Autonomous driving method, automatic driving system, and automatic driving program

Abstract

To provide an automatic travel method capable of improving followability of a work vehicle that can perform automatic travel to a target route, an automatic travel system, and an automatic travel program.SOLUTION: An automatic travel system 1 includes: a travel processing unit 111 that causes a work vehicle 10 to perform automatic travel following a target route R in a field F; a steering processing unit 112 that steers the work vehicle 10 on the basis of a preset steering sensitivity; and a change processing unit 113 that enables changing of the preset steering sensitivity during automatic travel of the work vehicle 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving method, an automatic driving system, and an automatic driving program for automatically driving a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a work vehicle that automatically travels along a preset target route based on the position information of the work vehicle. For example, the work vehicle can travel along the target route by setting a forward target point on the target route and traveling toward the forward target point (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-358122 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology, the angle between the forward target point and the target route varies depending on the position at which the forward target point is set. The angle corresponds to the angle at which the work vehicle is steered, so the larger the angle, the higher the steering sensitivity, and the smaller the angle, the lower the steering sensitivity. When the steering sensitivity is high, the work vehicle can quickly return to the target route, but the direction changes abruptly, making the behavior of the work vehicle unstable. On the other hand, when the steering sensitivity is low, the behavior of the work vehicle is stable, but it takes a long time to return to the target route.

[0005] As described above, conventional work vehicles perform automatic driving according to a preset steering sensitivity, which results in a problem of reduced ability to follow a target route.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving method, an automatic driving system, and an automatic driving program that can improve the ability of an automatically driven work vehicle to track a target route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The automatic driving method of the present invention is a method of automatically driving a work vehicle along a target route in a work area, steering the work vehicle based on a predetermined steering sensitivity, and making the predetermined steering sensitivity changeable while the work vehicle is automatically driving.

[0008] The automatic driving system of the present invention is a system comprising a driving processing unit that automatically drives a work vehicle along a target route in a work area, a steering processing unit that steers the work vehicle based on a predetermined steering sensitivity, and a change processing unit that enables the predetermined steering sensitivity to be changed while the work vehicle is automatically driving.

[0009] The automatic driving program of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following operations: automatically driving a work vehicle along a target route in a work area; steering the work vehicle based on a predetermined steering sensitivity; and making it possible to change the predetermined steering sensitivity while the work vehicle is automatically driving. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic driving method, an automatic driving system, and an automatic driving program that can improve the ability of an automatically-driving work vehicle to follow a target route. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an automatic driving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a target route for the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a farm field according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the steering sensitivity of a work vehicle on a slope according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of sensitivity information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a graph showing an example of the steering sensitivity characteristic of the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an automatic driving process executed in the automatic driving system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a graph showing an example of the vehicle speed characteristic of the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13B]FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an example of an indicator that indicates the amount of positional deviation between the current position and the target route of the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13C] FIG. 13C is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13D] FIG. 13D is a diagram showing a display example of a conventional indicator. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an indicator that indicates the amount of positional deviation between the current position and the target route of the work vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing another example of an indicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a diagram showing another example of the indicator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15C] FIG. 15C is a diagram showing another example of an indicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15D] FIG. 15D is a diagram showing another example of an indicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, an automatic driving system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a work vehicle 10 and an operation terminal 20. The work vehicle 10 and the operation terminal 20 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1. For example, the work vehicle 10 and the operation terminal 20 can communicate with each other via a mobile phone network, a packet network, or a wireless LAN. The automatic driving system 1 is a system that automatically drives the work vehicle 10 within a field F. The field F is an example of a work area of ​​the present invention.

[0014] In this embodiment, the working vehicle 10 is a tractor. In other embodiments, the working vehicle 10 may be a rice transplanter, a combine harvester, a construction machine, a snowplow, or the like. The working vehicle 10 is a so-called robot tractor that is configured to be able to automatically travel (autonomously travel) along a preset target route R in a field F (see FIG. 3). The robot tractor refers to a vehicle that can automatically travel the working vehicle 10 by remote control without an operator getting on the working vehicle 10. The working vehicle 10 is also capable of performing a predetermined task while automatically traveling in a field.

[0015] The work vehicle 10 automatically travels along a target route R generated in advance for the field F, based on position information of the current position of the work vehicle 10 calculated by the positioning device 16. The target route R includes a work route (straight route R1) (solid line portion in FIG. 3) along which the work implement 14 performs work, and a non-work route (turning route R2) (dotted line portion in FIG. 3) along which the work implement 14 does not perform work, and includes multiple straight routes R1 and multiple turning routes R2 from the work start position S to the work end position G.

[0016] The work vehicle 10 travels parallel to each other along multiple straight paths R1 in a field F shown in Fig. 3, for example, from a work start position S to a work end position G, and performs work on each straight path R1 using the work implement 14. The target path R is not limited to the path shown in Fig. 3, and is set appropriately depending on the work content.

[0017] The work vehicle 10 may be one in which an operator boards and automatically travels along the target route R in response to the operator's operation, or may be one in which the work vehicle 10 automatically travels only along a straight route. For example, when an operator boards the work vehicle 10 and performs an operation to change the vehicle speed (such as an accelerator operation or a brake operation), the work vehicle 10 automatically travels along the target route R or a part of the target route R (for example, a straight route R1) while controlling the vehicle speed in response to the operation. The work vehicle 10 may also automatically travel along the target route R while controlling the vehicle speed in accordance with vehicle speed information set for each work route.

[0018] The field F may also be a slope having a predetermined inclination angle. Fig. 4 shows an example of a sloped field F. The field F shown in Fig. 4 is inclined at an angle θa in the traveling direction (direction A1) of the work vehicle 10 in the field F, and is inclined at an angle θb in the left-right direction (direction B1) relative to the traveling direction of the work vehicle 10. The work area of ​​the present invention may be a slope or a flat land.

[0019] [Work vehicle 10] 1 and 2, the work vehicle 10 includes a vehicle control device 11, a memory unit 12, a traveling device 13, a work implement 14, a communication unit 15, a positioning device 16, etc. The vehicle control device 11 is electrically connected to the memory unit 12, the traveling device 13, the work implement 14, the positioning device 16, etc. Note that the vehicle control device 11 and the positioning device 16 may be capable of wireless communication.

[0020] The communication unit 15 is a communication interface for connecting the work vehicle 10 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly, and for executing data communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the operation terminal 20 via the communication network N1.

[0021] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various information. The storage unit 12 stores a control program such as an automatic driving program for causing the vehicle control device 11 to execute an automatic driving process (see FIG. 10) described later. For example, the automatic driving program is non-temporarily recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a flash ROM, an EEPROM, a CD, or a DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 12. The automatic driving program may be downloaded from a server (not shown) to the work vehicle 10 via a communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 may also store route data of a target route R generated in the operation terminal 20.

[0022] The traveling device 13 is a drive unit that causes the work vehicle 10 to travel. As shown in Fig. 2, the traveling device 13 includes an engine 131, front wheels 132, rear wheels 133, a transmission 134, a front axle 135, a rear axle 136, a handlebar 137, and the like. The front wheels 132 and the rear wheels 133 are provided on the left and right sides of the work vehicle 10, respectively. The traveling device 13 is not limited to a wheel type that includes the front wheels 132 and the rear wheels 133, but may be a crawler type that includes crawlers provided on the left and right sides of the work vehicle 10.

[0023] The engine 131 is a drive source such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine that is driven by fuel supplied to a fuel tank (not shown). The traveling device 13 may be equipped with an electric motor as a drive source together with or instead of the engine 131. A generator (not shown) is connected to the engine 131, and power is supplied from the generator to electrical components such as the vehicle control device 11 and the battery provided in the work vehicle 10. The battery is charged by the power supplied from the generator. The vehicle control device 11 and electrical components such as the positioning device 16 provided in the work vehicle 10 can be driven by the power supplied from the battery even after the engine 131 is stopped.

[0024] The driving force of the engine 131 is transmitted to front wheels 132 via a transmission 134 and a front axle 135, and to rear wheels 133 via a transmission 134 and a rear axle 136. The driving force of the engine 131 is also transmitted to the work equipment 14 via a PTO shaft (not shown). When the work vehicle 10 performs autonomous driving, the traveling device 13 performs a traveling operation in accordance with commands from the vehicle control device 11.

[0025] The working machine 14 may be, for example, a grass cutter, a cultivator, a plow, a fertilizer applicator, a seed sower, a spreader, or the like, and may be detachable from the work vehicle 10. This allows the work vehicle 10 to perform various types of work using each of the working machines 14. In this embodiment, the working machine 14 will be described as a grass cutter.

[0026] For example, the work vehicle 10 is equipped with a mounted work implement 14 (grass cutter) and performs grass cutting work while traveling in a farm field F. Note that the work implement 14 is not limited to a mounted work implement fixed to the work vehicle 10, and may be a towed work implement towed by the work vehicle 10.

[0027] The handle 137 is an operating section that is operated by an operator or the vehicle control device 11. For example, in the traveling device 13, the angle of the front wheels 132 is changed by a hydraulic power steering mechanism (not shown) or the like in response to the operation of the handle 137 by the vehicle control device 11, and the traveling direction of the work vehicle 10 is changed.

[0028] In addition to the handlebars 137, the traveling device 13 is equipped with a shift lever, accelerator, brake, etc. (not shown) that are operated by the vehicle control device 11. In the traveling device 13, the gear of the transmission 134 is switched to a forward gear, a reverse gear, etc. in response to operation of the shift lever by the vehicle control device 11, and the traveling mode of the work vehicle 10 is switched to forward, reverse, etc. The vehicle control device 11 also operates the accelerator to control the rotation speed of the engine 131. The vehicle control device 11 also operates the brake to brake the rotation of the front wheels 132 and the rear wheels 133 using an electromagnetic brake.

[0029] The positioning device 16 is a communication device including a positioning control unit 161, a memory unit 162, a communication unit 163, and a positioning antenna 164. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the positioning device 16 is provided on the upper part of a cabin 138 in which an operator sits. The installation location of the positioning device 16 is not limited to the cabin 138. The positioning control unit 161, the memory unit 162, the communication unit 163, and the positioning antenna 164 of the positioning device 16 may be disposed in different positions in the work vehicle 10. As described above, the battery is connected to the positioning device 16, and the positioning device 16 can operate even when the engine 131 is stopped. The positioning device 16 may be substituted with, for example, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0030] The positioning control unit 161 is a computer system including one or more processors and storage memories such as a non-volatile memory and a RAM. The storage unit 162 is a non-volatile memory that stores a program for causing the positioning control unit 161 to execute the positioning process, and data such as positioning information and movement information. For example, the program is non-temporarily recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a flash ROM, an EEPROM, a CD, or a DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 162. The program may be downloaded from a server (not shown) to the positioning device 16 via the communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 162.

[0031] The communication unit 163 is a communication interface for connecting the positioning device 16 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and for executing data communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol with an external device such as a base station (not shown) via the communication network N1. The positioning antenna 164 is an antenna for receiving radio waves (GNSS signals) transmitted from satellites.

[0032] The positioning control unit 161 calculates the current position of the work vehicle 10 based on the GNSS signal received by the positioning antenna 164 from a satellite. For example, when the work vehicle 10 automatically travels in the field F, when the positioning antenna 164 receives radio waves (such as transmission time and orbit information) transmitted from each of a plurality of satellites, the positioning control unit 161 calculates the distance between the positioning antenna 164 and each satellite, and calculates the current position (latitude and longitude) of the work vehicle 10 based on the calculated distance. The positioning control unit 161 may also perform positioning using a real-time kinematic method (RTK-GPS positioning method (RTK method)) that calculates the current position of the work vehicle 10 using correction information corresponding to a base station (reference station) close to the work vehicle 10. In this way, the work vehicle 10 performs automatic travel using positioning information by the RTK method. The current position of the work vehicle 10 may be the same as the positioning position (for example, the position of the positioning antenna 164), or may be a position shifted from the positioning position.

[0033] The vehicle control device 11 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various types of arithmetic processing are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various types of processing executed by the CPU. The vehicle control device 11 controls the work vehicle 10 by executing, with the CPU, various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0034] However, in the conventional technology, the angle between the forward target point and the target route differs depending on the position where the forward target point is set. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the angle θ1 when the forward target point is P1 and the angle θ2 when the forward target point is P2 differ from each other. The angle corresponds to the angle at which the work vehicle 10 is steered, so the larger the angle, the higher the steering sensitivity, and the smaller the angle, the lower the steering sensitivity. In the example shown in FIG. 5, when the forward target point is P1, the steering sensitivity is high, and when the forward target point is P2, the steering sensitivity is low. When the steering sensitivity is high, the vehicle can quickly return to the target route R, but the vehicle is suddenly turned, making the behavior of the work vehicle 10 unstable. On the other hand, when the steering sensitivity is low, the behavior of the work vehicle 10 is stable, but it takes a long time to return to the target route R. In the example shown in FIG. 5, when the forward target point is P1, the work vehicle 10 returns to the target route R at the forward target point P1, and when the forward target point is P2, the work vehicle 10 returns to the target route R at the forward target point P2.

[0035] In this way, in the conventional work vehicle 10, automatic travel is performed according to the steering sensitivity that is set in advance, which causes a problem of reduced tracking ability to the target route R. In particular, when the field F is on a slope, the above problem is likely to occur. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the work vehicle 10 is located on the lower side of the slope with respect to the target route R, if the steering sensitivity is low, it becomes difficult for the work vehicle 10 to return to the target route R. Also, when the work vehicle 10 is located on the upper side of the slope with respect to the target route R, if the steering sensitivity is high, the work vehicle 10 will overshoot the target route R.

[0036] In contrast, the automatic driving system 1 according to this embodiment can improve the ability of an automatically-traveling work vehicle to follow a target route, as will be described below.

[0037] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control device 11 includes various processing units such as a driving processing unit 111, a steering processing unit 112, and a change processing unit 113. The vehicle control device 11 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes according to the automatic driving program with the CPU. Also, some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The automatic driving program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the processing units.

[0038] The driving processing unit 111 controls the driving of the work vehicle 10. Specifically, the driving processing unit 111 automatically drives the work vehicle 10 according to the target route R based on the position information indicating the current position of the work vehicle 10 measured by the positioning control unit 161. For example, when the positioning state becomes a state in which RTK positioning is possible and the operator presses the start button on the operation screen (not shown) of the operation terminal 20, the operation terminal 20 outputs a work start instruction to the work vehicle 10. When the driving processing unit 111 of the work vehicle 10 acquires the work start instruction from the operation terminal 20, it starts the automatic driving of the work vehicle 10 based on the position information indicating the current position of the work vehicle 10 measured by the positioning control unit 161. As a result, the work vehicle 10 starts automatic driving according to the target route R and starts work by the work equipment 14. The target route R is generated by, for example, the operation terminal 20. The work vehicle 10 acquires route data of a target route R from the operation terminal 20, and automatically travels within a field F according to the target route R (see FIG. 3).

[0039] Furthermore, the driving processing unit 111 stops the automatic driving of the work vehicle 10 when it receives a work stop instruction from the operation terminal 20. For example, when the operator presses the stop button on the operation screen (not shown) of the operation terminal 20, the operation terminal 20 outputs a work stop instruction to the work vehicle 10. When the driving processing unit 111 receives a work stop instruction from the operation terminal 20, it stops the automatic driving of the work vehicle 10. As a result, the work vehicle 10 stops automatic driving and stops work by the work equipment 14. The driving processing unit 111 is an example of a driving processing unit of the present invention.

[0040] The steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 based on a preset steering sensitivity. The steering sensitivity is an index that indicates steering responsiveness. The higher the steering sensitivity, the larger the steering angle (handle turning angle), and the lower the steering sensitivity, the smaller the steering angle. The steering processing unit 112 is an example of a steering processing unit of the present invention.

[0041] For example, the operator can set the steering sensitivity on an operation screen displayed on the operation terminal 20. Specifically, on the operation screen shown in FIG. 9, the operator selects one of the sensitivity modes, the standard mode, the sensitive mode, and the insensitive mode. The sensitive mode has a higher steering sensitivity than the standard mode, and the insensitive mode has a lower steering sensitivity than the standard mode. When the operator selects a sensitivity mode, the steering processing unit 112 acquires information on the selected sensitivity mode from the operation terminal 20, sets the steering sensitivity of the sensitivity mode, and steers the work vehicle 10 based on the steering sensitivity. The information on the sensitivity mode is associated with the target route R. One of the sensitive mode and the insensitive mode is an example of a first sensitivity mode of the present invention, and the other is an example of a second sensitivity mode of the present invention.

[0042] For example, the operator selects the sensitivity mode based on the state of the field F (inclination angle, soil condition, etc.) and the state of the work vehicle 10 (weight, work content, etc.). For example, when the field F is on a slope, the operator selects the "sensitive mode" to improve the tracking ability of the work vehicle 10. Also, for example, when the field F is flat and the soil is not disturbed, the operator selects the "insensitive mode."

[0043] In this way, the steering processing unit 112 presets the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle 10 based on the sensitivity mode selection operation by the operator (see FIG. 9). In the example shown in FIG. 9, the operator has set the sensitive mode, so the steering processing unit 112 presets the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle 10 to the steering sensitivity of the sensitive mode. The operator can also select the automatic mode (see FIG. 9). When the operator selects the automatic mode, the steering processing unit 112 automatically sets the steering sensitivity based on information such as the state of the field F, the state of the work vehicle 10, and past work history.

[0044] The change processing unit 113 can change the preset steering sensitivity while the work vehicle 10 is traveling automatically. Specifically, the change processing unit 113 can change the steering sensitivity based on the state of the work vehicle 10 while the work vehicle 10 is traveling automatically. For example, the change processing unit 113 can change the steering sensitivity based on the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 while the work vehicle 10 is traveling automatically. For example, when the operator on board the work vehicle 10 changes the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 (accelerating or decelerating) while the work vehicle 10 is traveling automatically according to the target route R, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity in the preset sensitivity mode to a steering sensitivity according to the changed vehicle speed. Note that, when the changed vehicle speed is within a predetermined range, the change processing unit 113 does not need to change the preset steering sensitivity. The change processing unit 113 is an example of a change processing unit of the present invention.

[0045] Here, in each sensitivity mode, a steering sensitivity is set according to the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10. Specifically, in each sensitivity mode, a steering sensitivity is set so that the slower the vehicle speed, the higher the steering sensitivity, and the faster the vehicle speed, the lower the steering sensitivity. FIG. 7A shows sensitivity information E1 indicating the relationship between the steering sensitivity and the vehicle speed in each sensitivity mode. FIG. 7B shows a graph showing the relationship (sensitivity characteristic) between each sensitivity mode and the vehicle speed. The graph in FIG. 7B is a graph of the sensitivity information E1 in FIG. 7A. The sensitivity information E1 (sensitivity characteristic) is set in advance and stored in the memory unit 12.

[0046] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, in the sensitive mode, the minimum sensitivity is set to "8" and the maximum sensitivity is set to "12". In addition, in the sensitive mode, the steering sensitivity is set to "12" when the vehicle speed is between 1 km / h and 3 km / h, the steering sensitivity is set to gradually decrease from "12" to "8" when the vehicle speed is between 3 km / h and 6 km / h, and the steering sensitivity is set to "8" when the vehicle speed is between 6 km / h and 10 km / h. In this way, in the sensitive mode, the steering sensitivity is the maximum sensitivity (upper limit value "12") when the vehicle speed is between 1 km / h and 3 km / h, and the steering sensitivity is the minimum sensitivity (lower limit value "8") when the vehicle speed is 6 km / h or more.

[0047] In the standard mode, the minimum sensitivity is set to "5" and the maximum sensitivity is set to "12." In the standard mode, the steering sensitivity is set to gradually decrease from "12" to "5" when the vehicle speed is between 1 km / h and 7 km / h, and is set to "5" when the vehicle speed is between 7 km / h and 10 km / h. In this way, in the standard mode, the steering sensitivity is the maximum sensitivity (upper limit "12") when the vehicle speed is 1 km / h, and the steering sensitivity is the minimum sensitivity (lower limit "5") when the vehicle speed is 7 km / h or more.

[0048] In the insensitive mode, the minimum sensitivity is set to "1" and the maximum sensitivity is set to "12." In the insensitive mode, the steering sensitivity is set to gradually decrease from "12" to "1" when the vehicle speed is between 1 km / h and 7 km / h, and the steering sensitivity is set to "1" when the vehicle speed is between 7 km / h and 10 km / h. In this way, in the insensitive mode, the steering sensitivity is the maximum sensitivity (upper limit value "12") when the vehicle speed is 1 km / h, and the steering sensitivity is the minimum sensitivity (lower limit value "1") when the vehicle speed is 7 km / h or more.

[0049] In this way, a first upper limit value (e.g., "12") of the steering sensitivity is set in the sensitive mode, and a second upper limit value (e.g., "12") of the steering sensitivity is set in the insensitive mode. The maximum vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 when the steering sensitivity is set to the first upper limit value in the sensitive mode (e.g., "3 km / h") and the maximum vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 when the steering sensitivity is set to the second upper limit value in the insensitive mode (e.g., "1 km / h") are set to speeds different from each other. The first upper limit value and the second upper limit value may be the same or different.

[0050] In addition, a first lower limit value (e.g., "8") of the steering sensitivity is set in the sensitive mode, and a second lower limit value (e.g., "1") of the steering sensitivity is set in the insensitive mode. The minimum vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 when the steering sensitivity is set to the first lower limit value in the sensitive mode (e.g., "6 km / h") and the minimum vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 when the steering sensitivity is set to the second lower limit value in the insensitive mode (e.g., "7 km / h") are set to speeds different from each other.

[0051] In addition, for the sensitive mode, multiple stages of steering sensitivity are set, which can be changed from a first steering sensitivity (e.g., "8") to a second steering sensitivity (e.g., "12"), and for the insensitive mode, multiple stages of steering sensitivity are set, which can be changed from a third steering sensitivity (e.g., "1") different from the first steering sensitivity (e.g., "8") to the second steering sensitivity (e.g., "12").

[0052] The steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 based on the sensitivity information E1 (sensitivity characteristic) shown in Figures 7A and 7B. For example, when the operator sets the steering sensitivity to the sensitive mode, the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 based on the sensitivity characteristic of the sensitive mode (see Figure 7B).

[0053] For example, when the sensitivity mode of the work vehicle 10 is set to the sensitive mode in advance, if the operator accelerates the vehicle speed to "5 km / h" while the work vehicle 10 is automatically traveling at "3 km / h", the change processing unit 113 reduces the steering sensitivity from "12" to "approximately 9.5" in the sensitive mode, and the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 with the steering sensitivity of "approximately 9.5". Also, if the operator further accelerates the vehicle speed to "6 km / h or more" in the sensitive mode, the change processing unit 113 fixes the steering sensitivity to "8", and the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 with the steering sensitivity of "8". Also, if the operator changes the vehicle speed to "1 km / h to 3 km / h" in the sensitive mode, the change processing unit 113 fixes the steering sensitivity to "12", and the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 with the steering sensitivity of "12".

[0054] Also, for example, when the sensitivity mode of the work vehicle 10 is set in advance to the insensitive mode, if the operator accelerates the vehicle speed to "6 km / h" while the work vehicle 10 is automatically traveling at "4 km / h", the change processing unit 113 reduces the steering sensitivity from "approximately 6.5" to "approximately 2.8" in the insensitive mode, and the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 with a steering sensitivity of "approximately 2.8". Also, if the operator further accelerates the vehicle speed to "7 km / h or more", the change processing unit 113 fixes the steering sensitivity to "1" in the sensitive mode, and the steering processing unit 112 steers the work vehicle 10 with a steering sensitivity of "1".

[0055] Changes in the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 occur not only due to the operator's operation (accelerator operation, brake operation, etc.) but also due to the state of the field F. For example, when the field F is a slope (see FIG. 6), the vehicle speed slows down when the work vehicle 10 is located on the lower side of the slope with respect to the target route R and travels toward the target route R (upward travel), and the vehicle speed increases when the work vehicle 10 is located on the upper side of the slope with respect to the target route R and travels toward the target route R (downward travel). In this case, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity according to the vehicle speed that changes due to the state of the field F. For this reason, for example, when the work vehicle 10 travels upward in the sloping field F, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity to a high sensitivity, and when the work vehicle 10 travels downward in the sloping field F, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity to a low sensitivity.

[0056] In this way, the steering processing unit 112 sets one of a plurality of sensitivity modes having mutually different steering sensitivities, and the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity in that sensitivity mode based on at least one of the state of the field F and the state of the work vehicle 10. Furthermore, in each sensitivity mode, the change processing unit 113 sets the steering sensitivity when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 is a first speed to a sensitivity lower than the steering sensitivity when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 is a second speed slower than the first speed. For example, the change processing unit 113 sets the steering sensitivity for each sensitivity mode such that the steering sensitivity decreases as the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 increases.

[0057] [Operation terminal 20] 1, the operation terminal 20 is an information processing device including an operation control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The operation terminal 20 may be configured as a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone.

[0058] The communication unit 24 is a communication interface for connecting the operation terminal 20 to the communication network N1 via a wired or wireless connection, and for performing data communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as one or more work vehicles 10 via the communication network N1.

[0059] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface equipped with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a touch panel, a mouse, or a keyboard that accepts operations. An operator can operate the operation unit to register various information (such as work vehicle information, field information, and work information described below) on the operation screen displayed on the display unit. The operator can also operate the operation unit to give automatic travel instructions to the work vehicle 10. Furthermore, the operator can grasp the travel state of the work vehicle 10 that automatically travels in the field F according to the target route R from the travel trajectory displayed on the operation terminal 20 at a location away from the work vehicle 10.

[0060] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD or SSD that stores various types of information. A control program for causing the operation control unit 21 to execute a predetermined control process is stored in the storage unit 22. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flash ROM, an EEPROM, a CD, or a DVD, and is read by a predetermined reading device (not shown) provided in the operation terminal 20 and stored in the storage unit 22. The control program may be downloaded from a server (not shown) to the operation terminal 20 via the communication network N1 and stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 may also store work information transmitted from the work vehicle 10.

[0061] Further, a dedicated application for automatically driving the work vehicle 10 is installed in the memory unit 22. The operation control unit 21 starts up the dedicated application to perform processing for setting various information related to the work vehicle 10, processing for generating a target route R for the work vehicle 10, and issuing automatic driving instructions to the work vehicle 10.

[0062] The operation control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various processes executed by the CPU. The operation control unit 21 controls the operation terminal 20 by executing various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22 by the CPU.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 1, the operation control unit 21 includes various processing units such as a vehicle setting processing unit 211, a field setting processing unit 212, a task setting processing unit 213, a route generation processing unit 214, an output processing unit 215, and a reception processing unit 216. The operation control unit 21 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes according to the control program with the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the processing units.

[0064] The vehicle setting processing unit 211 sets information relating to the work vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as work vehicle information). The vehicle setting processing unit 211 sets information such as the model of the work vehicle 10, the position where the positioning antenna 164 is attached to the work vehicle 10, the type of work implement 14, the size and shape of the work implement 14, and the position of the work implement 14 relative to the work vehicle 10, by the operator performing an operation to register the information on the operation terminal 20.

[0065] The field setting processing unit 212 sets information (hereinafter referred to as field information) about the field F. The field setting processing unit 212 sets information such as the position and shape of the field F, the work start position S where work begins and the work end position G where work ends, and the work direction by performing an operation to register the information on the operation terminal 20. The work direction means the direction in which the work vehicle 10 travels while working with the work implement 14 in an area of ​​the field F excluding the headland, non-work land, etc.

[0066] Information on the position and shape of the field F can be automatically acquired, for example, by an operator getting on board the work vehicle 10 and driving it around the perimeter of the field F, and recording the transition of the position information of the positioning antenna 164 at that time. The position and shape of the field F can also be acquired based on a polygon obtained by the operator operating the operation terminal 20 while a map is displayed on the map and specifying multiple points on the map. The area specified by the acquired position and shape of the field F is the area in which the work vehicle 10 can travel (travel area).

[0067] The work setting processing unit 213 sets information on how to specifically perform work (hereinafter referred to as work information). The work setting processing unit 213 is configured to be able to set, as work information, whether or not a cooperative work will be performed between the work vehicle 10 (unmanned tractor) and the manned work vehicle 10, the skip number which is the number of work routes to skip when the work vehicle 10 turns on the headland, the width of the headland, and the width of the non-cultivated land.

[0068] The route generation processing unit 214 generates a target route R, which is a route along which the work vehicle 10 will automatically travel, based on the setting information. The target route R in this embodiment includes a work route (straight route R1) along which the work implement 14 performs work, and a non-work route (turning route R2) along which the work implement 14 does not perform work (see FIG. 3). The route generation processing unit 214 can generate and store the target route R for the work vehicle 10 based on the setting information set in the vehicle setting processing unit 211, the field setting processing unit 212, and the work setting processing unit 213.

[0069] Specifically, the path generation processing unit 214 generates a target path R (see FIG. 3) based on the work start position S and the work end position G registered in the field setting. The target path R is not limited to the path shown in FIG.

[0070] Furthermore, the route generation processing unit 214 sets information on the vehicle speed (traveling speed) of the work vehicle 10 in association with the target route R. For example, the operator selects "route generation" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 8 to register the vehicle speed. The operator can set the vehicle speed during work (traveling speed on straight route R1), the vehicle speed during turning (traveling speed on turning route R2), etc. The route generation processing unit 214 registers the set vehicle speed information in association with the target route R.

[0071] Furthermore, the route generation processing unit 214 sets the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle 10. For example, the operator selects a desired sensitivity mode from among a plurality of sensitivity modes on a steering sensitivity setting screen shown in Fig. 9. When the operator selects the sensitivity mode, the route generation processing unit 214 registers the selected sensitivity mode in association with the target route R.

[0072] The output processing unit 215 outputs route data of the target route R generated by the route generation processing unit 214 to the work vehicle 10. In addition, the output processing unit 215 outputs work start instructions and work end instructions to the work vehicle 10 based on the operation of the operator.

[0073] The reception processing unit 216 receives from the operator an instruction operation to start work (work start instruction operation), an instruction operation to stop work of the automatically traveling work vehicle 10 (work stop instruction operation), and the like. When the reception processing unit 216 receives the work start instruction operation, the output processing unit 215 outputs the work start instruction to the work vehicle 10. As a result, the vehicle control device 11 of the work vehicle 10 acquires the work start instruction from the operation terminal 20. When the vehicle control device 11 acquires the work start instruction, it starts the work and traveling of the work vehicle 10. Also, when the reception processing unit 216 accepts the work stop instruction operation, the output processing unit 215 outputs the work stop instruction to the work vehicle 10. As a result, the vehicle control device 11 of the work vehicle 10 acquires the work stop instruction from the operation terminal 20. When the vehicle control device 11 acquires the work stop instruction, it stops the work and traveling of the work vehicle 10.

[0074] When the work vehicle 10 receives the route data of the target route R transferred from the operation terminal 20, it stores it in the memory unit 12. The work vehicle 10 is configured to be able to travel automatically when the current position is located within the field F, and is configured not to be able to travel automatically when the current position is located outside the field F. The work vehicle 10 is also configured to be able to travel automatically when, for example, the current position coincides with the work start position S.

[0075] When the current position of the work vehicle 10 coincides with the work start position S, and the operator presses the start button on the operation screen to give an instruction to start work, the vehicle control device 11 starts work using the work equipment 14. That is, the operation control unit 21 permits the automatic travel of the work vehicle 10 on the condition that the current position coincides with the work start position S. Note that the conditions for permitting the automatic travel of the work vehicle 10 are not limited to the above conditions.

[0076] The vehicle control device 11 automatically drives the work vehicle 10 from the work start position S to the work end position G based on the information of the target route R, and also raises and lowers the work implement 14 to perform the work. The vehicle control device 11 also steers the work vehicle 10 based on the steering sensitivity associated with the target route R, i.e., a preset steering sensitivity (sensitivity mode). The vehicle control device 11 also automatically drives the work vehicle 10 while changing the steering sensitivity according to the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 (see FIG. 7B). For example, the vehicle control device 11 automatically drives the work vehicle 10 while changing the steering sensitivity according to an operation to change the vehicle speed (acceleration operation, deceleration operation) by the operator.

[0077] Furthermore, when the work vehicle 10 finishes work, the vehicle control device 11 may automatically drive the work vehicle 10 from the work end position G to the entrance of the field F. When the work vehicle 10 is automatically driving, the operation control unit 21 can receive the status of the work vehicle 10 (position, vehicle speed, etc.) from the work vehicle 10 and display it on the operation display unit 23.

[0078] The operation terminal 20 may be able to access a website (agricultural support site) of an agricultural support service provided by a server (not shown) via the communication network N1. In this case, the operation terminal 20 can function as an operation terminal for the server by executing a browser program by the operation control unit 21. The server includes the above-mentioned processing units and executes each process.

[0079] [Automatic driving processing] Hereinafter, an example of the automatic driving process executed by the automatic driving system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0080] The present invention can be understood as an invention of an automatic driving method that executes one or more steps included in the automatic driving process. One or more steps included in the automatic driving process described here may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the automatic driving process may be executed in a different order as long as the same action and effect is achieved. Furthermore, although an example is described here in which the vehicle control device 11 and the operation control unit 21 execute each step in the automatic driving process, another embodiment can also be an automatic driving method in which one or more processors execute each step in the automatic driving process in a distributed manner.

[0081] In step S1, the operation control unit 21 of the operation terminal 20 registers various setting information. Specifically, the operation control unit 21 sets and registers information about the work vehicle 10 (work vehicle information), information about the field (field information), and information about the work (work information) based on the setting operation of the operator. In addition, the operation control unit 21 sets and registers information such as the work start position S and work end position G, and the traveling direction.

[0082] Next, in step S2, the operation control unit 21 sets the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle 10. Specifically, the operation control unit 21 accepts a sensitivity mode selection operation from the operator on the steering sensitivity setting screen shown in Fig. 9, and sets the sensitivity mode selected by the operator. The operation control unit 21 may also automatically set the steering sensitivity (sensitivity mode) based on each of the setting information. For example, the operation control unit 21 automatically sets the steering sensitivity based on information such as the state of the field F, the state of the work vehicle 10, and past work history.

[0083] Next, in step S3, the operation control unit 21 generates a target route R based on each of the setting information. For example, the operation control unit 21 generates a target route R (see FIG. 3) connecting a work start position S and a work end position G in a field F based on a work start position S and a work end position G specified by the operator. Furthermore, when the operator registers the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10, the operation control unit 21 registers the vehicle speed information in association with the target route R. Furthermore, when the operator selects a sensitivity mode for the work vehicle 10, the operation control unit 21 registers the sensitivity mode in association with the target route R. The operation control unit 21 stores route data of the target route R including these pieces of information in the memory unit 22.

[0084] Next, in step S4, the operation control unit 21 determines whether or not a work start instruction operation has been received from the operator. If the operation control unit 21 receives a work start instruction operation from the operator (S4: Yes), the operation control unit 21 shifts the process to step S5. The operation control unit 21 waits until a work start instruction operation is received from the operator (S4: No).

[0085] In step S5, the operation control unit 21 outputs route data of the target route R to the work vehicle 10. The target route R includes the information on the sensitivity mode and the like.

[0086] Next, in step S6, the vehicle control device 11 of the work vehicle 10 executes automatic driving processing according to the target route R corresponding to the route data. Specifically, the vehicle control device 11 starts automatic driving when the current position of the work vehicle 10 coincides with the work start position S (the starting end position of the straight route R1). In addition, the vehicle control device 11 steers the work vehicle 10 based on a preset steering sensitivity. For example, when the operator selects the "sensitive mode" on the operation terminal 20, the vehicle control device 11 steers the work vehicle 10 based on the steering sensitivity of the sensitive mode (see Figures 7A and 7B).

[0087] Next, in step S7, the vehicle control device 11 determines whether the speed of the work vehicle 10 has changed. For example, the speed of the work vehicle 10 changes when an operator aboard the work vehicle 10 operates the accelerator and brakes. Also, for example, the speed of the work vehicle 10 changes when the work vehicle 10 travels from the bottom to the top (uphill travel) in a sloping field F (see FIG. 6), or when the work vehicle 10 travels from the top to the bottom (downhill travel) in a sloping field F (FIG. 6). If the speed of the work vehicle 10 has changed (S7: Yes), the vehicle control device 11 shifts the process to step S71. On the other hand, if the speed of the work vehicle 10 has not changed (S7: No), the vehicle control device 11 shifts the process to step S8.

[0088] In step S71, the vehicle control device 11 changes the steering sensitivity. Specifically, the vehicle control device 11 changes the preset steering sensitivity to a steering sensitivity corresponding to the vehicle speed based on sensitivity information E1 (see Figures 7A and 7B) indicating the sensitivity characteristic. Here, the vehicle control device 11 changes the steering sensitivity based on the sensitivity characteristic of the sensitive mode. After step S71, the process proceeds to step S6. The vehicle control device 11 performs automatic driving while steering the work vehicle 10 with the changed steering sensitivity. In this way, when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 changes during automatic driving, the vehicle control device 11 changes the preset steering sensitivity in accordance with the changed vehicle speed.

[0089] In step S8, the vehicle control device 11 determines whether or not the work vehicle 10 has finished work. For example, if the work vehicle 10 has reached the work end position G (S8: Yes), the vehicle control device 11 ends the processing. On the other hand, if the work vehicle 10 has not reached the work end position G (S8: No), the processing returns to step S6, and the above-mentioned processing is repeated. In this manner, the automatic driving system 1 executes the automatic driving processing.

[0090] As described above, the automatic driving system 1 according to this embodiment automatically drives the work vehicle 10 in the field F according to the target route R, and steers the work vehicle 10 based on a preset steering sensitivity. Furthermore, the automatic driving system 1 has a configuration that allows the preset steering sensitivity to be changed while the work vehicle 10 is automatically driving.

[0091] According to the above configuration, since the preset steering sensitivity can be changed while the work vehicle 10 is traveling automatically, the steering sensitivity can be changed according to, for example, a change in vehicle speed. For example, the steering sensitivity is lowered when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 increases, and the steering sensitivity is increased when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 decreases. This can improve the ability of the work vehicle 10 to follow the target route while traveling automatically.

[0092] [Other embodiments] Other embodiments of the present invention are described below.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, the change processing unit 113 changes the preset steering sensitivity based on the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10, but in another embodiment, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering sensitivity based on the state of the field F.

[0094] Specifically, the change processing unit 113 changes the preset steering sensitivity based on the inclination angle (angle θa, angle θb, etc. in FIG. 4) of the field F. For example, in a preset sensitivity mode, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity based on the inclination angle of the field F. For example, the change processing unit 113 sets the steering sensitivity when the inclination angle of the field F is a first angle to a sensitivity higher than the steering sensitivity when the inclination angle of the field F is a second angle larger than the first angle.

[0095] Furthermore, when the field F is a slope having a predetermined inclination angle (see FIG. 6), the change processing unit 113 sets the steering sensitivity when the work vehicle 10 is located on the lower side of the slope with respect to the target route R to a higher sensitivity than the steering sensitivity when the work vehicle 10 is located on the upper side of the slope with respect to the target route R. In this way, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering sensitivity according to the position and traveling direction of the work vehicle 10 with respect to the slope during automatic traveling.

[0096] Furthermore, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering sensitivity based on the inclination of the work vehicle 10. For example, when the work vehicle 10 detects inclination according to the inclination of the field F and the roughness of the soil while the work vehicle 10 is traveling autonomously, the change processing unit 113 changes the steering sensitivity to the above-mentioned sensitivity based on the inclination angle of the work vehicle 10.

[0097] Furthermore, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering sensitivity based on the weight of the work vehicle 10. For example, the steering processing unit 112 lowers the steering sensitivity when the weight of the work vehicle 10 is less than a predetermined weight, and increases the steering sensitivity when the weight of the work vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the predetermined weight. This makes it possible to improve the driving stability of the work vehicle 10.

[0098] Furthermore, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset sensitivity mode based on the inclination angle of the field F and the inclination of the work vehicle 10. For example, the change processing unit 113 changes the preset insensitive mode to the sensitive mode depending on the state of the field F and the state of the work vehicle 10.

[0099] As described above, in the present invention, the change processing unit 113 changes the predetermined steering sensitivity or sensitivity mode based on at least one of the condition of the field F (inclination angle, soil condition, etc.) and the condition of the work vehicle 10 (vehicle speed, weight, etc.).

[0100] As another embodiment of the present invention, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering sensitivity based on a steering sensitivity change operation by the operator during automatic driving. Fig. 11A shows an example of an operation screen (one example of a reception screen of the present invention) displayed on the operation terminal 20 during automatic driving. Fig. 11B shows a change characteristic of the vehicle speed (target vehicle speed) with respect to the steering sensitivity of the work vehicle 10. The operation control unit 21 causes the operation terminal 20 to display an operation screen (see Fig. 11A) that receives an operation to change the steering sensitivity from the operator.

[0101] Here, it is assumed that the sensitivity mode of the standard mode is preset for the work vehicle 10. When the operator changes the sensitivity level (steering sensitivity) on the operation screen shown in FIG. 11A while the work vehicle 10 is automatically traveling in the standard mode, the vehicle control device 11 sets a vehicle speed corresponding to the changed sensitivity level based on the vehicle speed characteristics shown in FIG. 11B. The work vehicle 10 performs automatic traveling based on the changed sensitivity level and the vehicle speed corresponding to the sensitivity level. In this way, the change processing unit 113 changes the preset steering sensitivity when an operation to change the steering sensitivity is received from the operator while the work vehicle 10 is automatically traveling.

[0102] The operation control unit 21 may also be capable of setting a limit value for the steering sensitivity. Specifically, the operation control unit 21 sets the sensitivity level to be adjustable within a predetermined range when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 is a predetermined speed. For example, when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 is "10 km / h", the change processing unit 113 can change the sensitivity level within a range from "-2" to "6" (see FIG. 11B). In this case, the upper limit value of the sensitivity level is "6". Also, for example, when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle 10 is "4 km / h", the change processing unit 113 can change the sensitivity level within a range from "8" to "11" (see FIG. 11B). In this case, the upper limit value of the sensitivity level is "11". According to this configuration, an appropriate steering sensitivity according to the vehicle speed can be set, and therefore the running stability of the work vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0103] Here, for example, when the speed of the work vehicle 10 is "10 km / h," if the operator increases the sensitivity level to "7" or higher, which is higher than the upper limit value ("6"), the operation control unit 21 displays a specific image, such as an underline, on the sensitivity level numeric value on the operation screen (see FIG. 11C). Note that the operation control unit 21 may underline the upper limit value "6," or may underline the numeric value (7 or higher) changed by the operator. By adding the specific image, such as an underline, it is possible to make the operator recognize that the change in sensitivity level made by the operator has not been reflected.

[0104] As another embodiment, the operation control unit 21 may receive a sensitivity level setting operation from the operator on a setting screen (one example of a reception screen of the present invention) shown in Fig. 12 during route generation. That is, the operation control unit 21 may receive a sensitivity level selection operation instead of a sensitivity mode selection operation (see Fig. 9) during route generation. The vehicle control device 11 sets the sensitivity level selected by the operator during route generation in advance in the work vehicle 10. In this case, the change processing unit 113 may change the preset steering level (steering sensitivity) based on the state of the field F (inclination angle), the state of the work vehicle 10 (vehicle speed, inclination), and the speed change operation by the operator while the work vehicle 10 is traveling autonomously.

[0105] [Indicator configuration example] The automated driving system according to the present invention may be configured to display on the operation terminal 20 the amount of positional deviation (deviation) between a preset target route R and the route along which the work vehicle 10 is currently traveling (current position).

[0106] Fig. 13A shows an example of an operation screen during automatic driving. An indicator G1 indicating the position deviation amount is displayed on the operation screen. Note that an operator can switch between an operation section for setting a sensitivity level (see Fig. 11A) and a display section for the indicator G1 (see Fig. 13A) on the operation screen.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 13B, indicator G1 is composed of a central display unit K0 corresponding to the position of the target route R, a display unit KL which lights up according to the amount of deviation when the current position of the work vehicle 10 deviates to the left from the target route R, and a display unit KR which lights up according to the amount of deviation when the current position of the work vehicle 10 deviates to the right from the target route R.

[0108] The operation terminal 20 acquires position information of the work vehicle 10, calculates the amount of deviation from the target route R, and lights up the display parts KL and KR of the indicator G1 according to the calculated amount of deviation. The operator can grasp the position deviation of the work vehicle 10 by looking at the display state of the indicator G1.

[0109] The operation terminal 20 also has a configuration for accepting a correction operation (offset operation) from the operator to correct the traveling position of the work vehicle 10. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13C, the operation terminal 20 displays an offset setting section H1 on the operation screen during automatic traveling, and accepts the position correction amount (offset amount) of the work vehicle 10 from the operator. For example, when the indicator G1 shows that the work vehicle 10 is deviated by 5 cm to the left, if the operator sets "5 cm to the right" in the offset setting section H1, the work vehicle 10 corrects its traveling position by setting a route 5 cm to the right from the current position as a target.

[0110] Here, in the conventional system, when the indicator G1 displays a state in which the work vehicle 10 is deviated to the left by L1 (cm), for example, as shown in FIG. 13D, if the operator sets "right L1 (cm)" in the offset setting unit H1, the operation terminal 20 sets a route (target route R') in which the target route R is shifted to the right by L1, and displays the indicator G1 based on the deviation of the work vehicle 10 from the target route R'. In this way, in the conventional system, the indicator G1 is displayed based on the deviation between the offset target route R' and the current position of the work vehicle 10, so that, as shown in FIG. 13D, even if the work vehicle 10 returns to the original target route R, the display of the indicator G1 does not return to its original state, and the position of the work vehicle 10 remains shifted. For this reason, it is difficult for the operator to grasp whether the work vehicle 10 has returned to the original target route R even by looking at the display state of the indicator G1 (see FIG. 13D).

[0111] Therefore, the automatic driving system according to the present invention is configured to control the display of indicator G1 based on the deviation between the current position of the work vehicle 10 and a preset target route R when an offset operation (see FIG. 13C) of the work vehicle 10 is received.

[0112] 14, when the indicator G1 shows that the work vehicle 10 is deviated to the left by L1 (cm), if the operator sets "right side L1 (cm)" in the offset setting section H1, the operation terminal 20 displays the indicator G1 based on the deviation L2 of the work vehicle 10 from the original, previously set target route R. As a result, as the work vehicle 10 approaches the target route R, the deviation L2 becomes smaller, and accordingly the number of lights on the left display section KL decreases.

[0113] According to the above configuration, the operator can easily understand, by looking at the display state of the indicator G1 (see FIG. 14), how much the work vehicle 10 has deviated from the original target route R, and whether it has returned to the target route R.

[0114] The display mode of the indicator G1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 13A. As another embodiment, the operation control unit 21 may change the display mode of the indicator G1 according to the above-mentioned sensitivity mode (steering sensitivity). Figs. 15A to 15D show examples of the display mode of the indicator G1.

[0115] For example, when the sensitivity mode is set to the "standard mode," the operation control unit 21 displays an indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15A. In the indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15A, a display unit K1 having a standard display area is disposed on the left and right of a display unit K0, and a display unit K2 having a larger display area than the display unit K1 is disposed at the left and right ends.

[0116] Furthermore, for example, when the sensitivity mode is set to the "insensitive mode," the operation control unit 21 displays an indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15B. In the indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15B, display unit K2, which has a larger display area than display unit K1, is disposed on the left and right of display unit K0.

[0117] Furthermore, for example, when the sensitivity mode is set to the "sensitive mode," the operation control unit 21 displays an indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15C. In the indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15C, display units K3 having a smaller display area than display unit K1 are disposed on the left and right sides of display unit K0, and display unit K1 is disposed on the left and right end sides.

[0118] As another display mode of the "sensitive mode", the operation control unit 21 may display an indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15D. In the indicator G1 shown in Fig. 15D, a display unit K2 having a larger display area than the display unit K1 is arranged on the left and right of the display unit K0, a display unit K3 having a smaller display area than the display unit K1 is arranged next to the display unit K2, and the display unit K1 is arranged on the left and right end sides.

[0119] In this way, the operation control unit 21 can accurately reflect changes in the deviation amount of the work vehicle 10 in the indicator G1 by reducing (subdividing) the size of the display section (grids) as the sensitivity level becomes higher. For example, even if a small offset amount is set in the sensitive mode, the deviation state of the work vehicle 10 can be accurately displayed (see Figs. 15C and 15D). The operation control unit 21 may change the display mode of the indicator G1 (Figs. 13A, 15A to 15D) according to the steering sensitivity changed during automatic driving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1:Autonomous driving system 10: Work vehicle 11: Vehicle control device 20: Operation terminal 21: Operation control section 111: Driving processing unit 112: Steering processing unit 113: Change processing section 211: Vehicle setting processing unit 212: Field setting processing unit 213: Work setting processing section 214: Route generation processing unit 215: Output processing section 216: Reception department E1: Sensitivity information F: Field (work area) R: Target route

Claims

1. A sensitivity mode selected by a user from a plurality of sensitivity modes including steering sensitivity ranges different from each other is preset; Automatically driving a work vehicle along a target route in a work area; Steering the work vehicle during automatic traveling based on the steering sensitivity of the preset sensitivity mode; While the work vehicle is autonomously traveling, the steering sensitivity is changeable within a range corresponding to the preset sensitivity mode based on at least one of a state of the work area and a state of the work vehicle; An automated driving method that performs the above.

2. In the preset sensitivity mode, the steering sensitivity is changed based on the vehicle speed of the work vehicle. The automatic driving method according to claim 1.

3. The steering sensitivity when the vehicle speed is a first speed is set to a sensitivity lower than the steering sensitivity when the vehicle speed is a second speed slower than the first speed. The automatic driving method according to claim 2.

4. In the preset sensitivity mode, the steering sensitivity is changed based on the inclination angle of the working area. The automatic driving method according to claim 1.

5. The steering sensitivity when the tilt angle is a first angle is set to a sensitivity higher than the steering sensitivity when the tilt angle is a second angle that is larger than the first angle. The automatic driving method according to claim 4.

6. When the working area is a slope having a predetermined inclination angle, the steering sensitivity when the work vehicle is located on the lower side of the slope with respect to the target route is set to a higher sensitivity than the steering sensitivity when the work vehicle is located on the upper side of the slope with respect to the target route. The automatic driving method according to claim 4 or 5.

7. a first upper limit value of the steering sensitivity is set in a first sensitivity mode included in the plurality of sensitivity modes, a second upper limit value of the steering sensitivity is set in a second sensitivity mode included in the plurality of sensitivity modes, A maximum vehicle speed of the work vehicle when the steering sensitivity is set to the first upper limit value and a maximum vehicle speed of the work vehicle when the steering sensitivity is set to the second upper limit value are set to speeds different from each other. The automatic driving method according to claim 1.

8. A first sensitivity mode included in the plurality of sensitivity modes is set with a plurality of stages of steering sensitivity that can be changed from a first steering sensitivity to a second steering sensitivity, A second sensitivity mode included in the plurality of sensitivity modes is set with a plurality of stages of steering sensitivity that can be changed from a third steering sensitivity different from the first steering sensitivity to the second steering sensitivity. The automatic driving method according to claim 1.

9. When an operation to change the steering sensitivity is received from a user while the work vehicle is autonomously traveling, the preset steering sensitivity is changed. The automatic driving method according to claim 1.

10. displaying, on an operation terminal, a reception screen for receiving an operation to change the steering sensitivity from the user; The automatic driving method according to claim 9.

11. A setting processing unit that presets a sensitivity mode selected by a user from a plurality of sensitivity modes including steering sensitivity ranges different from each other; a driving processing unit that automatically drives a work vehicle along a target route in a work area; a steering processing unit that steers the work vehicle during automatic traveling based on the steering sensitivity of the preset sensitivity mode; a change processing unit capable of changing the steering sensitivity within a range corresponding to the preset sensitivity mode based on at least one of a state of the work area and a state of the work vehicle while the work vehicle is traveling autonomously; An automated driving system equipped with

12. Presetting a sensitivity mode selected by a user from a plurality of sensitivity modes including steering sensitivity ranges different from each other; Automatically driving a work vehicle along a target route in a work area; Steering the work vehicle during automatic traveling based on the steering sensitivity of the preset sensitivity mode; While the work vehicle is autonomously traveling, the steering sensitivity is changeable within a range corresponding to the preset sensitivity mode based on at least one of a state of the work area and a state of the work vehicle; An automated driving program for executing the above on one or more processors.

Images