Work vehicles

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle that can work efficiently by preventing erroneous detection of a work machine by rear obstacle detection means.SOLUTION: A work vehicle comprises: a traveling vehicle 2; a work machine 40 attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2; rear obstacle detection means 11 attached to the traveling vehicle 2 and detecting obstacles in the rear; a vehicle control unit 2A attached to the traveling vehicle 2 and setting a detection range of the rear obstacle detection means 11; and a terminal device 50 being an input device and a display device. The location of dimensions of the work machine 40 required for correcting the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means 11 set by the vehicle control unit 2A is displayed on the terminal device 50, and the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means 11 is corrected on the basis of dimensional data when the dimensional data is input into the terminal device 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, agricultural work vehicles equipped with obstacle detection means have been known that autonomously travel within a set work area while determining the vehicle's position using a satellite positioning system. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous work vehicle that includes a vehicle position calculation means, an obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles, and a sensitivity adjustment means for adjusting the sensitivity of the obstacle detection means, and that adjusts the sensitivity of the obstacle detection means to be high within the set work area and low outside the set work area, thereby preventing the detection means from detecting an obstacle outside the set work area and causing the vehicle to stop traveling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2015-191592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the work vehicle described in Patent Document 1, depending on the shape of the work equipment attached to the rear of the work vehicle, the rear obstacle detection means that monitors the rear of the work vehicle may mistakenly detect the work equipment as an obstacle, causing the work vehicle to stop moving or sound an alarm, resulting in reduced work efficiency.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that can work efficiently by preventing erroneous detection of a work implement by a rear obstacle detection means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle, a work machine attached to the rear of the vehicle, and ,before a rear obstacle detection means attached to the traveling vehicle for detecting obstacles behind the vehicle; and a vehicle control unit attached to the traveling vehicle for setting a detection range of the rear obstacle detection means. and a terminal device that is an input device and a display device, and displays on the terminal device a location of the dimensions of the work implement that are required to correct the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means set by the vehicle control unit; When dimension data is input to the terminal device, the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means is corrected based on the dimension data. This is achieved by a work vehicle characterized by the above.

[0007] According to the present invention, The location required to correct the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means is displayed on the terminal device, so the user can confirm and input the dimensions that need to be entered. This allows the detection range to be corrected accurately, preventing erroneous detection of the work machine by the rear obstacle detection means, and enabling efficient work. .

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, The pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means set by the vehicle control unit is displayed on the terminal device to which the dimension data is input. .

[0009] According to this preferred embodiment of the invention: The detection range pattern of the set rear obstacle detection means can be checked and the dimensions can be input, allowing for accurate correction of the detection range and preventing erroneous detection of work equipment by the rear obstacle detection means, allowing for efficient work. .

[0010] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, The vehicle control unit sets a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means that differs depending on the shape of the work machine, and the location of the size of the work machine required to correct the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means differs depending on the pattern. .

[0011] According to this preferred embodiment of the invention: By setting different position dimensions depending on the detection range pattern, dimensions can be input efficiently without waste. .

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, When a work machine is attached with a member attached to the center portion that is higher than other portions, a pattern in which the center portion in the left-right direction of the detectable range is limited is set as the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means. .

[0013] According to this preferred embodiment of the invention: When a work machine is installed with a member attached to the center that is higher than the other parts, erroneous detection by the rear obstacle detection means is prevented, allowing for efficient work. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a work vehicle that can work efficiently by preventing erroneous detection of a work implement by a rear obstacle detection means. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a work vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the work vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system, detection system, communication system, and display system of the work vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the detection range of a rear obstacle sensor when the rotary tiller shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is attached as a work machine to the rear of a traveling vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic plan view showing the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor when a folding brush cutter is attached as the work machine, and FIG. 5(b) is a schematic rear view thereof. [Figure 6] Figure 6(a) is a schematic plan view showing the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor when a laser leveler for leveling the soil in a field is attached as a work machine, and Figure 6(b) is a schematic rear view of the same. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) is a schematic plan view showing the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor when a cultivator that roughly tills the soil in a field is attached as a work machine, and Figure 7(b) is a schematic side view of the same. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor of the work vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor of a work vehicle according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a control system, a detection system, and a display system of a work vehicle according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a dimension data input screen displayed on the portable terminal of the work vehicle according to the more preferred embodiment shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the unique ID, shape type, and dimensional data of the currently attached work implement, which are displayed on the screen of the portable terminal of the work vehicle according to the further preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 10, and the detection range pattern set for the rear obstacle sensor. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a list of the unique ID, shape type and dimension data of the work implement, and patterns of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor, displayed on a portable terminal of a work vehicle in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a list displayed on the portable terminal of the work vehicle according to the further preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 13, for transmitting shape data and dimension data of the work implement to the vehicle ECU. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a work vehicle 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the work vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1. In this specification, the side in the direction of travel of the work vehicle 1, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, is defined as the front (F).

[0018] The work vehicle 1 comprises a traveling vehicle 2 configured to be capable of autonomous traveling and a work implement 40 attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2.

[0019] In this embodiment, the traveling vehicle 2 is configured to be able to attach various types of working implements 40, and Figures 1 and 2 show a state in which a working implement 40, which is a rotary tiller, is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2.

[0020] An engine 5 is provided inside the front of the traveling vehicle 2, covered by a hood 7, and the traveling vehicle 2 is configured to be able to travel by transmitting the rotational power of the engine 5 to front wheels 3 and rear wheels 4 via multiple transmissions. A cabin 6 is provided behind the engine 5, and a work implement 40 capable of cultivating a field 60 is attached to the traveling vehicle 2 behind the cabin 6. A forward obstacle sensor 10 that functions as a forward obstacle detection means, and a headlight 9 that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle and can switch between low beam and high beam are provided at the front end of the hood 7 provided in front of the cabin 6, and the work vehicle 1 is configured to be able to detect obstacles ahead of the vehicle while traveling using the forward obstacle sensor 10.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the cabin 6 is provided with a steering wheel 64 and a driver's seat 65 so that a person can get in and operate it. A GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 12 is attached to the front of a cabin roof 8, which is the ceiling of the cabin. A rear obstacle sensor 11, which functions as a rear obstacle detection means, is provided at the rear of the cabin 6, and the rear obstacle sensor 11 is configured to be able to detect obstacles behind the work vehicle 1.

[0022] The front obstacle sensor 10 and the rear obstacle sensor 11 each have an infrared laser light source and a two-dimensional sensor that detects infrared rays, and the two-dimensional sensor has multiple light-receiving elements made up of photodiodes, so it is configured to detect obstacles present in front of or behind the work vehicle 1 and calculate their position.

[0023] Specifically, the front obstacle sensor 10 and the rear obstacle sensor 11 are configured to emit pulsed modulated infrared laser light from an infrared laser light source toward the front or rear of the work vehicle 1, detect the light reflected by an obstacle present in the path of the light using a two-dimensional sensor having multiple light-receiving elements, and calculate the position of the obstacle relative to the front obstacle sensor 10 or the rear obstacle sensor 11 by determining the distance between each light-receiving element of the two-dimensional sensor and the object using the so-called ToF (Time Of Flight) method based on the time when the infrared light was emitted from the front obstacle sensor 10 or the rear obstacle sensor 11 and the time when the two-dimensional sensor detected the light reflected by the obstacle. In Figure 1, the trajectory of the infrared laser light from the rear obstacle sensor 11 is shown by a dashed dotted line.

[0024] Here, since the forward obstacle sensor 10 is attached to the front end of the hood 7 provided in front of the cabin 6, the range of obstacles to be detected is constant, and even if the type of work machine 40 changes, the range of objects within which infrared rays reflected by the objects to be detected as obstacles is also constant.

[0025] In contrast, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is provided at the rear of the cabin 6, and is configured so that a work implement 40 can be attached to the traveling vehicle 2 behind it. Since the shape of work implement 40 varies depending on the type, if the range of infrared light to be irradiated by the rear obstacle sensor 11 and the range of infrared light reflected by objects to be sensed and detected as an obstacle are fixed, when a work implement 40 of a certain shape is attached, the rear obstacle sensor 11 will not be able to detect the obstacle that should be detected, and when a work implement 40 of a different shape is attached, it may happen that part of the work implement 40 is mistakenly detected as an obstacle.

[0026] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order for the rear obstacle sensor 11 to properly detect rear obstacles and prevent erroneous detection even if the type and shape of the work implement 40 attached to the traveling vehicle 2 are different, a detection range in which obstacles should be detected is determined in advance for each work implement 40, and as described above, the time from when the irradiated infrared light is reflected by an object present in the irradiated area to when it is detected by each light-receiving element that makes up the two-dimensional sensor of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is measured, and the position of the obstacle is calculated, so that only objects determined to be within the predetermined detection range are recognized as obstacles.

[0027] In this embodiment, a detection range suitable for detecting rear obstacles is determined for each of the four representative types of work implement 40, and stored in a memory device (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) provided in the traveling vehicle 2.The corresponding detection range is then read out depending on the type of work implement 40, and the obstacle to be detected is detected based on the detection signal of the obstacle detected by the two-dimensional sensor of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , a three-point link mechanism 45 including an upper top link 45a and left and right lower links 45b located below is provided at the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and a work implement 40 is connected to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2 by the three-point link mechanism 45. A work implement lifting cylinder 41 is connected to the lower link 45b via a lift arm 42, and the lower link 45b can be raised and lowered by extending and contracting the work implement lifting cylinder 41. Therefore, by extending and contracting the work implement lifting cylinder 41, the three-point link mechanism 45 lowers the work implement 40 so that it touches the ground when plowing the soil of the field 60, and raises the work implement 40 so that it does not touch the ground when simply moving, thereby preventing the work implement 40 from unnecessary contact with the ground and interfering with the travel of the work vehicle 1.

[0029] In Figure 1, a rotary tiller is used as the work implement 40, which is equipped with tillage tines 46 that till the soil in the field, a rotary cover 47 that covers the top of the tillage tines 46, and a rear cover 48 that is supported on the rear of the rotary cover 47 so that it can move up and down freely.Furthermore, a potentiometer-type tillage depth sensor 49 is provided on the rotary cover 47, and the tillage depth sensor 49 is configured to detect the rotation angle of the rear cover 48 relative to the rotary cover 47 as the tillage depth.

[0030] The work machine 40 and the traveling vehicle 2 each support the ISOBUS communication standard, and by connecting ISOBUS-compatible connectors to each other, the work machine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) serving as a work machine control unit provided in the work machine 40 and the vehicle ECU (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) serving as a vehicle control unit provided in the traveling vehicle 2 can communicate with each other via a network.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system, detection system, communication system, and display system of the work vehicle 1 shown in FIG.

[0032] 3, the control system of the traveling vehicle 2 of the work vehicle 1 includes a vehicle ECU 2A and a memory device 2B. In addition, the control system of the work implement 40 of the work vehicle 1 includes a work implement ECU 40A and a memory device 40B.

[0033] The memory device 40B of the work machine 40 stores work machine information for the work machine 40, and the worker information includes a unique ID that is used to identify the shape of the work machine 40 and identifies its type and / or shape data of the work machine 40, which will be described in detail later.

[0034] On the other hand, the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 stores data linking the unique ID of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 determined based on the shape of the work implement 40 and / or shape data representing the shape of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 for the work implement 40.

[0035] 3, the detection system of the work vehicle 1 includes a GPS receiver 12 and is configured to receive radio waves from a GPS satellite 70 at predetermined time intervals to acquire position information of the work vehicle 1 and output it to the vehicle ECU 2A. The detection system of the work vehicle 1 also includes a front obstacle sensor 10 and a rear obstacle sensor 11, and the detection signals of the front obstacle sensor 10 and the rear obstacle sensor 11 are each input to the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the display system of the work vehicle 1 includes a display 70 provided near the driver's seat 65, and the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to be able to display various information on the display 70, such as information relating to the work equipment 40 that is compatible with ISOBUS.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is configured so that a detection range suitable for detecting rear obstacles can be set for each of four representative types of work implements 40, and the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is stored in the form of a pattern in the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 for each of the four types of work implements 40.

[0038] 4 to 7 show patterns of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 for four representative types of work machine 40.

[0039] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 when the rotary tiller shown in Figures 1 and 2 is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2 as the work implement 40, and the pattern 11A of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is shown by diagonal lines.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary tiller 40 does not have any excessive height or any portion that extends excessively rearward relative to the trajectory of the infrared laser light from the rear obstacle sensor 11, which is represented by the dashed dotted line. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, there is no restriction on the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, and a pattern 11A that is approximately pentagonal in plan view is set as the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0041] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic plan view showing pattern 11B of the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 when a folding brush cutter is attached as work machine 40, and FIG. 5(b) is a schematic rear view thereof.

[0042] In Figures 5(a) and 5(b), a folding brush cutter, which has higher left and right end portions than a rotary tiller, is attached as work implement 40 to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and when in use, grass is cut with a cutting blade that extends in the left and right direction of the work vehicle 1. However, when the cutting blade is folded so that it extends in the vertical direction, as shown by the arrow in Figure 5(b), the left and right end portions of the work implement 40, indicated by diagonal lines, become higher and are mistakenly detected as obstacles by the rear obstacle sensor 11. Therefore, when a folding brush cutter is attached, as shown in Figure 5(a), pattern 11B is set in which the left and right end portions of the range of Figure 4 are limited, and the central part in the left and right direction is the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0043] Figure 6(a) is a schematic plan view showing the pattern 11C of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 when a laser leveler for leveling the soil in a field 60 is attached as the work machine 40, and Figure 6(b) is a schematic rear view thereof.

[0044] In Figures 6(a) and 6(b), a laser leveler is attached as a work implement 40 to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, with a pole that is taller in the central part in the left-right direction than a rotary tiller, and in order to prevent the pole in the central part from being mistakenly detected as an obstacle by the rear obstacle sensor 11, as shown in Figure 6(a), a pattern 11C is set as the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, in which the central part in the left-right direction of the range of Figure 4 is limited.

[0045] Figure 7(a) is a schematic plan view showing pattern 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 when a cultivator that roughly tills the soil of a field 60 is attached as the work machine 40, and Figure 7(b) is a schematic side view thereof.

[0046] In Figures 7(a) and 7(b), a cultivator, which has a shape that extends longer behind the work vehicle 1 than a rotary tiller, is attached as a work implement 40 to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and in order to prevent the rear part of the part that extends longer behind the work vehicle 1 from being mistakenly detected as an obstacle by the rear obstacle sensor 11, a pattern 11D is set in which the lower part of the range in Figure 4 is limited as the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0047] In the work vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is set to be appropriate for the shape of the work implement 40 attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2 as follows.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 of the work vehicle 1 shown in FIG.

[0049] When the work implement 40 is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, the work implement 40 and the traveling vehicle 2 are connected with their respective connectors corresponding to ISOBUS, and the work implement ECU 40A of the work implement 40 and the vehicle ECU 2A of the traveling vehicle 2 become capable of communicating with each other (step S1).

[0050] When connected to the vehicle ECU 2A via a network, the work implement ECU 40A first acquires work implement information, which is information relating to the work implement 40, from the storage device 40B of the work implement 40 (step S2).

[0051] Next, the work machine ECU 40A transmits a unique ID indicating the type of work machine 40, which is included in the work machine information related to the acquired work machine 40, to the vehicle ECU 2A (step S3). The unique ID is a unique code assigned to each type of work machine 40.

[0052] When the unique ID is received, the vehicle ECU 2A accesses the storage device 2B and determines whether data on the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the received unique ID is stored (step S4).

[0053] When the data (patterns 11A to 11D) of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 corresponding to the unique ID of the work machine 40 received from the work machine ECU 40A is stored in the storage device 2B, the vehicle ECU 2A reads out the patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range (step S5).

[0054] After reading out patterns 11A-11D of the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID in this way, vehicle ECU 2A outputs the pattern to rear obstacle sensor 11 and sets the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 to pattern 11A-11D (step S6). By setting the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 to pattern 11A-11D linked to the unique ID of the work implement 40, rear obstacle sensor 11 irradiates an area including the detection range with infrared laser light, detects the reflected light with a two-dimensional sensor, and then calculates the position of an object that reflected the irradiated light, making it possible to detect only objects that exist within the range of patterns 11A-11D currently set by vehicle ECU 2A as obstacles.

[0055] On the other hand, when it is determined that the data of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID received from the work equipment ECU 40A is not stored in the memory device 2B, the vehicle ECU 2A transmits data to that effect to the work equipment ECU 40A (step S7).

[0056] When the work implement ECU 40A receives from the vehicle ECU 2A information that the detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID transmitted to the vehicle ECU 2A are not stored in the storage device 2B, the work implement ECU 40A determines whether or not the work implement information acquired from the storage device 40B includes shape data representing the shape of the work implement 40 (step S8). Here, the shape data representing the shape of the work implement 40 acquired by the work implement ECU 40A from the storage device 40B is data indicating which of the four shape types represented by the four types of work implement 40 shown in Figures 4 to 7 the shape type is. Specifically, the shape data indicates which of four shape types the work implement 40 is: a shape type that does not have an excessively high or rearward extending portion relative to the trajectory of the infrared laser light, such as the rotary tiller shown in Figure 4; a shape type that has high heights at both ends, such as the folding brush cutter shown in Figure 5; a shape type that has a high height in the central portion in the left-right direction, such as the laser leveler shown in Figure 6; or a shape type that extends far rearward, such as the cultivator shown in Figure 7. The shape data determines patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0057] In this embodiment, the work machine information stored in the memory device 40B includes the unique ID of the work machine and / or the shape data of the work machine, so the work machine ECU 40A reads out the shape data and transmits it to the vehicle ECU 2A (step S9).

[0058] As described above, the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 stores data linking the unique ID of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 and / or data linking the shape data of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11. Therefore, when the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 does not store data linking the unique ID of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, data linking the shape data of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is stored, and therefore the vehicle ECU 2A reads out the patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the shape data of the work implement 40 based on the shape data of the work implement 40 (step S10).

[0059] In this way, after reading out the patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the shape data, the vehicle ECU 2A outputs the read-out patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and sets the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 to those patterns 11A to 11D (step S11).

[0060] As a result, the rear obstacle sensor 11 can detect only objects that exist within the range of the pattern currently set by the vehicle ECU 2A as obstacles.

[0061] According to this embodiment, when a work machine 40 of a model compatible with ISOBUS is attached to the rear of a traveling vehicle 2, the work machine ECU 40A transmits the unique ID of the work machine 40 contained in the work machine information acquired from the storage device 40B of the work machine 40 to the vehicle ECU 2A, and the vehicle ECU 2A determines whether data of patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the received unique ID is stored in the storage device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, and if stored, The data of patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range is read out and output to rear obstacle sensor 11, and the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 is set to patterns 11A to 11D appropriate for work implement 40. Therefore, even if the two-dimensional sensor detects infrared reflected light from work implement 40 located outside the detection range, rear obstacle sensor 11 will not output data to the vehicle ECU 2A indicating the presence of an obstacle, preventing rear obstacle sensor 11 from mistakenly detecting work implement 40 as an obstacle and preventing work vehicle 1 from stopping travel or issuing an alarm, which would reduce work efficiency.

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the detection range data of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID that the vehicle ECU 2A received from the work implement ECU 40A is not stored in the storage device 2B, the work implement ECU 40A transmits shape data to the vehicle ECU 2A, and the vehicle ECU 2A reads out the detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to that shape data that is stored in the storage device 2B, outputs this to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and sets the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the pattern 11A to 11D appropriate for the work implement 40. Therefore, even if the detection range patterns 11A to 11D data corresponding to the unique ID of the work implement 40 is not stored in the storage device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, it is possible to prevent the rear obstacle sensor 11 from mistakenly detecting the work implement 40 as an obstacle, and to prevent a decrease in work efficiency due to the work vehicle 1 stopping travel or issuing an alarm.

[0063] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is set to an appropriate state for the work implement 40, and erroneous detection of the work implement 40 by the rear obstacle sensor 11 can be prevented, so there is no need to restrict the work implement 40 to a shape that will not react to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and work implements 40 of various shapes can be attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, thereby increasing the range of uses for the work vehicle 1.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for setting the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 of the work vehicle 1 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] In this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, the memory device 40B of the work implement 40 stores the unique ID of the work implement 40 and / or the shape data of the work implement 40, and the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 stores patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID of the work implement 40 and / or patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the shape data of the work implement 40.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 9, as in the above embodiment, when the work implement 40 is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, first, the vehicle ECU 2A and the work implement ECU 40A are able to communicate with each other by connecting the connectors corresponding to ISOBUS (step SS1).

[0067] Next, the work machine ECU 40A acquires the work machine information of the work machine 40 from the storage device 40B (step SS2), and transmits the unique ID included in the work machine information to the vehicle ECU 2A (step SS3).

[0068] The vehicle ECU 2A determines whether the pattern data 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the received unique ID is stored in the memory device 2B (step SS4), and if so, reads out the pattern data 11A to 11D (step SS5), outputs it to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and sets the detection range (step SS6).

[0069] On the other hand, if the data 11A to 11D of the detection range pattern linked to the received unique ID is not stored in the memory device 2B, the vehicle ECU 2A transmits data to that effect to the work machine ECU 40A (step SS7), and the work machine ECU 40A determines whether the shape data of the work machine 40 is included in the work machine information (step SS8).

[0070] In this embodiment, the memory device 40B of the work machine 40 stores the unique ID of the work machine 40 and / or the shape data of the work machine 40, so the work machine ECU 40A reads the shape data of the work machine 40 from the memory device 40B and transmits it to the vehicle ECU 2A (step SS9).

[0071] In this embodiment, the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2 stores data 11A to 11D of the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the unique ID of the work implement 40 and / or data 11A to 11D of the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the shape data of the work implement 40.Therefore, based on the received shape data of the work implement 40, the vehicle ECU 2A accesses the memory device 2B and reads out the data 11A to 11D of the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the shape data of the work implement 40 (step SS10), and outputs it to the rear obstacle sensor 11, thereby setting the detection range to that pattern 11A to 11D (step SS11).

[0072] In the work vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, after setting the detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data contained in the work equipment information, the work equipment ECU 40A determines whether the work equipment information acquired from the memory device 40B includes dimensional data of the work equipment 40 (step SS12).

[0073] Here, the dimension data is data relating to the dimensions of the work machine 40.

[0074] That is, the detection range patterns suitable for detecting obstacles behind four representative types of work implement 40 stored in memory device 2B are based on the typical shapes of the four representative types of work implement 40, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, and the dimensions of each detection range pattern are set to predetermined values. However, even if detection range pattern 11B shown in Figure 5 is applied to a work implement 40 that has a shape with high heights at both the left and right ends, the dimensions of each part are not the same depending on the manufacturer or model, so if the selected detection range patterns 11B to 11D are used as is, it cannot be said that there is no chance that the work implement 40 itself will be detected as an obstacle, an alarm will be issued, or the work vehicle 1 will be stopped.

[0075] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the work machine information stored in the memory device 40B of the work machine 40 includes dimensional data, the detection range pattern selected based on the unique ID or shape data is corrected using the dimensional data.

[0076] Specifically, after determining whether the work machine information includes dimensional data of the work machine 40, if the dimensional data is included, the work machine ECU 40A reads out the dimensional data and transmits it to the vehicle ECU 2A (step SS13).

[0077] Upon receiving the dimension data, the vehicle ECU 2A outputs to the rear obstacle sensor 11 the detection range data obtained by correcting the data of the detection range patterns 11B to 11D output to the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data, based on the dimension data, and sets the detection range (step SS14).

[0078] The dimension data may, for example, be the width of the gap between the left and right cutting blades at the rear end of the work implement 40 when the work implement 40 is a folding brush cutter, and the distance from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work implement 40 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1. When the work implement 40 is a folding brush cutter, the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is a substantially isosceles triangular pattern 11B as shown in FIG. 5(a), but an example of correcting the detection range patterns 11B to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 set by the unique ID or shape data using dimension data is to calculate the apex angle of a substantially isosceles triangle in which the left and right cutting blades are not included in the detection range using the width of the gap between the left and right cutting blades at the rear end of the work implement 40 and the distance from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work vehicle 1 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1, and then correct the apex angle of the substantially isosceles triangle to be smaller so that the left and right cutting blades are not included in the detection range.

[0079] On the other hand, if the result of determining whether or not the work machine information of the work machine 40 includes dimensional data of the work machine 40 is that the dimensional data is not included, the patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 set based on the unique ID or shape data are used as is.

[0080] Once the vehicle ECU 2A has finished setting the detection range, the rear obstacle sensor 11 emits infrared laser light from an infrared laser light source to an area including the detection range, detects the light reflected by an object present behind the rear obstacle sensor 11 with a two-dimensional sensor, calculates the position of the object, and recognizes the object as an obstacle only if its position is within the detection range set as described above, and outputs data indicating the presence of an obstacle to the vehicle ECU 2A. Therefore, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is able to prevent erroneously recognizing a part of the work implement 40 as an obstacle, and can recognize only obstacles that should be recognized as obstacles.

[0081] According to this embodiment, if the work implement information of the work implement 40 includes dimensional data of the work implement 40, the detection range patterns 11B to 11D output to the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data are corrected to a more appropriate one using the dimensional data, thereby effectively preventing the rear obstacle sensor 11 from mistakenly detecting the work implement 40 as an obstacle, and preventing a decrease in work efficiency due to the work vehicle 1 stopping its travel or issuing an alarm.

[0082] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a control system, a detection system, and a display system of a work vehicle 1 according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] In this embodiment, if the dimensional data of the work machine 40 is not stored in the memory device 40B of the work machine 40, the worker can use a mobile terminal to generate dimensional data of the work machine 40 and correct the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 determined using the unique ID of the work machine 40 or the shape data of the work machine 40.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 10, the control system of the traveling vehicle 2 of the work vehicle 1 includes a vehicle ECU 2A and a memory device 2B, and the control system of the work machine 40 of the work vehicle 1 includes a work machine ECU 40A and a memory device 40B, and by connecting connectors corresponding to the ISOBUS of the traveling vehicle 2 and the work machine 40, the vehicle ECU 2A and the work machine ECU 40A are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0085] 10, the detection system of the work vehicle 1 is equipped with a GPS receiver 12, a front obstacle sensor 10, and a rear obstacle sensor 11, and the detection signals of each are input to the vehicle ECU 2A, so that the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to acquire position information of the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1 and to detect obstacles that exist in front of and behind the work vehicle 1. The vehicle ECU 2A is also configured to be able to set the detection range by outputting data relating to the detection range to the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 10, the display system of the work vehicle 1 includes a display 70 provided near the driver's seat 65, and the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to be able to display various information about the work vehicle 1 on the display 70.

[0087] Furthermore, in the work vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, when the work vehicle 1 is traveling autonomously, the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to be able to communicate with the mobile terminal 50 via wireless communication, so that even if the worker is located away from the work vehicle 1, the worker can check information about the work implement 40, such as the unique ID, shape data, and dimensional data of the work implement 40, and check the detection range setting of the rear obstacle sensor 11. The mobile terminal 50 is configured as a tablet-type personal computer equipped with a touch panel screen 50A and a storage device 50B, and in addition to functioning as an input device for transmitting dimensional data to the vehicle ECU 2A, it also functions as a display system for the work vehicle 1, and is configured to be able to display the unique ID, shape data, dimensional data, etc. of the work implement 40 transmitted from the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0088] In the work vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the vehicle ECU 2A determines and outputs patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data received from the work implement ECU 40A, and then the work implement ECU 40A determines whether or not dimensional data of the work implement 40 is included in the work implement information. If dimensional data is included, the vehicle ECU 2A uses the dimensional data to correct patterns 11B to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 that was output based on the unique ID or shape data, as described above. If dimensional data is not included, the vehicle ECU 2A wirelessly requests dimensional data from the worker via the mobile terminal 50, and uses the dimensional data generated by the worker to correct patterns 11B to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 that was output based on the unique ID or shape data.

[0089] Specifically, if the work machine ECU 40A determines whether or not the dimension data is included, and if the dimension data is not included, the work machine ECU 40A transmits a notification to that effect to the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0090] Upon receiving the notification, the vehicle ECU 2A displays on the mobile terminal 50 the unique ID used to read out the detection range pattern to be output to the rear obstacle sensor 11, the read out detection range pattern, and the shape type of the work implement 40 determined from the detection range pattern, and further requests the worker to input the dimensions of the part of the work implement 40 required to correct the detection range pattern output to the rear obstacle sensor 11 to a more appropriate one.

[0091] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a dimension data input screen displayed on the portable terminal 50 of the work vehicle 1 according to the more preferred embodiment shown in FIG.

[0092] Figure 11 shows a dimension data input screen that is displayed on the mobile terminal 50 when data linking the unique ID "002" with the detection range pattern 11B is stored in the memory device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, and the detection range pattern 11B shown in Figure 5 is read out based on the unique ID "002" received from the work machine ECU 40A, and the dimension data of the work machine 40 is not included in the work machine information.

[0093] As shown in Figure 11, the first column from the left, column C1, displays the unique ID "002" of the work implement 40 attached to the traveling vehicle 2, and the second column, column C2, displays a schematic representation of the pattern 11B read by the vehicle ECU 2A and the shape type of the work implement 40 determined from the pattern 11B, which is a shape type of the work implement 40 with higher heights at both the left and right ends. The third column, column C3, displays the locations required to correct the detection range for pattern 11B. The locations required to correct the detection range differ depending on the pattern, and are displayed as A and B in pattern 11B, where A is the width dimension of the gap between the higher height portions on the left and right, and B is the dimension from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work implement 40 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1, as indicated by the arrows.

[0094] In this embodiment, the work implement 40 is configured as the folding brush cutter shown in Figure 5, and as shown in Figure 11, the operator inputs the width dimension of the gap between the left and right cutting blades at the rear end of the folding brush cutter and the distance dimension from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work implement 40 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1.

[0095] 11, text boxes 51 and 52 for inputting the dimensions of locations A and B are provided to the right of column C3, and by pressing each text box, a cursor (not shown) is displayed in the box, and further, key switches (not shown) for inputting dimensions are displayed at the bottom of screen 50A, allowing the dimensions of locations A and B to be input. After inputting data into text boxes 51 and 52, by pressing dimension data transmission switch 53 displayed below column C3, mobile terminal 50 stores the dimension data in storage device 50B and transmits it to vehicle ECU 2A.

[0096] When vehicle ECU 2A receives the dimension data from mobile terminal 50, it corrects patterns 11B to 11D of the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11 using the dimension data, and sets a new detection range for rear obstacle sensor 11. As a result, rear obstacle sensor 11 is able to prevent erroneous recognition of a part of work implement 40 as an obstacle, and to recognize only obstacles that should be recognized as obstacles.

[0097] Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the work vehicle 1 from stopping its travel or from issuing an alarm, thereby preventing a decrease in work efficiency.

[0098] Meanwhile, similar to the above embodiment, the vehicle ECU 2A sets appropriate patterns 11A-D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data received from the work machine ECU 40A, and sets a new detection range for the rear obstacle sensor 11 by correcting the detection range patterns 11B-11D using the dimensional data received from the work machine ECU 40A or the mobile terminal 50. Next, the vehicle ECU 2A transmits the unique ID and shape data of the work machine 40 and the dimensional data read from the work machine ECU 40A used to set the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, as well as the set detection range patterns 11A-11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11, to the mobile terminal 50 and displays them on the screen 50A so that a worker located away from the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1 can check the detection range currently set for the rear obstacle sensor 11 on the mobile terminal 50. It should be noted that when the dimension data is input from the mobile terminal 50 and transmitted to the vehicle ECU 2A, the vehicle ECU 2A does not transmit the dimension data to the mobile terminal 50, but displays the dimension data input from the mobile terminal 50 on the screen 50A. On the other hand, when the detection range pattern is set based on the unique ID or shape data of the work implement 40 and this is 11A shown in Fig. 4, the detection range has not been corrected, so the dimension data is not included in the work implement information of the work implement 40 and is not displayed on the screen 50A.

[0099] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the unique ID, shape type, and dimensional data of the currently attached work implement 40 displayed on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50 of the work vehicle 1 according to the further preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 10, and the detection range patterns 11A to 11D set in the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0100] As shown in Figure 12, column C1 displays the unique ID of the work implement 40 currently attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and column C2 schematically displays the shape type of the work implement 40 and the pattern currently set as the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.Here, a work implement 40 with a shape type in which both ends are tall, and pattern 11B of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 are each shown schematically.

[0101] Furthermore, column C3 shows the dimensional data used to correct the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 displayed in column C2, with the locations required to correct the detection range designated as A and B, along with their specific dimensions.Here, the width dimension of the gap between the left and right cutting blades at the rear end of the work implement 40, which is a folding brush cutter with high heights at both ends, and the distance dimension from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work implement 40 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1 are respectively shown.

[0102] Therefore, by checking the information displayed on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50 shown in Figure 12, the worker can recognize the unique ID of the work machine 40 that was used to determine the detection ranges 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11, the shape data and dimension data that indicate which shape type it is, and the set pattern 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0103] At this time, if, due to some malfunction, the detection range currently set in the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not appropriate for the shape of the work implement 40, that is, if the detection range currently set in the rear obstacle sensor 11 differs from the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 that should be set based on the unique ID, shape data, and dimensional data of the work implement 40 that was the basis for determining the current detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, the vehicle ECU 2A will send warning information to that effect to the mobile terminal 50, and the mobile terminal 50 will display a warning indicating that the current detection range setting of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not appropriate for the work implement 40 in front of the image currently being displayed on the screen 50A, so that the worker can recognize this even if he or she is in a location far away from the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1.

[0104] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a list of the unique ID, shape type, and dimensional data of the work implement 40, and the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, displayed on the mobile terminal 50 of the work vehicle 1 according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] In the work vehicle 1 of this embodiment, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the unique ID, shape type, and dimensional data of the currently attached work implement 40 and the current detection range patterns 11A to 11D set in the rear obstacle sensor 11 are displayed on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50, and the mobile terminal 50 is configured to further display on the screen 50A a list that allows users to compare and confirm whether the current detection range patterns 11A to 11D are appropriate for the work implement 40.

[0106] The storage device 50B of the mobile terminal 50 stores a list linking the unique IDs and shape types of multiple work machines 40 with the detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for each work machine 40 and dimensional data for appropriately correcting the detection range patterns 11B to 11D.The unique ID, shape data representing the shape type, and dimensional data of the work machine 40 that were used to determine the current detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, along with the set detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11, are displayed on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50, and the mobile terminal 50 reads out the list from the storage device 50B and displays it on the screen 50A so that a worker located away from the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1 can compare and confirm them. The patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 and the dimensional data for correcting them, which are listed in each row of the list, are pre-registered as being appropriate for the shape of the work implement 40 in each row in order to prevent erroneous detection of the work implement 40 by the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0107] Column C1 of Figure 13 shows the unique ID of each work machine 40, column C2 schematically shows the shape type determined from the shape data of each work machine 40 and patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, and column C3 shows dimensional data of the work machine 40 for correcting patterns 11B to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 shown in column C2.

[0108] 13, line R1 of the list displays the titles of each column, and line R2 displays information about the work implement 40 configured as a rotary tiller. Line R2 of column C1 displays the unique ID of the work implement 40, line R2 of column C2 schematically displays the shape type of the work implement 40 determined from the shape data of the work implement 40 and the pattern 11A appropriate for the work implement 40, and the dimension data column of line R2 of column C3 displays a diagonal line indicating that the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 will not be corrected based on the dimension data, as the work implement 40 is of a shape type that does not require correction of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0109] Furthermore, in the columns of lines R3 to R5, information about the shape type of the work implement 40 for which any part of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 can be corrected is displayed.

[0110] The unique ID of each work machine 40 is shown in rows R3 to R5 of column C1, the shape type of each work machine 40 and the corresponding detection range patterns 11B to 11D are shown in rows R3 to R5 of column C2, and the dimensions of locations A and B required to correct detection range pattern 11B according to the shape data are registered only in the column R3 of column C3.

[0111] Here, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50 separately displays the unique ID, shape data, and dimensional data of the work implement 40 currently attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, as well as patterns 11A to 11D of the current detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, and by comparing these with the list shown in Figure 13 displayed on the screen 50A, it is possible to confirm whether the current detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is appropriate.

[0112] Furthermore, if, due to some malfunction, the detection range currently set for the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not appropriate for the shape of the work implement 40, that is, if the detection range currently set for the rear obstacle sensor 11 differs from the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 that should be set based on the unique ID, shape data, and dimensional data of the work implement 40 that were the basis for determining the current detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, the vehicle ECU 2A will send warning information to that effect to the mobile terminal 50, and the mobile terminal 50 will display a warning indicating that the current detection range setting of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not appropriate for the work implement 40 in front of the image being displayed on the screen 50A, so that when a malfunction occurs, it can be recognized with certainty.

[0113] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a list displayed on the mobile terminal 50 of the work vehicle 1 according to the further preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 13 for transmitting shape data and dimension data of the work implement 40 to the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0114] The work vehicle 1 in this embodiment is configured so that the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 can be set according to the shape of the work implement 40, even when a work implement 40 that is not compatible with ISOBUS is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, and the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is set as follows.

[0115] First, when the work implement 40 is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, the vehicle ECU 2A cannot obtain the work implement 40's unique ID, shape data, or dimension data from the work implement 40, and therefore cannot automatically output detection range data corresponding to the shape of the work implement 40 to the rear obstacle sensor 11 when the work implement 40 is attached.Therefore, the worker can set the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 to a state corresponding to the shape of the work implement 40 by sending the shape data of the work implement 40 to the vehicle ECU 2A himself, or by sending the dimension data together with the shape data.

[0116] Specifically, the worker displays on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50 a list shown in Figure 14 for transmitting to the vehicle ECU 2A the shape data of the work implement 40 and the dimensional data for correcting the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 determined by the shape data, and by selecting from the list a row related to the shape data and dimensional data that matches the shape of the work implement 40 currently attached to the traveling vehicle 2, the worker transmits the shape data and dimensional data to the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0117] Column C1 of Fig. 14 shows a schematic representation of the shape types of the four types of shape data of the work implement 40 sent to the vehicle ECU 2A, along with detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 corresponding to each shape type. Column C2 shows dimensional data of the work implement 40 for correcting the detection range when the detection range pattern set based on the shape data of the shape type of the work implement 40 shown in column C1 is 11B to 11D.

[0118] The dimension data is configured such that for each shape type other than a shape type that does not have an excessively high or rearward extending portion such as the work implement 40 configured as a rotary tiller of the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the locations required to correct the detection range are predetermined and indicated as A and B, and the operator can register only the dimensions A and B. For example, in the case of a work implement 40 configured as a folding brush cutter that is a shape type with high heights at both the left and right ends, only the width dimension of the gap between the left and right cutting blades at the rear end of the work implement 40 and the distance dimension from the rear obstacle sensor 11 to the rear end of the work implement 40 in the fore-and-aft direction of the work vehicle 1 can be registered.

[0119] 14, the title of column C1 is displayed in row R1 of column C1 of the list, and the title of column C2 is displayed in row R1 of column C2. The field in row R2 of column C1 displays work implements 40 and detection range patterns 11A that are of a shape type that does not have an excessively high or rearward extending portion and does not require correction of the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11, and row R2 of column C2 indicates with diagonal lines that dimensional data cannot be registered because work implement 40 is of a shape type that does not require correction of the detection range of rear obstacle sensor 11.

[0120] The columns R3 to R6 in column C1 each display work implements 40 with shapes that allow for correction of any portion of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11, as well as detection range patterns 11B to 11D corresponding to the shapes of each work implement 40. The columns R3 and R6 each display work implements 40 with high heights at both the left and right ends, with different dimensional values for locations A and B registered in column C2 of each row, while the column R4 displays a work implement 40 with a high height at the center in the left-right direction, and the column R5 displays a work implement 40 that is low in height but extends rearward, with the dimensions of locations A and B required for correction of the detection range not registered in column C2.

[0121] If a work implement 40 that is not compatible with ISOBUS is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2 of the work vehicle 1, by selecting a row from rows R2 to R6 in the list displayed on the mobile terminal 50 shown in Figure 14 that contains the correct shape type and dimensional data for the work implement 40, if only the shape data of the work implement 40 is registered in that row, the shape data will be sent to the vehicle ECU 2A, and if both the shape data and dimensional data are registered in that row, the shape data and dimensional data will be sent to the vehicle ECU 2A. For example, if row R4 is selected, the mobile terminal 50 will send to the vehicle ECU 2A only shape data related to a shape type in which the center part in the left-right direction is tall.

[0122] 8, when the vehicle ECU 2A receives the shape data, it accesses data stored in the storage device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, which links the shape data of the work implement 40 with the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 for that work implement 40, and based on the currently received shape data, reads out patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to that shape data, outputs this to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and sets it as the detection range. Furthermore, if the data received from the mobile terminal 50 includes dimensional data of the work implement 40, the vehicle ECU 2A corrects the output data of the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 using the received dimensional data, thereby generating new detection range data for the rear obstacle sensor 11, and outputs this to the rear obstacle sensor 11, and changes the setting of the detection range to the corrected state. Therefore, even if the work implement 40 is a model that is not compatible with ISOBUS, the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 can be set to a state that corresponds to the shape of the work implement 40, preventing the rear obstacle sensor 11 from mistakenly detecting the work implement 40 as an obstacle and preventing a decrease in work efficiency due to the work vehicle 1 stopping its travel or issuing an alarm.

[0123] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0124] For example, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, work vehicle 1 is configured as a tractor, but is not limited to a tractor and may be a combine harvester, etc. Furthermore, work implement 40 is not limited to a rotary tiller either and may be a fertilizer applicator that spreads fertilizer on field 60, a grass cutter that cuts weeds in field 60, a laser leveler, a cultivator, a ridger, etc.

[0125] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is configured to be able to detect obstacles behind the work vehicle 1 by emitting an infrared laser, but other optical sensors or ultrasonic sensors may also be used as detection means.

[0126] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is configured to emit infrared laser light into an area including its detection range, sense the light reflected from an object present behind the work vehicle 1, calculate the position of the object, and then recognize as obstacles only objects present within the detection range, which is a preset range, but the method of limiting the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not limited to this.

[0127] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, communication between the work machine ECU 40A of the work machine 40 and the vehicle ECU 2A of the traveling vehicle 2 is configured using ISOBUS, but this is not limited to ISOBUS and they may be configured to communicate with each other using other communication standards.

[0128] 4 to 8, the rear obstacle sensor 11 is configured to be able to set four patterns as its detection range, but the number of patterns of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 is not limited to four, and the shapes are not particularly limited either. Furthermore, the patterns 11A to 11D of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 are not limited to being set for a rotary tiller, a folding brush cutter, a laser leveler, or a cultivator, but are set to patterns according to the shape of the work implement 40 attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2.

[0129] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to be able to send and receive information to and from the mobile terminal 50 via wireless communication, but this is not necessarily wireless communication and the vehicle ECU 2A may be configured to be able to send and receive data via a wired connection.

[0130] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the mobile terminal 50 is configured as a tablet-type personal computer, but it may also be a mobile phone, a notebook-type personal computer, or the like.

[0131] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 11, if the work machine information stored in the memory device 40B of the work machine 40 does not include dimensional data for the work machine 40, the worker can measure and input the dimensions of the location of the work machine displayed on the screen 50A of the mobile terminal 50 and send the dimensional data to the vehicle ECU 2A.However, even if the work machine information includes dimensional data for the work machine 40, the dimensions of the location of the work machine 40 required to correct the detection range pattern can be input into the mobile terminal 50 and sent to the vehicle ECU 2A, allowing the detection range to be corrected as desired.

[0132] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the mobile terminal 50 is configured to obtain from the storage device 50B a list linking the unique IDs and shape data of multiple work machines 40, the detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for those machines, and dimensional data for appropriately correcting the detection range patterns 11B to 11D, but the mobile terminal 50 may also be configured to download the list stored on a server, or to receive the list from the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0133] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, when the work implement 40 is a model that is not compatible with ISOBUS, the mobile terminal 50 is configured to obtain a list for transmitting shape data and dimensional data of the work implement 40 from the storage device 50B to the vehicle ECU 2A, but the mobile terminal 50 may also be configured to download the list stored on a server, or may be configured to receive the list from the vehicle ECU 2A.

[0134] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figures 9 to 14, when a work implement 40 is attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle 2, the vehicle ECU 2A outputs data of detection range patterns 11A to 11D of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for the work implement 40 to the rear obstacle sensor 11 based on the unique ID or shape data received from the work implement ECU 40A, thereby setting the detection range, and further, if dimensional data exists in the work implement information read out from the storage device 40B, receives the dimensional data from the work implement ECU 40A, and generates new detection range patterns 11B to 11D corrected by the dimensional data. Although the vehicle ECU 2A is configured to output detection range data to the rear obstacle sensor 11, if dimensional data is present, the vehicle ECU 2A does not necessarily need to output detection range data to the rear obstacle sensor 11 twice in this manner, and may be configured to receive dimensional data from the work machine ECU 40A before outputting the data for the detection range patterns 11B to 11D determined based on the unique ID or shape data, and output detection range data to the rear obstacle sensor 11 that is obtained by correcting the data for the detection range pattern determined based on the unique ID or shape data using the dimensional data.

[0135] Furthermore, in each embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 14, after acquiring work machine information from the storage device 40B of the work machine 40, the work machine ECU 40A first transmits the unique ID of the work machine 40 to the vehicle ECU 2A, and if information on the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the received unique ID is stored in its storage device 2B, the vehicle ECU 2A outputs a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for the work machine 40 based on the unique ID of the work machine 40, and if data on the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 linked to the received unique ID is not stored in the storage device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, the work machine ECU 40A determines whether or not shape data of the work machine 40 is included in the work machine information, and if shape data is included, outputs the shape data In the illustrated embodiment, the work implement ECU 40A transmits the work implement information to the vehicle ECU 2A, which then outputs a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for the work implement 40 based on the shape data. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the work implement ECU 40A may acquire the work implement information, then first determine whether or not the work implement information includes shape data of the work implement 40, and if shape data is included, transmit the shape data to the vehicle ECU 2A, which then outputs a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for the work implement 40 based on the shape data; and if shape data of the work implement 40 is not included in the work implement information, the work implement ECU 40A transmits the unique ID of the work implement 40 to the vehicle ECU 2A, and the vehicle ECU 2A outputs a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 appropriate for the work implement 40 based on the unique ID.

[0136] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments shown in Figures 8 to 14, the work machine ECU 40A is configured to, after acquiring the work machine information from the storage device 40B, first transmit the unique ID to the vehicle ECU 2A, and if information on the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle sensor 11 that corresponds to the shape of the work machine 40 associated with that unique ID is not stored in the storage device 2B of the traveling vehicle 2, further determine whether or not there is shape data in the work machine information, and if shape data is included, transmit the shape data, further determine whether or not there is dimensional data, and if dimensional data is included, transmit the dimensional data to the vehicle ECU 2A; however, the work machine ECU 40A may also be configured to, after acquiring the work machine information from the storage device 40B, transmit all of the unique ID, shape data, and dimensional data included in the work machine information to the vehicle ECU 2A at once. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1 Work vehicle 2. Vehicles in operation 2A Vehicle ECU 2B Storage device 3 Front wheels 4 rear wheels 5 Engine 6 Cabins 7. Bonnet 8 Cabin roof 9. Headlights 10. Forward Obstacle Sensor 11 Rear obstacle sensor 11A Detection range pattern 11B Detection range pattern 11C Detection range pattern 11D Detection Range Pattern 12 GPS receivers 17 Transmission 40 Work equipment 40A Work Machine ECU 40B storage device 41 Work equipment lifting cylinder 42 Lift arm 45 Three-point linkage mechanism 45a Top Link 45b Lower Link 46 Cultivating Claw 47 Rotary cover 48 Rear cover 49 Tillage depth sensor 50 Mobile Devices 50A screen 50B storage device 51 Text Box 52 Text Box 53 Dimension data transmission switch 60 fields 64 Steering wheel 65 cockpit 70 GPS satellites

Claims

1. A traveling vehicle and a work machine attached to the rear of the traveling vehicle; a rear obstacle detection means attached to the traveling vehicle and configured to detect a rear obstacle; a vehicle control unit attached to the traveling vehicle and configured to set a detection range of the rear obstacle detection means; A terminal device is provided which is an input device and a display device, The location of the dimensions of the work implement required to correct the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means set by the vehicle control unit is displayed on a terminal device, and When dimension data is input to the terminal device, the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means is corrected based on the dimension data, a terminal device for inputting the dimension data displays a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means set by the vehicle control unit; the vehicle control unit sets a pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means that differs depending on the shape of the work machine, The location of the dimensions of the work machine required to correct the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means varies depending on the pattern. A work vehicle characterized by:

2. 2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when a work machine having a member attached to the center portion that is higher than other portions is attached, the pattern of the detection range of the rear obstacle detection means is set to a pattern in which the center portion in the left-right direction of the detectable range is limited.

Images