple base stations 30, based on the second correction information. As shown in Figure 1, it monitors the position detection accuracy (first detection accuracy) based on the position deviation PD between the calculated position CP of the reference base station 30A and the reference point RP of the reference base station 30A. In this embodiment, the third monitoring unit 52i acquires formatted data including observation information from the conversion unit 52c and acquires the observation information contained in the data (satellite signals received by the three base stations 30 surrounding the reference base station 30A). The third monitoring unit 52i also uses the area around the reference base station 30A as a virtual reference point VRP, and positions the reference base station 30A using the VRS-GNSS method based on the satellite signals and the reference points RP of the three base stations 30, and calculates the position deviation PD.

[0088] In this case, the smaller the position deviation PD, the higher the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, and the larger the position deviation PD, the lower the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The third monitoring unit 52i determines that the first detection accuracy is equal to or greater than the judgment value when the position deviation PD is less than a predetermined first reference value. On the other hand, the third monitoring unit 52i determines that the first detection accuracy is lower than the judgment value when the position deviation PD is equal to or greater than the first reference value. In other words, the judgment value of the first detection accuracy is defined by the first reference value, which is an absolute value.

[0089] The first reference value is defined by a preset distance (e.g., 3 cm). The first detection accuracy is associated with the three base stations 30 used in the VRS-GNSS system. The storage device 53 stores combinations of the first detection accuracy and the identification information of the three base stations 30 corresponding to that first detection accuracy, and maintains the latest first detection accuracy for each combination of the three base stations 30.

[0090] Furthermore, the third monitoring unit 52i may monitor the position detection accuracy (second detection accuracy) based on the number of positioning satellites G from which the vehicle positioning device 22 and the base positioning device 32 can receive satellite signals. The second detection accuracy is defined by the absolute difference between the number of positioning satellites G from which the vehicle positioning device 22 of the work machine 1 and / or another work machine 1A can receive satellite signals, and the number of positioning satellites G from which the base positioning device 32 of the base station 30 installed around the work machine 1 can receive satellite signals.

[0091] In this case, the smaller the absolute value of the difference in the number of positioning satellites G that can be received by the vehicle positioning device 22 and the base positioning device 32, the higher the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. Conversely, the larger the absolute value of the difference in the number of positioning satellites G, the lower the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The third monitoring unit 52i determines that the second detection accuracy is equal to or greater than the determination value if the absolute value of the difference in the number of positioning satellites G is less than a predetermined second reference value. On the other hand, the third monitoring unit 52i determines that the second detection accuracy is lower than the determination value if the absolute value of the difference in the number of positioning satellites G is equal to or greater than the second reference value. In other words, the determination value of the second detection accuracy is defined by the second reference value.

[0092] The second reference value is defined by the number of positioning satellites G (for example, 15). The second detection accuracy is associated with the identification information of the base station 30 corresponding to that second detection accuracy. The storage device 53 stores the combination of the second detection accuracy and the identification information of the base station 30 corresponding to that second detection accuracy, and maintains the latest second detection accuracy for each base station 30.

[0093] Furthermore, the third monitoring unit 52i may monitor the position detection accuracy (third detection accuracy) based on an evaluation value that evaluates the accuracy when the vehicle position VP is determined using the VRS-GNSS method. The evaluation value is a value obtained by evaluating the accuracy when a work machine 1A, which is different from the work machine 1, determines the vehicle position VP using the VRS-GNSS method. In such a case, the worker operating the other work machine 1A operates an input interface or the like to associate it with the base stations 30 (three base stations 30 in this embodiment) used in the VRS-GNSS method and evaluate the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method with these base stations 30 as a value.

[0094] In this case, the higher the evaluation value, the higher the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, and the lower the evaluation value, the lower the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The third monitoring unit 52i determines that the third detection accuracy is equal to or greater than the judgment value when the evaluation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined third reference value. On the other hand, the third monitoring unit 52i determines that the third detection accuracy is less than the judgment value when the evaluation value is less than the third reference value. In this embodiment, the evaluation value is defined by a numerical value on a 10-point scale (1 to 10). In other words, the judgment value for the third detection accuracy is defined by the third reference value.

[0095] The third reference value is defined as one of ten numerical values ​​(for example, 7). The result of the worker's evaluation (evaluation value) is associated with three or more base stations 30 used in the VRS-GNSS system. The storage device 53 stores the combination of the third detection accuracy and the identification information of the three base stations 30 corresponding to that third detection accuracy, and maintains the latest third detection accuracy for each combination of three base stations 30.

[0096] Furthermore, the third monitoring unit 52i may monitor the position detection accuracy (fourth detection accuracy) based on the communication status between a work machine 1A, which is separate from the work machine 1, and the communication device 51. In such a case, the third monitoring unit 52i monitors the delay of communication between the communication device 51 and the other work machine 1A, which is monitored by the second monitoring unit 52f. The result is obtained and the degree of delay is monitored.

[0097] In this case, the lower the degree of delay, the higher the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, and the higher the degree of delay, the lower the accuracy of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The third monitoring unit 52i determines that the fourth detection accuracy is equal to or greater than the judgment value when the degree of delay is less than a predetermined fourth reference value. On the other hand, the third monitoring unit 52i determines that the fourth detection accuracy is lower than the judgment value when the degree of delay is equal to or greater than the fourth reference value. In other words, the judgment value for the fourth detection accuracy is defined by the fourth reference value.

[0098] The fourth reference value is defined by the data delay amount, for example, 3 ms. The fourth detection accuracy is associated with the position of another work machine 1A. The storage device 53 stores combinations of the fourth detection accuracy and the vehicle position VP of the other work machine 1A corresponding to that fourth detection accuracy, and maintains the latest fourth detection accuracy at each position.

[0099] The third monitoring unit 52i outputs the monitoring result (at least one of the first to fourth detection accuracies) to the selection unit 52k.

[0100] The modification unit 52j changes the determination values ​​(first to fourth reference values) used to determine the level of position detection accuracy compared to the first to fourth detection accuracies described above, according to the work content of the work device 2 acquired by the second acquisition unit 52b1. The modification unit 52j acquires formatted data including usage information from the request processing unit 52b and refers to the work content from the usage information contained in the data.

[0101] The modification unit 52j increases the judgment value when the work requires relatively high position detection accuracy, i.e., when it is necessary to increase the detection accuracy of the vehicle body position VP. On the other hand, the modification unit 52j decreases the judgment value when the work does not require relatively high position detection accuracy, i.e., when it is acceptable to prioritize work efficiency without increasing the detection accuracy of the vehicle body position VP.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the work requires relatively high position detection accuracy, the modification unit 52j reduces the first reference value and the second reference value compared to when the work does not require relatively high position detection accuracy. Also, when the work requires relatively high position detection accuracy, the modification unit 52j increases the third reference value and decreases the fourth reference value compared to when the work does not require relatively high position detection accuracy.

[0103] In this embodiment, the modification unit 52j modifies the first to fourth reference values ​​by multiplying them by a correction value corresponding to the work content. A correction table showing the relationship between the work content and the correction value multiplied by each of the first to fourth reference values ​​is stored in the storage device 53.

[0104] For example, the seeding operation performed by a seeding device requires relatively high position detection accuracy compared to the tilling operation performed by a tilling device, the fertilization operation performed by a fertilizer spreader, and the rough tillage operation performed by a rough tillage device. On the other hand, tilling operation does not require relatively high position detection accuracy compared to seeding operation, but requires relatively high position detection accuracy compared to fertilization operation and rough tillage. And fertilization operation and rough tillage do not require relatively high position detection accuracy compared to seeding operation and tilling operation.

[0105] Therefore, in this embodiment, among the correction values ​​corresponding to sowing work, the correction values ​​multiplied by the first reference value, second reference value, and fourth reference value are 0.7, and the correction value multiplied by the third reference value is 1.3. The correction value corresponding to tilling work is zero. In addition, among the correction values ​​corresponding to fertilization work and rough tillage, the correction values ​​multiplied by the first reference value, second reference value, and fourth reference value are 1.3, and the correction value multiplied by the third reference value is 0.7.

[0106] The correction values ​​corresponding to the above-mentioned work content are examples only and are not limited to these. The value may be changed to any value. For example, it may be changed to any value via an input interface that is communicatively connected to the support device 50.

[0107] Furthermore, the modification unit 52j may increase the judgment value when the work requires relatively high position detection accuracy, and decrease the judgment value when the work does not require relatively high position detection accuracy. The method of modification is not limited to the method described above; for example, the first to fourth reference values ​​may be changed by adding or subtracting predetermined correction values ​​to the first to fourth reference values.

[0108] The selection unit 52k (correction information selection processing unit) is software that selects either the first correction information or the second correction information generated by the generation unit 52m. The selection unit 52k selects either the first correction information or the second correction information based on a number of conditions. In other words, the selection unit 52k selects whether to have the vehicle positioning device 22 perform positioning using the RRS-GNSS method or the VRS-GNSS method, and also selects the base station 30 that receives the satellite signal for generating the correction information.

[0109] When the selection unit 52k selects either the first or second correction information, it outputs an instruction signal to the generation unit 52m, which then prompts the generation unit 52m to request the management unit 52l for the information necessary to generate the correction information (e.g., observation information). The instruction signal includes identification information of the base station 30 in order to identify the observation information, and the generation unit 52m requests the observation information from the management unit 52l based on this instruction signal.

[0110] In this embodiment, the selection unit 52k selects either the first or second correction information from among the first and second correction information, depending on the positional relationship between the polygonal area E formed by connecting the reference points RP of three or more base stations 30 and the work machine 1. If the work machine 1 is located outside the area E, the selection unit 52k prioritizes selecting the first correction information obtained from the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over the other correction information (first condition).

[0111] The selection unit 52k obtains formatted data, including the location information of the vehicle body position VP, from the request processing unit 52b and refers to the reference point RP and its location information of multiple base stations 30 stored in the storage device 53. Based on the location information of the vehicle body position VP and the location information of the reference point RP, the selection unit 52k selects three or more base stations 30 that are close to the work machine 1 to be used as base stations 30 for positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. Specifically, based on the location information of the vehicle body position VP and the location information of the reference point RP, the selection unit 52k selects three or more base stations 30 located around the work machine 1, ranging from the base station 30 with the closest horizontal distance between the work machine 1 and the base station 30 to the base station 30 with the furthest distance.

[0112] In this embodiment, the selection unit 52k selects three base stations 30. In this case, the selection unit 52k acquires the monitoring results output from the fourth monitoring unit 52d and selects three base stations 30 from among the multiple base stations 30 that are in good condition. That is, the selection unit 52k selects three base stations 30 that the fourth monitoring unit 52d has determined to be in good condition, and does not select any base stations 30 that it has determined to be in poor condition.

[0113] As shown in Figure 1, the selection unit 52k generates a polygonal area E connecting the reference points RP of the three selected base stations 30, and determines whether the vehicle position VP is located outside of area E. More specifically, if the vehicle position VP is located on the outline of area E, the selection unit 52k determines that the work machine 1 is located inside area E. Alternatively, the selection unit 52k may determine that the work machine 1 is located outside area E if the vehicle position VP is located on the outline of area E.

[0114] This means that when the work machine 1 is located outside area E, the VRS-GNSS method When position detection is performed using this method, the second correction information is generated by estimation using extrapolation rather than interpolation, which may result in the inability to maintain position detection accuracy. However, by having the selection unit 52k preferentially select the first correction information, the RRS-GNSS method is used complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, allowing the work machine 1 to perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0115] Furthermore, the selection unit 52k may select either the first or second correction information based on other conditions in addition to the first condition. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the selection unit 52k calculates the relative distance RD between the reference point RP of the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 and the work machine 1, and if the relative distance RD is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, it may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (second condition).

[0116] The first threshold is a value pre-stored in the memory device 53, for example, 10 km. However, the value of the first threshold is not limited to 10 km and may be changed to any number via an input interface that is communicatively connected to the support device 50.

[0117] The selection unit 52k calculates the relative distance RD between the work machine 1 and the reference point RP of the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, based on the position information of the vehicle body position VP obtained from the formatted data including the position information of the vehicle body position VP, and the position information of the reference point RP of three or more base stations 30 selected as base stations 30 for positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The selection unit 52k determines whether the calculated relative distance RD is greater than or equal to the first threshold, that is, whether the second condition is met.

[0118] As a result, when the relative distance RD between the work machine 1 and the reference point RP closest to the work machine 1 among the three base stations 30 is greater than a predetermined value, i.e., when the area E is relatively large, position detection using the second correction information may not be able to maintain accuracy. However, by the selection unit 52k prioritizing the selection of the first correction information, the RRS-GNSS method is used complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, allowing the work machine 1 to perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0119] Furthermore, if the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is poor, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (third condition). The selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results output from the first monitoring unit 52e and determines whether the radio wave intensity is below the second threshold and whether the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is poor, i.e., whether the third condition is met.

[0120] Consequently, if the communication between the position detection device and the positioning satellite G is poor, the position detection of the work machine 1 will be significantly reduced, and the accuracy of position detection using the VRS-GNSS method may also decrease. However, by having the selection unit 52k prioritize the selection of the first correction information, the RRS-GNSS method is used complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, allowing the work machine 1 to perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0121] Furthermore, if the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 (vehicle body communication device 21) is poor, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (fourth condition). The selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results output from the second monitoring unit 52f and determines whether the delay degree is above a predetermined third threshold and whether the communication status between the communication device 51 and the vehicle body communication device 21 is poor, i.e., whether the fourth condition is met.

[0122] As a result, if the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 is poor, there will be a delay in the transmission of the second correction information from the communication device 51 to the work machine 1, or the VRS-GN by the selection unit 52k may be affected. Although there may be a delay in reflecting the selection result between the SS method and the RRS-GNSS method, the selection unit 52k prioritizes selecting the first correction information, and by using the RRS-GNSS method complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0123] Furthermore, if the position detection accuracy is lower than the determination value, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (fifth condition). The selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results (first to fourth detection accuracy) of the third monitoring unit 52i and determines whether at least one of the referenced first to fourth detection accuracys is lower than the determination value, i.e., whether the fifth condition is met.

[0124] For example, the selection unit 52k refers to the first detection accuracy (first detection accuracy) corresponding to the three base stations 30 from among the position detection accuracy (first detection accuracy) stored in the storage device 53, based on the identification information of the three selected base stations 30. The selection unit 52k refers to the second detection accuracy (second detection accuracy) corresponding to each of the three base stations 30 from among the position detection accuracy (second detection accuracy) stored in the storage device 53, based on the identification information of the three selected base stations 30. The selection unit 52k refers to the third detection accuracy (third detection accuracy) corresponding to the three selected base stations 30 from among the position detection accuracy (third detection accuracy) stored in the storage device 53, based on the identification information of the three selected base stations 30. Then, the selection unit 52k refers to the fourth detection accuracy (fourth detection accuracy) corresponding to the vehicle body position VP of another work machine 1A that is closest to the vehicle body position VP, from among the position detection accuracy (fourth detection accuracy) stored in the storage device 53, based on the position information of the vehicle body position VP obtained from the formatted data including the position information of the vehicle body position VP.

[0125] This allows the selection unit 52k to more appropriately select between the RRS-GNSS method and the VRS-GNSS method based on the position detection accuracy of the VRS-GNSS method.

[0126] Furthermore, if the state of the first generation unit 52m1, which is the software that generates the first correction information among the generation units 52m, is good, and the state of the second generation unit 52m2, which is the software that generates the second correction information among the generation units 52m, is poor, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (sixth condition). The selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results output from the fifth monitoring unit 52g and determines whether the state of the first generation unit 52m1 is good and the state of the second generation unit 52m2 is poor, that is, whether the sixth condition is met.

[0127] This prevents the working machine 1 from determining the vehicle body position VP based on inaccurate second correction information when the second generation unit 52m2 is in a poor state.

[0128] Furthermore, if the vehicle positioning device 22 is not suitable for position detection using the second correction information, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (7th condition). The storage device 53 stores identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22 and a first compatibility table indicating whether or not the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method. The selection unit 52k obtains formatted data including the identification information of the vehicle positioning device 22 from the request processing unit 52b. Based on the identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22 included in the data, the selection unit 52k refers to the first compatibility table stored in the storage device 53 and determines whether the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, that is, whether or not the 7th condition is met.

[0129] As a result, in order to transmit second correction information to the work machine 1, which is unable to perform positioning using the VRS-GNSS method, the second generation unit 52m2 unnecessarily generates second correction information. This can suppress an increase in the processing load on the arithmetic unit 52.

[0130] The conditions under which the selection unit 52k selects the first correction information or the second correction information are not limited to the conditions described above. For example, based on the positioning method (RRS-GNSS method or VRS-GNSS method) manually selected by the operator, the selection unit 52k may, if at least the RRS-GNSS method is selected (condition 8), prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information (condition 8). In such a case, the input interface (display device 16) of the work machine 1 displays a predetermined method selection screen (not shown) on the display screen 16a. The method selection screen has icons (selection members, not shown) that accept selection operations, and the display device 16 accepts the selection of a positioning method based on the selection operation of the icons. The positioning method accepted by the input interface is defined by the definition unit 23b as information included in the request information.

[0131] In this embodiment, the second acquisition unit 52b1 acquires the work content and identification information of the vehicle positioning device 22, as well as the positioning method selected at the input interface. The selection unit 52k determines whether the second acquisition unit 52b1 has acquired the RRS-GNSS method as the positioning method, that is, whether the eighth condition is met.

[0132] In the embodiments described above, if any of the first to eighth conditions are met, the selection unit 52k prioritizes selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over the other correction information. On the other hand, if none of the first to eighth conditions are met, the selection unit 52k prioritizes selecting the second correction information based on the satellite signals received by the three base stations 30 closest to the work machine 1 over the other correction information.

[0133] This allows for the appropriate selection of position detection based on a first correction information derived from the base station 30's reference point RP (RRS-GNSS method) and position detection based on a second correction information derived from a virtual reference point VRP (VRS-GNSS method), enabling the work machine 1 to perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0134] However, if any of the first to eighth conditions are met, the selection unit 52k may prioritize selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over the other correction information. If none of the first to eighth conditions are met, it may prioritize selecting the second correction information based on the satellite signals received by the three base stations 30 closest to the work machine 1 over the other correction information. If the predetermined conditions are met, neither the first nor the second correction information may be selected, and the arithmetic unit 52 may perform a predefined error processing.

[0135] For example, if the software provided by the support device 50 is not functioning correctly (9th condition), or if the hardware provided by the support device 50 is not functioning correctly (10th condition), the selection unit 52k will not select either the first or second correction information, and the arithmetic unit 52 will perform abnormal processing. Specifically, the selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results of the 5th monitoring unit 52g and the 6th monitoring unit 52h and determines whether the 9th or 10th condition is met.

[0136] If the selection unit 52k satisfies the ninth or tenth condition and does not select either the first or second correction information, it outputs an error signal to the communication control unit 52a instructing it to perform error processing. When the communication control unit 52a receives the error signal from the selection unit 52k, it controls the communication device 51 based on the error signal and, as error processing, disconnects and then reconnects the connection with the vehicle body communication device 21. As a result, the vehicle body communication device 21 and the communication device 51 are reconnected, and when request information is transmitted from the vehicle body communication device 21 to the communication device 51, the selection unit 52k selects the first and second correction information again.

[0137] This prevents the support device 50 from malfunctioning and the work machine 1 from determining the vehicle body position VP based on inaccurate correction information.

[0138] The above-described error handling is merely an example. For example, when the communication control unit 52a acquires an error signal from the selection unit 52k, it may control the communication device 51 based on the error signal and, as error handling, cause the vehicle body communication device 21 to send an error signal. In such a case, when the vehicle body communication device 21 receives an error signal from the communication device 51, the display device 16 will display on the display screen 16a that positioning using the RRS-GNSS and VRS-GNSS methods is not possible based on the error signal.

[0139] Furthermore, if the selection unit 52k satisfies any of the first to eighth conditions and the state of the first generation unit 52m1 is poor, it may not select either the first or second correction information, and the arithmetic unit 52 may perform abnormal processing (eleventh condition). Specifically, the selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results output from the fifth monitoring unit 52g and determines whether the eleventh condition is met. If the eleventh condition is met and the selection unit 52k does not select either the first or second correction information, it outputs an abnormal signal to the communication control unit 52a indicating that it will perform abnormal processing.

[0140] This prevents the working machine 1 from determining the vehicle body position VP based on inaccurate first correction information when the first generation unit 52m1 is in a poor state.

[0141] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained using the case where the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using at least the RRS-GNSS method as an example, if we also consider the case where the work machine 1 is equipped with a vehicle positioning device 22 that is not capable of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method or the RRS-GNSS method, the selection unit 52k may have the arithmetic unit 52 perform abnormal processing if both the seventh condition and the twelfth condition (that the vehicle positioning device 22 is not suitable for position detection using the first correction information) are met. In such a case, the storage device 53 stores identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22 and a second compatibility table indicating whether or not the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using the RRS-GNSS method.

[0142] The selection unit 52k, based on the identification information indicating the vehicle positioning device 22 included in the request information, refers to the second compatibility table stored in the storage device 53 and determines whether the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using the RRS-GNSS method.

[0143] The management unit 52l is software that manages the satellite signals acquired by the first acquisition unit 52c1 and outputs the satellite signals to the generation unit 52m. The management unit 52l acquires the formatted data, including observation information, from the conversion unit 52c. Of the acquired observation information (satellite signals received by the base station 30), the management unit 52l outputs the satellite signals received by base station 30s that are in good condition to the generation unit 52m, and does not output the satellite signals received by base station 30s that are in poor condition to the generation unit 52m. Specifically, the management unit 52l receives the monitoring results output from the fourth monitoring unit 52d and, based on the identification information of base station 30 included in the instruction signal and the monitoring results, determines whether the condition of base station 30 corresponding to the first correction information or second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good or bad.

[0144] If the management unit 52l determines that the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the first or second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good, it outputs the satellite signal received by the base station 30 in good condition to the generation unit 52m. On the other hand, if the management unit 52l determines that the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the first or second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is poor, it does not output the satellite signal received by the base station 30 in poor condition to the generation unit 52m. Alternatively, instead of outputting the satellite signal to the generation unit 52m, the management unit 52l may output a rejection signal indicating that the base station 30 is in poor condition.

[0145] Specifically, the fourth monitoring unit 52d outputs the monitoring results to both the selection unit 52k and the management unit 52l. The selection unit 52k acquires the monitoring results and selects the base stations 30 that are in good condition as the three base stations 30. The management unit 52l acquires the monitoring results and outputs only the satellite signals received by the base stations 30 in good condition to the generation unit 52m. As a result, the support device 50 filters out base stations 30 in poor condition multiple times at different timings, thus more reliably suppressing the work machine 1 from performing position detection using the RRS-GNSS or VRS-GNSS method based on satellite signals received by the faulty base stations 30.

[0146] The generation unit 52m is software that generates correction information (first correction information and second correction information). Based on the instruction signal output from the selection unit 52k, the generation unit 52m requests observation information (satellite signals) from the management unit 52l. When the generation unit 52m obtains observation information from the management unit 52l, it generates correction information based on the satellite signals and other information contained in the observation information.

[0147] Specifically, among the generation units 52m, the first generation unit 52m1, which generates first correction information for the RRS-GNSS system, generates first correction information based on the satellite signal acquired by the first acquisition unit 52c1 and the reference point RP of the base station 30 that received the satellite signal. Furthermore, among the generation units 52m, the second generation unit 52m2, which generates second correction information for the VRS-GNSS system, generates second correction information including a virtual reference point VRP based on the satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations 30 and the reference point RP of three or more base stations 30.

[0148] Furthermore, if the generation unit 52m requests observation information (satellite signals) from the management unit 52l, but the base station 30 that receives the satellite signals is in a poor state and receives a rejection signal instead of satellite signals from the management unit 52l, it outputs the rejection signal to the selection unit 52k. When the selection unit 52k receives the rejection signal output from the generation unit 52m, it outputs an abnormality signal to the communication control unit 52a. As a result, when the vehicle body communication device 21 transmits request information to the communication device 51, the selection unit 52k again selects three base stations 30 that are close to the work machine 1 and selects the first correction information and the second correction information.

[0149] The transmission control unit 52n controls the transmission of the first correction information or second correction information generated by the generation unit 52m from the communication device 51. Specifically, the transmission control unit 52n controls the time interval for transmitting the first correction information and the second correction information. For example, the transmission control unit 52n outputs the first correction information or second correction information obtained from the generation unit 52m to the communication control unit 52a at predetermined time intervals. The communication control unit 52a obtains the first correction information or second correction information output by the transmission control unit 52n. The communication control unit 52a controls the communication device 51 to transmit the first correction information or second correction information from the communication device 51 to the vehicle body communication device 21 at predetermined time intervals.

[0150] As a result, when the vehicle communication device 21 receives first correction information from the communication device 51, the vehicle positioning device 22 performs positioning using the RRS-GNSS method based on the satellite signal received by the antenna 22a and the first correction information received by the vehicle communication device 21. On the other hand, when the vehicle communication device 21 receives second correction information from the communication device 51, the vehicle positioning device 22 performs positioning using the VRS-GNSS method based on the satellite signal received by the antenna 22a and the second correction information received by the vehicle communication device 21.

[0151] The following describes the sequence of processes performed by the selection unit 52k, generation unit 52m, transmission control unit 52n, and communication control unit 52a in the support method for the work machine 1 in this embodiment, using Figures 6 to 9. Figures 6 to 9 are diagrams illustrating the sequence of processes performed by the selection unit 52k, generation unit 52m, transmission control unit 52n, and communication control unit 52a. The sequence of processes shown in Figures 6 to 9 is performed by the CPU based on a software program pre-stored in the memory of the arithmetic unit 52. It is executed by [this method].

[0152] As shown in Figure 6, the selection unit 52k determines whether formatted data has been output from the request processing unit 52b (S1). If the selection unit 52k determines that formatted data has been output from the request processing unit 52b (S1: Yes), it obtains the formatted data from the request processing unit 52b (S2), and refers to the location information of the reference point RP of the multiple base stations 30 stored in the storage device 53, and the monitoring results output from the fourth monitoring unit 52d (S3). The selection unit 52k obtains the location information of the vehicle body position VP included in the obtained formatted data, the location information of the reference point RP of the multiple base stations 30 that were referred to, and the monitoring results from the fourth monitoring unit 52d, and selects three base stations 30 from the multiple base stations 30 that are in good condition and are close in distance from the work machine 1 (S4).

[0153] Next, the selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring results output from the fifth monitoring unit 52g (S5). Based on the monitoring results from the fifth monitoring unit 52g that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether or not the ninth condition is met (S6). If the selection unit 52k determines that the software provided by the support device 50 is not functioning normally and that the ninth condition is met (S6: Yes), it outputs an abnormal signal to the communication control unit 52a indicating that it should perform abnormal processing (S7).

[0154] If the selection unit 52k determines that the software of the support device 50 is functioning normally and does not satisfy condition 9 (S6: No), it refers to the monitoring result output from the sixth monitoring unit 52h (S8). Based on the monitoring result from the sixth monitoring unit 52h that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether or not condition 10 is satisfied (S9). If the selection unit 52k determines that the hardware of the support device 50 is not functioning normally and satisfies condition 10 (S9: Yes), it proceeds to the process in S7.

[0155] If the selection unit 52k determines that the hardware of the support device 50 is functioning normally and does not satisfy the tenth condition (S9: No), it determines whether the eighth condition is satisfied based on the positioning method included in the formatted data acquired in S2, as shown in Figure 7 (S10).

[0156] If the selection unit 52k determines that the second acquisition unit 52b1 has acquired the VRS-GNSS method as the positioning method and does not satisfy the eighth condition (S10: No), the selection unit 52k refers to the monitoring result output from the second monitoring unit 52f (S11). Based on the monitoring result from the second monitoring unit 52f that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether or not the fourth condition is satisfied (S12).

[0157] If the selection unit 52k determines that the communication status between the communication device 51 and the vehicle body communication device 21 is good and does not satisfy the fourth condition (S12: No), it generates a polygonal area E by connecting the reference points RP of the three base stations 30 selected in S4 (S13). The selection unit 52k then determines whether the work machine 1 is located outside the generated area E and whether the first condition is satisfied (S14).

[0158] If the selection unit 52k determines that the work machine 1 is located inside area E and does not satisfy the first condition (S14: No), it calculates the relative distance RD between the work machine 1 and the reference point RP of the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 from among the three base stations 30 selected in S4 (S15). The selection unit 52k then determines whether the relative distance RD is greater than or equal to the first threshold and whether the second condition is satisfied (S16).

[0159] If the selection unit 52k determines that the relative distance RD is less than the first threshold and does not satisfy the second condition (S16: No), it refers to the first compatibility table stored in the storage device 53 (S17). Based on the formatted data including the identification information of the vehicle positioning device 22 acquired in S2 and the referenced first compatibility table, the selection unit 52k determines whether the vehicle positioning device 22 is VRS-GNS If positioning using the S method is not possible, determine whether the seventh condition is met (S18).

[0160] If the selection unit 52k determines that the vehicle positioning device 22 is capable of positioning using the VRS-GNSS method and does not satisfy the seventh condition (S18: No), it refers to the monitoring result output from the first monitoring unit 52e (S19). Based on the monitoring result from the first monitoring unit 52e that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is poor and whether the third condition is satisfied (S20).

[0161] If the selection unit 52k determines that the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G is good and does not satisfy the third condition (S20: No), it refers to the monitoring result output from the fifth monitoring unit 52g (S21). Based on the monitoring result from the fifth monitoring unit 52g that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether the state of the second generation unit 52m2 is good and whether it satisfies the sixth condition (S22).

[0162] If the selection unit 52k determines that the state of the second generation unit 52m2 is good and does not satisfy the sixth condition (S22: No), it refers to the monitoring result output from the third monitoring unit 52i (S23). Based on the monitoring result from the third monitoring unit 52i that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether or not the fifth condition is satisfied (S24).

[0163] If the selection unit 52k determines that all of the first to fourth detection accuracy levels are equal to or greater than the judgment value and the fifth condition is not met (S24: No), it selects the second correction information (S25). As shown in Figure 8, the selection unit 52k generates an instruction signal based on the identification information of the three base stations 30 selected in S4 and outputs the instruction signal to the generation unit 52m (S26). As a result, the generation unit 52m requests the management unit 52l to provide the observation information necessary to generate the second correction information (S27).

[0164] The management unit 52l refers to the monitoring results output from the fourth monitoring unit 52d (S28). Based on the identification information of the three base stations 30 included in the instruction signal and the monitoring results from the fourth monitoring unit 52d, the management unit 52l determines whether the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good or bad (S29).

[0165] If the management unit 52l determines that the status of the three base stations 30 corresponding to the second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good (S29: Yes), it outputs observation information based on the satellite signals received by the base stations 30 in good status to the generation unit 52m (S30). The generation unit 52m (second generation unit 52m2) generates second correction information including a virtual reference point VRP based on the observation information (satellite signals) output from the management unit 52l and the reference points RP of the three or more base stations 30 (S31).

[0166] The generation unit 52m outputs the generated second correction information to the transmission control unit 52n, and the transmission control unit 52n outputs the second correction information to the communication control unit 52a at predetermined time intervals (S32). The communication control unit 52a controls the communication device 51 and causes the communication device 51 to transmit the second correction information to the vehicle body communication device 21 (S33).

[0167] If the management unit 52l determines that the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is poor (S29: No), it does not output the satellite signal received by the base station 30 with the poor status to the generation unit 52m, but outputs a rejection signal, and the generation unit 52m outputs the rejection signal to the selection unit 52k (S34). Based on the rejection signal output from the generation unit 52m, the selection unit 52k proceeds to processing S8.

[0168] Based on the above, if none of the first to eighth conditions are met, the selection unit 52k The system prioritizes selecting second correction information based on satellite signals received by the three base stations 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information.

[0169] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, in S10, S12, S14, S16, S18, S20, S22, and S24, if the selection unit 52k determines that the respective conditions (conditions 1 to 8) are met, that is, if any of conditions 1 to 8 are met, it refers to the monitoring result output from the fifth monitoring unit 52g (S35). Based on the monitoring result from the fifth monitoring unit 52g that it referred to, the selection unit 52k determines whether or not the eleventh condition is met (S36).

[0170] If the first generation unit 52m1 is in a bad state and the selection unit 52k determines that the 11th condition is met (S36: Yes), the process proceeds to S7. If the selection unit 52k determines that the first generation unit 52m1 is in a good state and does not meet the 11th condition (S36: No), it selects the first correction information received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 from among the three base stations 30 selected in S4 (S37). The selection unit 52k generates an instruction signal based on the identification information of the closest base station 30 and outputs the instruction signal to the generation unit 52m (S38). As a result, the generation unit 52m requests the management unit 52l to provide the observation information necessary to generate the first correction information (S39).

[0171] The management unit 52l refers to the monitoring results output from the fourth monitoring unit 52d (S40). Based on the identification information of the base station 30 included in the instruction signal and the monitoring results from the fourth monitoring unit 52d, the management unit 52l determines whether the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the first correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good or bad (S41).

[0172] If the management unit 52l determines that the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the first correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is good (S41: Yes), it outputs observation information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 in good status to the generation unit 52m (S42). The generation unit 52m (first generation unit 52m1) generates first correction information based on the observation information (satellite signal) output from the management unit 52l and the reference point RP of the base station 30 that received the satellite signal (S43).

[0173] As a result, the generation unit 52m outputs the generated first correction information to the transmission control unit 52n, and the transmission control unit 52n outputs the first correction information to the communication control unit 52a at predetermined time intervals (S44). The communication control unit 52a controls the communication device 51 and causes the communication device 51 to transmit the first correction information to the vehicle body communication device 21 (S45).

[0174] If the management unit 52l determines that the status of the base station 30 corresponding to the first correction information selected by the selection unit 52k is poor (S41: No), it proceeds to the process in S34.

[0175] Based on the above, the selection unit 52k prioritizes selecting the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 over other correction information if any of the first to eighth conditions are met.

[0176] The process in which the selection unit 52k selects the first correction information and the second correction information (S1-S6, S8-S25, S35-S37) is sometimes referred to as the first step, and the process in which the communication device 51 transmits the first correction information or the second correction information to the work machine 1 (S33, S45) is sometimes referred to as the second step.

[0177] Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a support device 50 for the work machine 1, a support system S for the work machine 1, and a support method for the work machine 1 as described in the following items.

[0178] (Item 1) The device comprises: a first acquisition unit 52c1 that acquires satellite signals from positioning satellites G received by a plurality of base stations 30 each located at a predetermined reference point RP; a generation unit 52m that generates first correction information based on the satellite signals acquired by the first acquisition unit 52c1 and the reference point RP of the base station 30 that received the satellite signals, and generates second correction information including a virtual reference point VRP based on the satellite signals received by three or more predetermined base stations 30 and the reference point RP of the three or more base stations 30; a selection unit 52k that selects either the first correction information or the second correction information from the first correction information and the second correction information generated by the generation unit 52m; and a communication device 51 that transmits the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k to the work machine 1, wherein the selection unit 52k selects the first correction information or the second correction information according to the positional relationship between the polygonal area E formed by connecting the reference point RP of the three or more base stations 30 and the work machine 1.

[0179] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 1, it is possible to appropriately select between position detection using first correction information based on the reference point RP of the base station 30 (RRS-GNSS method) and position detection using second correction information based on the virtual reference point VRP (VRS-GNSS method).

[0180] (Item 2) The selection unit 52k is a support device 50 for the work machine 1 described in item 1, which, when the work machine 1 is located outside the area E, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1.

[0181] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 2, when the work machine 1 is located outside area E, position detection using the VRS-GNSS method generates second correction information by estimation using the extrapolation method rather than the interpolation method, which may result in the inability to maintain position detection accuracy. However, by using the RRS-GNSS method complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0182] (Item 3) The selection unit 52k is a support device 50 for the work machine 1 according to item 1 or 2, wherein if the relative distance RD between the reference point RP of the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 and the work machine 1 is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1.

[0183] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 3, if the relative distance RD between the work machine 1 and the reference point RP closest to the work machine 1 among the reference points RP of the three base stations 30 is greater than a predetermined value, i.e., if the area E is relatively large, position detection using the second correction information may not be able to maintain accuracy. However, by using the RRS-GNSS method complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0184] (Item 4) The work machine 1 is equipped with a first monitoring unit 52e that monitors the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22, which is provided on the work machine 1 and receives satellite signals from the positioning satellite G, and the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, according to any one of items 1 to 3.

[0185] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 4, if the communication status between the position detection device and the positioning satellite G is poor, the position detection of the work machine 1 will be significantly reduced, and the VRS-GNSS method Although the accuracy of position detection may decrease, by using the RRS-GNSS method as a complement to the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0186] (Item 5) The first monitoring unit 52e monitors the strength of the radio waves received by the vehicle positioning device 22 from the positioning satellite G as the communication status between the vehicle positioning device 22 and the positioning satellite G, and the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, as described in item 4 of the support device 50 for the work machine 1.

[0187] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 5, the selection unit 52k can more reliably determine the communication status between the position detection device and the position detection device based on the strength of the radio waves transmitted from the positioning satellite G to the position detection device.

[0188] (Item 6) The support device 50 for the work machine 1 is provided with a second monitoring unit 52f that monitors the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1, and the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, according to one of items 1 to 5.

[0189] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 6, if the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 is poor, there is a risk that there may be a delay in the transmission of the second correction information from the communication device 51 to the work machine 1, or that there may be a delay in the reflection of the selection result of the VRS-GNSS method and the RRS-GNSS method by the selection unit 52k. However, by using the RRS-GNSS method complementarily instead of the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection with relatively high accuracy.

[0190] (Item 7) The second monitoring unit 52f monitors the degree of delay in communication between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 as the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1, and the selection unit 52k, if the degree of delay is greater than or equal to a predetermined third threshold and the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 is poor, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, as described in item 6, for the work machine 1 support device 50.

[0191] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 7, the selection unit 52k can more reliably determine the communication status between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1 based on the degree of delay in communication between the communication device 51 and the work machine 1.

[0192] (Item 8) The support device 50 for the work machine 1 is provided with a third monitoring unit 52i that monitors the position detection accuracy, which is the accuracy of position detection based on the second correction information, and the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1, according to any one of items 1 to 7.

[0193] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 8, in addition to the positional relationship between the work machine 1 and the polygonal area E formed by connecting the reference points RP of the three base stations 30, the RRS-GNSS method and the VRS-GNSS method can be selected more appropriately based on the position detection accuracy of the VRS-GNSS method.

[0194] (Item 9) The third monitoring unit 52i calculates the position of a base station 30 other than the three or more base stations 30 among the plurality of base stations 30 based on the second correction information, and the support device 50 for the work machine 1 described in item 8 monitors the position detection accuracy based on the position deviation PD between the calculated position of the other base station 30 and the reference point RP of the other base station 30.

[0195] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 9, since the reference point RP of the base station 30 is an absolute position, the position detection accuracy of positioning based on the second correction information (positioning by the VRS-GNSS method) can be calculated more appropriately.

[0196] (Item 10) The support device 50 for the work machine 1 according to item 8 or 9, comprising a storage device 53 that stores the combination of the position detection accuracy and the three or more base stations 30, wherein the selection unit 52k preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 if the position detection accuracy stored in the storage device 53 is lower than the determination value.

[0197] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 10, the RRS-GNSS method and the VRS-GNSS method can be selected more quickly and appropriately while reducing the load on the support device 50.

[0198] (Item 11) A support device 50 for a work machine 1 according to any one of items 8 to 10, comprising: a second acquisition unit 52b1 for acquiring the work content of the work device 2 of the work machine 1; and a modification unit 52j for changing the determination value according to the work content acquired by the second acquisition unit 52b1.

[0199] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 11, the RRS-GNSS method and the VRS-GNSS method can be selected more appropriately depending on the work content.

[0200] (Item 12) The support device 50 for the work machine 1 according to any one of items 1 to 11, further comprising: a fourth monitoring unit 52d that monitors the status of the base station 30; and a management unit 52l that manages the satellite signal acquired by the first acquisition unit 52c1 and outputs the satellite signal to the generation unit 52m, wherein the selection unit 52k adopts the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1 and the three or more base stations 30 that are in good condition, and does not adopt the base station 30 that are in poor condition; and the management unit 52l outputs the satellite signal received by the base station 30 in good condition to the generation unit 52m, and does not output the satellite signal received by the base station 30 that is in poor condition to the generation unit 52m.

[0201] According to the support device 50 of the work machine 1 related to item 12, the support device 50 filters out base stations 30 that are in a bad state multiple times at different timings, thereby more reliably suppressing the work machine 1 from performing position detection using the RRS-GNSS or VRS-GNSS method based on satellite signals received by a faulty base station 30.

[0202] (Item 13) The selection unit 52k comprises a second acquisition unit 52b1 that acquires identification information of a vehicle positioning device 22 provided on the work machine 1 and that detects the position of the work machine 1, and a storage device 53 that stores a management table indicating the combination of whether the vehicle positioning device 22 is suitable for position detection by the second correction information and the identification information, and the selection unit 52k is based on the identification information and the management table Accordingly, if the vehicle positioning device 22 is not suitable for position detection using the second correction information, the support device 50 for the work machine 1 described in any one of items 1 to 12 preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station 30 closest to the work machine 1.

[0203] According to the support device 50 for the work machine 1 related to item 13, if the position detection device is not suitable for the VRS-GNSS method, the work machine 1 can perform position detection using the VRS-GNSS method, thereby preventing inaccurate position detection.

[0204] (Item 14) A support system S for a work machine 1 comprising a support device 50 for the work machine 1 described in any one of items 1 to 13, and the work machine 1.

[0205] According to the support system S for the work machine 1 related to item 14, it is possible to realize a support system S for the work machine 1 that exhibits the advantageous effects of the support device 50 for the work machine 1.

[0206] (Item 15) A method for supporting a work machine 1, comprising: a first step in which a selection unit 52k of a support device 50 selects either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite G received by a base station 30 and a reference point RP of the base station 30 that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including a virtual reference point VRP based on a satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations 30 and the reference points RP of the three or more base stations 30; and a second step in which a communication device 51 of the support device 50 transmits the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit 52k in the first step to the work machine 1, wherein in the first step, the selection unit 52k selects either the first correction information or the second correction information according to the positional relationship between a polygonal area E formed by connecting the reference points RP of the three or more base stations 30 and the work machine 1.

[0207] According to the support method for the work machine 1 related to item 15, it is possible to appropriately select between position detection using first correction information based on the reference point RP of the base station 30 (RRS-GNSS method) and position detection using second correction information based on virtual reference points VRP of multiple base stations 30 (VRS-GNSS method).

[0208] Having described the present invention above, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0209] 1. Work machine 2. Working equipment 22. Vehicle positioning device 30 base station 50 Support equipment 51 Communication equipment 52b1 2nd acquisition part 52c1 1st acquisition part 52d 4th Monitoring Department 52e 1st monitoring section 52f 2nd monitoring department 52i 3rd monitoring department 52j Changes 52k selection section 52l Management Department 52m generation section 53 Storage device E Area G-positioning satellite PD position deviation RD (Relative Distance) RP reference point S Support System VRP (Virtual Reference Point)

Claims

1. A support device having a selection unit that selects either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite received by a base station and a reference point of the base station that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including the satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations and a virtual reference point based on the reference points of the three or more base stations, A work machine that receives the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit, Equipped with, The selection unit is a support system for a work machine that selects the first correction information or the second correction information according to the positional relationship between the polygonal area formed by connecting the reference points of the three or more base stations and the work machine.

2. The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit, when the work machine is located outside the area, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

3. The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit, when the relative distance between the work machine and the reference point of the base station closest to the work machine among the three base stations is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

4. The work machine is equipped with a vehicle positioning device that receives satellite signals from the positioning satellite and a first state monitoring unit that monitors the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite, The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit, when the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite is poor, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

5. The first state monitoring unit monitors the strength of radio waves received by the vehicle positioning device from the positioning satellite as the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite. The support system for a work machine according to claim 4, wherein the selection unit, when the intensity of the radio waves is less than a predetermined second threshold and the communication status between the vehicle positioning device and the positioning satellite is poor, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

6. The system includes an accuracy monitoring unit that monitors the position detection accuracy, which is the accuracy of position detection based on the second correction information, The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit, when the position detection accuracy is lower than a predetermined determination value, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine.

7. The work machine support system according to claim 6, wherein the accuracy monitoring unit calculates the position of a base station other than the three or more base stations among the plurality of base stations based on the second correction information, and monitors the position detection accuracy based on the position deviation between the calculated position of the other base station and the reference point of the other base station.

8. The system includes a memory device that stores the combination of the aforementioned position detection accuracy and the three or more base stations. The support system for a work machine according to claim 7, wherein the selection unit preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine when the position detection accuracy stored in the storage device is lower than the determination value.

9. An acquisition unit that acquires the work details of the work device of the aforementioned work machine, A modification unit that modifies the determination value according to the work content acquired by the acquisition unit, The support system for a work machine according to claim 6, comprising:

10. The system includes a second status monitoring unit that monitors the status of the base station, The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects the base station closest to the work machine and the three or more base stations that are in good condition, and does not select the base station that is in poor condition.

11. An acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a vehicle positioning device provided on the work machine and which detects the position of the work machine, A storage device that stores a management table indicating whether the vehicle positioning device is suitable for position detection using the second correction information and the combination of this table and the identification information, Equipped with, The support system for a work machine according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit, based on the identification information and the management table, preferentially selects the first correction information based on the satellite signal received by the base station closest to the work machine if the vehicle positioning device is not suitable for position detection using the second correction information.

12. The first step is for the support device's selection unit to select either first correction information based on a satellite signal from a positioning satellite received by a base station and a reference point of the base station that received the satellite signal, or second correction information including a virtual reference point based on a satellite signal received by three or more predetermined base stations and the reference points of the three or more base stations. The vehicle communication device of the work machine receives the first correction information or the second correction information selected by the selection unit in the first step in the second step, Includes, The selection unit is a method for supporting a work machine, in which, in the first step, it selects either first correction information or second correction information according to the positional relationship between the polygonal area formed by connecting the reference points of the three or more base stations and the work machine.

Images