Field management methods, field management systems, and field management programs

Abstract

To easily acquire an image allowing for checking a state of a farm field.SOLUTION: A farm field management method includes determining a request period in which an image of a farm field 500 is captured by an imaging device 115, based on position information of a vehicle 30 having the imaging device 115 mounted thereon and an area of the farm field 500. In addition, the farm field management method includes outputting a request signal for requesting imaged information in the determined request period out of imaged information captured by the imaging device 115. Determining the request period may include determining a farm field period included in a period from entrance of the vehicle 30 into the area of the farm field 500 to first exit from the area of the farm field 500, as the request period on the basis of the position information and the area of the farm field 500.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0007] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a field management method, a field management system, and a field management program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for cultivation management, research has been conducted on managing information related to fields using information and communication technologies.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for acquiring a captured image at a monitoring position, for example, a position where pests or diseases occur, by a photographing unit attached to a work vehicle. In this technique, when the work vehicle passes through the monitoring position, the imaging unit automatically photographs the crop to be monitored.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the technique of Patent Document 1, only the crop to be monitored is photographed, and an image that allows the overall state of the field to be confirmed cannot be obtained. By recording the overall state of the field, such as the overall work in the field and the growth status of the crops, as an image, users, such as owners and workers, can efficiently perform farm management.

[0006] In view of the above situation, one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to easily obtain an image that allows the state of the field to be confirmed. Other objectives can be understood from the following description and the explanation of the embodiments.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The means for solving the problem are described below using the numbers and symbols used in the embodiments for carrying out the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference to show an example of the correspondence between the claims and the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Therefore, the claims should not be interpreted restrictively because of the parenthetical statements.

[0008] A field management method according to one embodiment for achieving the above objective includes determining a requested period during which the field (500) was imaged by the imaging device (115) based on the position information of a vehicle (30) equipped with an imaging device (115) and the area of ​​the field (500). The field management method also includes outputting a request signal to request imaging information from the imaging information captured by the imaging device (115) for the determined requested period.

[0009] A field management system (1000) according to one embodiment for achieving the above objective comprises a period determination unit (260) and an image information acquisition unit (270). The period determination unit (260) determines the required period for which the field (500) was imaged by the image device (115) based on the position information of the vehicle (30) equipped with the image device (115) and the area of ​​the field (500). The image information acquisition unit (270) outputs a request signal requesting image information from the image information captured by the image device (115) for the determined required period.

[0010] A field management program (410) according to one embodiment for achieving the above objective causes the computing units (220, 320) to determine a required period for which the field (500) was imaged by the imaging device (115), based on the position information of the vehicle (30) equipped with the imaging device (115) and the area of ​​the field (500). The field management program (410) also causes the computing units (220, 320) to output a request signal requesting image information from the image information captured by the imaging device (115) for the determined required period. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above configuration, images that allow for easy confirmation of the field conditions can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a field management system in one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the trajectory of a working device in one embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration of the mounted device in one embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the functional blocks executed by a field management system in one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a field management device in one embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the configuration of a terminal in one embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by a field management system in one embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating the trajectory of a working device in one embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by a field management system in one embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating the field information displayed by a terminal in one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (Embodiment 1) A field management system 1000 according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the field management system 1000 comprises a mounting device 100 mounted on a vehicle 30, a field management device 200, and a terminal 300.

[0014] Vehicle 30 performs work while moving around the field, for example. Vehicle 30 includes, for example, a tractor, a combine harvester, etc.

[0015] The mounted device 100 mounted on the vehicle 30 measures the current position of the vehicle 30 and images the surroundings of the vehicle 30, for example, the front and rear of the vehicle 30. For example, the mounted device 100 is a communication type drive recorder with GPS (Global Positioning System). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounted device 100 acquires the position of the vehicle 30 at each time as the vehicle position 610 along the first track 600 of the vehicle 30. The position information representing the acquired vehicle position 610 is output to the field management device 200.

[0016] The field management device 200 shown in FIG. 1 determines the period during which the mounted device 100 mounted on the vehicle 30 has imaged the field 500 based on the position information of the vehicle 30. The field management device 200 outputs a request signal for requesting the imaging information imaged by the mounted device 100 during the determined period to the mounted device 100. The mounted device 100 outputs the imaging information during the period determined by the field management device 200 based on the request signal.

[0017] The field management device 200 outputs field information representing the imaging information acquired from the mounted device 100 in association with the field 500 to the terminal 300. A user, for example, the owner or operator of the field 500, can check the overall state of the field 500 by checking the field information displayed on the terminal 300. Thereby, the user can easily check the growth status and working status of the crops in the field 500 and can efficiently perform farm management. In this way, the field management system 1000 supports efficient farm management by the user.

[0018] (Configuration of Field Management System) The configuration of the mounted device 100 included in the field management system 1000 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the mounted device 100 includes an input / output device 110, a positioning device 111, an imaging device 115, a computing device 120, a communication device 130, and a storage device 140. The mounted device 100 is, for example, a GPS-equipped communication-type drive recorder. The mounted device 100 may also be a computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc. Information for the computing device 120 to perform processing is input to the input / output device 110. The input / output device 110 also outputs the results of the processing performed by the computing device 120. The input / output device 110 includes various input and output devices, such as buttons, touch panels, microphones, displays, speakers, keyboards, and mice. The input / output device 110 may be omitted.

[0019] The positioning device 111 measures the position of the vehicle 30 on which the aircraft is mounted by measuring the position of the aircraft at each time point. For example, the positioning device 111 measures the position of the vehicle 30 at predetermined time intervals, for example, every 10 seconds. The positioning device 111 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver.

[0020] The imaging device 115 images the area around the vehicle 30, for example, the front and rear of the vehicle 30. For example, the imaging device 115 images the area around the vehicle 30 as a video. Alternatively, the imaging device 115 may image the area around the vehicle 30 as still images at regular intervals, for example, every 0.1 seconds. For example, the imaging device 115 continues to image the area around the vehicle 30 while the vehicle 30 is moving. Alternatively, the imaging device 115 may continue to image the area around the vehicle 30 while the onboard device 100 is running. The imaging device 115 outputs the image information of the area around the vehicle 30 to the processing unit 120. The output image information is stored in the storage device 140 by the processing unit 120.

[0021] The communication device 130 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. For example, the communication device 130 transfers signals acquired from the field management device 200 to the computing device 120. The communication device 130 also transfers signals generated by the computing device 120 to the field management device 200. The communication device 130 includes various interfaces such as transceivers used for wireless communication such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and cellular networks, NIC (Network Interface Card), and USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0022] The storage device 140 stores various data, such as an information output program 400, for outputting position information representing the position of the vehicle 30 and imaging information captured by the imaging device 115 to the field management device 200. The storage device 140 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the information output program 400. The information output program 400 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 1, or as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0023] The arithmetic unit 120 reads and executes the information output program 400 from the storage device 140 and performs various data processing to output position information and imaging information. For example, the arithmetic unit 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU).

[0024] The arithmetic unit 120 reads and executes the information output program 400 to realize the information output unit 150, as shown in Figure 4. The information output unit 150 outputs the position information of the vehicle 30 to the field management device 200. In addition, based on a request from the field management device 200, the information output unit 150 outputs the imaging information for the period during which the imaging device 115 was imaging the field 500 to the field management device 200.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the field management device 200 shown in Figure 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the field management device 200 comprises an input / output device 210, an arithmetic unit 220, a communication device 230, and a storage device 240. The field management device 200 is a computer, including, for example, a cloud server. Information for the arithmetic unit 220 to perform processing is input to the input / output device 210. The input / output device 210 also outputs the results of the processing performed by the arithmetic unit 220. The input / output device 210 includes various input and output devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, display, speaker, and touch panel. The input / output device 210 may be omitted.

[0026] The communication device 230 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. For example, the communication device 230 transfers information acquired from the mounted device 100 to the computing device 220. It also transfers signals generated by the computing device 220 to the terminal 300. The communication device 230 includes various interfaces such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0027] The storage device 240 stores various data, such as a field management program 410, for requesting imaging information during the period when the imaging device 115 mounted on the vehicle 30 was imaging the field 500. The storage device 240 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the field management program 410. The field management program 410 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 2, or as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0028] The computing unit 220 reads and executes the field management program 410 from the storage device 240 and performs various data processing to obtain imaging information for the period during which the field 500 was imaged. For example, the computing unit 220 includes a central processing unit (CPU).

[0029] The computing unit 220 reads and executes the field management program 410, thereby realizing the area determination unit 250, the period determination unit 260, the imaging information acquisition unit 270, and the output unit 280, as shown in Figure 4. The area determination unit 250 determines the area where work was performed by the vehicle 30 as the area of ​​field 500, based on the position information of the vehicle 30. The period determination unit 260 determines the period during which the imaging device 115 was imaging field 500, based on the position information of the vehicle 30 and the area of ​​field 500. The imaging information acquisition unit 270 requests imaging information for the period during which field 500 was imaging from the mounted device 100 and acquires the imaging information from the mounted device 100. The output unit 280 outputs field information, which associates the acquired imaging information with field 500, to the terminal 300.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the terminal 300 shown in Figure 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal 300 comprises an input / output device 310, an arithmetic unit 320, a communication device 330, and a storage device 340. The terminal 300 includes, for example, a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, etc. Information for the arithmetic unit 320 to perform processing is input to the input / output device 310. The input / output device 310 also outputs the results of the processing performed by the arithmetic unit 320. The input / output device 310 includes various input and output devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, display, speaker, touch panel, etc.

[0031] The communication device 330 is electrically connected to the network 20 and communicates with each device via the network 20. For example, the communication device 330 transfers quality information acquired from the field management device 200 to the computing device 220. The communication device 330 includes various interfaces such as transceivers used for wireless communication such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and cellular networks, NIC (Network Interface Card), and USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0032] The storage device 340 stores various data for displaying field information acquired from the field management device 200, such as a display program 420. The storage device 340 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing the display program 420. The display program 420 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium 3, or as a computer program product downloadable from a server.

[0033] The arithmetic unit 320 reads and executes the display program 420 from the storage device 340 and performs various data processing to display field information. For example, the arithmetic unit 320 includes a central processing unit (CPU).

[0034] The arithmetic unit 320 reads and executes the display program 420 to realize the display unit 350, as shown in Figure 4. The display unit 350 works in cooperation with the input / output device 310 to display field information.

[0035] (Field management system operation) The operation of the field management system 1000 will be explained. The worker moves to the field 500 in a vehicle 30, for example, a tractor, in order to perform work in the field 500. For example, the worker starts the engine of the vehicle 30. When the engine of the vehicle 30 is started, the computing unit 120 of the mounted device 100 installed in the vehicle 30 reads and executes the information output program 400. When the information output program 400 is read and executed, the computing unit 120 starts the process shown in Figure 7, which is part of the field management method.

[0036] In step S110, the information output unit 150, implemented by the calculation unit 120, measures the current position of the vehicle 30 and outputs position information representing the measured position to the field management device 200. For example, the information output unit 150 outputs position information to the field management device 200 each time the position of the vehicle 30 is measured, for example every 10 seconds. The information output unit 150 may also output position information to the field management device 200 at predetermined intervals longer than the interval at which the position of the vehicle 30 is measured, for example every minute.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figure 2, the information output unit 150 sequentially outputs position information representing the measured vehicle position 610 to the field management device 200. In the example shown in Figure 2, the vehicle 30 moves along the road and enters the field 500. The first vehicle position 610-1 represents the position measured last just before entering the field 500, for example, before entering. The second vehicle position 610-2 represents the position measured first in the field 500 immediately after the vehicle 30 entered the field 500, for example. During the period when the vehicle 30 is moving and working in the field 500, the positioning device 111 measures multiple vehicle positions 610, for example, the third vehicle position 610-3, the fourth vehicle position 610-4, etc. When the vehicle 30 has finished working in the field 500, it leaves the field 500 and moves along the road. The fifth vehicle position 610-5 represents the position of the vehicle 30 immediately before it leaves the field 500, for example, the last position measured in the field 500. The sixth vehicle position 610-6 represents the position of the vehicle 30 immediately after it leaves the field 500, for example, the first position measured after it leaves the field. The position information representing the measured positions is output to the field management device 200.

[0038] In step S120, the area determination unit 250 of the field management device 200 determines the work area 650 in which the vehicle 30 performed work in the field 500 as the area of ​​the field 500, based on the position information of the vehicle 30. For example, the area determination unit 250 determines the work area 650 in which the vehicle 30 performed work in the field 500, based on the position information of the vehicle 30. For example, the area determination unit 250 first determines the position information of the vehicle 30 that represents the position measured during the period in which the vehicle 30 was performing work. For example, the area determination unit 250 determines the speed of the vehicle 30 at each vehicle position 610 from the position information of the vehicle 30, and determines the vehicle position 610 in which the speed of the vehicle 30 falls within a predetermined range as the position measured during the period in which the vehicle 30 was performing work. The speed of the vehicle 30 at each vehicle position 610 is determined, for example, based on the distance between two adjacent vehicle positions 610 and the interval between the measured times.

[0039] The area determination unit 250 then determines the work area 650 in the field 500 where the vehicle 30 worked, based on the vehicle position 610 measured during the period the vehicle 30 was working. For example, the area determination unit 250 determines the work area 650 as the convex hull corresponding to the vehicle position 610 measured during the period the vehicle 30 was working. Alternatively, the area determination unit 250 may determine the work area 650 as the area obtained by expanding the convex hull by the working width of the vehicle 30. The determined work area 650 is determined as the area of ​​the field 500.

[0040] For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, the region determination unit 250 determines the speed at each vehicle position 610, for example, the first vehicle position 610-1, based on the measured times of two adjacent vehicle positions 610, for example, the first vehicle position 610-1 and the second vehicle position 610-2. For example, based on the determined speed, each vehicle position 610 from the second vehicle position 610-2 to the fifth vehicle position 610-5 is determined as the vehicle position 610 measured during the period when the vehicle 30 was performing work, in the order of the measured times. The region determination unit 250 determines the area obtained by expanding the convex hull for each vehicle position 610 from the second vehicle position 610-2 to the fifth vehicle position 610-5 by the working width of the vehicle 30 as the work area 650. The region determination unit 250 determines the determined work area 650 as the area of ​​the field 500.

[0041] In step S130 shown in Figure 7, the period determination unit 260 determines a requested period, which represents the period for which imaging information is requested, from the period of imaging information captured by the imaging device 115, based on the position information of the vehicle 30 and the area of ​​the field 500. The requested period represents the period during which the imaging device 115 was imaging the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 determines the field period as the requested period, which includes the period from when the vehicle 30 enters the area of ​​the field 500 until it first exits the area of ​​the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 determines any period during which the position of the vehicle 30 is included in the area of ​​the field 500 as the field period. For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the field period as the period from the time the third vehicle position 610-3 was measured to the time the fourth vehicle position 610-4 was measured, as shown in Figure 2, during which the position of the vehicle 30 is included in the area of ​​the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the field period as the period during which the position of the vehicle 30 is continuously included in the area of ​​the field 500 for a predetermined time or longer. For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the field period as a predetermined period that includes the midpoint of the period during which the position of the vehicle 30 is included in the area of ​​the field 500.

[0042] For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the start time of the field period to be a time after the time when the vehicle 30 enters the field area 500, and before the time when it first exits the field area 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the start time of the field period to be the time when the vehicle 30 enters the field area 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 extracts two adjacent vehicle positions 610, for example, a first vehicle position 610-1 and a second vehicle position 610-2, based on the measured times. If, among the two extracted vehicle positions 610, the vehicle position 610 measured first is not included in the field area 500, and the vehicle position 610 measured later is included in the field area 500, the period determination unit 260 may determine the time measured first as the start time. In this case, as shown in the example in Figure 2, the first vehicle position 610-1 is not included in the field 500 area, and the second vehicle position 610-2 is included in the field 500 area. Therefore, the period determination unit 260 determines the time when the first vehicle position 610-1 was measured as the start time.

[0043] Furthermore, if, among the two extracted vehicle positions 610, the vehicle position 610 measured first is not included in the field 500 area, and the vehicle position 610 measured later is included in the field 500 area, the period determination unit 260 may determine the time measured later as the time when the vehicle 30 entered the field 500. In this case, the period determination unit 260 determines the time when the second vehicle position 610-2 was measured as the start time.

[0044] For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the end time of the field period to be a time before the first time the vehicle 30 exits the field area 500, and after the start time. For example, the period determination unit 260 may determine the end time of the field period to be the time the vehicle 30 exits the field area 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 extracts two adjacent vehicle positions 610, for example, the fifth vehicle position 610-5 and the sixth vehicle position 610-6, based on the measured times. If, among the two extracted vehicle positions 610, the vehicle position 610 measured earlier is included in the field area 500, and the vehicle position 610 measured later is not included in the field area 500, the period determination unit 260 may determine the later measured time as the end time. In this case, as shown in the example in Figure 2, the fifth vehicle position 610-5 is included in the field 500 area, and the sixth vehicle position 610-6 is not included in the field 500 area. Therefore, the period determination unit 260 determines the time when the sixth vehicle position 610-6 was measured as the end time.

[0045] Furthermore, if, in the case of two extracted vehicle positions 610, the vehicle position 610 measured first is included in the area of ​​the field 500, and the vehicle position 610 measured later is not included in the area of ​​the field 500, the period determination unit 260 may determine the time measured first as the time when the vehicle 30 left the field 500. In this case, the period determination unit 260 determines the time when the fifth vehicle position 610-5 was measured as the end time.

[0046] In step S140 shown in Figure 7, the imaging information acquisition unit 270 requests imaging information for the determined requested period from the mounted device 100. For example, the imaging information acquisition unit 270 outputs a request signal to the mounted device 100 indicating that it is requesting imaging information for the determined requested period.

[0047] In step S150, the information output unit 150 of the mounted device 100 outputs imaging information for the requested period to the field management device 200 in response to the request signal. Based on the request signal, the information output unit 150 acquires the requested period, which represents the period during which the field 500 was imaged by the imaging device 115. The information output unit 150 outputs the imaging information captured during the acquired requested period to the field management device 200. In the example shown in Figure 2, when the requested period represents the time from when the third vehicle position 610-3 was measured to when the fourth vehicle position 610-4 was measured, the output imaging information represents the information captured by the imaging device 115 around the vehicle 30 during the period when the vehicle 30 moved from the third vehicle position 610-3 to the fourth vehicle position 610-4. Furthermore, when the requested period represents the time from when the second vehicle position 610-2 was measured to when the fifth vehicle position 610-5 was measured, the output imaging information represents the information captured by the imaging device 115 around the vehicle 30 from the time the vehicle 30 entered the field 500 until it exited.

[0048] In step S160 shown in Figure 7, the output unit 280 of the field management device 200 outputs field information to the terminal 300, which associates the imaging information for the requested period with the field 500. For example, the output unit 280 outputs the imaging information for the requested period as information representing the overall state of the field 500. For example, the output unit 280 may also output field information to the terminal 300 in response to a request for information about the field 500 from the terminal 300.

[0049] In step S170, the display unit 350 of the terminal 300 displays the field information acquired from the field management device 200 on the input / output device 310.

[0050] In this way, the field management system 1000 provides the user with imaging information of the field 500 from among the imaging information of the area around the vehicle 30 captured by the imaging device 115, based on the location information of the vehicle 30. By viewing the imaging information of the field 500, the user can check the overall state of the field 500 at the time it was photographed, such as the work situation and the growth status of the crops.

[0051] (Embodiment 2) As shown in the second track 601 in Figure 8, when the vehicle 30 moves along a road beside the field 500 without entering the field 500, the imaging device 115 mounted on the vehicle 30 may capture an image of the entire field 500. For example, when the imaging device 115 captures an image to the side of the vehicle 30, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, it may capture an image of the field 500 when the vehicle 30 moves along a road beside the field 500. For this reason, the field management system 1000 may acquire imaging information captured when the vehicle 30 moves along a road beside the field 500. In this case, the vehicle 30 may include any vehicle that does not enter the field 500, such as a truck or a passenger car.

[0052] (Field management system configuration) The configuration of the field management system 1000 is the same as in Embodiment 1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. However, area information representing the area of ​​field 500 is stored in the storage device 140 in advance. For example, area information may be registered in advance by the user. For example, the input / output device 310 of the terminal 300 may display an image representing a map of the area including field 500, and the user may input an operation to specify the area of ​​field 500 in the displayed image to the input / output device 310. Also, if work has been performed by vehicle 30 in field 500 in the past, the area of ​​field 500 may be determined based on the location information of vehicle 30.

[0053] (Field management system operation) The operation of the field management system 1000 will be explained. For example, a worker starts the engine of vehicle 30 and moves in vehicle 30. When the engine of vehicle 30 is started, the computing unit 120 of the mounted device 100 installed in vehicle 30 reads and executes the information output program 400. Once the information output program 400 is read and executed, the computing unit 120 starts the process shown in Figure 9, which is part of the field management method.

[0054] In step S110, similar to the first embodiment, the information output unit 150, implemented by the calculation unit 120, measures the current position of the vehicle 30 and outputs position information representing the measured position to the field management device 200.

[0055] In step S130B, the period determination unit 260 of the field management device 200 determines a requested period from the period of imaging information captured by the imaging device 115, based on the location information of the vehicle 30 and the area of ​​the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 determines the period during which the vehicle 30 is moving along the road along the field 500 as the requested period, based on the location information of the vehicle 30 and the area of ​​the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 first extracts vehicle locations 610 from the location information of the vehicle 30 that are not included in the area of ​​the field 500. For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, the period determination unit 260 extracts vehicle locations 610 that are not included in the area of ​​the field 500, for example, each vehicle location 610. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2, the period determination unit 260 extracts vehicle positions 610 measured before the time when the first vehicle position 610-1 was measured, and vehicle positions 610 measured after the time when the sixth vehicle position 610-6 was measured.

[0056] The period determination unit 260 then determines the distance 620 from the extracted vehicle position 610 to the area of ​​the field 500, as shown in Figure 8. The distance 620 represents, for example, the smallest distance from the vehicle position 610 to any point within the field 500. For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, the distance from the seventh vehicle position 610-7 to the area of ​​the field 500 represents the first distance 620-1. Also, the distance from the eighth vehicle position 610-8 to the area of ​​the field 500 represents the second distance 620-2.

[0057] Next, the period determination unit 260 determines the period during which the vehicle 30 is traveling along the roads surrounding the field 500 as the required period, based on the distance 620 from the vehicle position 610 to the area of ​​the field 500. For example, the period determination unit 260 determines the period during which the vehicle 30 is traveling along the roads surrounding the field 500 as a period during which the distance 620 is continuously less than or equal to the distance threshold for a period threshold or longer. The distance threshold represents an arbitrary value and is determined, for example, according to the width of the road adjacent to the field 500. Alternatively, the distance threshold may represent an arbitrary fixed value and be determined according to the width of roads nationwide, for example, a single-lane road. The period threshold represents an arbitrary value and is determined according to the size of the area of ​​the field 500, for example, the length of one side. Alternatively, the period threshold may represent an arbitrary fixed value.

[0058] In the example shown in Figure 8, the first distance 620-1 from the seventh vehicle position 610-7 to the field 500 is greater than the distance threshold, and the second distance 620-2 from the eighth vehicle position 610-8 to the field 500 is less than or equal to the distance threshold. Also, the distance 620 from the ninth vehicle position 610-9 to the field 500 is less than or equal to the distance threshold, and the distance 620 from the tenth vehicle position 610-10 to the field 500 is greater than the distance threshold. In this case, the period determination unit 260 determines the period from the time the eighth vehicle position 610-8 was measured to the time the ninth vehicle position 610-9 was measured as the period measured while the vehicle 30 was moving along the road along the field 500.

[0059] The period determination unit 260 may request the mounted device 100 to capture images of the vehicle 30 from the surrounding area captured by the imaging device 115, specifically in the direction of the image, for example, to the right or left of the vehicle 30. For example, when the field 500 is to the right of the direction of travel of the vehicle 30, the period determination unit 260 requests the mounted device 100 to capture images of the direction to the right of the vehicle 30 during the requested period. Also, when the field 500 is to the left of the direction of travel of the vehicle 30, the period determination unit 260 requests the mounted device 100 to capture images of the direction to the left of the vehicle 30 during the requested period.

[0060] In step S140 shown in Figure 9, similar to Embodiment 1, the imaging information acquisition unit 270 requests imaging information for the determined requested period from the mounted device 100. The processing from step S140 to step S170 is the same as in Embodiment 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0061] In this way, the field management system 1000 provides the user with image information of the field 500 captured by the vehicle 30 moving along a road along the field 500, based on the location information of the vehicle 30. Similar to Embodiment 1, by viewing the image information of the field 500, the user can check the overall state of the field 500 at the time the image was taken, such as the work situation and the growth status of the crops.

[0062] In step S170, the display unit 350 of the terminal 300 may display an image including a map display area 710 that shows the travel route 711 taken by the vehicle 30 on a map, and a field information display area 720 that shows field information, as shown in Figure 10. For example, the map display area 710 may represent, for example, the travel route 711 and the fields 500. Characters that identify each field 500, such as the field name, may also be displayed in the map display area 710. For example, in the example shown in Figure 10, "F1" is displayed as the field name of the first field 500-1, "F2" is displayed as the field name of the second field 500-2, and "F3" is displayed as the field name of the third field 500-3. Furthermore, the movement path 711 indicates that the vehicle 30 moved sequentially along the road along the first movement path 711-1, the second movement path 711-2, the third movement path 711-3, and the fourth movement path 711-4, and then moved along the fifth movement path 711-5 within the third field 500-3.

[0063] The field information display area 720 displays, for example, a field name 721, a category 722, and an image 723 in association. The field name 721 represents characters that identify each field 500. The category 722 represents the state of the vehicle 30 when the imaging information was captured by the imaging device 115. For example, "driving" indicates that the image was taken when the vehicle 30 was moving along a road beside the field 500. "working" indicates that the image was taken when the vehicle 30 was performing work in the field 500. The image 723 represents a thumbnail image of the corresponding imaging information. For example, when the user selects an image 723, the display unit 350 displays the corresponding imaging information, such as a video or still image.

[0064] For example, image 723 where field name 721 is "F1" and category 722 is "driving" represents the state of the first field 500-1 when vehicle 30 is moving along the road along the first field 500-1, whose field name 721 is "F1", for example, when moving along the second travel route 711-2. Image 723 where field name 721 is "F2" and category 722 is "driving" represents the state of the second field 500-2 when vehicle 30 is moving along the road along the second field 500-2, whose field name 721 is "F2", for example, when moving along the third travel route 711-3. Image 723 where field name 721 is "F3" and category 722 is "driving" represents the state of the third field 500-3 when vehicle 30 is moving along the road next to the third field 500-3, for example, when moving along the fourth movement route 711-4. Image 723 where field name 721 is "F3" and category 722 is "work" represents the state of the third field 500-3 when vehicle 30 is moving within the third field 500-3, for example, when moving along the fifth movement route 711-5.

[0065] Thus, the field information may be represented by associating the image information with the travel route 711 taken by the vehicle 30 and the corresponding field 500.

[0066] (modified version) The configuration described in the embodiment is just one example, and the configuration can be changed as long as it does not impede the function. For example, the field management device 200 may, in both Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, pre-store area information representing the area of ​​field 500. In this case, the field management device 200 may omit the process of step S120 shown in Figure 7 and execute the process of step S130 using the area of ​​field 500 that was pre-stored.

[0067] Furthermore, in step S120 shown in Figure 7, the area determination unit 250 of the field management device 200 may determine the work area 650 in any way based on the position information of the vehicle 30. For example, the area determination unit 250 may determine the work area 650 as the concave area of ​​the vehicle position 610 represented in the position information of the vehicle 30.

[0068] Furthermore, the display unit 350 of the terminal 300 may display any information related to the imaging information in the field information display area 720 shown in Figure 10. For example, the display unit 350 may display the date and time when the imaging information was captured in the field information display area 720.

[0069] The embodiments and modifications described above are examples, and the configurations described in each embodiment and modification may be arbitrarily changed and / or combined as long as they do not impede the function. Furthermore, some of the functions described in the embodiments and modifications may be omitted if the necessary functions can be realized. For example, the processing of terminal 300 may be performed by the field management device 200. Alternatively, the processing of field management device 200 may be performed by terminal 300. Alternatively, the processing of terminal 300 may be performed by the mounted device 100. The field management program 410 may include either the information output program 400 or the display program 420, or both.

[0070] The process in step S120 shown in Figure 7 and the process in step S130B shown in Figure 9 may be started when a predetermined time is reached. For example, the process in step S110 shown in Figures 7 and 9 is performed each time the positioning device 111 of the mounted device 100 measures the position of the vehicle 30, and the processes in step S120 and step S130B may be started daily when a predetermined time is reached.

[0071] Furthermore, the terminal 300 does not necessarily have to be included in the field management system 1000. For example, the output unit 280 of the field management device 200 may output field information to an external terminal and display the field information on the external terminal.

[0072] Furthermore, the mounted device 100 does not necessarily have to be included in the field management system 1000. For example, the field management device 200 may acquire location information of the vehicle 30 from an external device. Also, the field management device 200 may request imaging information for a requested period from an external device.

[0073] (Note) The field management method, field management system, and field management program described in each embodiment can be described as follows:

[0074] The field management method relating to the first aspect is: Based on the location information of the vehicle equipped with the imaging device and the area of ​​the field, the required period for which the field was imaged by the imaging device is determined. The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, Includes.

[0075] The field management method relating to the second aspect is the field management method relating to the first aspect, Determining the aforementioned required period is Based on the location information and the field area, the field period included in the time from when the vehicle enters the field area until it first exits the field area is determined as the requested period. Includes.

[0076] The field management method relating to the third aspect is the field management method relating to the second aspect, Determining the aforementioned field period is The time at which the vehicle enters the field area is determined as the start time of the field period, The end time of the field period is determined to be a time before the first time the vehicle exits the field area, and after the start time. Includes.

[0077] The field management method relating to the fourth aspect is a field management method relating to the third aspect, Determining the aforementioned start time means In the case of two adjacent first and second vehicle positions represented in the location information, where the first vehicle position measured earlier is not included in the field area, and the second vehicle position measured later is included in the field area, the time at which the first vehicle position was measured is determined to be the start time of the field period. Includes.

[0078] The field management method relating to the fifth aspect is a field management method relating to the third or fourth aspect, Determining the aforementioned end time means Of the vehicle positions represented in the position information, if two third and fourth vehicle positions are measured after the start time and the measured times are adjacent, and the first measured third vehicle position is included in the field area, and the second measured fourth vehicle position is not included in the field area, then the time at which the fourth vehicle position was measured is determined as the end time of the field period. Includes.

[0079] The field management method relating to the sixth aspect is a field management method relating to any one of the first to fifth aspects, Based on the location information of the vehicle, the area of ​​the field is determined. Includes.

[0080] The field management method relating to the seventh aspect is the field management method relating to the first aspect, Determining the aforementioned required period is The requested period is determined to be a period during which the vehicle position represented in the location information is not included in the field area, and the distance from the field area is less than or equal to the distance threshold for a period threshold or longer. Includes.

[0081] The field management method relating to the eighth aspect is a field management method relating to any one of the first to seventh aspects, The aforementioned imaging information includes information captured from the side of the vehicle.

[0082] The field management system according to the ninth aspect is: A period determination unit that determines the required period for which the field was imaged by the imaging device, based on the position information of the vehicle equipped with the imaging device and the area of ​​the field, An imaging information acquisition unit outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined request period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, It is equipped with the following.

[0083] The field management program relating to the tenth aspect is: Based on the location information of the vehicle equipped with the imaging device and the area of ​​the field, the required period for which the field was imaged by the imaging device is determined. The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, The arithmetic unit is made to execute it. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 1, 2, 3: Storage medium 20: Network 30: Vehicles 100: Onboard equipment 110: Input / Output Device 111: Positioning device 115: Imaging device 120: Arithmetic device 130: Communication device 140: Storage device 150: Information output unit 200: Field management equipment 210: Input / Output Devices 220: Arithmetic device 230: Communication equipment 240: Storage device 250: Area determination section 260: Period Determination Section 270: Imaging information acquisition unit 280: Output section 300: Terminal 310: Input / Output Device 320: Arithmetic device 330: Communication device 340 :Storage device 350:Display section 400: Information output program 410: Field Management Program 420: Display Program 500: Field 600: 1st orbit 601:Second orbit 610: Vehicle position 620: distance 650 :Work area 710: Map display area 711: Travel Route 720: Field information display area 721: Field name 722: Category 723: Image 1000: Field Management System

Claims

1. With respect to the vehicle position represented in the position information of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device, the required period is determined to be a period during which the vehicle position is not included in the field area and the distance from the field area is less than or equal to a distance threshold for a period threshold or longer, The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management method that includes [the following].

2. Based on position information that represents the position of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device at each time in relation to each of those times, the area that includes all the positions represented in the position information when the vehicle is performing work is determined as the area of ​​the field, Based on the location information and the field area, the required field period is determined to be the period from when the vehicle enters the field area until it first exits the field area. The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management method that includes [the following].

3. Determining the aforementioned field period is The time at which the vehicle enters the field area is determined as the start time of the field period, The end time of the field period is determined to be a time before the first time the vehicle exits the field area, and after the start time. A field management method according to claim 2, including the following:

4. Determining the aforementioned start time means In the case where, among the vehicle positions represented in the aforementioned location information, when the location information is arranged in the order of the time it was measured, the first vehicle position measured earlier is not included in the field area, and the second vehicle position measured later is included in the field area, the time at which the first vehicle position was measured is determined to be the start time of the field period. A field management method according to claim 3, including the following:

5. Determining the aforementioned end time means Of the vehicle positions represented in the aforementioned position information, if the third and fourth vehicle positions, which are measured after the start time and whose order is adjacent when the position information is arranged in the order of the time of measurement, are represented in two pieces of the aforementioned position information, and the third vehicle position, which was measured first, is included in the field area, and the fourth vehicle position, which was measured later, is not included in the field area, then the time at which the fourth vehicle position was measured is determined as the end time of the field period. A field management method according to claim 3, including the following:

6. The aforementioned imaging information includes information captured from the side of the vehicle. The field management method according to claim 1.

7. A period determination unit determines a period as the required period for the vehicle position represented in the position information of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device, during which the vehicle position is not included in the field area and the distance from the field area is less than or equal to a distance threshold for a period threshold or longer; An imaging information acquisition unit outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined request period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management system equipped with the following features.

8. A region determination unit that determines a region as a field region based on position information that represents the position of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device at each time in relation to each of those time periods, and that includes all the positions represented in the position information when the vehicle is performing work, A period determination unit determines the required field period as the period included from when the vehicle enters the field area until it first exits the field area, based on the location information and the field area. An imaging information acquisition unit outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined request period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management system equipped with the following features.

9. The required period is determined to be a period during which the vehicle position, as represented in the position information of the vehicle equipped with the imaging device, is not included in the field area and the distance from the field area is less than or equal to the distance threshold for a period threshold or longer. The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management program that instructs a computing device to execute a calculation.

10. Based on position information that represents the position of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device at each time in relation to each of those time points, the area that includes all the positions represented in the position information when the vehicle is performing work is determined as the area of ​​the field, Based on the location information and the field area, the required field period is determined to be the period from when the vehicle enters the field area until it first exits the field area. The system outputs a request signal requesting imaging information for the determined requested period from the imaging information captured by the imaging device, A field management program that instructs a computing device to execute a calculation.

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