Field management methods, field management systems, and programs

Abstract

To facilitate displaying geographical information of a farm field in an appropriate mode for a user.SOLUTION: A farm field management method includes acquiring direction information indicating an estimated working direction of a work device that worked in a farm field. The farm field management method further includes: determining display information including information on an instruction to display geographical information of the farm field and information on an instruction to define the working direction indicated by the acquired direction information as a reference direction for displaying the geographical information; and outputting output information including the display information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as agricultural informatization progresses, in order to assist work in the field, information on the field is displayed.

[0003] In relation to this, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting ridges in a field based on the position information of a working device working in the field and managing information on the field including the ridges.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A user who views information on a field may remember the field based on, for example, the direction in which they performed work, which is different from the display on a map with north at the top. However, the technique of Patent Document 1 does not specifically disclose how to display the geographical information of the field. Therefore, when using the conventional technique to display the geographical information of the field, it may be displayed in a manner that does not conform to the user's memory, such as simply displaying the field information with north at the top.The user may experience inconvenience in displaying the geographical information of the field, such as the need to perform an operation to change the display angle to display it in a suitable orientation.

[0006] In view of the above situation, one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to facilitate the display of the geographical information of the field in a manner suitable for the user. Other objectives can be understood from the following description and the explanation of the embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[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] The field management method according to the embodiment includes: acquiring direction information indicating the estimated working direction (D) of a working device (30) that performed work in a field (F); determining display information including information instructing the display of geographic information (M) of the field (F); and information instructing that the working direction (D) indicated by the acquired direction information be used as the reference direction for displaying the geographic information (M); and outputting output information including the display information.

[0009] The field management system according to this embodiment includes: an information acquisition unit (110) that acquires direction information indicating the estimated working direction (D) of a working device (30) that performed work in a field (F); a display determination unit (140) that determines display information including information that instructs to display geographic information (M) of the field (F) and information that instructs to use the working direction (D) indicated by the acquired direction information as the reference direction for displaying the geographic information (M); and an output unit (150) that outputs output information including the display information.

[0010] The program according to the embodiment causes the computer to perform the following actions: acquire direction information indicating the estimated working direction (D) of the work device (30) that performed work in the field (F); determine display information including information instructing the computer to display geographic information (M) of the field (F); and output output information including the display information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily display the geographic information of the field in a manner suitable for the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a field management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a field management device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a field management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by a field management system according to an embodiment of this system. [Figure 6] This is a conceptual diagram showing the initial location of geographic information according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a conceptual diagram showing the first rotation angle of geographic information according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a conceptual diagram showing the second rotation angle of geographic information according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a conceptual diagram showing a display method of geographic information according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (First Embodiment) The field management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the field management system 1 comprises a field management device 10 and a terminal device 20. The field management system 1 manages information on one or more fields F on which the work device 30 performs work. Examples of the work device 30 include agricultural vehicles such as tractors, transplanters, or harvesters. The field management system 1 also displays an image representing the field F. In the example in Figure 1, the image representing the field F is displayed on the display screen S of the input / output device 22 of the terminal device 20. In this embodiment, the image representing the field F is a map image M of the field F.

[0014] In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple ridges R are arranged parallel to each other in a straight line in field F. Users working in field F using the work device 30 often view field F in the direction in which the ridges R extend, as they work in the direction in which the ridges R extend. For such users, it may be easier to intuitively grasp a geographic image displayed with the familiar work direction as the reference direction, rather than using north and south as the reference direction for display (e.g., the up and down direction of the display screen), as is the case with a typical map. Therefore, when the field management system 1 displays an image of field F, it determines the work direction D, which is estimated to be the direction in which the work device 30 moved when performing work, and displays the image with this work direction D as the reference direction for display (e.g., the up and down direction of the display screen). In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "direction" refers to a concept indicated by a certain unit vector, such as north or south. The term "direction" refers to a concept that includes both the direction a unit vector points to and its opposite direction, such as the up-and-down direction or the north-south direction.

[0015] Furthermore, in the work performed in field F, there may be a reference point E, such as the entrance to field F or a space for preparing for work. For example, it is estimated that when a user recalls field F, they are more likely to recall the view from the entrance than from other locations. Therefore, when the field management system 1 displays the geographical information of the field, it displays it in such a manner that the reference point E is placed on the first side (for example, the bottom side) of the display screen.

[0016] Unlike, for example, a normal map with north at the top, the field management system 1 of this embodiment displays the geographical information of the field F so that the working direction D, which is presumed to be the representative direction in which the user actually works with the working device 30, substantially coincides with the reference direction (for example, the vertical direction of the display screen S) of the display screen S. The terminal device 20 of the field management system 1 further displays the map image M so that the working direction D indicated by the direction information substantially coincides with the reference direction of the display screen S (for example, the touch panel or the like included in the input / output device 22 of FIG. 3), and so that the reference position E is located on the lower side of the display screen S. Therefore, the field management system 1 has a high ratio of displaying the geographical information of the field F at an angle along the content that the user remembers about the field F. For this reason, when displaying in an orientation that is easy for the user to recognize using the field management system 1, there is no need for the user to perform an additional operation such as a rotation operation, or the need for such an operation occurs less frequently. That is, the field management system 1 facilitates the display of the geographical information of the field in a manner suitable for the user.

[0017] The configuration of the field management system 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the field management device 10 included in the field management system 1 includes an input / output device 12, an arithmetic device 14, a communication device 16, and a storage device 18. The field management device 10 is, for example, a computer or a server device including a cloud.

[0018] Information for the arithmetic device 14 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 12. Further, the input / output device 12 outputs the result of the processing executed by the arithmetic device 14. The input / output device 12 includes various input devices and output devices, and includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, and the like. The input / output device 12 may be omitted.

[0019] The communication device 16 is connected to the network NT in a communicative manner and communicates with external devices of the field management device 10 (e.g., terminal devices 20, work devices 30, and external servers) via the network NT. The communication device 16 transfers information obtained from one or more terminal devices 20, one or more work devices 30, and external servers to the computing device 14. It also transfers information generated by the computing device 14 to either or both of the work devices 30 and the terminal devices 20. The communication device 16 includes various interfaces such as NIC (Network Interface Card) and USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0020] The storage device 18 stores a program P1, which includes various data and instructions for the field management device 10 of this embodiment to perform the processing described later. The storage device 18 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing this data and instructions. The program P1 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M1. Alternatively, the storage medium M1 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P1. In this case, the program P1 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0021] The arithmetic unit 14 reads from the storage device 18 and executes a program P1 containing instructions and data for performing at least a part of the process of displaying geographic information of field F. For example, the arithmetic unit 14 includes a central processing unit (CPU).

[0022] The arithmetic unit 14 reads and executes program P1 to realize the functional units of the field management device 10 described later (for example, the information acquisition unit 110, direction acquisition unit 120, reference position acquisition unit 130, display determination unit 140, and output unit 150 shown in Figure 4).

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the terminal device 20 included in the field management system 1 comprises an input / output device 22, an arithmetic unit 24, a communication device 26, and a storage device 28. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile device such as a tablet or a smartphone. However, the terminal device 20 may also be a stationary personal computer or a notebook computer.

[0024] The input / output device 22 receives information for the arithmetic unit 24 to perform processing. The input / output device 22 also outputs the results of the processing performed by the arithmetic unit 24. The input / output device 22 includes various input and output devices, such as speakers and touch panels. Furthermore, if the terminal device 20 is a personal computer, the input / output device 22 may include a keyboard, mouse, microphone, display, etc.

[0025] The communication device 26 is connected to the network NT in a communicative manner and communicates with external devices (e.g., the field management device 10 or an external server) of the terminal device 20 via the network NT. The communication device 26 transfers information obtained from the field management device 10 or the external server to the computing device 24. It also transfers information generated by the computing device 24 to either the field management device 10 or the work device 30, or both. The communication device 26 includes various interfaces such as NIC and USB.

[0026] The storage device 28 stores a program P2, which includes various data and instructions for the field management system 1 of this embodiment to perform the processes described later. The storage device 28 is used as a non-temporary storage medium for storing this data and instructions. The program P2 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M2. Alternatively, the storage medium M2 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P2. In this case, the program P2 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0027] The arithmetic unit 24 reads from the storage device 28 and executes a program P2 containing instructions and data for performing at least a part of the process of displaying geographic information of field F. For example, the arithmetic unit 24 includes a central processing unit (CPU), etc.

[0028] The arithmetic unit 24 reads and executes program P2, thereby realizing the functional units of the terminal device 20 described later (for example, the display unit 210 shown in Figure 4).

[0029] The work device 30 shown in Figure 1 is an agricultural machine that performs work in field F. Examples of work devices 30 include tractors that tow various work machines such as harvesters, tillers, and fertilizer spreaders, or vehicles that perform agricultural work in field F, such as transplanters and seeders for planting seedlings or seeds in furrows R. The work device 30 has a positioning device that repeatedly acquires its own position and current time (e.g., date, hour, minute, second, etc.) using a positioning system such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The positioning device in this embodiment may measure the position and time of the work device 30 at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 5 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute). The work device 30 may output operational information, including position information indicating the location and time of work performed in the field, to the field management device 10. Furthermore, the work device 30 may output operational information that includes, along with location information, information indicating whether the work machine it is towing is in an operational or non-operational state at the time the location information was determined, and information indicating its own status, such as engine speed.

[0030] With the physical configuration shown in Figures 2 and 3, the field management device 10 and terminal device 20 realize the functional units shown in Figure 4. For example, the arithmetic unit 14 of the field management device 10 realizes the functions of the information acquisition unit 110, direction acquisition unit 120, reference position acquisition unit 130, display determination unit 140, output unit 150, and information storage unit 160 by executing program P1.

[0031] The information storage unit 160 stores the information acquired or generated by the information acquisition unit 110, the direction acquisition unit 120, the reference position acquisition unit 130, and the display determination unit 140. The information storage unit 160 provides the stored information to the direction acquisition unit 120, the reference position acquisition unit 130, the display determination unit 140, and the output unit 150. For example, the information storage unit 160 stores field information D1, furrow information D2, and operation information D3 in advance before the start of execution of the process shown in Figure 5.

[0032] Field information D1 stores information indicating the geographical characteristics of one or more fields F that are processed by the field management system 1. For example, field information D1 stores latitude and longitude information indicating the geographical extent of field F, associated with a unique identifier for field F. For example, if field F has a polygonal shape, field information D1 includes coordinate information indicating the latitude and longitude of the vertices of the polygon of field F. In this embodiment, field information D1 also includes information on a map image M corresponding to the geographical extent of each field F.

[0033] The furrow information D2 stores information that identifies furrows R formed as line segments in one or more fields F, as shown in Figure 1, for example. For example, for one or more furrows R formed in each field F, the furrow information D2 stores the identifier of the furrow R in association with information indicating the direction in which the furrow R extends.

[0034] Operation information D3 stores multiple pieces of operation information output by the work device 30, including location information indicating the location and time at which the work device 30 performed work in field F.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires at least a portion of the information necessary for processing performed by the field management device 10 (for example, field information D1, furrow information D2, operation information D3, and geographical information of field F) from the information storage unit 160 or external devices (for example, terminal device 20 or work device 30), as will be described later. Alternatively, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires at least a portion of the information necessary for processing described later based on the information acquired from the information storage unit 160 or external devices.

[0036] As will be described later, the direction acquisition unit 120 acquires direction information indicating the work direction D which is estimated to be the direction in which work was performed in field F using the work device 30.

[0037] As will be described later, the reference position acquisition unit 130 acquires reference position information indicating the reference position E for agricultural work in field F.

[0038] The display determination unit 140 determines display information that instructs the display of geographical information (for example, a map image M) of field F, as will be described later.

[0039] The output unit 150 outputs output information, including display information, to an external device (for example, a terminal device 20), as will be described later. Alternatively, the output unit 150 outputs geographic information of field F based on the display information determined by the display determination unit 140, for example, by displaying it using the input / output device 12.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, as an example, the arithmetic unit 24 of the terminal device 20 realizes the functions of the display unit 210 by executing program P2.

[0041] As will be described later, the display unit 210 uses the input / output device 22 to display geographic information of the field F, such as a map image M, in a way that can be identified by the user.

[0042] (Field management system operation) The field management system 1, with the functional configuration described above, executes the process shown in Figure 5 to display the geographical information of field F. For example, when the field management device 10 of the field management system 1 receives user input from an external device (e.g., terminal device 20) instructing it to display the geographical information of field F, it starts the process shown in Figure 5. As an example, when the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 receives user input from the input / output device 22 instructing it to display the geographical information of field F, it outputs information to the field management device 10 indicating that it has received the user input. When the information acquisition unit 110 acquires the user input information, the field management device 10 starts the process shown in Figure 5.

[0043] In the process shown in Figure 5, first, the information acquisition unit 110 of the field management device 10 acquires field information D1 and furrow information D2 for the field F to be processed in step S1002. For example, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires field information D1 and furrow information D2 for the field F to be processed from the information storage unit 160.

[0044] The field information D1 obtained in step S1002 includes information indicating the geographical extent of field F. Since field information D1 defines field F by latitude and longitude, the information of field F shown in field information D1 includes information indicating the cardinal directions (east, west, north, south). In the example in Figure 6, a north-facing reference direction RD is shown to indicate the geographical direction of field F. For example, if the display direction is not adjusted, the field management system 1 displays the geographical information of field F so that the reference direction RD matches the first direction representing the reference direction of the display screen S. In this embodiment, the reference direction of the display screen S is the vertical direction of the display screen S. Also, the first direction of the reference direction of the display screen S is upward on the display screen S. In other words, when the field management system 1 displays without adjusting the display direction, it displays the map image M of the field F so that the reference direction RD matches the upward direction of the display screen S.

[0045] Furthermore, the ridge information D2 includes information indicating the ridges R provided in field F, as shown in Figure 6. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the direction of the ridges R provided in field F, or the working direction D when working along the ridges R, may differ from the reference direction RD.

[0046] Next, in step S1004 of Figure 5, the direction acquisition unit 120 acquires direction information based on the ridge information D2. For example, the direction acquisition unit 120 determines the direction in which one or more ridges R provided in the field F, as indicated by the ridge information D2, extend, as the working direction D of the field F. Then, the direction acquisition unit 120 acquires direction information by generating information indicating the working direction D.

[0047] Next, in step S1006, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires the location information of the work device 30 that operates in field F. For example, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires from the information storage unit 160 the operation information D3 that it stores, which includes the location information that falls within the range of field F to be processed.

[0048] Next, in step S1008, the reference position acquisition unit 130 acquires reference position information based on the location information of the operational information D3. For example, the reference position acquisition unit 130 extracts the location information that was measured at the earliest time from among the location information that is included in the geographical range of field F acquired in step S1006. Then, the reference position acquisition unit 130 determines that the location indicated by the extracted location information is the reference position E and acquires the reference position information.

[0049] Next, in step S1010, the display determination unit 140 determines the display information based on the direction information and the reference position information. The display information includes information that instructs the display of the map image M of the field F, and information that instructs the work direction D indicated by the direction information to be the reference direction for displaying the geographic information. For example, based on the field information D1 and furrow information D2 acquired in step S1002, the display determination unit 140 determines the display information that includes information that instructs the display of the map image M of the field F in such a manner that the work direction D coincides with the reference direction for display. In this embodiment, the vertical direction of the display screen S is used as the reference direction for display.

[0050] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the display determination unit 140 determines a first angle θ1, which is the angle between the reference direction RD and the work direction D, based on the direction information. When the geographic information of the field F and the reference direction RD are rotated by the first angle θ1 on the coordinate plane of the display screen S, the direction in which the y-axis, which is the reference direction of the display, extends coincides with the work direction D.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the display determination unit 140 determines display information that includes information instructing the terminal device 20 to display the map image M of the field F on the side of the first orientation of the reference direction of the display, where the reference position E indicated by the reference position information is located. For example, the side of the first orientation of the reference direction of the display refers to the lower side when the display screen S is divided into two vertically.

[0052] In Figures 8 and 9, the horizontal direction of the display of geographic information for field F is shown on the x-axis, and the vertical direction of the display is shown on the y-axis. In this embodiment, a positive x-axis corresponds to the rightward direction of the display screen S, and a negative x-axis corresponds to the leftward direction of the display screen S. Similarly, a positive y-axis corresponds to the upward direction of the display screen S, and a negative y-axis corresponds to the downward direction of the display screen S.

[0053] For example, in map image M rotated by a first angle θ1 from the state shown in Figure 6, the reference position E is not taken into consideration, so the reference position E may be positioned on the side of the second direction (the top of the screen), which is opposite to the first direction of the reference direction. Generally, a user viewing the display screen S recognizes the side of the display screen S that corresponds to the first direction (for example, the bottom) as their own side. Therefore, the field management system 1 displays the geographic information of field F such that the reference position E for work in field F is located on the side that corresponds to the first direction.

[0054] In step S1008, the display determination unit 140 further determines information indicating a second angle θ2 to rotate the display direction of the map image M by an additional angle θ1. The second angle θ2 indicates the angle at which the map image M is displayed such that the reference position E is positioned on the side of the first reference direction of the display screen S, which is shown on the negative side of the y-axis in Figures 8 and 9. As an example, the display determination unit 140 determines whether the reference position E is located on the side of the first reference direction of the display screen S in the map image M rotated by the first angle θ1 from the initial state shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the display determination unit 140 determines that the reference position E is located on the side of the first reference direction of the display screen S when the reference position is located below the center point C in the map image M. In this case, the display determination unit 140 determines 180° (π in radians) as the second angle θ2, as shown in Figure 8. On the other hand, if the reference position E indicated by the reference position information in the map image M rotated by a first angle θ1 is located below the center point C, then, as shown in Figure 8, the second angle θ2 is set to 0° (0 in radians). The display determination unit 140 may, for example, find the geometric center of the field F and determine the found point as the center point C.

[0055] The display determination unit 140 then determines display information, including information instructing the display to display the geographical information of field F, such that the angle between the reference direction of the display screen S (the y-axis direction in Figures 7 and 8) and the reference bearing RD is the display angle determined by the first angle θ1 + second angle θ2.

[0056] Next, in step S1012 of Figure 5, the output unit 150 outputs output information that indicates a map image M in such a manner that the angle between the reference direction of the display screen S (the y-axis direction in Figures 7 and 8) and the reference direction RD matches the display angle determined in step S1010, as shown in Figure 9. For example, the output information includes display information that indicates the display of the map image M of field F, and information that indicates the working direction D indicated by the direction information should be the up and down direction of the display screen S. In this embodiment, the output information includes information that indicates the map image M of field F itself, which is included in the field information D1.

[0057] In this embodiment, the output unit 150 outputs output information that includes the information of the ridge R indicated by the ridge information D2 acquired in step S1002 of Figure 5, as information indicating the ridge R to be displayed superimposed on the map image M.

[0058] Next, in step S1014 of Figure 5, the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 displays geographical information of field F based on the output information output in step S1012. For example, the display unit 210 displays the map image M of field F included in the output information on the display device (e.g., touch panel) of the input / output device 22. For example, the display unit 210 displays the geographical information of field F to be processed, including the map image M and the information of the furrows R, such that the angle between the reference direction RD of the map image M and the reference direction (vertical direction) of the display screen S is the first angle θ1 + the second angle θ2. In other words, the display unit 210 displays the map image M in a manner in which the vertical direction of the display screen of the input / output device 22 coincides with the working direction D.

[0059] Thus, the field management system 1 of this embodiment displays the geographical information of field F such that the direction D of work performed by the work device 30 in field F is estimated to be approximately the same as the vertical direction when displayed. Therefore, the field management system 1 facilitates the display of the field's geographical information in a manner preferred by the user.

[0060] Furthermore, the field management system 1 displays the geographical information of field F in a manner such that the reference position E is displayed at the bottom of the display screen. In this embodiment, the reference position E is considered to indicate the location of the entrance to field F. For example, a user who has worked in field F will view field F from the reference position E when starting work, so it is highly likely that the view of field F from that reference position E will be the one that remains in their memory. For this reason, the field management system 1 facilitates the display of the field's geographical information in a manner that is convenient for the user.

[0061] (modified version) The configuration described in the embodiment is just one example, and the configuration can be changed as long as it does not impair the functionality.

[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, the direction acquisition unit 120 acquired direction information based on the ridge information D2. However, it is not limited to this, and the direction acquisition unit 120 may also acquire direction information based on the position information when the work device 30 is working in the field F. For example, in step S1002, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires operation information D3 instead of ridge information D2. Then, in step S1004, the direction acquisition unit 120 determines the direction in which the ridge R extends using known ridge detection technology based on the position information of the operation information D3. Then, the direction acquisition unit 120 may acquire direction information by generating information indicating the direction in which the ridge R extends. In this case, if the direction acquisition unit 120 detects multiple ridges R that extend in different directions, it may determine the direction corresponding to the average value (or median value) of the numerical value (for example, angle from the Y axis) indicating the direction in which the ridge R extends as the work direction D.

[0063] Alternatively, the direction acquisition unit 120 may acquire direction information based on the position information of the work device 30 without detecting the furrow R. For example, in step S1002, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires operation information D3 instead of furrow information D2. Then, in step S1004, the direction acquisition unit 120 determines multiple trajectories of the work device 30 in field F by connecting positions that are temporally adjacent in time of measurement among the positions indicated by the position information of the operation information D3. The direction acquisition unit 120 then determines that the work device 30 is performing agricultural work by moving along the same straight line if the change in the direction of the trajectory is below a predetermined threshold (for example, 5° or less). On the other hand, if the change in the direction of the trajectory exceeds a predetermined threshold, it determines that the direction of work has changed from the same straight line (or the work device 30 has simply changed direction). The direction acquisition unit 120 may determine the direction of work D as the average direction (or the median direction) of the trajectory over the longest period during which agricultural work is determined to be performed along the same straight line within the field F. In this case, the field management system 1 can rotate the display direction appropriately to display geographical information of field F, even when no ridges R are formed in field F, such as when field F is a paddy field.

[0064] If the positioning device of the work device 30 has an orientation sensor, the direction acquisition unit 120 may determine the work direction D based on the orientation information indicating the measurement result of the orientation sensor. The orientation sensor detects the direction (or orientation) of the vehicle body when the positioning device measures the position of the work device 30. The direction of the vehicle body of the work device 30 may coincide with the direction of travel of the work device 30 during work. Based on the detection result of the orientation sensor, the work device 30 outputs operation information D3 which includes orientation information indicating the direction (or orientation) of the vehicle body of the work device 30 during work. In step S1002, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires the operation information D3 which includes orientation information. For example, in step S1004, the direction acquisition unit 120 determines that the work device 3 is moving along the same straight line and performing work if the change in the direction of the vehicle body of the work device 30 indicated by the orientation information of the operation information D3 is below a predetermined threshold (for example, 5° or less). On the other hand, if the change in direction exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the direction of movement during work has changed from a straight line (or the work device 30 has simply changed direction). The direction acquisition unit 120 may determine the longest period during which the work device 30 is determined to be performing agricultural work on the same straight line in field F. The direction acquisition unit 120 may then determine the direction (or the median direction) obtained by averaging the directions indicated by the orientation information of the operation information D3 included in the longest period determined as the work direction D.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, in step S1008 of Figure 5, the reference position acquisition unit 130 acquired reference position information indicating the reference position E based on the time of the position information of the work device 30. However, the reference position acquisition unit 130 may determine the reference position E based on the density of positions indicated by the position information of the work device 30 in field F. For example, the reference position acquisition unit 130 may divide the geographical range of field F indicated by the field information D1 acquired in step S1002 into subdivisions having substantially the same area and shape (for example, mesh-like subdivisions), and determine the representative position of the subdivision containing the maximum number of position information of the work device 30 acquired in step S1006 as the reference position E. The representative position of the subdivision may be, for example, the geometric center of the subdivision.

[0066] Alternatively, the reference position acquisition unit 130 may acquire reference position information indicating the reference position E in a manner different from that of the above embodiment. For example, if the field information D1 includes information on a reference position for work, such as the entrance to the field F to be processed, the reference position acquisition unit 130 may acquire the information on the reference position for work as reference position information in step S1008 of Figure 5. Alternatively, the reference position acquisition unit 130 may acquire reference position information based on user input specifying the reference position E. In this case, for example, the reference position acquisition unit 130 outputs information of the map image M before rotation to the terminal device 20 in step S1006, or before starting the process in Figure 5. The display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 then displays the map image M on the touch panel of the input / output device 22, etc., and accepts user input specifying a point on the map image M (for example, a user operation of tapping the location of the entrance, etc.). The display unit 210 then outputs the information of the user input to the field management device 10. The reference position acquisition unit 130 may determine the position of field F indicated by this user input as the reference position E.

[0067] Furthermore, in step S1010, the display determination unit 140 determined rotation information based on direction information and reference position information. However, it is not limited to this, and the display determination unit 140 may determine the angle based on direction information, without relying on reference position information. In this case, the display determination unit 140 determines a first angle θ1 based on direction information in step S1010. The display determination unit 140 may then determine the information indicating the first angle θ1 as the display angle. In this case, in step S1012, the output unit 150 outputs output information including, for example, the map image M in Figure 8. Then, in step S1014, the display unit 210 displays the map image M in Figure 8.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the field management device 10 performed the processing in steps S1002 to S1012, and the terminal device 20 performed the processing in step S1014. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the field management device 10 may perform all the processing in steps S1002 to S1014. In this case, the field management device 10 may have a display unit that has the same function as the display unit 210. For example, in step S1012, the output unit 150 outputs output information to the display unit of the field management device 10. Then, in step S1014, the display unit of the field management device 10 may display geographic information rotated in the same way as the display unit 210.

[0069] Furthermore, the terminal device 20 may execute some or all of the processes in steps S1002 to S1012. For example, the field management device 10 may execute the processes in steps S1002 to S1008 in the same manner as in Figure 5. Then, the terminal device 20 may execute the processes in steps S1010 to S1014. In this case, after the completion of step S1008, the output unit 150 outputs the geographic information of field F, the direction information acquired in step S1004, the reference position information acquired in step S1008, and the furrow information D2 to the terminal device 20. Then, in step S1010, the display determination unit of the terminal device 20 determines the display information based on the received direction information and reference position information, in the same manner as the display determination unit 140 in the above embodiment. Then, in step S1012, the output unit of the terminal device 20 outputs the output information to the display unit 210 or an external device, in the same manner as the output unit 150 in the above embodiment. Then, in step S1014, the display unit 210 may display geographic information rotated in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the output information included a map image M contained in the field information D1 as information instructing the display of the field's geographical information. However, the output unit 150 is not limited to this, and may output output information that does not include the map image M but includes information indicating the geographical extent of field F contained in field information D1 as information instructing the display of the field's geographical information. In this case, the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 may display the map image M stored in the storage device 28 based on the display angle included in the output information. Alternatively, the display unit 210 may obtain the map image M indicating the geographical extent included in the output information from a map service that displays map images using the latitude and longitude information of field F. In this case, the display unit 210 may output orientation specification information to the map service specifying that the reference direction RD coincides with the upward direction of the map.

[0071] Furthermore, the information used by the field management system 1 to display geographic information may differ from that described in the above embodiment. For example, the field information D1 may include information indicating the shape of field F and information indicating the reference direction RD, in addition to coordinate information indicating the latitude and longitude of the vertices of field F.

[0072] (Note) The field management method, field management system, and program described in each embodiment can be described as follows:

[0073] The field management method relating to the first aspect is: To obtain directional information indicating the estimated working direction of the work equipment used in the field, Determining display information that includes information instructing to display the geographic information of the field, and information instructing to use the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information as the reference direction for displaying the geographic information, Outputting output information including the aforementioned display information, Includes.

[0074] The field management method relating to the second aspect is the field management method relating to the first aspect, Acquiring the aforementioned direction information includes determining the direction information based on the direction of the furrows indicated by furrow information representing one or more furrows provided in the field.

[0075] The field management method relating to the third aspect is the field management method relating to the second aspect, The display information further includes information that instructs the display of the one or more furrows formed in the field by superimposing them on the geographic information.

[0076] The field management method relating to the fourth aspect is a field management method relating to any of the first to third aspects, Acquiring the aforementioned direction information includes determining the direction information based on position information indicating the position of the work device working in the field or direction information indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle body of the work device.

[0077] The field management method relating to the fifth aspect is a field management method relating to any of the first to fourth aspects, The reference direction for displaying the geographic information is the vertical direction of the display screen on which the geographic information is displayed.

[0078] The field management method relating to the sixth aspect is a field management method relating to any of the first to fifth aspects, The method further includes obtaining reference position information indicating the reference position for work in the field, The display information further includes information instructing that the geographic information be displayed such that the reference position indicated by the acquired reference position information is located below the display screen on which the geographic information is displayed.

[0079] The field management method relating to the seventh aspect is the field management method relating to the sixth aspect, Acquiring the aforementioned reference position information includes determining the position at the earliest time among a plurality of positions indicating the position of the work device at each time the work was performed in the field, as the reference position.

[0080] The field management method relating to the eighth aspect is the field management method relating to the sixth aspect, Acquiring the aforementioned reference position information includes determining the position with the highest density of positions indicated by multiple position information indicating the position of the work device that performed work in the field as the reference position information.

[0081] The field management system according to the ninth aspect is: A direction acquisition unit that acquires direction information indicating the estimated working direction of a work device used in a field, A display determination unit that determines display information including information that instructs to display geographical information of the field, and information that instructs to use the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information as the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, An output unit that outputs output information including the aforementioned display information, Includes.

[0082] The program relating to the tenth aspect is: On the computer, To obtain directional information indicating the estimated working direction of the work equipment used in the field, Determining display information that includes information instructing to display the geographic information of the field, and information instructing to use the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information as the reference direction for displaying the geographic information, Outputting output information including the aforementioned display information, Make it run. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Field Management System 10 Field Management Equipment 12 Input / Output Devices 14 Arithmetic unit 16. Communication equipment 18 Storage device 110 Information Acquisition Department 120 Direction acquisition part 130 Reference position acquisition section 140 Display determination section 150 Output section 160 Information storage section 20 Terminal devices 22 Input / Output Devices 24 Arithmetic unit 26 Communication equipment 28 Storage device 210 Display section 30 Working equipment Field F R ridge D Working direction E Reference position S display screen M Map Image Microsoft Network P1, P2 Program M1, M2 storage medium D1 Field Information D2 ridge information D3 Operation Information C center point RD reference direction θ1 1st angle θ2 2nd angle

Claims

1. A field management method to be performed in a field management system built on a computer, To obtain directional information indicating the estimated working direction of the work equipment used in the field, Determining display information that includes information instructing the display of geographic information of the field, and information instructing that the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information be used as the reference direction for displaying the geographic information, Outputting output information including the aforementioned display information, Includes, Determining the aforementioned display information is When displaying the aforementioned geographic information, in the initial state without adjusting the display direction, the angle between the reference direction of the geographic information corresponding to the upward direction of the display screen and the working direction indicated by the direction information is determined. As information indicating that the aforementioned working direction should be the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, information is determined that, according to the determined angle, indicates that the geographical information should be displayed in a rotated state from the initial state. including, Field management methods.

2. Acquiring the aforementioned direction information includes determining the aforementioned direction information based on the direction of the furrows indicated by furrow information indicating one or more furrows provided in the field. The field management method according to claim 1.

3. The display information further includes information that instructs the display of the one or more furrows formed in the field by superimposing them on the geographic information. The field management method according to claim 2.

4. The acquisition of the aforementioned direction information includes determining the aforementioned direction information based on position information indicating the position of the work device working in the field or direction information indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle body of the work device. The field management method according to claim 1.

5. The reference direction for displaying the geographic information is the vertical direction of the display screen on which the geographic information is displayed. The field management method according to claim 1.

6. The method further includes obtaining reference position information indicating the reference position for work in the field, The display information further includes information instructing that the geographic information be displayed such that the reference position indicated by the acquired reference position information is located below the display screen on which the geographic information is displayed. The field management method according to claim 1.

7. Acquiring the aforementioned reference position information includes determining the position at the earliest time among a plurality of positions indicating the position of the work device at each time the work was performed in the field, as the reference position. The field management method according to claim 6.

8. The acquisition of the aforementioned reference position information includes determining the position with the highest density of positional information indicating the location of the work device used in the field as the reference position information. The field management method according to claim 6.

9. A direction acquisition unit that acquires direction information indicating the estimated working direction of a work device used in a field, A display determination unit that determines display information including information that instructs to display geographical information of the field, and information that instructs to use the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information as the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, An output unit that outputs output information including the aforementioned display information, Equipped with, The display determination unit, When displaying the aforementioned geographic information, in the initial state without adjusting the display direction, the angle between the reference direction of the geographic information corresponding to the upward direction of the display screen and the working direction indicated by the direction information is determined. As information indicating that the aforementioned working direction should be the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, information is determined that indicates that the geographical information should be displayed in a rotated state from the initial state, according to the determined angle. It is configured in such a way. Field management system.

10. On the computer, To obtain directional information indicating the estimated working direction of the work equipment used in the field, Determining display information that includes information instructing the display of geographical information of the field, and information instructing that the work direction indicated by the acquired direction information be used as the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, Outputting output information including the aforementioned display information, A program to execute, Determining the aforementioned display information is When displaying the aforementioned geographic information, in the initial state without adjusting the display direction, the angle formed by the reference direction of the geographic information corresponding to the upward direction of the display screen and the working direction indicated by the direction information is determined. As information indicating that the aforementioned working direction should be the reference direction for displaying the geographical information, information is determined that indicates that the geographical information should be displayed in a rotated state from the initial state, according to the determined angle. including, program.

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