Agricultural Material Supply Method, Agricultural Material Supply System, and Agricultural Material Supply Program

Abstract

To determine beforehand whether replenishment of an agricultural material becomes necessary or not, in a route to be traveled automatically from now on.SOLUTION: An automatic travel control unit 51 allows a rice transplanter 1 to travel automatically along a work route 91 set in a field 90. When the rice transplanter 1 is traveling automatically along the work route 91, a work device control unit 52 allows the rice transplanter 1 to supply seedlings into the field 90. A replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines whether replenishment of seedlings becomes necessary or not, based on a residual quantity of seedlings carried by the rice transplanter 1, and on a supply amount of seedlings to be supplied along a route to be traveled automatically from now on in the work route 91, on a determination position 94 set on the work route 91.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for replenishing agricultural materials, an agricultural material replenishment system, and an agricultural material replenishment program.

Background Art

[0002] In a field, there is known a work vehicle that automatically travels while consuming agricultural materials along a work route. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a work vehicle that determines whether it is necessary to replenish seedlings on a seedling mounting table based on seedling remaining amount detection information by a detection sensor provided on the seedling mounting table.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of a work vehicle that travels while consuming agricultural materials, in consideration of exiting the field after the work is completed, it is common to perform the work on the inner side of the field first and then the work on the outer periphery of the field. In such a case, when it becomes necessary to replenish agricultural materials during the outer periphery work after the inner side work is completed, it is necessary to replenish the agricultural materials without entering the area where the work has been performed. Also, after replenishment, it is necessary to resume the work without entering the area where the work has been performed.

[0005] However, when the detection sensor of the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 detects that the seedlings on the seedling mounting table have run out, it is configured to determine that seedling replenishment is necessary. Therefore, the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it cannot determine in advance whether agricultural materials need to be replenished on the work route on the outer peripheral side of the field to be traveled in the future. Therefore, when replenishment becomes necessary while the work vehicle is performing work on the outer peripheral side of the field, it is necessary to head to the replenishment position of the agricultural materials without entering the area where the work has been performed and return to the original position without entering the area where the work has been performed after replenishment, resulting in poor work efficiency.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to determine in advance whether agricultural materials need to be replenished on the route to be automatically traveled in the future.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The agricultural material replenishment method according to the present invention includes a step of automatically driving a work vehicle while supplying agricultural materials to the field along a work route set in the field, and at a determination position set on the work route, based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route to be automatically traveled among the work routes, determining whether replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary on the route to be automatically traveled in the future.

[0008] The agricultural material replenishment system according to the present invention includes an automatic driving control unit, a work device control unit, and a replenishment necessity determination unit. The automatic driving control unit automatically drives a work vehicle along a work route set in the field. The work device control unit causes the work vehicle to supply agricultural materials to the field when the work vehicle is automatically traveling along the work route. The replenishment necessity determination unit determines whether replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary on the route to be automatically traveled in the future based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route to be automatically traveled among the work routes.

[0009] The agricultural material supply program according to the present invention causes a computer to execute a procedure of automatically driving a work vehicle while supplying agricultural materials to the farm field along a work route set in the farm field, and at a determination position set on the work route, based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route to be automatically traveled among the work routes, a procedure of determining whether or not it is necessary to supply the agricultural materials on the route to be automatically traveled.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to pre-determine whether or not it is necessary to supply agricultural materials on the route to be automatically traveled.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> With reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, an agricultural material supply system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the agricultural material supply system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rice transplanter 1 in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the rice transplanter 1 in Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the mobile communication terminal 7 in Embodiment 1.

[0014] The agricultural material supply system 100 includes a rice transplanter 1 and a mobile communication terminal 7. The agricultural material supply system 100 causes the rice transplanter 1 to perform an automatic traveling operation and a seedling planting operation or the like on the rice transplanter 1 by an operator giving an instruction using the mobile communication terminal 7 or the like. Note that the instruction for automatic traveling may be given by operating an operation member provided on the rice transplanter 1 instead of the mobile communication terminal 7. The work vehicle is not limited to the rice transplanter 1 and may be any vehicle that travels while consuming agricultural materials. Examples of the work vehicle include a seeder that travels while sowing seeds in a field, a fertilizer applicator that travels while applying fertilizer to a field, and a chemical sprayer that travels while spraying chemicals on a field.

[0015] Automatic traveling means that at least the steering is autonomously performed along a predetermined route by controlling a device related to traveling by a control unit provided in the rice transplanter 1. In addition to the steering, a configuration may be adopted in which the vehicle speed or the work by a work device is autonomously performed. Automatic traveling includes cases where a person is on the rice transplanter 1 and cases where no person is on the rice transplanter 1.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rice transplanter 1 includes a vehicle body portion 11, front wheels 12, rear wheels 13, and a planting portion 14. The front wheels 12 are provided in a pair on the left and right with respect to the vehicle body portion 11. Similarly, the rear wheels 13 are also provided in a pair on the left and right with respect to the vehicle body portion 11. The planting portion 14 is an example of a working device. The working device is not limited to the planting portion 14, and may be a seeding device, a fertilizing device, a chemical spraying device, or the like.

[0017] The vehicle body portion 11 includes a bonnet 21. The bonnet 21 is provided at the front portion of the vehicle body portion 11. An engine 22 is provided inside the bonnet 21.

[0018] The power generated by the engine 22 is transmitted to the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 via a transmission case 23. This power is also transmitted to the planting portion 14 via the transmission case 23 and a power take-off shaft (hereinafter referred to as "PTO shaft 24") disposed at the rear portion of the vehicle body portion 11.

[0019] The vehicle body portion 11 further includes a driver's seat 25 and a plurality of operation members. An operator can sit on the driver's seat 25. The driver's seat 25 is disposed between the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body portion 11. The plurality of operation members includes a steering wheel 26, a shift operation pedal 27, a main shift lever 28, and a planting clutch lever 29.

[0020] The steering wheel 26 is a handle for the operator to steer the rice transplanter 1. The shift operation pedal 27 is a pedal for the operator to adjust the traveling speed of the rice transplanter 1. The main shift lever 28 is configured such that the operator can select, for example, "forward", "reverse", "stop", etc. When the main shift lever 28 is operated to the "forward" position, power is transmitted so that the rear wheels 13 rotate in the direction to move the rice transplanter 1 forward. On the other hand, when the main shift lever 28 is operated to the "reverse" position, power is driven so that the rear wheels 13 rotate in the direction to move the rice transplanter 1 backward. When the main shift lever 28 is operated to the "stop" position, the transmission of power to the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13 is interrupted. Note that "forward" may be divided into "low speed" for traveling in the field and "high speed" for traveling outside the field. The planting clutch lever 29 is a lever for the operator to switch between a transmission state in which the planting clutch transmits power to the PTO shaft 24 (i.e., the planting unit 14) and a cutoff state in which the planting clutch does not transmit power to the PTO shaft 24 (i.e., the planting unit 14).

[0021] The planting unit 14 is disposed behind the vehicle body 11. The planting unit 14 is connected to the vehicle body 11 via a lifting link mechanism 31. The lifting link mechanism 31 is composed of a parallel link including a top link 31a and a lower link 31b.

[0022] In the lifting link mechanism 31, a lifting cylinder 32 of a lifting device is connected to the top link 31a. The lifting device can lift and lower the planting unit 14 vertically with respect to the vehicle body 11 by extending and retracting the lifting cylinder 32. Note that the lifting cylinder 32 is a hydraulic cylinder in the present embodiment, but may be an electric cylinder. Also, the lifting device may lift and lower the planting unit 14 by an actuator other than a cylinder.

[0023] The planting unit 14 includes a planting input case portion 33, a plurality of planting units 34, a seedling mounting table 35, a plurality of floats 36, and a spare seedling mounting table 37. The planting unit 14 sequentially supplies seedlings from the seedling mounting table 35 to each planting unit 34 and continuously plants the seedlings.

[0024] Each planting unit 34 has a planting transmission case portion 41 and a rotating case portion 42. Power is transmitted to the planting transmission case portion 41 via the PTO shaft 24 and the planting input case portion 33.

[0025] The rotating case portion 42 is rotatably attached to the planting transmission case portion 41. The rotating case portion 42 is disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the planting transmission case portion 41. Two planting claws 43 are attached to one side in the vehicle width direction of each rotating case portion 42.

[0026] The two planting claws 43 are arranged in the traveling direction of the rice transplanter 1. The two planting claws 43 are displaced as the rotating case portion 42 rotates. When the two planting claws 43 are displaced, the planting of seedlings for one row is performed.

[0027] The seedling placing table 35 is disposed above the front of the plurality of planting units 34. The seedling placing table 35 can place a seedling mat. The seedling placing table 35 is configured to supply the seedlings of the seedling mat placed on the seedling placing table 35 to each planting unit 34. Specifically, the seedling placing table 35 is configured to be reciprocatingly laterally movable (i.e., slidable in the lateral direction) in the vehicle width direction. Further, the seedling placing table 35 is configured to intermittently vertically feed and convey the seedling mat downward at the reciprocating end of the seedling placing table 35.

[0028] The float 36 is swingably provided at the lower part of the planting portion 14. When the lower surface of the float 36 contacts the field surface, the planting posture of the planting portion 14 is stabilized with respect to the field surface.

[0029] The spare seedling placing table 37 is provided in a pair on the left and right with respect to the vehicle body portion 11 in front of the vehicle body portion 11. The spare seedling placing table 37 is disposed outside the vehicle width direction of the bonnet 21. The spare seedling placing table 37 can mount a seedling box containing a spare seedling mat. When the seedling mat on the seedling placing table 35 runs out, the operator moves the seedling mat on the spare seedling placing table 37 to the seedling placing table 35.

[0030] The upper parts of a pair of left and right preliminary seedling mounts 37 are connected by a connecting frame 15 extending in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction. A housing 16 is provided at the center of the connecting frame 15 in the vehicle width direction. Inside the housing 16, a positioning antenna 61, an inertial measurement unit 62, and a communication antenna 63 are provided.

[0031] The positioning antenna 61 receives radio waves (positioning signals) from positioning satellites constituting a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The inertial measurement unit 62 includes a three-axis angular velocity sensor and a three-direction acceleration sensor.

[0032] The communication antenna 63 is an antenna for performing wireless communication with the mobile communication terminal 7. For the wireless communication, wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) are adopted. Further, the rice transplanter 1 may be provided with an antenna for mobile communication (not shown) for performing communication using a mobile phone line and the Internet.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 50 includes an arithmetic unit, an input / output unit, etc. (not shown), and a storage unit 55. The control unit 50 is a computer or the like. The arithmetic unit is a processor, a microprocessor, or the like. The storage unit 55 is a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 55 may further include an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Various programs, data, etc. are stored in the storage unit 55. The arithmetic unit reads out various programs from the storage unit 55 and executes them. By the cooperation of the above-mentioned hardware and software, the control unit 50 can be operated as an automatic driving control unit 51, a work implement control unit 52, and a replenishment necessity determination unit 53. The control unit 50 may be one piece of hardware, or may be a plurality of pieces of hardware capable of communicating with each other. In addition to the above-mentioned inertial measurement device 62, a position acquisition unit 64, a communication processing unit 65, a vehicle speed sensor 66, a steering angle sensor 67, a planting clutch sensor 68, and a remaining amount sensor 69 are connected to the control unit 50.

[0034] The position acquisition unit 64 acquires the position of the rice transplanter 1 as information such as latitude and longitude, for example, using the positioning signal received by the positioning antenna 61 from the positioning satellite. The position acquisition unit 64 may receive the positioning signal from a reference station (not shown) by an appropriate method and perform positioning using a known RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic GNSS) method. The reference station is installed at a known position around the field. Alternatively, the position acquisition unit 64 may perform positioning using the DGNSS (Differential GNSS) method. Alternatively, the position acquisition unit 64 may perform position acquisition based on the radio wave intensity of a wireless LAN or the like, or position acquisition by inertial navigation using the measurement results of the inertial measurement device 62.

[0035] The communication processing unit 65 performs data transmission and reception with the mobile communication terminal 7 via the communication antenna 63.

[0036] The vehicle speed sensor 66 detects the vehicle speed of the rice transplanter 1. The vehicle speed sensor 66 is provided on the axle of the front wheels 12 or the like. When the vehicle speed sensor 66 is provided on the axle of the front wheels 12, the vehicle speed sensor 66 generates a pulse according to the rotation of the axle of the front wheels 12. The data of the detection result obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 66 is output to the control unit 50.

[0037] The steering angle sensor 67 detects the steering angle of the front wheels 12. The steering angle sensor 67 is provided on the kingpin of the front wheels 12. Alternatively, the steering angle sensor 67 may be provided on the steering handle 26 or the like. The data of the detection result obtained by the steering angle sensor 67 is output to the control unit 50.

[0038] The planting clutch sensor 68 detects the position of the planting clutch lever 29. The data of the detection result obtained by the planting clutch sensor 68 is output to the control unit 50. Based on the detection result of the planting clutch sensor 68, the control unit 50 can identify whether the planting unit 14 is performing the planting operation. Note that the control unit 50 may identify whether the planting operation is being performed based on the state of a member other than the planting clutch lever 29 (for example, whether the PTO shaft 24 downstream of the planting clutch is rotating).

[0039] The remaining amount sensor 69 detects the remaining amount of the seedling mat placed on the spare seedling mounting table 37 and the remaining amount of the seedling mat placed on the seedling mounting table 35. The data of the detection result obtained by the remaining amount sensor 69 is output to the control unit 50. The remaining amount sensor 69 is composed of, for example, a detection piece that moves in and out from an opening formed in the spare seedling mounting table 37 or the like that is the object of the remaining amount detection, and a sensor body in which the contact is switched based on the displacement of the detection piece in and out. Note that the remaining amount sensor 69 is not an essential component in the agricultural material supply system 100.

[0040] The automatic travel control unit 51 controls the travel of the rice transplanter 1, such as vehicle speed control and steering control. By the control of the automatic travel control unit 51, the rice transplanter 1 can autonomously perform forward movement, backward movement, turning, and the like. Further, the automatic travel control unit 51 can also perform control to make the rice transplanter 1 travel in response to the remote operation of the operator using the mobile communication terminal 7. Further, the automatic travel control unit 51 can, for example, autonomously perform steering and also perform control to change the vehicle speed according to the operation of the operator.

[0041] When autonomously changing the vehicle speed, the automatic travel control unit 51 performs control to bring the current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 66 closer to the target vehicle speed. The control of the vehicle speed is realized by changing at least one of the gear ratio of the transmission in the transmission case 23 or the rotational speed of the engine 22. Note that the control of the vehicle speed also includes control to set the vehicle speed to zero so that the rice transplanter 1 stops.

[0042] When autonomously performing steering, the automatic travel control unit 51 performs control to bring the current steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 67 closer to the target steering angle. The control of the steering angle is realized, for example, by driving a steering actuator provided on the rotation axis of the steering wheel 26. Note that the automatic travel control unit 51 may directly adjust the steering angle of the front wheels 12 instead of driving the steering actuator.

[0043] The working device control unit 52 controls the operation of the planting unit 14, which is an example of a working device, based on predetermined conditions. Specifically, the working device control unit 52 controls the raising and lowering operation of the planting unit 14 and the planting work and the like.

[0044] The replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines whether it is necessary to replenish the seedling mat in the route for the automatic traveling hereafter, based on the remaining amount of seedlings possessed by the rice transplanter 1 and the supply amount of seedlings for the planting operation in the route for the automatic traveling hereafter. Although details will be described later, as a specific example, the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines whether it is necessary to replenish the seedling mat in the outer peripheral route, based on the remaining amount of seedlings possessed by the rice transplanter 1 and the supply amount of seedlings for the planting operation in the outer peripheral route (refer to the outer peripheral route 93 in Fig. 5). The replenishment necessity determination unit 53 obtains the remaining amount of seedlings possessed by the rice transplanter 1 from the detection result of the remaining amount sensor 69. Alternatively, the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 may calculate the remaining amount of seedlings possessed by the rice transplanter 1 from the moving distance of the rice transplanter 1, the amount of seedlings planted per unit distance by the planting unit 14, and the mounting amount of seedlings placed on the seedling mounting table 35 and the spare seedling mounting table 37. The mounting amount can be set, for example, by the operator operating the mobile communication terminal 7. The amount of seedlings planted per unit distance is stored, for example, in the storage unit 55. Note that the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 may be provided in the mobile communication terminal 7 instead of the rice transplanter 1.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile communication terminal 7 includes a communication antenna 71, a communication processing unit 72, a display unit 73, an operation unit 74, and a control unit 80. The mobile communication terminal 7 is a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a notebook personal computer, or the like. The mobile communication terminal 7 performs various processes related to the automatic traveling of the rice transplanter 1 as described later, but at least a part of these processes can also be performed by the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1. Conversely, at least a part of the various processes related to the automatic traveling performed by the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1 can also be performed by the mobile communication terminal 7.

[0046] The communication antenna 71 is an antenna for performing wireless communication with the rice transplanter 1. The communication processing unit 72 transmits and receives data to and from the rice transplanter 1 via the communication antenna 71.

[0047] As described above, since the rice transplanter 1 can be connected to a mobile phone line, the mobile communication terminal 7 can be connected to the mobile phone line via the rice transplanter 1. Therefore, for example, a part of the information stored in the storage unit 55 of the control unit 50 or the storage unit 81 of the control unit 80 can also be stored in an external server. Note that the antenna for mobile communication (not shown) may be provided in the mobile communication terminal 7 instead of the rice transplanter 1.

[0048] The display unit 73 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, or the like. The display unit 73 can display, for example, information about the field, information about automatic driving, information about the settings of the rice transplanter 1, detection results of various sensors, and warning information.

[0049] The operation unit 74 includes at least one of a touch panel and hardware keys. The touch panel is arranged over the display unit 73 and can detect an operation by a finger of an operator or the like. The hardware keys are arranged on the side surface of the housing of the mobile communication terminal 7 or around the display unit 73 and can detect a press by a finger of an operator or the like.

[0050] The control unit 80 includes an arithmetic device, an input / output unit, etc. (not shown), and a storage unit 81. The arithmetic device is a processor, a microprocessor, or the like. The storage unit 81 is a main storage device such as a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 81 may further include an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD or an SSD. Various programs, data, etc. are stored in the storage unit 81. The arithmetic device reads out various programs from the storage unit 81 and executes them. By the cooperation of the above-mentioned hardware and software, the control unit 80 can be operated as a route creation unit 82 and a supply position setting unit 89. The processing performed by the route creation unit 82 will be described later.

[0051] The supply position setting unit 89 sets a supply position (see the supply position 95 in FIG. 5) for supplying the seedling mat to the spare seedling stage 37 of the rice transplanter 1. The supply position set by the supply position setting unit 89 is stored in the storage unit 81. The supply position stored in the storage unit 81 can be displayed on the display unit 73. The supply position setting unit 89 may be provided in the rice transplanter 1 instead of the mobile communication terminal 7.

[0052] For example, the operator operates the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7 to set the supply position. The supply position setting unit 89 acquires the information of the supply position set by the operator from the operation unit 74. The supply position set by the operator is, for example, at least one side among a plurality of sides constituting the field. Alternatively, the supply position may be at least one point on one side instead of the entire side. A seedling mat for supply is prepared at the supply position set by the operator.

[0053] Next, the working path of the field will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the field 90 and the working path 91 in the first embodiment. The field 90 includes a working area and a headland area. The working area is located in the central part of the field 90 and is an area for performing work. The headland area is located outside the working area and is an area used for appropriately performing work in the working area. For example, the headland area is also used as an area for moving the rice transplanter 1 that has entered the field 90 to the start position of the planting operation, an area for turning the rice transplanter 1, and an area for moving the rice transplanter 1 to the seedling supply position.

[0054] As a working path for automatically driving the rice transplanter 1, a working path 91 shown in FIG. 5 is created in advance by the path creation unit 82. The working path 91 is composed of at least an inner path 92 and an outer path 93. The inner path 92 is a path that reciprocates straight through the working area of the field 90, and is composed of a plurality of straight paths 92a and turning paths 92b that connect adjacent straight paths 92a. The outer path 93 exists on the outer periphery of the inner path 92 (i.e., the headland area) within the field 90, and is a path that goes around the headland area at least once. When the headland area is sufficiently wide with respect to the working width of the rice transplanter 1, the rice transplanter 1 needs to go around the headland area multiple times. The determination position 94 is, for example, the position where the path switches from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93. More specifically, the determination position 94 is, for example, the end position of the operation of the inner path 92, the start position of the operation of the outer path 93, or between the end position of the operation of the inner path 92 and the start position of the operation of the outer path 93.

[0055] The straight path 92a is a straight path and is parallel to, for example, one side (e.g., the short side) of the contour of the field 90 or the working area. The arrangement interval of the straight paths 92a is determined based on the working width, turning radius, working interval, etc. The working interval is a length indicating how much interval is left between adjacent working ranges in the vehicle width direction. Information such as the contours of the field 90 and the working area and the working width, which the path creation unit 82 needs during path creation, is stored in the storage unit 81. Alternatively, the information that the path creation unit 82 needs during path creation may be stored in the storage unit 55, and the path creation unit 82 may send a transmission request command for that information to the control unit 50.

[0056] The path creation unit 82 sets the straight path 92a and the outer path 93 among the working path 91 as paths for performing the seedling planting operation by the planting unit 14. On the other hand, the path creation unit 82 sets the turning path 92b as a path where the seedling planting operation by the planting unit 14 is not performed. In addition, the path creation unit 82 sets the traveling direction, target vehicle speed, target steering angle, etc. of the rice transplanter 1 for each position of the working path 91.

[0057] Note that although the farm field 90 shown in FIG. 5 is quadrilateral, it may have other shapes. Also, the working path 91 shown in FIG. 5 is an example, and the path creation unit 82 can generate a working path 91 suitable for the rice transplanter 1 and the planting unit 14 based on different turning radii, working widths, etc. according to the model, etc., and different contours, sizes, etc. according to the farm field 90.

[0058] Also, when the supply position 95 has already been set when the working path 91 is created, the path creation unit 82 may create a round-trip path composed of a path from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 and a path from the supply position 95 back to the determination position 94. The round-trip path is set in an area where no work is being done. Among the functions of the path creation unit 82, the function of creating the working path 91 may be distributed to the mobile communication terminal 7, and the function of creating the round-trip path may be distributed to the rice transplanter 1.

[0059] When the supply position 95 is not set when the working path 91 is created, the path creation unit 82 may create a path from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 and a path from the supply position 95 back to the determination position 94 when a request for creating a round-trip path to the supply position 95 comes from the supply necessity determination unit 53.

[0060] The working path 91, etc. generated by the path creation unit 82 are stored in the storage unit 81. The working path 91, etc. stored in the storage unit 81 can be displayed on the display unit 73.

[0061] The control unit 80 of the mobile communication terminal 7 transmits information such as the working path 91 stored in the storage unit 81 to the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1 in response to a transmission request command from the control unit 50 of the rice transplanter 1. The control unit 50 stores the received information such as the working path 91 in the storage unit 55. Regarding the transmission of the information on the working path 91, for example, the control unit 80 may transmit all the information on the working path 91 from the storage unit 81 to the control unit 50 at a stage before the rice transplanter 1 starts automatic running. Alternatively, the control unit 80 divides the working path 91 into a plurality of divided path information for each predetermined distance, and for each time the traveling distance of the rice transplanter 1 reaches the predetermined distance from the stage before the rice transplanter 1 starts automatic running, a predetermined number of divided path information corresponding to the route of the rice transplanter 1 is sequentially transmitted from the storage unit 81 to the control unit 50. However, even when the control unit 80 divides the working path 91, it does not divide the outer peripheral path 93 and sets all of the outer peripheral path 93 as one piece of divided path information. This is because the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 requires the information on the outer peripheral path 93 when determining whether replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94.

[0062] Next, the operation of the agricultural material replenishment system 100 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the agricultural material replenishment system 100 according to Embodiment 1.

[0063] The operator stops the rice transplanter 1 at a predetermined position in the field 90. The predetermined position is, for example, the entrance of the field 90 or the start position of the inner path 92. While the rice transplanter 1 is stopped, the operator performs a predetermined operation on, for example, the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. Thereby, the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 and controls the vehicle speed and the steering angle based on various detection results such as the position acquisition unit 64 (step S11). While the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the straight path 92a, the working device control unit 52 switches the planting clutch from the disengaged state to the engaged state and causes the planting unit 14 to perform the seedling planting operation. While the rice transplanter 1 is turning along the turning path 92b, the working device control unit 52 switches the planting clutch from the engaged state to the disengaged state and interrupts the seedling planting operation.

[0064] The replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines whether the rice transplanter 1 has reached the determination position 94 where it switches from the inner path 92 to the outer peripheral path 93, based on the detection results of the position acquisition unit 64 and the like (step S12). When the rice transplanter 1 has not reached the determination position 94 (step S12; No), the automatic travel control unit 51 continues to automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 along the inner path 92.

[0065] When the planting operation on the inner path 92 is completed and the rice transplanter 1 reaches the determination position 94 (step S12; Yes), the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines whether it is necessary to replenish the seedling mat for the seedling mounting table 35 and the spare seedling mounting table 37 based on the remaining amount of the seedlings placed on the seedling mounting table 35 and the spare seedling mounting table 37 and the supply amount of the seedlings for the planting operation on the outer peripheral path 93 (step S13).

[0066] When there is a sufficient remaining amount of the seedling mat on the seedling mounting table 35 and the spare seedling mounting table 37 and the rice transplanter 1 can automatically travel on the outer peripheral path 93 without receiving replenishment of the seedling mat (step S13; No), the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer peripheral path 93 and controls the vehicle speed and the steering angle based on various detection results of the position acquisition unit 64 and the like (step S15). While the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the outer peripheral path 93, the working device control unit 52 causes the planting unit 14 to perform the seedling planting operation.

[0067] When the remaining amount of the seedling mat on the seedling mounting table 35 and the spare seedling mounting table 37 is insufficient and the rice transplanter 1 cannot automatically travel on the outer peripheral path 93 without receiving replenishment of the seedling mat (step S13; Yes), the operator replenishes the seedling mat on the spare seedling mounting table 37 (step S14). Note that when the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 determines that replenishment of the seedling mat is necessary, it may request the mobile communication terminal 7 to display guidance for seedling replenishment on the display unit 73.

[0068] The rice transplanter 1 can grasp in advance before starting the planting operation on the outer peripheral path 93 whether the planting operation on the outer peripheral path 93 can continue at the end of the planting operation on the inner path 92. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform seedling replenishment during the planting operation on the outer peripheral path 93, and the working efficiency is improved.

[0069] The method for supplying seedlings in step S14 will be described below.

[0070] <Supply method 1> When it is determined that seedling supply is necessary at the determination position 94, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 (step S14). The operator transports the seedling mat prepared at the edge of the field 90 or the like to the rice transplanter 1 stopped at the determination position 94 and places it on the spare seedling mounting table 37. After the operator supplies the seedlings, for example, a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. As a result, the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer peripheral path 93 (step S15).

[0071] According to the supply method 1, since it is not necessary to supply seedlings during the planting operation on the outer peripheral path 93, the working efficiency is improved. In addition, since the operator transports the seedling mat from the edge of the field 90 or the like to the rice transplanter 1 at the determination position 94, it is possible to supply seedlings without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where the planting operation has been performed.

[0072] <Supply method 2> When it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94 and the replenishment position is not set in advance, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the edge of the field 90 as the replenishment position 95. As a specific example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 based on the orientation (direction) of the rice transplanter 1 for which replenishment is determined. As an example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 at the edge intersecting the orientation of the rice transplanter 1 based on the detection results of the inertial measurement device 62 etc. received from the rice transplanter 1. Alternatively, the replenishment position setting unit 89 may set the replenishment position 95 based on the distance between the rice transplanter 1 and the edge. As an example, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets the replenishment position 95 at the edge closest to the rice transplanter 1 based on the detection results of the position acquisition unit 64 etc. received from the rice transplanter 1. In this way, the replenishment position setting unit 89 sets, as the replenishment position 95, one side among the plurality of sides (i.e., a plurality of edges) constituting the field, which the rice transplanter 1 can reach without difficulty, based on the orientation of the rice transplanter 1 etc. Further, the replenishment position setting unit 89 causes the route creation unit 82 to create a round-trip route between the determination position 94 and the replenishment position 95.

[0073] The automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the replenishment position 95 along the round-trip route created by the route creation unit 82 (step S14). During this automatic travel, the work device control unit 52 interrupts the seedling planting work by the planting unit 14. The operator places the seedling mat on the spare seedling mounting table 37 of the rice transplanter 1 that has come to the edge. After the operator replenishes the seedlings, for example, a predetermined operation is performed on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. Thereby, the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the determination position 94 along the round-trip route created by the route creation unit 82. Thereafter, the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer peripheral route 93 (step S15).

[0074] According to the replenishment method 2, since it is not necessary to replenish seedlings during the planting work on the outer peripheral route 93, the work efficiency is improved. Also, it is possible to replenish seedlings without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where the planting work has been performed.

[0075] <Replenishment Method 3> When it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94, the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 toward the replenishment position (for example, the replenishment position 95 shown in FIG. 5) preset by the replenishment position setting unit 85 (step S14). The reciprocating path between the determination position 94 and the replenishment position 95 has been created in advance by the path creation unit 82. During this automatic travel, the work device control unit 52 interrupts the seedling planting work by the planting unit 14. The operator places the seedling mat on the spare seedling mounting table 37 of the rice transplanter 1 that has come to the replenishment position 95. After the operator replenishes the seedlings, for example, the operator performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 74 of the mobile communication terminal 7. As a result, the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the determination position 94 along the reciprocating path created by the path creation unit 82. Thereafter, the automatic travel control unit 51 starts the automatic travel of the rice transplanter 1 along the outer peripheral path 93 (step S15).

[0076] According to the replenishment method 3, since it is not necessary to perform seedling replenishment during the planting work on the outer peripheral path 93, the work efficiency is improved. In addition, it is possible to replenish the seedlings without the rice transplanter 1 entering the area where the planting work has been performed.

[0077] When the operator sets the replenishment position, the operator himself / herself can select a position where it is easy to replenish the seedling mat to the rice transplanter 1. Also, when the operator sets the replenishment position, the operator may set the replenishment position after it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94, or the operator may set the replenishment position before the start of the seedling planting work. When the operator sets the replenishment position before the start of the seedling planting work, since it is not necessary to perform the setting work of the replenishment position and the creation work of the reciprocating path during the planting work, the work efficiency is improved.

[0078] In addition, when it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94, the operator may select a replenishment method from among replenishment methods 1 to 3. For example, before the start of the planting operation, the replenishment position setting unit 89 instructs the portable communication terminal 7 to have the operator select one of replenishment methods 1 to 3. The operator operates the portable communication terminal 7 to select a replenishment method. The portable communication terminal 7 transmits the information on the replenishment method selected by the operator to the replenishment position setting unit 89. When it is determined that seedling replenishment is necessary at the determination position 94, the automatic travel control unit 51 controls the rice transplanter 1 according to the replenishment method selected by the operator. For example, when the operator selects replenishment method 1 (stopping of the rice transplanter 1), the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 at the determination position 94.

[0079] Next, the stop direction of the rice transplanter 1 at the replenishment position 95 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 has stopped parallel to the replenishment position 95 in Embodiment 1. When the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the replenishment position 95 and stops it, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 parallel to the ridge edge at the replenishment position 95. The path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 parallel to the replenishment position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0080] The ridge edge and the outer peripheral path 93 (see FIG. 5) are basically parallel. Therefore, when the rice transplanter 1 returns to the outer peripheral path 93 after seedling replenishment, no turning back or the like is required, and it becomes easy to resume the planting operation.

[0081] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 has stopped perpendicular and forward with respect to the replenishment position 95 in Embodiment 1. When the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the replenishment position 95 and stops it, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 perpendicular to the ridge edge at the replenishment position 95. In addition, in the example of FIG. 8, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rice transplanter 1 with the front of the rice transplanter 1 facing the replenishment position 95. The path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 forward with respect to the replenishment position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0082] Since the spare seedling stage 37 is arranged in front of the rice transplanter 1, when the rice transplanter 1 stops facing forward with respect to the replenishment position 95, the operator can easily perform seedling replenishment.

[0083] FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the rice transplanter 1 stops perpendicular and backward with respect to the replenishment position 95 in Embodiment 1. When the automatic travel control unit 51 automatically travels the rice transplanter 1 to the replenishment position 95 and stops it, the rice transplanter 1 is stopped perpendicular to the ridge edge at the replenishment position 95. In addition, in the example of FIG. 9, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the rear of the rice transplanter 1 facing the replenishment position 95. The path for stopping the rice transplanter 1 backward with respect to the replenishment position 95 is created by the path creation unit 82.

[0084] When the spare seedling stage 37 is arranged behind the rice transplanter 1 (not shown), when the rice transplanter 1 stops backward with respect to the replenishment position 95, the operator can easily perform seedling replenishment.

[0085] Whether to stop the rice transplanter 1 parallel or perpendicular to the replenishment position 95 can be selected by the operator, for example. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 51 can stop the rice transplanter 1 forward or backward according to the arrangement position of the spare seedling stage 37. In addition, the automatic travel control unit 51 can stop the work vehicle forward or backward according to the type of work. For example, when the work vehicle is a fertilizer applicator and the fertilizer tank is arranged behind the work vehicle, the automatic travel control unit 51 stops the fertilizer applicator backward. This makes it easier for the operator to replenish the fertilizer tank with fertilizer.

[0086] Note that the replenishment necessity determination unit 53 may appropriately determine whether seedling replenishment is necessary when the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling on the inner path 92 or the outer peripheral path 93 while performing the seedling planting operation. In addition, when seedling replenishment becomes necessary during the automatic travel on the inner path 92 or the outer peripheral path 93, the automatic travel control unit 51 may automatically travel the rice transplanter 1 to the replenishment position 95 and stop it parallel or perpendicular to the replenishment position 95.

[0087] As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, the agricultural material supply system 100 includes at least an automatic driving control unit 51, a working device control unit 52, and a supply necessity determination unit 53. The automatic driving control unit 51 automatically drives the rice transplanter 1 in the order from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93 along the working path 91 including the inner path 92 that reciprocates straight in the field 90 and the outer path 93 existing on the outer periphery of the inner path 92 in the field 90. The working device control unit 52 causes the rice transplanter 1 to supply seedlings to the field 90 when the rice transplanter 1 is automatically traveling along the working path 91. The supply necessity determination unit 53 determines whether or not it is necessary to supply seedlings on the outer path 93 based on the remaining amount of seedlings of the rice transplanter 1 and the supply amount of seedlings supplied on the outer path 93 at the determination position 94 where the switching from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93 occurs. With this configuration, the agricultural material supply system 100 can pre-determine whether or not it is necessary to supply seedlings on the outer path 93 that will be automatically traveled in the future, and can improve the working efficiency.

[0088] Note that the supply necessity determination unit 53 may determine whether or not it is necessary to supply seedlings when entering the next side after finishing traveling one side on the outer path 93. In this case, the corner where the sides intersect on the outer path 93 corresponds to the determination position 94. When the field 90 is rectangular, the position where the switching from the inner path 92 to the outer path 93 occurs and the total of the four corners on the outer path 93 become the determination positions 94.

[0089] In the above description, when it is determined that seedling supply is necessary at the determination position 94, the rice transplanter 1 reciprocates between the determination position 94 and the supply position 95 in a state where the planting operation by the planting unit 14 is stopped, but it is not limited to this.

[0090] For example, when there is a supply position 95 beside the outer peripheral path 93 along which the rice transplanter is to travel at the determination position 94, the supply necessity determination unit 53 may determine whether it is possible to perform the seedling planting operation from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 along the outer peripheral path 93. When it is possible to perform the seedling planting operation from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels along the outer peripheral path 93 while performing the seedling planting operation from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95, and receives seedling supply at the supply position 95 beside the outer peripheral path 93. Thereafter, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels while performing the planting operation along the remaining outer peripheral path 93. In this case, the rice transplanter 1 can receive seedling supply without traveling back and forth between the determination position 94 and the supply position 95.

[0091] On the other hand, when it is not possible to perform the seedling planting operation from the determination position 94 to the supply position 95 and the seedling mat runs out before reaching the supply position 95, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels from the determination position 94 toward the supply position 95 without performing the seedling planting operation. After receiving seedling supply at the supply position 95, the rice transplanter 1 automatically travels without performing the planting operation and returns to the determination position 94.

[0092] In the above description, the configuration is such that the operator sets the supply position 95, but it is not limited to this.

[0093] For example, the supply position setting unit 89 may refer to map data held by an external server or the like using an antenna (not shown) for mobile communication, and set one side that is in contact with a road where a truck or the like loaded with a seedling mat for supply can park among a plurality of sides constituting the field as the supply position.

[0094] Alternatively, the supply position setting unit 89 receives the position information of the truck from a car navigation system or the like mounted on the truck loaded with the seedling mat for supply. Or, the supply position setting unit 89 receives the position information of the mobile communication terminal 7 from the mobile communication terminal 7 held by an operator near the seedling mat for supply or from the mobile communication terminal 7 held by an operator waiting in the truck loaded with the seedling mat for supply. The supply position setting unit 89 may set the position corresponding to the received position information as the supply position.

[0095] Note that, for ease of understanding, the drawings schematically show each component mainly. Therefore, the thickness, length, etc. of each illustrated component are different from the actual ones for convenience in drawing preparation.

Industrial Applicability

[0096] The present invention can be applied to work vehicles that travel while consuming agricultural materials, such as rice transplanters, seeders, fertilizer spreaders, and chemical sprayers.

Explanation of Signs

[0097] 1 Rice transplanter (work vehicle) 7 Portable communication terminal 11 Vehicle body part 12 Front wheel 13 Rear wheel 14 Planting part 15 Connecting frame 16 Housing 21 Bonnet 22 Engine 23 Transmission case 24 PTO shaft 25 Driver's seat 26 Steering wheel 27 Shift operation pedal 28 Main shift lever 29 Planting clutch lever 31 Lifting link mechanism 31a Top link 31b Lower link 32 Lifting cylinder 33 Planting input case part 34 Planting unit 35 Seedling table 36 Float 37 Spare seedling table 41 Planting transmission case part 42 Rotating case part 43 Planting claw 50, 80 Control unit 51 Automatic driving control unit 52 Working device control unit 53 Supply Requirement Determination Unit 55, 81 Memory Unit 61 Positioning Antenna 62 Inertial Measurement Unit 63, 71 Communication Antenna 64 Position Acquisition Unit 65, 72 Communication Processing Unit 66 Vehicle Speed Sensor 67 Steering Angle Sensor 68 Planting Clutch Sensor 69 Remaining Quantity Sensor 73 Display Unit 74 Operation Unit 82 Route Creation Unit 89 Supply Position Setting Unit 90 Field 91 Working Route 92 Inner Route 92a Straight Route 92b Turning Route 93 Outer Perimeter Route 94 Judgment Position 95 Supply Position 100 Agricultural Material Supply System

Claims

1. Automatically driving a work vehicle while supplying agricultural materials to the field along a work route set within the field; Based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route for automatic driving from this point on among the work route, at a determination position set on the work route, determining whether replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary on the route for automatic driving from this point on; An agricultural material replenishment method including the above.

2. The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 1, including the step of stopping the work vehicle when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position.

3. The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 1, including the step of automatically driving the work vehicle toward the edge of the field when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position.

4. The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 1, including the step of automatically driving the work vehicle toward a preset replenishment position when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position.

5. Receiving a selection instruction before the start of work of the work vehicle on whether to stop the work vehicle, automatically drive the work vehicle toward the edge of the field, or automatically drive the work vehicle toward a preset replenishment position when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position; The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 1, including the step of controlling the work vehicle according to the selection instruction when it is determined that replenishment of the agricultural materials is necessary at the determination position.

6. The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, including the step of setting at least one side among a plurality of sides constituting the field as the replenishment position.

7. The agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 6, setting one side among a plurality of sides constituting the field as the replenishment position based on the direction of the work vehicle when the work vehicle reaches the determination position.

8. Receiving an instruction to select at least one side among a plurality of sides constituting the field and setting the selected at least one side as the replenishment position, the agricultural material replenishment method according to Claim 6.

9. The agricultural material supply method according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein when the work vehicle is automatically driven toward the supply position, the work vehicle is stopped parallel to the supply position.

10. The agricultural material supply method according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein when the work vehicle is automatically driven toward the supply position, the work vehicle is stopped perpendicular to the supply position.

11. The work route includes an inner route that travels back and forth straight within the field and an outer route that exists on the outer periphery of the inner route within the field. The agricultural material supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the determination position is a position where the vehicle switches from the inner route to the outer route.

12. An automatic driving control unit that automatically drives a work vehicle along a work route set in a field, A work device control unit that causes the work vehicle to supply agricultural materials to the field when the work vehicle is automatically driving along the work route, A supply necessity determination unit that determines whether or not it is necessary to supply the agricultural materials on the route to be automatically traveled next based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route to be automatically traveled next among the work routes at a determination position set on the work route. An agricultural material supply system comprising the above.

13. A procedure for automatically driving a work vehicle while supplying agricultural materials to the field along a work route set in the field, A procedure for determining whether or not it is necessary to supply the agricultural materials on the route to be automatically traveled next based on the remaining amount of the agricultural materials possessed by the work vehicle and the supply amount of the agricultural materials to be supplied on the route to be automatically traveled next among the work routes at a determination position set on the work route. An agricultural material supply program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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