Obstacle area detection method, obstacle area detection system, and obstacle area detection program

Abstract

To detect an obstacle region in a farm field with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An obstacle region detection method comprises the steps of: detecting an obstacle region 620 where an obstacle 510 exists in a farm field 500 on the basis of density of a plurality of positioning positions 600 of a work device 30 that performs the work in the farm field 500; and outputting region information about the obstacle region 620. The step of detecting the obstacle region 620 may comprise the step of deciding a subregion 610 included in the obstacle region 620 on the basis of density of the plurality of positioning positions 600 in the subregion 610 obtained by dividing the farm field 500. The step of deciding the subregion 610 included in the obstacle region 620 may comprise the step of dividing the farm field 500 into the subregions 610 on the basis of the plurality of positioning positions 600.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an obstacle area detection method, an obstacle area detection system, and an obstacle area detection program. [Background technology]

[0002] When an operator is working with an agricultural machine, the operator may not notice a facility in the field, such as a water intake facility, and the agricultural machine may come into contact with the facility, which may result in damage to the agricultural machine or the facility in the field.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a technology that uses obstacle sensors (e.g., laser sensors) and cameras mounted on agricultural machinery to detect obstacles, such as utility poles, at the edge of a field, and modifies the shape of the field in accordance with the obstacles.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that uses a camera mounted on an agricultural machine to detect obstacles in a field and issues an alarm when the agricultural machine approaches the detected obstacle. It also discloses that instead of using a camera, an operator may manually set the presence of an obstacle.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for detecting obstacles in a field using a camera mounted on an agricultural machine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-161987 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-072066 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-006011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 detect obstacles in a farm field by capturing images of the field using a camera or obstacle sensor mounted on an agricultural machine and processing the captured images. Therefore, detecting obstacles in a farm field requires a device for detecting obstacles, and the detection process is also complex.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, one object of the present disclosure is to detect an obstacle area in a farm field with a simple configuration. Other objects can be understood from the following description and explanation of the embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The following describes the means for solving the problems using the numbers and symbols used in the description of the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference purposes to show an example of the correspondence between the claims and the description of the invention. Therefore, the claims should not be interpreted as being limited by the parenthetical descriptions.

[0010] To achieve the above object, an obstacle region detection method according to one embodiment includes detecting an obstacle region (620) in a field (500) where an obstacle (510) exists, based on the density of a plurality of positioning positions (600) of a work implement (30) performing work in the field (500). The obstacle region detection method also includes outputting region information related to the obstacle region (620).

[0011] To achieve the above object, an obstacle area detection system (1000) according to one embodiment includes an obstacle area detection unit (260) and an output unit (270). The obstacle area detection unit (260) detects an obstacle area (620) in which an obstacle (510) exists in a farm field (500) based on the density of multiple positioning positions (600) of a work implement (30) performing work in the farm field (500). The output unit (270) outputs area information related to the obstacle area (620).

[0012] To achieve the above object, an obstacle area detection program (420) according to one embodiment causes a computing device (120, 220) to detect an obstacle area (620) in which an obstacle (510) exists in a farm field (500) based on the density of a plurality of positioning positions (600) of a work implement (30) performing work in the farm field (500). The obstacle area detection program (420) also causes the computing device (120, 220) to output area information related to the obstacle area (620). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the above aspect, an obstacle area in a farm field can be detected with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an obstacle region detection system according to one embodiment; [Figure 2] 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between an obstacle in a field and a path of a work implement in one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks executed by the obstacle region detection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an obstacle area detection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a process for detecting an obstacle region by the obstacle region detection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for detecting an obstacle area in one embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the obstacle region detection system notifies the presence of an obstacle in one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for detecting an obstacle area in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] (Embodiment 1) An obstacle region detection system 1000 according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the obstacle region detection system 1000 includes one or more terminals 100 and an obstacle region detection device 200. The terminals 100 are mounted on the work implements 30 when work is performed in a field 500. For example, the first terminal 100-1 is mounted on the first work implement 30-1, and the second terminal 100-2 is mounted on the second work implement 30-2. The terminals 100 may be detached when work is performed in the field 500. For example, the first terminal 100-1 mounted on the first work implement 30-1 when work is performed in the field 500 may be mounted on the second work implement 30-2 when work is performed in the field 500. The work implements 30 represent devices that perform work in the field 500. The work implement 30 includes a device that performs work by towing a work machine, such as a tractor, and a device formed integrally with a work machine, such as a rice transplanter or a combine harvester. The work implement 30 may also include a device that performs work by flying, such as a drone that sprays pesticides.

[0016] The first terminal 100-1 is communicatively connected to the obstacle area detection device 200 via a network 20, for example, the Internet. The first terminal 100-1 measures the position at each time of a first work device 30-1 performing work in a field 500. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first work device 30-1 performs work while moving along a path 35 that avoids obstacles 510. The obstacles 510 represent objects that must be avoided when the work device 30 moves in the field 500, and include, for example, a water intake, a water intake device (such as a sprinkler or a water tap), or a sinkhole. For example, the first terminal 100-1 measures the position of the first work device 30-1 at predetermined time intervals. Therefore, a determined position 600 measured by the first terminal 100-1 represents the position of the first work device 30-1 along the path 35. The first terminal 100-1 outputs position information representing the determined position 600 to the obstacle area detection device 200.

[0017] The obstacle region detection device 200 detects an obstacle region including the region of the obstacle 510 in the farm field 500 based on the position information. Because the first work device 30-1 moves while avoiding the obstacle 510, the density of the positioned positions 600 is low in the vicinity of the obstacle 510. The obstacle region detection device 200 detects the obstacle region in which the obstacle 510 exists based on the density of the positioned positions 600.

[0018] When the second work device 30-2 performs work in the field 500, the second terminal 100-2 notifies the worker of the presence of an obstacle 510. For example, the second terminal 100-2 acquires area information representing an obstacle area from the obstacle area detection device 200. The area information may represent a caution area representing an area in which caution is required when the work device 30 approaches the obstacle 510. For example, the second terminal 100-2 may display an image representing the obstacle area on a map representing the field 500. Furthermore, the second terminal 100-2 may notify the worker of the presence of the obstacle 510 when the second work device 30-2 enters the caution area.

[0019] In this way, the obstacle region detection system 1000 detects an obstacle region based on the position information of the work implement 30 and notifies the worker of the obstacle region when the worker works in the field 500. Therefore, the obstacle region detection system 1000 can detect an obstacle region with a simple configuration, for example, a configuration that does not include an imaging device. This allows the worker to reduce contact between the work implement 30 and the obstacle 510.

[0020] (Configuration of Obstacle Area Detection System) As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of a terminal 100 included in an obstacle region detection system 1000 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 100 includes an input / output device 110, a positioning device 115, a calculation device 120, a communication device 130, and a storage device 140. The terminal 100 includes, for example, a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, etc. Information used by the calculation device 120 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 110. The input / output device 110 also outputs the results of the processing executed by the calculation device 120. The input / output device 110 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, etc.

[0021] The positioning device 115 measures the position of the work device 30 on which it is mounted by measuring its own position at each time. For example, the positioning device 115 measures the position of the work device 30 at a predetermined time interval, for example, every 60 seconds. The positioning device 115 is, for example, a receiver for the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0022] The communication device 130 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. The communication device 130 transfers signals acquired from the obstacle area detection device 200 to the arithmetic device 120. The communication device 130 also transfers signals generated by the arithmetic device 120 to the obstacle area detection device 200. The communication device 130 includes various interfaces such as a transceiver used for wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a cellular network, a NIC (Network Interface Card), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0023] The storage device 140 stores various data, such as the notification program 400, for notifying an operator of the presence of an obstacle 510. The storage device 140 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the notification program 400. The notification program 400 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 1, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0024] The arithmetic unit 120 reads out and executes the notification program 400 from the storage device 140, and performs various data processing to determine the power source. For example, the arithmetic unit 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0025] By reading and executing the notification program 400, the arithmetic device 120 realizes a position acquisition unit 150, an attention area determination unit 160, and a notification unit 170, as shown in Fig. 4. For example, the notification unit 170 may be realized in cooperation with the input / output device 110. The position acquisition unit 150 acquires the position of the working device 30 on which the terminal 100 is mounted from the positioning device 115. The attention area determination unit 160 determines whether the working device 30 has entered the attention area acquired from the obstacle area detection device 200. The notification unit 170 notifies the worker of area information related to the obstacle area.

[0026] Next, the configuration of the obstacle area detection device 200 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, the obstacle area detection device 200 includes an input / output device 210, a calculation device 220, a communication device 230, and a storage device 240. The obstacle area detection device 200 is, for example, a computer. Information used by the calculation device 220 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 210. The input / output device 210 outputs the results of processing executed by the calculation device 220. The input / output device 210 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, and a touch panel. The input / output device 210 may be omitted.

[0027] The communication device 230 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. The communication device 230 transfers information acquired from the terminal 100 to the arithmetic device 220. The communication device 230 also transfers signals generated by the arithmetic device 220 to the terminal 100. The communication device 230 includes various interfaces, such as a network interface card (NIC) and a universal serial bus (USB).

[0028] The storage device 240 stores various data for detecting an obstacle area including an area of ​​an obstacle 510 in the field 500, such as farm field data 410, and an obstacle area detection program 420. The storage device 240 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the obstacle area detection program 420. The obstacle area detection program 420 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 2, or may be provided as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0029] The farm field data 410 stores information related to the farm field 500. For example, the farm field data 410 stores information representing the area of ​​the farm field 500 and an obstacle area including the area of ​​the obstacle 510. The farm field data 410 may also store warning information representing a warning area that notifies the user of the presence of the obstacle 510 when the work implement 30 enters the area.

[0030] The arithmetic device 220 reads out and executes the obstacle area detection program 420 from the storage device 240, and performs various data processing for detecting an obstacle area. For example, the arithmetic device 220 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0031] By reading and executing the obstacle area detection program 420, the arithmetic device 220 implements a data storage unit 250, an obstacle area detection unit 260, and an output unit 270, as shown in FIG. 4. The data storage unit 250 stores farm field data 410. The obstacle area detection unit 260 detects an obstacle area including the area of ​​an obstacle 510 based on the position information of the work device 30. The output unit 270 outputs area information representing the obstacle area to the terminal 100.

[0032] The obstacle area detection unit 260 includes an area division unit 261 and an area determination unit 262. The area division unit 261 divides the farm field 500 into small areas. The area determination unit 262 determines an obstacle area based on the density of the positioning positions 600 in the divided small areas.

[0033] (Operation of the Obstacle Area Detection System) A method for the obstacle region detection system 1000 to detect an obstacle region including the region of an obstacle 510 in a field 500 will be described. When an operator starts work in the field 500 using a work implement 30, for example, the first work implement 30-1, the operator inputs an operation to the input / output device 110 of the first terminal 100-1 to input work field information representing the field 500 where work will be performed, such as the name and location of the field 500. The arithmetic device 120 of the first terminal 100-1 reads and executes a notification program 400 in response to an operation by the operator. When the notification program 400 is read and executed, the arithmetic device 120 starts the processing shown in FIG. 6, which is part of the obstacle region detection method.

[0034] In step S110, the position acquisition unit 150 realized by the calculation device 120 acquires position information representing the positional position 600 of the first work device 30-1 measured at each time by the positioning device 115. The acquired position information is output to the obstacle area detection device 200. For example, when work in the field 500 is completed, the worker inputs completion information representing the completion of the work to the input / output device 110. When the completion information is input, the position acquisition unit 150 outputs the acquired position information to the obstacle area detection device 200. The position acquisition unit 150 may sequentially output the acquired position information to the obstacle area detection device 200. The information output by the position acquisition unit 150 may include work field information representing the field 500 where work is being performed by the first work device 30-1.

[0035] In step S120, the area dividing unit 261 of the obstacle area detection device 200 divides the farm field 500 where work will be performed into small areas. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the area dividing unit 261 divides the farm field 500 into small areas 610 based on the position information of the first work device 30-1. For example, the area dividing unit 261 performs Delaunay division on the positioned position 600 of the first work device 30-1 and determines the areas divided by the Delaunay division as the small areas 610. The Delaunay division divides a convex hull around the positioned position 600 into three triangular small areas 610 with the positioned positions 600 as vertices so that the positioned position 600 is not included inside the circumscribing circle. Here, the positioned position 600 may exist on the circumscribing circle of the small area 610. The convex hull represents the polygon with the smallest area that includes all of the positioned positions 600.

[0036] In step S130 shown in Fig. 6, the region determination unit 262 determines a small region 610 included in an obstacle region based on the density of the positioned positions 600 in the small region 610. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the region determination unit 262 determines a small region 610 in which the density of the positioned positions 600 is lower than a threshold as an obstacle region 620. The small region 610 divided by Delaunay division includes the positioned positions 600 only at its vertices. Therefore, the larger the area of ​​the small region 610, the lower the density of the positioned positions 600 in the small region 610. The region determination unit 262 determines a small region 610 whose area is greater than a threshold as an obstacle region 620.

[0037] Here, the threshold value to be compared with the density of the positioning positions 600 may be determined based on the density distribution of the plurality of small regions 610. For example, when the threshold value is compared with the area of ​​the small region 610, the threshold value may be determined based on a statistical value of the area of ​​the plurality of small regions 610, such as an average value or variance. For example, the threshold value Th may be calculated by Equation (1).

number

[0038] The region determination unit 262 may combine adjacent obstacle regions 620 into one obstacle region 620. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the first obstacle region 620-1 and the second obstacle region 620-2 are adjacent to each other via a common boundary line. Therefore, the region determination unit 262 combines the first obstacle region 620-1 and the second obstacle region 620-2 into one obstacle region 620.

[0039] 6, the output unit 270 determines an attention area in which the presence of the obstacle 510 is to be notified when the working device 30 enters, based on the detected obstacle area 620. For example, the output unit 270 determines the obstacle area 620 as the attention area. Because the obstacle area 620 may be small, the output unit 270 may determine an area including the obstacle area 620 and the small area 610 adjacent to the obstacle area 620 as the attention area.

[0040] 7, the output unit 270 includes, in the attention region, a first adjacent region 630 that is adjacent to and shares a common boundary with the obstacle region 620. The output unit 270 may also include, in the attention region, a second adjacent region 640 that is adjacent to and shares a common vertex with the obstacle region 620.

[0041] Furthermore, the output unit 270 may include, in the attention region, the obstacle region 620 and small regions 610 adjacent to the obstacle region 620 via a predetermined number or less of small regions 610. For example, the output unit 270 may set two small regions 610 that share a common boundary as adjacent small regions 610, and include, in the attention region, a first adjacent region 630 that is directly adjacent to the obstacle region 620, when the predetermined number is "0". Furthermore, when the predetermined number is "1", the output unit 270 includes, in the attention region, the first adjacent region 630 that is directly adjacent to the obstacle region 620 and the small regions 610 that are directly adjacent to the first adjacent region 630. When the predetermined number is "2", the output unit 270 includes, in the attention region, the attention region when the predetermined number is "1" and the small regions 610 that are directly adjacent to the attention region when the predetermined number is "1".

[0042] Furthermore, when the output unit 270 determines that two small regions 610 that share a common vertex are adjacent small regions 610 and the predetermined number is "0", the output unit 270 includes the first adjacent region 630 and the second adjacent region 640 that are directly adjacent to the obstacle region 620 in the attention region. When the predetermined number is "1", the output unit 270 includes the first adjacent region 630 and the second adjacent region 640 that are directly adjacent to the obstacle region 620, and the small regions 610 that are directly adjacent to the first adjacent region 630 or the second adjacent region 640 in the attention region.

[0043] In step S150, the output unit 270 stores area information representing the obstacle area 620 in the field data 410. For example, the output unit 270 may store caution information representing the caution area as area information representing the obstacle area 620 in the field data 410. The output unit 270 may also store area information representing the obstacle area 620 and the caution area in the field data 410.

[0044] In this way, the obstacle region detection system 1000 determines the obstacle region 620 in which the obstacle 510 exists, based on the position information of the work device 30. Therefore, the obstacle region detection system 1000 can determine the obstacle region 620 in which the obstacle 510 exists, without requiring an imaging device that captures images of the periphery of the work device 30 or an operation by the worker to register the obstacle 510.

[0045] Next, a method by which the obstacle region detection system 1000 notifies the operator of the presence of an obstacle 510 will be described. When the operator starts work in the field 500 using the work device 30, for example, the second work device 30-2, the operator inputs a startup operation for the obstacle region detection system 1000 to the input / output device 210 of the second terminal 100-2. For example, the operator inputs a startup operation to the input / output device 210 of the second terminal 100-2 so that the second terminal 100-2 notifies the operator of the region of the obstacle 510 present in the field 500. The arithmetic device 120 of the second terminal 100-2 reads and executes the notification program 400 in response to an operation by the operator. When the notification program 400 is read and executed, the arithmetic device 120 starts the processing shown in FIG. 8, which is part of the obstacle region detection method.

[0046] In step S210, the attention area determination unit 160 implemented in the second terminal 100-2 receives work field information related to the field 500 where work is to be performed by the second work device 30-2. For example, the worker performs an input operation to input / output device 110 of second terminal 100-2 to input work field information related to the field 500 where work is to be performed, such as the name and location. The input work field information related to the field 500 is output to obstacle area detection device 200 by attention area determination unit 160.

[0047] In step S220, the output unit 270 of the obstacle area detection device 200 outputs area information related to the obstacle area 620 in the field 500 to the second terminal 100-2 based on the acquired work field information. For example, the output unit 270 acquires area information corresponding to the field 500 represented in the work field information from the field data 410. The output unit 270 outputs the acquired area information to the second terminal 100-2. The area information may include caution information indicating an attention area.

[0048] In step S230, the notification unit 170 of the second terminal 100-2 notifies the worker of the area information acquired from the obstacle area detection device 200. For example, the notification unit 170 displays an image representing the obstacle area 620 on a map representing the farm field 500. The notification unit 170 may also display an image representing the attention area on the map. The notification unit 170 may also display an image in which the obstacle area 620 and the attention area are distinguishably displayed on the map.

[0049] In step S240, the position acquisition section 150 acquires position information representing the measured position of the second work device 30-2 measured by the positioning device 115. The acquired position information is output to the attention area determination section 160 one by one.

[0050] In step S250, the attention area determination unit 160 determines whether the acquired position of the second work device 30-2 is included in the attention area. For example, the attention area determination unit 160 acquires attention information representing the attention area from area information acquired from the obstacle area detection device 200. When the positioned position of the second work device 30-2 is not included in the attention area, the process returns to step S240 and is repeated. When the positioned position of the second work device 30-2 is included in the attention area, the process proceeds to step S260.

[0051] In step S260, the notification unit 170 alerts the worker to prevent the second work device 30-2 from coming into contact with the obstacle 510. For example, the notification unit 170 outputs a sound, such as an alarm, indicating that there is an obstacle 510 around the second work device 30-2. The notification unit 170 may also display an image on a screen displayed on the input / output device 210 to alert the worker. The notification unit 170 may also turn on a lighting device to alert the worker, such as a warning light provided on a display panel of the second work device 30-2. When the processing of step S260 ends, the processing returns to step S240 and is repeated.

[0052] In this way, the obstacle region detection system 1000 detects an obstacle region 620 including the obstacle 510 in the field 500 based on the position information of the first work apparatus 30-1 that previously performed work in the field 500. Furthermore, based on the detected obstacle region 620 including the obstacle 510, the obstacle region detection system 1000 warns the operator of the second work apparatus 30-2, which will perform work in the field 500 later, if the second work apparatus 30-2 approaches the obstacle 510. In this way, the obstacle region detection system 1000 can reduce damage to the second work apparatus 30-2 caused by the obstacle 510, for example, damage caused by contact between the obstacle 510 and the second work apparatus 30-2. The obstacle region detection system 1000 can also reduce damage to the obstacle 510 caused by the second work apparatus 30-2.

[0053] (Variation) The configuration described in the embodiment is merely an example, and the configuration can be changed as long as it does not impair functionality. For example, when starting work in a field 500 using the first work device 30-1, the worker may select the field 500 to work on from a list of the fields 500. For example, the position acquisition unit 150 of the first terminal 100-1 outputs position information of the first work device 30-1 to the obstacle region detection device 200 when starting work. The data storage unit 250 of the obstacle region detection device 200 acquires a list of fields 500 that exist within a predetermined distance from the position indicated in the position information of the first work device 30-1 from the field data 410. The data storage unit 250 outputs information representing the acquired list of fields 500 to the first terminal 100-1. The position acquisition unit 150 of the first terminal 100-1 displays the list of fields 500 on the input / output device 110 and accepts a selection operation by the worker. Similarly, in step S210 shown in FIG. 8, the attention area determination unit 160 of the second terminal 100-2 may display a list of fields 500 within a predetermined distance from the position of the second work device 30-2 from the obstacle area detection device 200, and accept a selection operation by the worker.

[0054] 8, the attention area determination unit 160 of the second terminal 100-2 may receive an operation to change the area information related to the obstacle 510. For example, when the area information displayed on the input / output device 110, for example, an image showing the obstacle area 620 on a map, differs from the actual position of the obstacle 510 in the field 500, the operator inputs a change operation to the input / output device 110 to change the area information. When the change operation is input, the attention area determination unit 160 outputs information for requesting different area information to the obstacle area detection device 200. The output unit 270 of the obstacle area detection device 200 outputs area information for the same field 500 that is different from the previously output area information to the second terminal 100-2. In this way, the attention area determination unit 160 of the second terminal 100-2 may execute a process of confirming the area information with the operator. The attention area determination unit 160 may also acquire a plurality of pieces of area information from the obstacle area detection device 200 and accept a selection operation by the operator to select the area information to be used.

[0055] In step S120 shown in FIG. 6, the region dividing unit 261 of the obstacle region detection device 200 may divide the farm field 500 into small regions 610 using any method. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the region dividing unit 261 may divide the farm field 500 into small regions 610B by Voronoi tessellation with respect to the positioned positions 600. The Voronoi tessellation divides the farm field 500 so that the closest positioned position 600 is the same at any position within the small region 610B. In this case, in step S130, the region dividing unit 261 similarly determines an obstacle region 620B based on the density of the positioned positions 600 in the small region 610B. For example, because the small region 610B contains one positioned position 600, the region dividing unit 261 determines the small region 610B whose area is greater than a threshold as the obstacle region 620B.

[0056] Furthermore, the area dividing unit 261 may divide the farm field 500 into small areas 610 in a mesh pattern. For example, the area dividing unit 261 may divide the farm field 500 into small areas 610 so that boundaries are formed by a plurality of first straight lines extending in a first direction and arranged at equal intervals, and a plurality of second straight lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and arranged at equal intervals. In this case, in step S130, the area dividing unit 261 determines an obstacle area 620 based on the number of positioned positions 600 included in the small area 610. For example, the area dividing unit 261 determines, as an obstacle area 620, a small area 610 in which the number of positioned positions 600 included therein is less than a threshold.

[0057] The obstacle region detection unit 260 may determine the obstacle region 620 based on the density of the positioned positions 600, without dividing the field 500 into small regions 610. For example, the obstacle region detection unit 260 estimates the density distribution of the positioned positions 600 in the field 500 using kernel density estimation. The obstacle region detection unit 260 determines, as the obstacle region 620, a region where the estimated density is higher than a threshold. For example, the obstacle region detection unit 260 uses a kernel function for each positioned position 600 to estimate a probability density that positions around each positioned position 600 will be measured as the position of the work implement 30. The obstacle region detection unit 260 estimates the density distribution of the positioned positions 600 in the field 500 by integrating the probability density estimated for each positioned position 600 at each position in the field 500. The kernel function is, for example, a Gaussian function.

[0058] 6, the output unit 270 of the obstacle region detection device 200 may determine an attention region including the periphery of the obstacle region 620 by any method based on the obstacle region 620. For example, the output unit 270 may determine, as the attention region, a small region 610 whose distance from the obstacle region 620 is within a threshold value. Alternatively, the output unit 270 may determine, as the attention region, a region whose distance from the obstacle region 620 is within a threshold value, without using the small region 610.

[0059] In step S150 shown in FIG. 6 , the output unit 270 of the obstacle region detection device 200 may receive correction information for the region information about the obstacle region 620 and store the region information corrected based on the correction information in the field data 410. For example, the output unit 270 outputs the region information to the first terminal 100-1. The notification unit 170 of the first terminal 100-1 displays the region information, for example, an image showing the obstacle region 620 on a map, on the input / output device 110. The operator checks the displayed image showing the obstacle region 620 and, if necessary, inputs a correction operation for the obstacle region 620, for example, an operation to correct the outline of the obstacle region 620. The notification unit 170 outputs correction information showing the corrected obstacle region 620 to the obstacle region detection unit 260 based on the input correction operation. The output unit 270 stores the region information about the obstacle region 620 corrected in the field data 410 based on the correction information. It should be noted that the attention region may be modified in addition to or instead of the obstacle region 620.

[0060] In step S250 shown in FIG. 8 , the attention area determination unit 160 of the second terminal 100-2 may determine whether the position of the second work device 30-2 has changed from outside the attention area to inside the attention area. For example, when the measured position of the second work device 30-2 is included in the attention area, the attention area determination unit 160 determines whether the most recently acquired measured position of the second work device 30-2 is included in the attention area. When the most recently acquired measured position of the second work device 30-2 is not included in the attention area, the process proceeds to step S260, where the worker is notified of the presence of an obstacle 510. When the most recently acquired measured position of the second work device 30-2 is included in the attention area, the process returns to step S240. In this way, the notification unit 170 may alert the worker only when the second work device 30-2 enters the attention area, and may omit warning the worker when the second work device 30-2 is moving within the attention area.

[0061] 3 may use any method to measure the position of the working device 30 at each time. For example, the positioning device 115 may measure the position of the working device 30 when the working device 30 is moved a predetermined distance or more away from the position measured immediately before.

[0062] The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the configurations described in each embodiment and modification may be arbitrarily changed and / or combined as long as the functions are not impaired. Furthermore, some of the functions described in the embodiments and modifications may be omitted as long as the required functions can be realized. For example, some or all of the processing of the obstacle region detection device 200 may be executed by the terminal 100. Furthermore, some of the processing of the terminal 100 may be executed by the obstacle region detection device 200. Furthermore, the terminal 100 may be incorporated into the working device 30.

[0063] Furthermore, the obstacle area detection program 420 may include the notification program 400. Furthermore, the obstacle area detection system 1000 may not include the terminal 100, and may acquire position information indicating the position of the work device 30 from an external terminal not included in the obstacle area detection system 1000. Furthermore, the obstacle area detection system 1000 may cause the work device 30 to display area information from an external terminal not included in the obstacle area detection system 1000.

[0064] (Addendum) The obstacle region detection method, obstacle region detection system, and obstacle region detection program described in each embodiment can be described as follows.

[0065] The obstacle region detection method according to the first aspect includes: detecting an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; outputting area information relating to the obstacle area; Includes:

[0066] An obstacle region detection method according to a second aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the first aspect, Detecting the obstacle region includes: determining a small area included in the obstacle area based on the density of the plurality of positioning positions in the small area obtained by dividing the field; Includes:

[0067] An obstacle region detection method according to a third aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the second aspect, Determining the small area included in the obstacle area includes: Dividing the field into the small areas based on the plurality of measured positions. Includes:

[0068] An obstacle region detection method according to a fourth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the third aspect, The dividing into the small regions comprises: In the field, areas obtained by dividing the plurality of positioning positions by Voronoi division are determined as the small areas. Including, The density of the plurality of positioning positions in the small region is expressed using the area of ​​the small region.

[0069] An obstacle region detection method according to a fifth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the third aspect, The dividing into the small regions comprises: In the farm field, areas obtained by dividing the plurality of positioning positions into Delaunay triangulations are determined as the small areas. Including, The density of the plurality of positioning locations in the small region is expressed using the area of ​​the small region.

[0070] An obstacle region detection method according to a sixth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, Detecting the obstacle region includes: Integrating the small areas included in the adjacent obstacle areas into one obstacle area. Includes:

[0071] An obstacle region detection method according to a seventh aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, Determining the small area included in the obstacle area includes: determining a threshold value based on the distribution of areas in the small regions; determining the small area included in the obstacle area based on the threshold value; Includes:

[0072] An obstacle region detection method according to an eighth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, Outputting area information regarding the obstacle area includes: determining an attention area based on the obstacle area; Including, the attention area represents an area in which a worker using a work tool within the attention area should be notified of the presence of the obstacle; The area information includes attention information representing the attention area.

[0073] An obstacle region detection method according to a ninth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the eighth aspect, determining the attention region Including the obstacle region in the attention region; Among the small regions, a first small region adjacent to the obstacle region via a predetermined number or less of the small regions is included in the attention region; Includes:

[0074] An obstacle region detection method according to a tenth aspect is the obstacle region detection method according to the eighth or ninth aspect, Based on the warning information, the worker using the work implement performing work in the field is notified of the presence of the obstacle. Includes:

[0075] An obstacle region detection system according to an eleventh aspect includes: an obstacle area detection unit that detects an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists, based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; an output unit that outputs area information regarding the obstacle area; Equipped with.

[0076] An obstacle area detection program according to a twelfth aspect includes: detecting an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; outputting area information relating to the obstacle area; The calculation device executes the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1, 2: Storage medium 20: Network 30: Work equipment 35: Route 100: Terminal 110: Input / output device 115: Positioning device 120: Arithmetic device 130: Communication equipment 140: Storage device 150: Position acquisition part 160: Caution area determination section 170: Information Department 200: Obstacle area detection device 210: Input / output device 220: Arithmetic device 230:Communication equipment 240: Storage device 250: Data storage unit 260: Obstacle area detection unit 261: Area division part 262: Area determination section 270: Output section 400: Notification Program 410: Field data 420: Obstacle area detection program 500: Field 510: Obstacle 600: Positioning location 610 :Small area 620: Obstacle area 630: First adjacent region 640: Second adjacent region 1000: Obstacle Area Detection System

Claims

1. detecting an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; outputting area information relating to the obstacle area; An obstacle region detection method comprising:

2. Detecting the obstacle region includes: determining a small area included in the obstacle area based on the density of the plurality of positioning positions in the small area obtained by dividing the field; The obstacle region detection method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. Determining the small area included in the obstacle area includes: Dividing the field into the small areas based on the plurality of measured positions. The obstacle region detection method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

4. The dividing into the small regions comprises: In the field, areas obtained by dividing the plurality of positioning positions by Voronoi division are determined as the small areas. Including, The density of the plurality of positioning positions in the small region is expressed using the area of ​​the small region. The obstacle region detection method according to claim 3 .

5. The dividing into the small regions comprises: In the farm field, areas obtained by dividing the plurality of positioning positions into Delaunay triangulations are determined as the small areas. Including, The density of the plurality of positioning positions in the small region is expressed using the area of ​​the small region. The obstacle region detection method according to claim 3 .

6. Detecting the obstacle region includes: Integrating the small areas included in the adjacent obstacle areas into one obstacle area. The obstacle region detection method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

7. Determining the small area included in the obstacle area includes: determining a threshold value based on the distribution of areas in the small regions; determining the small area included in the obstacle area based on the threshold value; The obstacle region detection method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

8. Outputting area information regarding the obstacle area includes: determining an attention area based on the obstacle area; Including, the attention area represents an area in which a worker using a work tool within the attention area should be notified of the presence of the obstacle; The area information includes attention information representing the attention area. The obstacle region detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. Outputting area information regarding the obstacle area includes: determining an attention area based on the obstacle area; Including, the attention area represents an area in which a worker using a work tool within the attention area should be notified of the presence of the obstacle; the region information includes attention information representing the attention region, determining the attention region Including the obstacle region in the attention region; Among the small regions, a first small region adjacent to the obstacle region via a predetermined number or less of the small regions is included in the attention region; The obstacle region detection method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

10. Based on the warning information, the worker using the work implement performing work in the field is notified of the presence of the obstacle. The obstacle region detection method according to claim 8, further comprising:

11. an obstacle area detection unit that detects an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists, based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; an output unit that outputs area information regarding the obstacle area; An obstacle region detection system comprising:

12. detecting an obstacle area in the field where an obstacle exists based on the density of a plurality of measured positions of a work implement performing work in the field; outputting area information relating to the obstacle area; An obstacle area detection program that causes a computing device to execute the above.

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