Farming Support Method, Farming Support System, and Farming Support Program

Abstract

To support allocation work of a farm field by a farming manager so as to balance the ability of a worker and a yield to be harvested by the worker.SOLUTION: A farming support method includes storing a worker ability index representing the ability of a worker who harvests crops by using a work device 30 and an expected yield in a plurality of farm fields 400 in which the crops are harvested. Also, the farming support method includes determining an allocated farm field where the worker harvests crops among the plurality of farm fields 400 on the basis of the worker ability index and the expected yield. Also, the farming support method includes outputting allocation information representing the allocated farm field. The determination of an allocated farm field may include determining an allocated farm field in which the worker harvests the crops so as to make a yield that can be harvested per unit time larger as the worker ability index becomes large.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a farming support method, a farming support system, and a farming support program.

Background Art

[0002] Farming plans have been determined based on the experience of farming managers. However, in recent years, the division of labor in agricultural work has advanced, and a form in which producers plant and cultivate crops and subcontract the harvesting work to other workers has become widespread. For this reason, large-scale farming managers who own multiple fields may order the harvesting work from many workers. At this time, the farming manager needs to allocate the fields for harvesting to each worker. In addition, each worker often receives a price according to the yield of the harvested crop.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a method of allocating work to workers, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for determining the number of gas cylinders to be delivered by a delivery worker based on the rank representing the number of gas cylinders that the delivery worker can deliver in a day. However, the yield that can be harvested in a field varies depending on various factors such as the area, the yield per unit area, and the area that can be harvested per unit time. For this reason, even though a worker has high ability, the worker may be in charge of a field with a small yield, and the price may be small compared to the ability and working hours of the worker. In this case, a highly capable worker may subcontract the harvesting work of other farmers from the next time, and the farming manager may not be able to secure highly capable workers.

[0005] In view of the above situation, one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to allocate fields to operators according to the balance between the capabilities of the operators and the yields obtained by the operators. Other objectives can be understood from the following description and the explanation of the embodiments.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The means for solving the problems will be described below using the numbers and symbols used in the embodiments for carrying out the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference to show an example of the correspondence relationship between the description of the claims and the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Therefore, the claims should not be construed in a limiting manner based on the description in parentheses.

[0007] A farming support method according to an embodiment for achieving the above object includes storing an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device (30) and an expected unit yield in a plurality of fields (400) where harvesting is to be performed. The farming support method also includes determining, based on the operator ability index and the expected unit yield, an assigned field for the operator to harvest among the plurality of fields (400). The farming support method further includes outputting assignment information representing the assigned field.

[0008] A farming support system (1000) according to an embodiment for achieving the above object includes a data storage unit (150), a field assignment unit (170), and an output unit (175). The data storage unit (150) stores an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device (30) and an expected unit yield in a plurality of fields (400) where harvesting is to be performed. The field assignment unit 170 determines, based on the operator ability index and the expected unit yield, an assigned field for the operator to harvest among the plurality of fields (400). The output unit (175) outputs assignment information representing the assigned field.

[0009] An agricultural management support program (320) according to an embodiment for achieving the above object causes an arithmetic unit (120) to store an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device (30) and an expected yield per unit area in a plurality of fields (400) where harvesting is performed. Further, the agricultural management support program (320) causes the arithmetic unit (120) to determine an assigned field for the operator to harvest among the plurality of fields (400) based on the operator ability index and the expected yield per unit area. Further, the agricultural management support program (320) causes the arithmetic unit (120) to output assignment information representing the assigned field.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to support the field allocation work by the agricultural management manager so that the balance between the ability of the operator and the yield harvested by the operator can be achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] (Embodiment 1) The farming support system 1000 according to the present embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the farming support system 1000 includes a farming support device 100 and a terminal 200. The farming support device 100 is communicably connected to the terminal 200 and at least one or more working devices 30 via a network 20, for example, the Internet.

[0013] The working device 30 includes a positioning device, for example, a receiver of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and acquires position information representing the position at each time of movement. The acquired position information is transmitted to the farming support device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, based on the stop positions 500 of the plurality of working devices 30, the farming support device 100 determines one or more fields 400, for example, a first field 400-1, a second field 400-2, and a third field 400-3, in which each of the plurality of working devices 30 should perform harvesting. For example, after the work of one day is completed, based on the stop positions 500 of the plurality of working devices 30, the farming support device 100 notifies each worker using each working device 30 of one or more fields 400 in which each worker should perform harvesting the next day. The working device 30 includes any harvester for harvesting crops, and includes, for example, a dedicated harvester for harvesting crops, a tractor for towing a harvesting machine, and the like.

[0014] Here, the farming support device 100 determines one or more fields 400 for the operator to harvest so that the operator can harvest a yield according to their ability. Even if the same operator uses the same working device 30 for harvesting, the yield that can be harvested per unit time will be different depending on the assigned field 400, for example, the shape of the field 400, the yield per unit area, etc. When the operator's remuneration is determined according to the yield harvested by the operator, the inventor has found that unfairness occurs in the operator's remuneration due to differences in the assigned fields 400. For this reason, the farming support device 100 assigns one or more fields 400 to the operator so that the higher the ability of the operator, the greater the yield per unit time. The farming support device 100 outputs allocation information representing the assigned field 400 to the terminal 200. For example, the terminal 200 is a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone, etc.) used by each operator.

[0015] The terminal 200 notifies the operator of the assigned field 400. Each operator checks the field 400 where work should be performed using the terminal 200, and performs harvesting in the assigned field 400 using the working device 30. In this way, the farming support device 100 supports the manager who manages large-scale farming by allocating the fields 400 so that the remuneration of each operator is fair.

[0016] (Configuration of the farming support system) The configuration of the farming support device 100 included in the farming support system 1000 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the farming support device 100 includes an input / output device 110, an arithmetic device 120, a communication device 130, and a storage device 140. The farming support device 100 is, for example, a computer. Information for the arithmetic device 120 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 110. Also, the input / output device 110 outputs the result of the processing executed by the arithmetic device 120. The input / output device 110 includes various input devices and output devices, and includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, etc. The input / output device 110 may be omitted.

[0017] The communication device 130 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. The communication device 130 transfers the operation information acquired from the working device 30 to the arithmetic device 120. Also, it transfers the signal generated by the arithmetic device 120 to the terminal 200. The communication device 130 includes various interfaces such as, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0018] The storage device 140 stores various data for assigning the farmland 400 to the operator, such as operator data 300, farmland data 310, and the farming support program 320. The storage device 140 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium that stores the farming support program 320. The farming support program 320 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 1, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the operator data 300 stores the working device 30 used by each operator, the operator ability index representing the ability of each operator, and the work information regarding the harvesting work performed by the operator. The work information includes, for example, working time, yield, yield per unit time, ratio of yield per unit time, assignment priority, etc. The working time represents the time when the operator performed the harvesting work during a predetermined period, for example, the current harvesting period. The yield represents the weight of the crops harvested by the operator during the current harvesting period. The yield per unit time represents the yield harvested by the operator per unit time and is calculated by dividing the yield by the working time. The ratio of yield per unit time represents the ratio of the yield per unit time of the target operator to the yield per unit time of a reference operator, for example, an operator whose operator ability index is 1.0. The assignment priority represents the order of the operators to whom the farmland 400 is preferentially assigned when assigning the farmland 400.

[0020] Here, this term represents the period from a predetermined period before to the end of the harvest of the field 400 that should be currently harvested. For example, at the current time, when the harvest of this crop has started and is being carried out in the field 400 that should be harvested at the same time, this term represents the period from the start to the end of the harvest in a plurality of fields 400 where this crop should be harvested. The previous term represents the previous harvest period before this term. For example, when harvesting is carried out in spring and autumn, and the spring harvest period is this term, the previous term represents the autumn harvest period one year ago.

[0021] The field data 310 shown in FIG. 1 represents information regarding the field 400 where the operator performs work. As shown in FIG. 4, the field data 310 stores the position of the field 400, the field priority, the area, and the expected yield per unit area. The position of the field 400 is represented by, for example, latitude and longitude. The field priority represents the priority order for harvesting in the target field 400 and is represented by, for example, "High", "Middle", "Low". "High" field 400 indicates that it will be harvested before "Middle" field 400, and "Middle" field 400 indicates that it will be harvested before "Low" field 400. For example, the field priority is determined according to the farming type in the next period. For example, the field priority of the field 400 that will be used for cultivation immediately after harvest is set to "High".

[0022] The area represents the area of the target field 400, and the expected yield per unit area represents the estimated yield per unit area in the target field 400. The area and the expected yield per unit area are input by a user, such as an operator or a manager. Also, the area may be automatically calculated based on, for example, aerial photographs.

[0023] The arithmetic unit 120 shown in FIG. 1 reads and executes the farming support program 320 from the storage device 140 and performs various data processes for allocating the field 400 to the operator. For example, the arithmetic unit 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU).

[0024] By reading and executing the agricultural management support program 320, the arithmetic unit 120 realizes, as shown in FIG. 5, a data storage unit 150, an operator ability determination unit 155, a priority calculation unit 160, a distance calculation unit 165, a field allocation unit 170, and an output unit 175. The data storage unit 150 stores operator data 300 and field data 310. The operator ability determination unit 155 calculates the operator ability index of the operator data 300 based on information on the harvesting operations performed by the operator in the past. The priority calculation unit 160 calculates the allocation priority of the operator data 300 based on the operator ability index and the harvested yield. The distance calculation unit 165 calculates the distance from the working device 30 to the field 400 based on the stop position 500 of the working device 30 and the position of the field 400. The field allocation unit 170 allocates the field 400 to the operator based on the calculated allocation priority and the expected unit yield of the field 400. The output unit 175 outputs the field 400 and allocation information representing the allocated field 400.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the terminal 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 200 includes an input / output device 210, an arithmetic unit 220, a communication device 230, and a storage device 240. The terminal 200 includes, for example, a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, and the like. Information for the arithmetic unit 220 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 210. Further, the input / output device 210 outputs the result of the processing executed by the arithmetic unit 220. The input / output device 210 includes various input devices and output devices, and includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, and the like.

[0026] The communication device 230 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. The communication device 230 transfers the information acquired from the agricultural management support device 100 to the arithmetic unit 220. Further, the signal generated by the arithmetic unit 220 is transferred to the agricultural management support device 100. The communication device 230 includes various interfaces such as, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0027] The storage device 240 stores various data for displaying the allocation information acquired from the agricultural management support device 100 on the input / output device 210 of the terminal 200, such as a display program 330. The storage device 240 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the display program 330. The display program 330 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 2, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server. The display program 330 may be recorded and provided on the storage medium 1.

[0028] The arithmetic unit 220 performs various data processes for displaying the allocation information acquired from the agricultural management support device 100 by reading and executing the display program 330. The arithmetic unit 220 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU).

[0029] When the arithmetic unit 220 reads and executes the display program 330, it cooperates with the input / output device 210 to realize a display unit 250 as shown in FIG. 5. The display unit 250 acquires the allocation information from the agricultural management support device 100 and displays a display image including the allocation information.

[0030] (Operation of the agricultural management support system) When the operation device 120 of the farming support device 100 is activated, for example, it reads and executes the farming support program 320 to start the process shown in FIG. 6, which is a farming support method. First, in step S110, the operator ability determination unit 155 realized by the operation device 120 calculates an operator ability index representing the operator's ability to perform the harvesting operation based on the work history of the harvesting operation performed by the operator in the past. For example, the operator ability determination unit 155 calculates the operator ability index based on the harvesting time and the yield that the operator performed before the previous period. For example, the operator ability determination unit 155 calculates the operator ability index based on the yield per unit time. This harvesting time represents, for example, the time spent performing the harvesting operation within the farm field 400 and does not include the travel time for moving between the farm fields 400.

[0031] In addition, the operator ability determination unit 155 may calculate the work ability index based on the performance value of the work device 30 used by the operator, such as horsepower, and the yield per unit area of the farm field 400 that the operator harvested in the past. For example, the operator ability determination unit 155 calculates the performance relative value with respect to the performance value of the work device 30 used by other operators. The performance relative value represents, for example, the ratio of the horsepower of the operator's work device 30 to the horsepower of the work device 30 of the reference operator. In addition, the operator ability determination unit 155 calculates a yield relative value representing the ratio of the yield per unit area of the farm field 400 harvested by the operator to the yield per unit area of the farm field 400 harvested by other operators in the past. The work ability index is calculated based on the work area, the harvesting time, the performance relative value, and the yield relative value. For example, the operator ability determination unit 155 calculates the work efficiency by dividing the work area by the harvesting time. The work ability index is calculated by integrating the calculated work efficiency, the performance relative value, and the yield relative value.

[0032] In step S120, the priority calculation unit 160 determines an allocation priority that represents the priority order of workers when allocating the farmland 400 based on the work ability index and the current work performance. The allocation priority is determined such that the lower the yield per unit time with respect to the worker ability index, the higher the priority. First, the priority calculation unit 160 calculates a yield per unit time that represents the yield per unit time of the worker based on the current work time during which the worker performed the work and the current yield harvested by the worker. Here, the work time represents the time obtained by subtracting the break time from the time from when the worker starts the work until the end, and may include the moving time for moving between the farmlands 400. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the yield per unit time of worker A is 400 / 40 = 10.0. Also, the yield per unit time of worker B is 700 / 60 = 11.6. The yield per unit time of worker C is 600 / 50 = 12.0.

[0033] Next, the priority calculation unit 160 calculates a yield per unit time ratio that represents the ratio of the yield per unit time of the target worker to the reference yield per unit time based on the yield per unit time. The yield per unit time ratio represents the relative yield per unit time among a plurality of workers. The reference yield per unit time represents, for example, the yield per unit time of a worker whose worker ability index has a predetermined value, for example, 1.0. Also, the reference yield per unit time may be the average of the yields per unit time among all workers, or may be the value obtained by dividing the total yield by the total work time. The yield per unit time ratio is calculated by dividing the yield per unit time by the reference yield per unit time. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, when the reference yield per unit time is 10.0, the yield per unit time ratio of "worker A" is 10.0 / 10.0 = 1.00. The yield per unit time ratio of "worker B" is 11.6 / 10.0 = 1.16. The yield per unit time ratio of "worker C" is 12.0 / 10.0 = 1.20. Here, the yield per unit time ratio represents a relative yield evaluation of the yield with respect to the work time, and the larger the yield with respect to the work time, the larger the value.

[0034] Finally, the priority calculation unit 160 calculates the allocation priority based on the operator ability index, the unit time yield ratio, the working time, and the unit time yield. The operator ability index represents the ability of the operator, and the unit time yield ratio represents the evaluation of the yield with respect to the working time. Therefore, when the fields 400 assigned to each operator are under the same conditions, the larger the operator ability index, the larger the unit time yield ratio. For this reason, when the unit time yield ratio is small with respect to the operator ability index, it indicates that the yield of the assigned field 400 is small with respect to the working time, and when the unit time yield ratio is large with respect to the operator ability index, it indicates that the yield of the assigned field 400 is large with respect to the working time. Therefore, the allocation priority is calculated based on the difference between the operator ability index and the unit time yield ratio, the working time of the operator, and the unit time yield of the operator. For example, the allocation priority is calculated by integrating the working time and the unit time yield into the evaluation value obtained by subtracting the unit time yield ratio from the operator ability index. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the allocation priority of "Operator A" is (1.2 - 1.00) × 40 × 10.0 = 80. The allocation priority of "Operator B" is (1.1 - 1.16) × 60 × 11.6 = -42. The allocation priority of "Operator C" is (0.9 - 1.20) × 50 × 12.0 = -180.

[0035] Note that the working time and the yield of the current period are obtained from, for example, the work device 30. When the work device 30 stops, for example, when the engine stops, the operation information indicating the operation state of the work device 30 is transmitted to the farming support device 100. The work device 30 stores, for example, the time when the engine starts as the start time of the work and the time when the engine stops as the end time of the work. In addition, the work device 30 measures and stores the yield of the crops harvested in the field 400 at the position measured by the positioning device. The operation information includes various stored information.

[0036] Also, the yield of the crops may be measured in the harvesting facility. When the operator brings the crops harvested in the harvesting facility, the measuring instrument provided in the harvesting facility may measure the yield of the crops and transmit the information associating the operator with the measured yield to the farming support device 100.

[0037] In step S130 shown in FIG. 6, the distance calculation unit 165 calculates the distance from the working device 30 used by the operator to the farmland 400. The distance calculation unit 165 detects the working device 30 used by the operator based on the operator data 300 shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the distance calculation unit 165 acquires the stop position 500 where the detected working device 30 has stopped based on the operation information of the working device 30. Further, the distance calculation unit 165 acquires the position of the farmland 400 to be harvested based on the farmland data 310 shown in FIG. 4, and calculates the distance from the stop position 500 to each farmland 400. The calculated distance may be the straight-line distance from the stop position 500 to each farmland 400, or the distance of the route when moving from the stop position 500 to each farmland 400 along the road.

[0038] In step S140 shown in FIG. 6, the farmland allocation unit 170 determines the allocated farmland for the operator to work based on the allocation priority of the operator and the expected unit yield of the farmland 400. The farmland allocation unit 170 allocates the farmland 400 with a large yield harvested per unit time to the operator with a high allocation priority in the operator data 300 shown in FIG. 3 as the allocated farmland. For example, first, the farmland allocation unit 170 selects the operator with the highest allocation priority in the operator data 300 shown in FIG. 3. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the farmland allocation unit 170 selects "Operator A" with the highest allocation priority.

[0039] Next, the farmland allocation unit 170 selects the farmland 400 with a high farmland priority and a large yield harvested per unit time based on the farmland data 310 shown in FIG. 4 and the distance from the stop position 500 to the farmland 400 shown in FIG. 2, and allocates the selected farmland 400 to the operator. For example, the farmland allocation unit 170 extracts the farmland 400 smaller than a predetermined distance from the stop position 500 of the working device 30 used by the selected operator. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the farmland 400 included in FIG. 2 is extracted as the farmland 400 smaller than a predetermined distance from the stop position 500.

[0040] The field allocation unit 170 selects the field 400 from the extracted fields 400 in order of decreasing field priority and decreasing expected unit yield, and allocates the selected field 400 to the operator. Here, when there are multiple fields 400 with equal expected unit yields, the field allocation unit 170 selects the field 400 with the larger area. This is because a field 400 with a large expected unit yield and a large area can yield a large amount of harvest per unit time. The allocated field 400 is determined as the assigned field for the operator to perform harvesting. Here, the field 400 is allocated to the operator within the range that the target operator can work in a day.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 4, the field allocation unit 170 first selects the fields 400 with a field priority of "High" in the order of "field d", "field c", and "field a". Next, the field 400 with a field priority of "Middle" is selected. Finally, the field 400 with a field priority of "Low", for example, "field b", is selected. Here, when "operator A" shown in FIG. 3 can harvest at "field d", "field c", and "field a" in a day, "field d", "field c", and "field a" are allocated to "operator A".

[0042] After determining the field 400 to be allocated to the selected operator, the field allocation unit 170 then selects the operator with the higher allocation priority and allocates the field 400 to the selected operator. In the example shown in FIG. 3, after determining the field 400 to be allocated to "operator A", the field allocation unit 170 then selects "operator B" with the next higher allocation priority. The field allocation unit 170 obtains the stop position 500 of the working device 30 used by the selected "operator B", for example, "device B", and extracts the fields 400 within a predetermined distance from the stop position 500. Based on the field priority and the expected unit yield of the extracted fields 400, the field 400 is allocated to the operator.

[0043] In step S150 shown in FIG. 6, the output unit 175 outputs allocation information representing the allocated fields assigned to the operator to the terminal 200. For example, the output unit 175 outputs allocation information representing the allocated fields, such as "field d", "field c", and "field a", to the terminal 200 of the target operator, such as "operator A".

[0044] In step S160, the display unit 250 of the terminal 200 displays the allocation information acquired from the farming support device 100 on the input / output device 210. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 250 displays an image representing on a map the stop position 500 where the operator's working device 30 has stopped, the allocated first field 400-1, the second field 400-2, and the third field 400-3. The allocated fields 400, such as the first field 400-1, the second field 400-2, and the third field 400-3, are displayed so as to be distinguishable from other fields 400. For example, the area representing the allocated field 400 is displayed in a color different from the area representing other fields 400.

[0045] Further, the display unit 250 may calculate the order in which the working device 30 should perform operations based on the stop position 500 and the positions of the allocated fields 400, and display a work order 510 representing the calculated order. For example, the display unit 250 calculates the shortest path passing through all the allocated fields 400 with the stop position 500 of the working device 30 as the start position of movement. The display unit 250 determines the order of the fields 400 passed through when moving along the calculated shortest path as the work order 510. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 250 determines to perform operations on the first field 400-1 first, on the second field 400-2 second, and on the third field 400-3 third. The display unit 250 displays the work order 510 representing the determined order in association with the corresponding field 400.

[0046] The operator checks the allocation information displayed on the input / output device 210 of the terminal 200 and performs harvesting on the allocated field 400. In this way, the farming support system 1000 can allocate the fields 400 to the operators so that each operator can harvest a yield corresponding to their ability.

[0047] (Modification example) The configurations described in the embodiments are merely examples, and the configurations can be changed as long as the functions are not impaired. The operator ability index shown in FIG. 3 shows an example calculated based on the past work history and the performance values of the work device 30, but is not limited thereto. The operator ability index may be determined by any method as long as it can represent the ability of the operator to perform work. For example, a user, such as the owner or administrator of the farmland 400, may evaluate the ability of the operator and determine the operator ability index according to the evaluation. Further, the operator ability index may be calculated using the work history before the previous period and the work history of the current period, or may be calculated using only the work history of the previous period. Further, the operator ability index may be determined only from the performance values of the work device 30 used by the operator.

[0048] The allocation priority shown in FIG. 3 shows an example where the higher the value, the higher the priority, but the lower the value, the higher the priority may also be. For example, the allocation priority may be calculated by integrating the value obtained by subtracting the operator ability index from the yield ratio per unit time and the working time. Further, the allocation priority shows an example calculated based on the operator ability index and the work performance of the current period, specifically, the working time and the yield, but is not limited thereto. The allocation priority may be determined by any method as long as it can be determined so that the lower the yield per unit time with respect to the work ability index, the higher the priority for the operator.

[0049] In step S140 shown in FIG. 6, the farmland allocation unit 170 shows an example of selecting the farmland 400 to be allocated to the operator based on the expected unit yield of the farmland 400 shown in FIG. 4 and the distance between the stop position 500 of the work device 30 and the farmland 400, but is not limited thereto. The farmland allocation unit 170 may select the farmland 400 to be allocated to the operator using any information that affects the yield that can be harvested per unit time. For example, the farmland allocation unit 170 may allocate the farmland 400 to the operator using the state of the farmland 400, such as the shape and inclination.

[0050] In addition, although the field allocation unit 170 has been described as an example of extracting fields 400 whose distance from the stop position 500 is less than a predetermined distance and selecting a field 400 to be assigned to the operator from the extracted fields 400, the present invention is not limited to this. The field allocation unit 170 may select a field 400 using any method that reduces the distance the operator has to move to the field 400. For example, the field allocation unit 170 may calculate an evaluation of the field 400 based on the distance from the stop position 500 and the expected yield per unit area, and assign the field 400 to the operator based on the calculated evaluation of the field 400. For example, the evaluation of the field 400 is determined such that the smaller the distance from the stop position 500, the higher the evaluation, and the higher the expected yield per unit area, the higher the evaluation. The field allocation unit 170 assigns the field 400 with the highest determined evaluation to the operator.

[0051] In addition, the field allocation unit 170 may select a field 400 to be assigned to the operator using the distances between the fields 400. The field allocation unit 170 assigns fields 400 such that the travel time for moving between the fields 400 is reduced. For example, the field allocation unit 170 assigns fields 400 with small distances between them to the same operator. The distance between the fields 400 may be calculated by the distance calculation unit 165 in step S130, or may be calculated in advance before starting the process shown in FIG. 6 and stored in the storage device 140.

[0052] In addition, although the field allocation unit 170 has shown an example of allocating fields to workers in order from the field 400 with the highest field priority shown in FIG. 4, it is not limited to this. The field allocation unit 170 may allocate the fields 400 so that the fields 400 with high field priority are included in the multiple fields 400 where multiple workers perform operations on the same day. For example, the field allocation unit 170 estimates the harvestable area of the fields 400 that can be harvested by multiple workers who are scheduled to work on the same day. The field allocation unit 170 selects multiple fields 400 to be worked on the same day based on the estimated harvestable area and the field priority. For example, the field allocation unit 170 sequentially selects multiple fields 400 from the fields 400 with high field priority until the total area of the selected fields 400 reaches the harvestable area. The field allocation unit 170 determines the fields 400 to be allocated to each worker based on the expected unit yield of the selected fields 400 and the allocation priority of the workers. For example, the field allocation unit 170 allocates the fields 400 with a large yield that can be harvested per unit time to the workers in order from the worker with the highest allocation priority.

[0053] In addition, the field 400 allocated to the worker may be changed by the administrator of the field 400. For example, the field allocation unit 170 outputs the allocation information to the administrator's terminal 200. The administrator checks the allocation information displayed on the terminal 200 and inputs a change operation for changing the field 400 allocated to the worker to the input / output device 210 of the terminal 200. The terminal 200 transmits change information representing the change of the field 400 to be allocated to the worker to the agricultural support device 100 based on the input change operation. The field allocation unit 170 of the agricultural support device 100 changes the field 400 to be allocated to the worker based on the change information. The output unit 175 outputs the allocation information representing the changed allocated field 400 to the worker's terminal 200.

[0054] The embodiments and modified examples described above are merely examples, and the configurations described in each embodiment and modified example may be arbitrarily changed or / and arbitrarily combined within the scope that does not inhibit the functions. Further, if the required functions can be realized, some of the functions described in the embodiments and modified examples may be omitted. For example, part or all of the processing of the farming support device 100 may be executed by the terminal 200. Also, the farming support device 100 may execute part of the processing of the terminal 200. For example, the display unit 250 realized by the farming support device 100 may determine the order of the fields 400 where the operator should perform the work. In this case, the output unit 175 of the farming support device 100 outputs information representing the determined work order 510 to the terminal 200.

[0055] Further, the farming support system 1000 may display the allocation information on an external terminal that does not include the terminal 200 and is not included in the farming support system 1000. Also, the display unit 250 of the terminal 200 may acquire map information from an external server not included in the farming support system 1000 and display the map information representing the allocation information on the map.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 1, 2: Storage Medium 20: Network 30: Working Device 100: Farming Support Device 110: Input / Output Device 120: Arithmetic Unit 130: Communication Device 140: Storage Device 150: Data Storage Unit 155: Operator Ability Determination Unit 160: Priority Calculation Unit 165: Distance Calculation Unit 170: Field Allocation Unit 175: Output Unit 200: Terminal 210: Input / Output Device 220: Arithmetic Unit 230: Communication Device 240: Storage Device 250: Display section 300: Operator data 310: Field data 320: Farming support program 330: Display program 400: Field 500: Stop position 510: Operation order 1000: Farming support system

Claims

Storing an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device, and an expected yield per unit area in a plurality of fields where harvesting is to be performed. Based on the operator ability index, the working time the operator spent on harvesting this season, and the yield harvested this season, calculating an allocation priority representing the priority order of the operator to whom an allocation field is to be assigned, where the lower the yield per unit time with respect to the operator ability index, the higher the allocation priority. Based on the allocation priority and the expected yield per unit area, determining the allocation field where the operator performs harvesting. Outputting allocation information representing the allocation field. A farming support method including execution by a computer. According to claim 1, calculating the allocation priority includes calculating a yield per unit time representing the yield per unit time of the operator based on the working time of the operator and the yield harvested by the operator this season. Calculating the allocation priority based on the ratio of the yield per unit time to a reference yield per unit time and the difference from the operator ability index. The farming support method according to claim 1, including the above.

3. Based on the allocation priority and the expected yield per unit area, determining the allocation field where the operator performs harvesting includes assigning a field with a large expected yield per unit area to an operator with a high allocation priority. The farming support method according to claim 1 or 2, including the above.

4. Determining the allocation field includes determining the allocation field where the operator performs harvesting using the distance from the stop position of the working device to the plurality of fields. The farming support method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including the above.

5. Determining the allocation field includes determining the allocation field where the operator performs harvesting using the distance between the plurality of fields. The farming support method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, including the above.

6. Determining the allocation field includes determining the allocation field where the operator works so that the distance the working device moves to the allocation field is reduced. The farming support method according to claim 4 or 5, including the above.

7. Further including execution by a computer of storing a field priority representing the priority order of fields where harvesting is to be performed in the plurality of fields. Determining the allocation field includes assigning to the operator from the fields with a high field priority. The farming support method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, including

8. further including having a computer execute determining the operator ability index based on information regarding past harvesting operations performed by the operator The farming support method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Determining the operator ability index includes determining the operator ability index based on the harvesting time and the harvested area in past harvesting operations The farming support method according to claim 8, including

10. Determining the operator ability index includes determining the operator ability index using the performance value of the working device used by the operator The farming support method according to claim 8 or 9, including

11. The farming support method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further including having a computer execute determining the order of operations for harvesting in the assigned field

12. a data storage unit that stores an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device, and an expected yield per unit area in a plurality of fields where harvesting is to be performed; a priority calculation unit that represents the priority of the operator to whom the assigned field is assigned based on the operator ability index, the working time during which the operator harvested this season, and the yield harvested this season, and calculates an assignment priority in which the lower the yield per unit time with respect to the operator ability index, the higher the priority; a field assignment unit that determines the assigned field in which the operator harvests among the plurality of fields based on the assignment priority and the expected yield per unit area; an output unit that outputs assignment information representing the assigned field; A farming support system comprising

13. storing an operator ability index representing the ability of an operator who harvests crops using a working device, and an expected yield per unit area in a plurality of fields where harvesting is to be performed; representing the priority of the operator to whom the assigned field is assigned based on the operator ability index, the working time during which the operator harvested this season, and the yield harvested this season, and calculating an assignment priority in which the lower the yield per unit time with respect to the operator ability index, the higher the priority; determining the assigned field in which the operator harvests among the plurality of fields based on the assignment priority and the expected yield per unit area; outputting assignment information representing the assigned field; A farming support program for causing an arithmetic device to execute

Images