Work Management System

Abstract

To provide a work management system that can improve safety. [Solution] The work management system according to this embodiment comprises a work vehicle and a terminal device. The work vehicle performs work while autonomously driving in the field. The terminal device communicates with the work vehicle to control its movement and allows the administrator to monitor the work vehicle. The terminal device has a monitoring mode that enables the administrator to monitor the work vehicle and an autonomous driving mode that allows the work vehicle to continue autonomous driving. The terminal device can switch between the monitoring mode and the autonomous driving mode. When the work vehicle is driving in the monitoring mode, the terminal device restricts switching from the monitoring mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work management system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to improve the efficiency of work in agricultural fields, management systems have been developed that enable unmanned work vehicles without an operator (driver) on board to perform work while traveling autonomously.

[0003] In such a management system, a technology is known that is configured to be switchable between monitoring of the autonomous travel of the work vehicle by a remote control device and monitoring of the autonomous travel of the work vehicle by a server device, wherein when the remote control device requests the server device to switch the monitoring, the server device monitors the autonomous travel of the work vehicle (see Patent Document 1). Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent No. 6726128 Summary of Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the above conventional technology, the operator who operates the remote control device can temporarily cause the server device to execute monitoring, thereby interrupting the monitoring of the autonomous travel of the work vehicle in a safe state.

[0006] However, the above conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of enhancing safety, for example, when switching to monitoring by the server device while the work vehicle is traveling, there is a risk that the work vehicle cannot be controlled to prevent coasting movement.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a work management system that can enhance safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems and achieve the objective, the work management system (1) according to the embodiment includes a work vehicle (10) that performs work while autonomously driving in a field (F), and a terminal device (150) that communicates with the work vehicle (10) to control the driving of the work vehicle (10) and allows a manager (W) to monitor the work vehicle (10). The terminal device (150) has a monitoring mode that enables the manager (W) to monitor the work vehicle (10) and an autonomous driving mode that allows the work vehicle (10) to continue autonomous driving. The monitoring mode and the autonomous driving mode are switchable, and switching from the monitoring mode is restricted when the work vehicle (10) is driving in the monitoring mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the work management system of this embodiment, safety can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the work management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the work management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the communication between the work vehicle and the terminal device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of management in the work management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example (part 1) of the display screen during monitoring mode. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example (part 2) of the display screen during monitoring mode. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a list of work vehicles displayed on the screen during monitoring mode. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of display on a display screen during an autonomous travel mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 1) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 2) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 3) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 4) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 5) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 6) of composite display on a display screen. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of fixed-viewpoint display during straight travel on a display screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of fixed-viewpoint display during turning on a display screen. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the work management system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0012] <Configuration of Work Management System> The configuration of the work management system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the work management system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the work management system according to the embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an example of a work vehicle and a work management system.

[0013] Figure 1 also shows a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system including the Z-axis, with the vertically upward (upward) direction being positive. In the following, the positive direction of the X-axis is defined as left, the negative direction of the X-axis as right, the positive direction of the Y-axis as forward, and the negative direction of the Y-axis as backward. The X-axis direction may also be referred to as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the work management system (hereinafter referred to as the management system) 1 comprises a work vehicle 10 and a terminal device 150. The work vehicle 10 travels within field F and performs work in field F. In the following description, an agricultural tractor will be used as an example of the work vehicle 10. The agricultural tractor (hereinafter referred to as the tractor) 10, which is the work vehicle, is driven by an operator (also called a worker or manager) and performs work in field F, as well as performing work in field F (autonomous work) through automatic driving by the control unit 100. In the following description, the tractor 10 and the vehicle body 20, which will be described later, may be referred to as the "machine."

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the tractor 10 comprises a vehicle body 20 and an implement 30. The vehicle body 20 is capable of traveling within a field F and is equipped with front wheels 21 and rear wheels 22. The front wheels 21 are, for example, a pair of steering wheels provided on the left and right. The rear wheels 22 are, for example, a pair of drive wheels provided on the left and right. The vehicle body 20 may also be equipped with, for example, crawler tracks instead of wheels (front wheels 21 and rear wheels 22).

[0016] The rotational power generated by the engine E, which is the drive source housed in the bonnet 23, is transmitted to the rear wheels 22, which are the drive wheels, after being appropriately reduced in the transmission 71 (see Figure 2) provided in the power transmission case 24. The rear wheels 22 are driven by the rotational power transmitted from the engine E. The transmission 71 switches the rotational power transmitted from the engine E to one of the multiple gears.

[0017] The vehicle body 20 may be configured to transmit power generated by the engine E and reduced by the transmission 71 to the front wheels 21 via a 4WD clutch. In this case, when the 4WD clutch transmits power, all four wheels, the front wheels 21 and the rear wheels 22, are driven by the power transmitted from the engine E. When the 4WD clutch disconnects the power transmission, only the rear wheels 22 are driven by the power transmitted from the engine E. Thus, the vehicle body 20 may be configured to be switchable between two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD).

[0018] A work implement 30 for working in the field F is connected to the rear of the vehicle body 20, and a PTO (Power Take-off) device (not shown) having a PTO shaft (not shown) for transmitting power to drive the work implement 30 is provided. A cabin 25 is provided in the center of the vehicle body 20. Inside the cabin 25, there is a driver's seat 26 where the driver sits, and the like.

[0019] A steering wheel 27 for steering the front wheels 21 is provided in front of the driver's seat 26 inside the cabin 25. Below the steering wheel 27, near the feet of the driver seated in the driver's seat 26, are various control pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, clutch pedal, etc.).

[0020] Near the steering wheel 27, a forward / reverse lever is provided for switching between forward and reverse. Also, near the driver's seat 26, a gear shift lever is provided, which is operated to switch the transmission 71 (see Figure 2) from, for example, a low gear to a high gear.

[0021] A lifting device 73 (see Figure 2) for raising and lowering the work equipment 30, which will be described later, is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 20. The lifting device 73 includes a hydraulic lifting cylinder (not shown) and a lift arm (not shown). The lifting device 73 moves the work equipment 30 to a non-working position by raising it, and moves the work equipment 30 to a ground-level working position by lowering it.

[0022] The implement 30 performs work in field F. The implement 30 is, for example, a rotary tiller. The rotary tiller tills the soil surface of field F by rotating the tilling tines 31 with power transmitted from the PTO shaft of the PTO device. The implement 30 is not limited to a rotary tiller.

[0023] Furthermore, the tractor 10 is equipped with a positioning device 40. The positioning device 40 is installed, for example, on the upper part of the vehicle body 20 (for example, on the upper part of the cabin 25) and acquires position information of the vehicle body 20 (tractor 10). The positioning device 40 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and can perform positioning and timing by receiving radio waves from navigation satellites S orbiting overhead.

[0024] Furthermore, the tractor 10 can be operated by the operator (manager) via a terminal device 150 (described later) to set various tasks in a specific field F. The terminal device 150 is, for example, a tablet device that can connect to a communication network N such as the Internet (see Figure 3) and can connect to the work management device via the communication network.

[0025] The terminal device 150 is connected to, for example, a work management device 160 (see Figure 3), which is a cloud computing-enabled system. The terminal device 150 and the work management device 160 are connected, for example, via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0026] The terminal device 150 includes a storage unit consisting of, for example, a hard disk, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The terminal device 150 also includes a display screen 151 (see Figure 2), such as a touch panel. Furthermore, the terminal device 150 may include a processing unit, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), to enable electronic control of each component, similar to the control unit 100 (see Figure 2) described later.

[0027] The terminal device 150 may also be equipped with a positioning device built into the terminal device 150 that acquires its own position.

[0028] The work management device 160 is a computer equipped with a processing unit such as a CPU, a storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and input / output devices.

[0029] Furthermore, the work management device 160 also functions as a server, for example, by accumulating drive information of the tractor 10 along with location information and time information, and storing it as work history information.

[0030] As described above, the tractor 10 is equipped with a control unit 100 (see Figure 2). The control unit 100 controls the engine E and the travel speed of the vehicle body 20. The control unit 100 also controls the raising and lowering of the implement 30. Note that the control unit 100 is not located on the tractor 10 side, but may be located on the terminal device 150 side or the work management device 160 side that can communicate with the tractor 10.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 100 includes an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 101, a travel system ECU 102, and a work implement lifting system ECU 103. The engine ECU 101 controls the rotational speed of the engine E. The travel system ECU 102 controls the travel speed of the tractor 10 by controlling the rotation of the drive wheels (rear wheels 22). The work implement lifting system ECU 103 controls the lifting device 73 to control the raising and lowering of the work implement 30.

[0032] The control unit 100 is capable of controlling each part by electronic control. The control unit 100 includes a processing unit (not shown) having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage unit (not shown) which stores various programs and necessary data, such as a hard disk, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0033] Sensors such as a positioning device 40, azimuth sensor 51, engine speed sensor 52, vehicle speed sensor 53, gear shift sensor 54, steering angle sensor 55, and obstacle sensor 56 are connected to the control unit 100. A camera 60 is also connected to the control unit 100. In addition, the engine E, transmission 71, steering device 72, lifting device 73, etc. are connected to the control unit 100.

[0034] The azimuth sensor 51 detects the azimuth of the tractor 10. The azimuth sensor 51 detects, for example, the absolute azimuth of the direction of travel of the tractor 10 (for example, with "north" as 0° (360°), "east" as 90°, "south" as 180°, and "west" as 270°). The azimuth sensor 51 also detects the absolute azimuth at regular intervals and transmits the detected absolute azimuth to the control unit 100.

[0035] The engine speed sensor 52 detects the rotational speed of engine E. The vehicle speed sensor 53 detects the travel speed (vehicle speed) of the tractor 10. The gear sensor 54 detects which of the multiple gears the transmission 71 is in. The steering angle sensor 55 detects the steering angle of the front wheels 21 (see Figure 1).

[0036] The obstacle sensor 56 is a sensor that detects abnormalities around the tractor 10. For example, the obstacle sensor 56 detects obstacles in front of the tractor 10. Obstacle sensors include, for example, infrared sensors and ultrasonic sensors. In addition to the above sensors, other sensors connected to the control unit 100 include, for example, a PTO rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the PTO shaft. The camera 60 captures images of the area around the tractor 10.

[0037] The control unit 100 receives the following information from the positioning device 40: the current position of the tractor 10 in field F (see Figure 1); the rotational speed of the engine E from the engine speed sensor 52; the travel speed of the tractor 10 from the vehicle speed sensor 53; the current gear from the gear shift sensor 54; the steering angle of the front wheels 21 from the steering angle sensor 55; and information about obstacles (including whether or not there are obstacles) from the obstacle sensor 56. The control unit 100 also receives video from the camera 60 (hereinafter referred to as camera video).

[0038] In the control unit 100, the engine ECU 101 is connected to the engine E, the drive system ECU 102 is connected to the transmission 71 and steering system 72, and the work equipment lifting system ECU 103 is connected to the lifting device 73. The work equipment lifting system ECU 103 raises and lowers the work equipment 30 via the lifting device 73.

[0039] Furthermore, when the tractor 10 performs work by autonomous driving (autonomous operation), the control unit 100 sets the planned driving path R W (See Figure 8) Set the planned travel route R W The tractor 10 is controlled to travel along the entrance / exit F of the field F. IN / OUT Entering field F from there, along the planned route R. W For example, tilling work will be carried out along the planned route R. W This may include routes for entering field F and routes for exiting field F.

[0040] Furthermore, when the control unit 100 autonomously drives the tractor 10, it sets a planned driving path R according to the work performed by the implement 30. W The data is converted and stored in the memory unit. Based on the measurement results of the positioning device 40, the control unit 100 determines the planned travel route R stored in the memory unit. W The engine E, transmission 71, steering system 72, lifting device 73, etc. are controlled to perform work while driving along the planned driving route R. WThis is determined according to the shape and size of field F, the width, length, and number of ridges formed within field F, and the type of crop.

[0041] As described above, the control unit 100 is wirelessly connected to a terminal device 150 that can be carried by the administrator. The control unit 100 controls various parts of the tractor 10 based on instructions from the terminal device 150, which are operated by the administrator. The control unit 100 may also have a database of tractor 10 machine information and be configured to allow the exchange of information such as the machine model from the terminal device 150.

[0042] <Management in work management systems> Referring to Figures 3 to 16, the management in the work management system according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of communication between the work vehicle and the terminal device. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of management in the work management system according to this embodiment.

[0043] As shown in Figure 3, the terminal device 150 is capable of communicating with the tractor 10 and controls the tractor 10's movement (autonomous driving) and work (autonomous work) in field F by communicating with the tractor 10. Furthermore, by communicating with the tractor 10, the terminal device 150 enables the administrator W to monitor the tractor 10 via the terminal device 150.

[0044] The terminal device 150 performs two modes for the tractor 10: a monitoring mode and an autonomous driving mode. The monitoring mode allows the administrator W to monitor the tractor 10 from the display screen 151 (see Figure 2) of the terminal device 150, as described above. In monitoring mode, direct visual monitoring of the tractor 10 during autonomous driving by the administrator W, or remote monitoring via the display screen 151 of the terminal device 150, is required.

[0045] The autonomous driving mode is a mode in which the tractor 10 continues to drive autonomously even without monitoring by the administrator W. The terminal device 150 switches between the monitoring mode and the autonomous driving mode when predetermined conditions are met, including direct operation by the administrator W. In monitoring mode, the terminal device 150 can switch to the autonomous driving mode, with the condition for autonomous driving being that the tractor 10 is in a monitoring state.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the work management system 1 manages, for example, multiple tractors 10 (four in the example in Figure 4) (the first tractor 10A to the fourth tractor 10D) (also referred to as "V1" to "V4" in the figure). In the example in Figure 4, the first tractor 10A is working in the first field F1. The second tractor 10B is moving along a road such as a farm road FR. The third tractor 10C is working in the second field F2. The fourth tractor 10D is working in the third field F3.

[0047] In addition, in the example shown in Figure 4, the first tractor 10A and the second tractor 10B are in monitoring mode, while the third tractor 10C and the fourth tractor 10D are in autonomous driving mode.

[0048] In the example shown in Figure 4, for example, if tractor 10, which is performing autonomous work while being monitored by administrator W in monitoring mode, is switched to autonomous driving mode, tractor 10, having switched to autonomous driving mode and no longer being monitored by administrator W (no longer in a monitored state), may coast.

[0049] Therefore, the terminal device 150 restricts switching from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode when the tractor 10 is driving autonomously while in monitoring mode. For example, the terminal device 150 prohibits switching from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode when the tractor 10 is driving autonomously while in monitoring mode.

[0050] In this way, by restricting (for example, prohibiting) switching from monitoring mode while monitoring mode is running, that is, when the tractor 10 is in a state that requires monitoring, the administrator W can prevent situations such as the tractor 10 coasting and manage it safely. This improves safety.

[0051] Furthermore, the terminal device 150 prohibits switching from the monitored object while the tractor 10 is in operation during monitoring mode, thereby preventing the monitoring from ending when monitoring is necessary, and thus allowing the tractor 10 to be driven safely.

[0052] The monitoring status of the tractor 10 refers to a state in which the tractor 10 is subject to remote monitoring, such as being monitored by the camera 60 (see Figure 2), or a state in which the tractor 10 can communicate with the terminal device 150, within a distance visible to the administrator W (for example, 500 meters).

[0053] When the terminal device 150 switches the tractor 10 from autonomous driving mode to monitoring mode, it stops the tractor 10 that has been switched to monitoring mode and puts it into standby mode. This ensures reliable monitoring by the manager W when the tractor 10 enters or leaves field F, moves to the starting point of autonomous work, or starts work.

[0054] The terminal device 150 detects that the tractor 10 is in a monitoring state, and upon receiving a command from the administrator W to start the tractor 10 from driving, it starts the tractor 10 autonomously. In this way, by making the monitoring state a condition for the tractor 10 to start driving, the tractor 10 can be safely started.

[0055] When the terminal device 150 is in monitoring mode, if communication with the administrator W using a communication standard within visual range is interrupted while the tractor 10 is in motion, it will immediately stop the tractor 10. By stopping the tractor 10 when the administrator W leaves the area at a time when monitoring is required, safe operation is ensured.

[0056] Figures 5 and 6 show examples of displays on the display screen during monitoring mode. Figure 7 shows an example of a list of work vehicles displayed on the display screen during monitoring mode. Figure 8 shows an example of a display on the display screen during autonomous driving mode.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, when the tractor 10 is in monitoring mode, the terminal device 150 displays display D1 on the display screen 151 indicating that it is not possible to switch from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode, that it is not possible to switch from the monitoring state, and that the monitored target cannot be changed to another tractor 10. As shown in Figure 6, when the tractor 10 is stopped while the terminal device 150 is in monitoring mode, it displays display D2 on the display screen 151 indicating that it is possible to switch from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode, that it is possible to switch from the monitoring state, and that the monitored target can be changed to another tractor 10.

[0058] The terminal device 150 allows switching from monitoring mode if the tractor 10 is stopped. Since the risk level is low when the tractor 10 is stopped, it can be removed from monitoring, improving convenience.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the terminal device 150 displays a list D3 of multiple tractors 10 managed by the work management system 1 on the display screen 151. Also, as shown in Figure 7, if there are multiple tractors 10 in monitoring mode, the terminal device 150 prioritizes displaying the tractor 10 with the longest waiting time on the display screen 151.

[0060] In this type of display (priority display), the tractor 10 with the highest priority is displayed at the top of the display screen 151 (the top of the list), and the tractors are displayed from top to bottom in order of longest waiting time. Priority may also be the length of time that the tractor 10 is waiting for an instruction to execute monitoring mode (waiting time). In this case, the tractor 10 with the longest waiting time is displayed at the top of the list on the display screen 151, and the tractors are displayed from top to bottom in order of longest waiting time.

[0061] If the tractor 10 has a long waiting time, work efficiency decreases. However, by displaying the tractors 10 with the longest waiting times first on the display screen 151, the administrator W can, for example, select the tractor 10 with the longest waiting time to reduce the amount of time the tractor 10 is not working. This helps to suppress the decrease in work efficiency.

[0062] In the example shown in Figure 7, the display screen 151 shows the second tractor 10B (see Figure 4), which has been waiting for 15 minutes, at the top, and the first tractor 10A (see Figure 4), which has been waiting for 10 minutes, below the second tractor 10B. Also in the example shown in Figure 7, the display screen 151 shows the third tractor 10C, which is in autonomous driving mode and has 20 minutes remaining in autonomous driving mode, below the first tractor 10A. Although not shown, the fourth tractor 10D, which has 1 hour and 10 minutes remaining in autonomous driving mode (see Figure 4), is shown below the third tractor 10C, which has a longer remaining autonomous driving time than the third tractor 10C.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the terminal device 150 highlights on the display screen 151 that it has switched to monitoring mode. This makes the display less likely to be overlooked by the administrator W, enabling more efficient operation.

[0064] Furthermore, the terminal device 150 permits switching from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode if, during monitoring mode, no abnormality is detected by the obstacle sensor 56 (see Figure 2), that is, if no obstacles are detected around the tractor 10, including in front of the tractor 10, and the tractor 10 continues to operate for a predetermined period of time.

[0065] In other words, if the tractor 10 continues to operate autonomously without any abnormalities for a predetermined period of time, the terminal device 150 permits switching from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode. By enabling the removal of monitoring once the tractor 10's autonomous operation is stable, the administrator W can, for example, monitor other tractors 10 if there are multiple tractors 10. This improves the efficiency of management.

[0066] In this case, as shown in Figure 8, if the terminal device 150 is in autonomous driving mode and the tractor 10 is driving without any abnormalities for a predetermined time, it will display a display D4 on the display screen 151 indicating that it can switch the monitoring target to another tractor 10.

[0067] The terminal device 150 predicts the time until the tractor 10, which is in autonomous driving mode, switches to monitoring mode. The terminal device 150 predicts the time until the tractor 10 finishes its work in a predetermined field F, for example, by calculating the time until the tractor 10 finishes its work.

[0068] The terminal device 150 predicts the time until it switches to monitoring mode and prioritizes displaying the tractors 10 with the shortest predicted time until they switch to monitoring mode on the display screen 151. In this way, by prioritizing the display of tractors 10 with the shortest time until they switch to monitoring mode on the display screen 151, the administrator W can, for example, identify the next work vehicle to be monitored, and thus be able to monitor it immediately when it needs to be monitored. This helps to suppress a decrease in work efficiency.

[0069] Figures 9 to 14 show examples of composite displays on the display screen. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the terminal device 150 displays the area that the administrator W wants to see on the display screen 151 during monitoring mode. During monitoring mode, when the administrator W (see Figure 3) remotely monitors the tractor 10, it is expected that the direction of travel of the tractor 10 or the working area of ​​the tractor 10 may be difficult to see on the display screen 151. However, by displaying the area that the administrator W should monitor remotely in an easily visible manner, the efficiency of monitoring can be improved.

[0070] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the terminal device 150 displays the camera image from camera 60 (see Figure 2) as an overhead view on the display screen 151 when the administrator W is remotely monitoring. The terminal device 150 also superimposes the work trajectory R2 of the tractor 10 onto the display screen 151. This allows the administrator to monitor the tractor 10 while viewing an image that makes it appear as if they are viewing the tractor 10 from outside the tractor 10.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the terminal device 150 displays the vehicle speed, PTO rotation speed, and gear position of the tractor 10 superimposed on the overhead camera image on the display screen 151. The terminal device 150 displays the area on the display screen 151 where the vehicle speed, PTO rotation speed, and gear position of the tractor 10 are superimposed so as to avoid the area in the direction of travel of the tractor 10 and the area immediately after work. There are no displays in the direction of travel of the tractor 10 or the area immediately after work that would obstruct the view of the administrator W. As a result, the administrator W can visually confirm whether the work is being performed correctly via the display screen 151.

[0072] As shown in Figure 12, the terminal device 150 displays a composite display D5 of the tractor 10's vehicle speed, PTO rotation speed, and gear position on the left side of the display screen 151 just before the tractor 10 turns to the right. As shown in Figure 13, the terminal device 150 displays the above composite display D5 on the right side of the display screen 151 just before the tractor 10 turns to the left. This makes it easier for the administrator W to see the area in the direction of the tractor 10's turn, and to check for obstacles in the direction of the tractor 10's turn from the display screen 151.

[0073] Furthermore, the terminal device 150 may allow administrator W to select which area—front, rear, left, or right—to display more widely on the display screen 151 relative to the tractor 10. This makes it easier for administrator W to see the desired area even within a narrow display range on the display screen 151.

[0074] Furthermore, the terminal device 150 may change the display area depending on whether the tractor 10's previous movement was a right turn or a left turn. This allows the administrator W to change the display area in accordance with the tractor 10's turn when checking the boundary between the unworked area and the worked area on the display screen 151, making it easier to see.

[0075] As shown in Figure 13, the terminal device 150 may change the display area on the display screen 151 depending on the settings and type of the work machine 30. By changing the display area according to the working width and offset of the work machine 30 in this way, it becomes easier for the administrator W to see.

[0076] As shown in Figure 14, when the tractor is moving in reverse over a long distance, the terminal device 150 may display a wide area behind the tractor 10 on the display screen 151 while the tractor 10 is moving. This makes it easier for the administrator W to see whether there are any obstacles behind the tractor 10 from the display screen 151.

[0077] Figure 15 shows an example of a fixed viewpoint display during straight-line driving on the display screen. Figure 16 shows an example of a fixed viewpoint display during turning on the display screen. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the terminal device 150 acquires the tractor 10's own position and azimuth angle from the positioning device 40 (see Figure 2). The terminal device 150 may change the display area of ​​the camera image from the camera 60 (see Figure 2) on the display screen 151 according to the tractor 10's own position and azimuth angle. In the case of remote monitoring, since there is no driver on the actual tractor 10, the terminal device 150 may allow the administrator W to select a fixed viewpoint display, which provides a fixed viewpoint display as described above. By selecting a fixed viewpoint display, the administrator W can obtain an image that is easy for the administrator W to view.

[0078] The above-described embodiment realizes the following work management system 1.

[0079] (1) A work management system 1 comprising a work vehicle 10 that performs work while autonomously driving in a field F, and a terminal device 150 that communicates with the work vehicle 10 to control the movement of the work vehicle 10 and allows the administrator W to monitor the work vehicle 10, wherein the terminal device 150 has a monitoring mode that allows the administrator W to monitor the work vehicle 10 and an autonomous driving mode that allows the work vehicle 10 to continue autonomous driving, the monitoring mode and the autonomous driving mode can be switched, and the system restricts switching from the monitoring mode when the work vehicle 10 is driving in the monitoring mode.

[0080] According to this work management system 1, by restricting switching from monitoring mode while monitoring mode is running, that is, when the work vehicle 10 is in a state that requires monitoring, the manager W can prevent situations such as the work vehicle 10 coasting and manage it safely. This improves safety.

[0081] (2) The work management system 1 in the above (1), which is equipped with a sensor 56 for detecting abnormalities in the work vehicle 10, and the terminal device 150 permits switching from the monitoring mode if the autonomous driving of the work vehicle 10 continues for a predetermined time while the sensor 56 does not detect any abnormalities during monitoring mode.

[0082] According to this work management system 1, in addition to the effects of (1) above, if the autonomous driving of the work vehicle 10 continues without abnormality for a predetermined period of time, it is permitted to switch from monitoring mode to autonomous driving mode. In this way, by making it possible to remove monitoring when the autonomous driving of the work vehicle 10 is stable, the manager W can, for example, monitor other work vehicles 10 if there are multiple work vehicles 10. This makes management more efficient.

[0083] (3) In the above (2), the work management system 1 is equipped with multiple work vehicles 10, and the terminal device 150 has a display screen 151 capable of displaying a list D3 of the multiple work vehicles 10, and when there are multiple work vehicles 10 in monitoring mode, the display screen 151 prioritizes displaying the work vehicle 10 with the longest waiting time.

[0084] According to this work management system 1, in addition to the effects of (2) above, the display screen 151 prioritizes the display of work vehicles 10 with long waiting times. This allows the manager W to, for example, select work vehicles 10 with long waiting times, thereby reducing the time that work vehicles 10 are not working. This helps to suppress a decrease in work efficiency.

[0085] (4) In the above (3), the terminal device 150 predicts the time until the work vehicle 10 in autonomous driving mode switches to monitoring mode, and the display screen 151 prioritizes displaying the work vehicle 10 with the shortest predicted time until it switches to monitoring mode, work management system 1.

[0086] With this type of work management system 1, in addition to the effects of (3) above, the display screen 151 prioritizes displaying work vehicles 10 that have a short time until they switch to monitoring mode. This allows the manager W to, for example, know which work vehicle 10 to monitor next, and to start monitoring immediately when necessary. This helps to suppress a decrease in work efficiency.

[0087] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Work Management System 10. Work vehicles (tractors) 56. Sensor (Obstacle Sensor) 150 terminal devices 151 Display screen D3 List Display Field F W Administrator

Claims

1. Work vehicles that perform tasks while autonomously driving in the field, A terminal device that communicates with the aforementioned work vehicle, thereby controlling the movement of the work vehicle and enabling the administrator to monitor the work vehicle. Equipped with, The aforementioned terminal device is A monitoring mode that enables the administrator to monitor the work vehicle, The autonomous driving mode that continues the autonomous driving of the aforementioned work vehicle and It has, The monitoring mode and the autonomous driving mode are switchable. If the work vehicle is in motion during the aforementioned monitoring mode, the mode is restricted from switching out of the monitoring mode. Work management system.

2. The work vehicle is equipped with a sensor to detect abnormalities, The aforementioned terminal device is During the monitoring mode, if the autonomous driving of the work vehicle continues for a predetermined period of time without any abnormalities being detected by the sensor, the mode is permitted to switch out of the monitoring mode. The work management system according to claim 1.

3. Equipped with multiple of the aforementioned work vehicles, The aforementioned terminal device is It has a display screen capable of displaying a list of multiple work vehicles, If there are multiple work vehicles in the monitoring mode, the display screen will prioritize displaying the work vehicle with the longest waiting time. The work management system according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned terminal device is The system predicts the time it will take for the work vehicle in autonomous driving mode to switch to the monitoring mode, and prioritizes displaying the work vehicle with the shortest predicted time to switch to the monitoring mode on the display screen. The work management system according to claim 3.

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