Computer program, information processing method, and system

Abstract

Provided is a computer program, an information processing method, and a system, whereby work in a plurality of farming fields can be efficiently carried out.　This computer program, information processing method, and system acquire farming field information pertaining to a plurality of farming fields and machine information pertaining to a plurality of work machines (10, 10a-10c), and determine, on the basis of the acquired farming field information and machine information, the allocation of the work machines (10, 10a-10c) to the farming fields. Preferably, if an abnormality has occurred in one of the work machines or if a delay has occurred in the work of one of the work machines, the allocation of the work machines to the farming fields is recalculated.

Description

Computer program, information processing method and system

[0001] The present technology relates to a computer program, an information processing method, and a system for assigning work machines (e.g., agricultural work machines) to fields.

[0002] A system has been proposed that allocates vehicles to transport harvested products to destinations to harvesters deployed in fields (see Patent Document 1). This system allows for efficient harvesting and transportation.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-33407

[0004] D1 does not disclose operation in multiple fields.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a computer program, an information processing method, and a system that enable work to be carried out efficiently in multiple farm fields.

[0006] A computer program according to one embodiment of the present invention acquires field information relating to a plurality of fields and machine information relating to a plurality of work machines, and causes a computer to execute a process of determining the allocation of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information.

[0007] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention acquires field information relating to a plurality of fields and machine information relating to a plurality of work machines, and determines the allocation of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information.

[0008] A system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit, which acquires field information relating to a plurality of fields and machine information relating to a plurality of work machines, and which determines the allocation of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information, and a terminal which receives information indicating the allocation of the work machines to the fields determined by the information processing unit.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of recalculating the allocation of the work machines to the field if an abnormality occurs in the work machine or if a delay occurs in the work of the work machine.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of using the allocation determined before recalculation during recalculation of the allocation to the field.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may acquire the location of each work machine and a road map showing the roads surrounding the field, and cause the computer to execute a process of determining a travel route between each work machine and the field based on the field information related to the field to which each work machine is assigned, the location, the road map, and the machine information.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause a computer to perform a process of deriving a plurality of candidate driving routes based on the field information, the location, the road map, and the machine information, deriving an index value for each candidate driving route based on the driving distance of the work machine or the working time of the work machine, and determining the candidate driving route as the driving route based on the index value.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause a computer to execute a process of generating image data including first image data that displays the determined travel route of each of the work machines and second image data that is positioned on the travel route and displays the field or parking area, and outputting the generated image data to a terminal.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to acquire the position of each work machine, generate third image data displaying each work machine on the travel route based on the acquired position of each work machine, and output the generated third image data to the terminal.

[0015] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of assigning the work implement to the field or recalculating the travel route when an abnormality occurs in the travel route.

[0016] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process that uses the allocation or the travel route determined before recalculation of the allocation of the work implement to the field or the travel route during recalculation.

[0017] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process in which, when the work machine arrives at the field according to the travel route, an instruction is output to the work machine to work in the field according to a predetermined work route.

[0018] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of setting any point in the field as an arrival point of the work implement.

[0019] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of associating the travel path with the work path and outputting an instruction to the work machine to move from the travel path to the work path or move from the work path to the travel path.

[0020] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer program may cause the computer to execute a process of increasing a work speed of the work machine when a delay occurs in the work of the work machine.

[0021] In one aspect of the present invention, the information processing method may include each process of the computer program. Also, in one aspect of the present invention, the information processing device provided in the system may configure the computer that executes each process of the computer program.

[0022] In the computer program, information processing method, and system according to one embodiment of the present invention, work can be carried out efficiently in multiple fields by allocating to each field a work implement suited to the characteristics of that field.

[0023] 1 is a block diagram of an agricultural support system. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a work machine. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a work vehicle and work equipment. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that performs positioning using RTK-GNSS. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that automatically travels along a target route within a field. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram of a first road map stored in the auxiliary storage device of the server. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an input table stored in the auxiliary storage device of the server. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram explaining potential travel routes. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram explaining potential travel routes. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the travel routes of each of a plurality of work machines. FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an output table stored in the auxiliary storage device of the server. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a second road map. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram explaining the association between the second road map and travel routes. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing each work machine and each travel route displayed on the display device of the terminal. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing each work machine in motion displayed on the display device of the terminal. FIG. 15 is a flowchart explaining allocation processing and travel route determination processing by the server. FIG. 16 is a flowchart explaining automatic driving processing in the work machine. FIG. 17 is a flowchart explaining speed change processing by the server. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the allocation of each work machine to each work field and the recalculation of the travel route of each work machine by the server.

[0024] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing an agricultural support system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the agricultural support system. The agricultural support system includes a server 500 and a terminal 400. The server 500, a plurality of working machines 10, and a terminal device (hereinafter simply referred to as "terminal") 400 can communicate with each other via a network 40. The network 40 includes a wireless network or a wired network.

[0025] The server 500 includes a control device 501, a main memory device 502, an auxiliary memory device 503, and a communication device 504. The control device 501 includes, for example, a processor or a logic circuit. The processor includes, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or a GPU. The logic circuit includes, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The main memory device 502 includes, for example, a RAM. The auxiliary memory device 503 includes a rewritable memory device, for example, an EEPROM, a flash ROM, or a hard disk. The communication device 504 is an interface connected to the network 40.

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 503 stores the control program. The main storage device 502 reads the control program from the auxiliary storage device 503 into the main storage device 502 and executes it. The main storage device 502 stores data generated by the execution of the control program in the auxiliary storage device 503. The main storage device 502 transmits data to the work machine 10 or the terminal 400 via the communication device 504 as necessary. The main storage device 502 receives data from the work machine 10 or the terminal 400 via the communication device 504. The control program is stored in a storage medium 510, such as an optical disk, flash memory, or hard disk, and may be downloaded from the storage medium 510 to the auxiliary storage device 503. It may also be downloaded to the auxiliary storage device 503 from an external server via the network 40. Processing by the control program, for example, the allocation processing and driving route determination processing described below, may be realized by the server 500 or the terminal 400, or may be realized by distributed processing by the server 500 and a device other than the server 500 (for example, the terminal 400, the control system 160 of the work machine 10 described below (see Figure 3), or an external server), or may be realized by a quantum computer.

[0027] The auxiliary storage device 503 stores in advance a road map (hereinafter referred to as a first road map) showing roads around the field. The first road map will be described in detail later.

[0028] The terminal 400 may be a portable information processing device (computer) such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, or remote controller (remote control), or may be a stationary information processing device such as a desktop personal computer (PC). As will be described later, the terminal 400 may also have the functions of the detachable operation terminal 200 (see FIG. 3). The terminal 400 may be used in a field where the agricultural machine performs farm work, or may be used in a location away from the field where the agricultural machine performs farm work.

[0029] The terminal 400 includes a control device 460, a main memory device 451, an auxiliary memory device 452, a communication device 490, an input device 420, and a display device 430. The hardware configurations of the control device 460, the main memory device 451, the auxiliary memory device 452, and the communication device 490 are similar to those of the control device 501, the main memory device 502, the auxiliary memory device 503, and the communication device 504 of the server 500. The input device 420 is a device that accepts input operations from a user and includes, for example, one or more buttons or switches, or a keyboard. The display device 430 may be, for example, a liquid crystal or OLED display. The input device 420 and the display device 430 may be realized by a touch screen.

[0030] The work implement 10 in this embodiment is a machine used for agricultural purposes (agricultural machine), and includes, for example, a tractor, a harvester (combine), a rice transplanter, a riding cultivator, a vegetable transplanter, a mower, a seed sower, a fertilizer applicator, and an agricultural mobile robot. Not only can a work vehicle such as a tractor function as an agricultural machine on its own, but the work vehicle and an implement attached to or towed by the work vehicle can also function as a single agricultural machine. Agricultural machines perform agricultural work on the ground in a field, such as tilling, sowing, pest control, fertilizing, planting crops, or harvesting. These agricultural works are sometimes referred to as "ground work" or simply "work." Traveling while a vehicle-type agricultural machine performs agricultural work is sometimes referred to as "work travel."

[0031] 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a work machine 10. The work machine 10 includes, for example, a work vehicle 100 and a work device 300 (implement) coupled to the work vehicle 100. The work vehicle 100 in this embodiment has the functionality of both a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode. In the autonomous driving mode, the work vehicle 100 can travel unmanned.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, work vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 101, a prime mover (engine) 102, and a transmission 103. Vehicle body 101 is provided with tires 104 (wheels) and a cabin 105. Tires 104 include a pair of front wheels 104F and a pair of rear wheels 104R. Inside cabin 105, a driver's seat 107, a steering device 106, an operation terminal 200, and a group of switches for operation are provided. One or both of front wheels 104F and rear wheels 104R may be crawlers instead of tires.

[0033] The work vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 2 further includes multiple cameras 120. The cameras 120 may be installed, for example, on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the work vehicle 100. The cameras 120 capture images of the environment around the work vehicle 100 and generate image data. The images acquired by the cameras 120 may be transmitted, for example, to a monitoring computer (also referred to as a "monitoring terminal") for remote monitoring. The images may be used, for example, to monitor the work vehicle 100 during unmanned operation. The cameras 120 are installed as needed, and may be omitted if not required.

[0034] The work vehicle 100 further includes a positioning device 110. The positioning device 110 includes a GNSS receiver. The GNSS receiver includes an antenna that receives signals from GNSS satellites and a processing circuit that determines the position of the work vehicle 100 based on the signals received by the antenna. The positioning device 110 receives GNSS signals transmitted from the GNSS satellites and performs positioning based on the GNSS signals. GNSS is a general term for satellite positioning systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, e.g., Michibiki), GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. In this embodiment, the positioning device 110 is provided on top of the cabin 105, but it may be provided in another location.

[0035] The positioning device 110 may include other types of devices, such as a LiDAR sensor, instead of or in addition to a GNSS receiver. The positioning device 110 may use data acquired by the camera 120 for positioning. If there are features that function as characteristic points in the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels, the position of the work vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy based on the data acquired by the LiDAR sensor or camera 120 and an environmental map previously recorded in a storage device. The LiDAR sensor or camera 120 may be used in conjunction with a GNSS receiver. The position of the work vehicle 100 can be determined with higher accuracy by correcting or complementing position data based on GNSS signals using the data acquired by the LiDAR sensor or camera 120. The positioning device 110 can further complement the position data using signals from an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU can measure the tilt and minute movements of the work vehicle 100. The data acquired by the IMU can be used to complement position data based on GNSS signals, thereby improving positioning performance.

[0036] Work vehicle 100 further includes multiple obstacle sensors 130. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , obstacle sensors 130 are provided in front and rear of cabin 105. Obstacle sensors 130 may also be arranged in other locations. For example, one or more obstacle sensors 130 may be provided at any position on the side, front, or rear of vehicle body 101. Obstacle sensors 130 are used to detect surrounding obstacles during autonomous driving and to stop or detour around them.

[0037] The prime mover 102 may be, for example, a diesel engine. An electric motor may be used instead of a diesel engine. The transmission 103 can change the propulsive force and travel speed of the work vehicle 100 by changing gears. The transmission 103 can also switch the work vehicle 100 between forward and reverse travel.

[0038] The steering device 106 includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, and a power steering device that assists steering by the steering wheel. The front wheels 104F are steerable wheels, and the traveling direction of the work vehicle 100 can be changed by changing the turning angle (also referred to as the "steering angle"). The steering angle of the front wheels 104F can be changed by operating the steering wheel. The power steering device includes a hydraulic device or an electric motor that supplies an assisting force for changing the steering angle of the front wheels 104F. When automatic steering is performed, the steering angle is automatically adjusted by the force of the hydraulic device or electric motor under control of a control device arranged in the work vehicle 100.

[0039] A coupling device 108 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 101. The coupling device 108 includes, for example, a three-point support device (also referred to as a "three-point link" or "three-point hitch"), a PTO (Power Take Off) shaft, a universal joint, and a communication cable. The coupling device 108 allows the working device 300 to be attached to and detached from the work vehicle 100. The coupling device 108 can raise and lower the three-point link using, for example, a hydraulic device, thereby changing the position or attitude of the working device 300. Power can also be sent from the work vehicle 100 to the working device 300 via the universal joint. The work vehicle 100 can tow the working device 300 and cause the working device 300 to perform a predetermined task. The coupling device may be provided at the front of the vehicle body 101. In this case, a working implement can be connected to the front of the work vehicle 100.

[0040] 2 is a rotary tiller, but the work implement 300 is not limited to a rotary tiller. For example, any work implement such as a seeder (seed sowing machine), a spreader (fertilizer applicator), a transplanter, a mower (grass cutting machine), a rake implement, a baler (grass collector), a harvester (harvesting machine), a sprayer, or a harrow can be connected to the work vehicle 100 and used.

[0041] 2 is capable of being driven by a driver, but may also be capable of being driven only unmanned. In that case, components required only for driven operation, such as the cabin 105, steering device 106, and driver's seat 107, may not be provided in the work vehicle 100. The unmanned work vehicle 100 can travel autonomously or by remote control by a user.

[0042] 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the work vehicle 100 and the work device 300. The work vehicle 100 and the work device 300 can communicate with each other via a communication cable included in the coupling device 108. The work vehicle 100 and the call terminal 400 can communicate with each other via wireless communication.

[0043] In the example of FIG. 3 , the work vehicle 100 includes a positioning device 110, a camera 120, an obstacle sensor 130, and an operation terminal 200, as well as a drive unit 140, a group of sensors 150 that detect the operating state of the work vehicle 100, a control system 160, a communication device 190, and a group of operation switches 210. The positioning device 110 includes a GNSS receiver 111, an RTK receiver 112, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 115. The group of sensors 150 includes a steering wheel sensor 152, a turning angle sensor 154, and an axle sensor 156. The control system 160 includes a storage device 170 and a control device 180. The control device 180 includes multiple electronic control units (ECUs) 181 to 185. The work device 300 includes a drive unit 340, a control device 380, and a communication device 390. Note that FIG. 3 shows components that are relatively highly relevant to the operation of the automatic driving of the work vehicle 100, and does not show other components.

[0044] The positioning device 110 shown in FIG. 3 performs positioning of the work vehicle 100 using RTK (Real Time Kinematic)-GNSS. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a work vehicle 100 performing positioning using RTK-GNSS. Positioning using RTK-GNSS uses GNSS signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites 50 as well as correction signals transmitted from a reference station 60. The reference station 60 may be installed near the field in which the work vehicle 100 travels (for example, within 1 km of the work vehicle 100). The reference station 60 generates correction signals, for example in RTCM format, based on the GNSS signals received from the multiple GNSS satellites 50 and transmits them to the positioning device 110. A GNSS receiver 111 in the positioning device 110 receives the GNSS signals transmitted from the multiple GNSS satellites 50. The RTK receiver 112 includes an antenna and a modem, and receives correction signals transmitted from the reference station 60. The positioning device 110 may be equipped with a processor that performs positioning by calculating the position of the work vehicle 100 based on the GNSS signals and correction signals. By using RTK-GNSS, it is possible to perform positioning with an accuracy of, for example, a few centimeters. Position information including latitude, longitude, and altitude information is obtained through high-precision positioning using RTK-GNSS. The positioning device 110 calculates the position of the work vehicle 100 at a frequency of, for example, about 1 to 10 times per second.

[0045] The positioning method is not limited to RTK-GNSS, and any positioning method (such as interferometric positioning or relative positioning) that can obtain position information with the required accuracy can be used. For example, positioning may be performed using a virtual reference station (VRS) or a differential global positioning system (DGPS). If position information with the required accuracy can be obtained without using a correction signal transmitted from the reference station 60, the positioning information may be generated without using a correction signal. In this case, the positioning device 110 does not need to be equipped with an RTK receiver 112.

[0046] The positioning device 110 in this embodiment further includes an IMU 115. The IMU 115 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis gyroscope. The IMU 115 may also include a direction sensor such as a three-axis geomagnetic sensor. The IMU 115 functions as a motion sensor and can output signals indicating various quantities such as the acceleration, velocity, displacement, and attitude of the work vehicle 100. The positioning device 110 can estimate the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 with higher accuracy based on the signals output from the IMU 115 in addition to the GNSS signals and correction signals. The signals output from the IMU 115 can be used to correct or complement the position calculated based on the GNSS signals and correction signals. The IMU 115 outputs signals at a higher frequency than the GNSS signals. Using these high-frequency signals, the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 can be measured at a higher frequency (e.g., 10 Hz or higher). A three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis gyroscope may be separately provided instead of the IMU 115. The IMU 115 may be provided as a device separate from the positioning device 110.

[0047] The positioning device 110 may include other types of sensors, such as a LiDAR sensor, in addition to or instead of the GNSS receiver 111, the RTK receiver 112, and the IMU 115. Depending on the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels, the position and orientation of the work vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy based on data from these sensors.

[0048] 3 , the processor of the positioning device 110 calculates the position of the work vehicle 100 based on signals output from the GNSS receiver 111, the RTK receiver 112, and the IMU 115. The position calculation is not limited to being performed by the positioning device 110, and may be performed by other devices. For example, the control device 180 or an external computer may acquire output data from each receiver and each sensor required for positioning, and calculate the position of the work vehicle 100 based on that data.

[0049] Camera 120 is an imaging device that captures images of the environment around work vehicle 100, and includes an image sensor, an optical system such as one or more lenses, and a signal processing circuit. Camera 120 captures images of the environment around work vehicle 100 while work vehicle 100 is traveling, and generates image (e.g., video) data. The images generated by camera 120 can be used, for example, when a remote monitor uses a monitoring terminal to check the environment around work vehicle 100. The images generated by camera 120 may also be used for positioning or obstacle detection. As shown in FIG. 2 , multiple cameras 120 may be provided at different positions on work vehicle 100, or a single camera may be provided.

[0050] The obstacle sensor 130 detects objects present around the work vehicle 100. The obstacle sensor 130 may include, for example, a laser scanner or an ultrasonic sonar. The obstacle sensor 130 outputs a signal indicating the presence of an obstacle when an object is present closer than a predetermined distance from the obstacle sensor 130. Multiple obstacle sensors 130 may be provided at different positions on the work vehicle 100. For example, multiple laser scanners and multiple ultrasonic sonars may be arranged at different positions on the work vehicle 100. By providing such a large number of obstacle sensors 130, blind spots in monitoring obstacles around the work vehicle 100 can be reduced.

[0051] The drive device 140 includes various devices necessary for the travel of the work vehicle 100 and the drive of the work device 300, such as the prime mover 102, transmission 103, steering device 106, and coupling device 108 described above. The prime mover 102 may be equipped with an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine. The drive device 140 may be equipped with an electric motor for traction instead of or in addition to the internal combustion engine.

[0052] The steering wheel sensor 152 measures the rotation angle of the steering wheel of the work vehicle 100. The turning angle sensor 154 measures the turning angle of the front wheels 104F, which are the steered wheels. The measurement values ​​from the steering wheel sensor 152 and the turning angle sensor 154 are used for steering control by the control device 180.

[0053] The axle sensor 156 measures the rotational speed of the axle connected to the tire 104, i.e., the number of rotations per unit time. The axle sensor 156 may be a sensor that uses, for example, a magnetoresistive element (MR), a Hall element, or an electromagnetic pickup. The axle sensor 156 outputs a numerical value that indicates, for example, the number of rotations per minute (unit: rpm) of the axle. The axle sensor 156 is used to measure the speed of the work vehicle 100.

[0054] The storage device 170 includes one or more storage media, such as a flash memory or a magnetic disk. The storage device 170 stores various data generated by the positioning device 110, the camera 120, the obstacle sensor 130, the sensor group 150, and the control device 180. The data stored in the storage device 170 may include map data of the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels, data of a target route for autonomous driving, and data indicating an area where work has been completed. The storage device 170 also stores computer programs that cause each ECU in the control device 180 to perform various operations, which will be described later. Such computer programs may be provided to the work vehicle 100 via a storage medium (e.g., a semiconductor memory or an optical disk) or an electric communication line (e.g., the Internet). Such computer programs may be sold as commercial software.

[0055] The control device 180 includes multiple ECUs. The multiple ECUs include, for example, an ECU 181 for speed control, an ECU 182 for steering control, an ECU 183 for work implement control, an ECU 184 for automatic driving control, and an ECU 185 for route planning. The ECU 181 controls the speed of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the prime mover 102, transmission 103, and brakes included in the drive unit 140. The ECU 182 controls the steering of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the hydraulic device or electric motor included in the steering device 106 based on measurement values ​​from the steering wheel sensor 152. The ECU 183 controls the operation of the three-point linkage, PTO shaft, and other components included in the coupling device 108 to cause the work implement 300 to perform desired operations. The ECU 183 also generates signals to control the operation of the work implement 300 and transmits these signals from the communication device 190 to the work implement 300. ECU 184 performs calculations and controls to achieve autonomous driving based on signals output from positioning device 110, steering wheel sensor 152, turning angle sensor 154, and axle sensor 156. During autonomous driving, ECU 184 sends a command to change the speed to ECU 181 and a command to change the steering angle to ECU 182. In response to the speed change command, ECU 181 changes the speed of work vehicle 100 by controlling prime mover 102, transmission 103, or brakes. In response to the command to change the steering angle, ECU 182 changes the steering angle by controlling steering device 106. ECU 185 functions as a route creation device, creating a target route for work vehicle 100 and recording it in storage device 170. ECU 184 sends necessary commands to ECUs 181 and 182 so that work vehicle 100 moves along the route created by ECU 185.

[0056] Through the actions of these ECUs, control device 180 realizes autonomous driving. During autonomous driving, control device 180 controls drive device 140 based on the position of work vehicle 100 measured or estimated by positioning device 110 and the target route stored in storage device 170. In this way, control device 180 can cause work vehicle 100 to travel along the target route.

[0057] By actually moving the work implement 10, the ECU 185 obtains the location of the work implement 10 from the positioning device 110 and creates a map. The map includes, for example, a road map showing roads around the field and used for autonomous driving of the work implement 10 (hereinafter referred to as the second road map). The ECU 185 stores the created second road map in the storage device 170 in advance. Note that the ECU 185 may also create the second road map using SLAM. For example, the ECU 185 may capture images of the surrounding environment from the camera 120 or a LiDAR sensor, and create the second road map based on the captured images and the location of the work implement 10 obtained from the positioning device 110. Details of the second road map will be described later.

[0058] The multiple ECUs included in the control device 180 can communicate with each other in accordance with a vehicle bus standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). Instead of CAN, a faster communication method such as in-vehicle Ethernet (registered trademark) may be used. In FIG. 3 , each of the ECUs 181 to 185 is shown as an individual block, but the functions of each of these may be realized by multiple ECUs. An in-vehicle computer that integrates at least some of the functions of the ECUs 181 to 185 may also be provided. The control device 180 may include ECUs other than the ECUs 181 to 185, and any number of ECUs may be provided depending on the functions. Each ECU includes a processing circuit including one or more processors.

[0059] The communication device 190 communicates with the communication device 390 of the work device 300. The communication device 190 includes a circuit for transmitting and receiving signals compliant with the ISOBUS standard, such as ISOBUS-TIM, between the communication device 390 of the work device 300. This allows the work device 300 to perform desired operations and acquire information from the work device 300. The communication device 190 may also include a communication circuit and antenna for transmitting and receiving signals compliant with any wireless communication standard, such as cellular mobile communications such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 3G, 4G, or 5G, or Bluetooth (registered trademark), between the communication device 490 of the calling terminal 400. The communication device 190 may communicate with an external computer via a wired or wireless network. The external computer may be, for example, a server computer that centrally manages information about farm fields on the cloud and uses the data on the cloud to support agriculture. Such an external computer may be configured to perform some of the functions of the work vehicle 100. For example, an external computer may execute the route creation function of the ECU 185. The work vehicle 100 is capable of communicating with the server 500 and the terminal 400 via the communication device 190.

[0060] The operation terminal 200 is a terminal through which a user performs operations related to the travel of the work vehicle 100 and the operation of the work implement 300, and is also referred to as a virtual terminal (VT). The operation terminal 200 may include a display device such as a touch screen and / or one or more buttons. The display device may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. By operating the operation terminal 200, a user can perform various operations, such as switching the autonomous driving mode on / off, setting a target route, recording or editing a map, and switching the work implement 300 on / off. At least some of these operations can also be achieved by operating the operation switch group 210. The operation terminal 200 may be configured to be detachable from the work vehicle 100. A user located remotely from the work vehicle 100 may operate the detached operation terminal 200 to control the operation of the work vehicle 100. Instead of the operation terminal 200, the user may control the operation of the work vehicle 100 by operating a device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or personal computer (PC) on which necessary application software is installed. The terminal 400 may also have the function of the operation terminal 200 .

[0061] The drive unit 340 in the work device 300 performs the operations required for the work device 300 to perform a predetermined task. The drive unit 340 includes devices appropriate for the intended use of the work device 300, such as a hydraulic unit, an electric motor, or a pump. The control device 380 controls the operation of the drive unit 340. The control device 380 causes the drive unit 340 to perform various operations in response to signals transmitted from the work vehicle 100 via the communication device 390. The control device 380 can also transmit signals appropriate to the state of the work device 300 from the communication device 390 to the work vehicle 100.

[0062] Next, an example of the operation of the work vehicle 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the work vehicle 100 automatically traveling along a target route within a field. In this example, the field includes a work area 70 where the work vehicle 100 performs work using the work implement 300 and a headland 80 located near the outer periphery of the field. The user can set in advance which areas on the field map correspond to the work area 70 and the headland 80. The target route in this example includes multiple parallel main routes P1 and multiple turning routes P2 connecting the multiple main routes P1. The main routes P1 are located within the work area 70, and the turning routes P2 are located within the headland 80. Although each main route P1 shown in FIG. 5 is a straight route, each main route P1 may also include a curved portion. The dashed line in FIG. 5 represents the working width of the work implement 300. The working width is set in advance and recorded in the storage device 170. The working width may be set and recorded by the user operating the operation terminal 200. Alternatively, the working width may be automatically recognized and recorded when the work implement 300 is connected to the work vehicle 100. The spacing between the multiple main paths P1 may be set to match the working width. The target route is created by the ECU 185 based on user operation before autonomous driving begins. The target route may be created to cover the entire work area 70 within a field, for example. The work vehicle 100 automatically travels along the target route as shown in FIG. 5, making repeated round trips from the start point of the work to the end point of the work. In this embodiment, the work vehicle 100 returns to the entrance (exit) after the work is completed. Note that the target route shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example, and the target route may be determined in any manner.

[0063] 6 is a conceptual diagram of a first road map 61 stored in the auxiliary storage device 503 of the server 500. The first road map 61 is created based on map information acquired from, for example, an external server. Therefore, the accuracy of the first road map 61 may be lower than that of the second road map created by actually moving the work implement 10.

[0064] 6 shows a parking lot 52 where the work implement 10 is parked, a field that is the target of work (hereinafter also referred to as a work field) 53, and a field that is not the target of work (hereinafter also referred to as a non-work field) 54. A first road map 61 includes coordinates and drivable directions between the coordinates. As shown in FIG. 6, the coordinates include a coordinate 62 of the parking lot 52, a coordinate 63 indicating the work field 53, a coordinate 64 indicating the non-work field 54, and a coordinate 65 indicating a road intersection. In this embodiment, the coordinate 62 indicates the entrance / exit of the parking lot 52, the coordinate 63 indicates the entrance / exit of the work field 53, and the coordinate 64 indicates the entrance / exit of the non-work field 54. The entrance and exit are examples of arrival points for the work implement 10, and the coordinates of any location in the work field 53 can be set as coordinate 63 (arrival point), and the coordinates of any location in the non-work field 54 can be set as coordinate 64 (arrival point). There may be multiple coordinates indicating the work field 53 or the non-work field 54, and for example, the first road map 61 may include coordinates indicating the entrance to the work field 53 or the non-work field 54 and coordinates indicating the exit.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 6 , the possible travel directions 66 between coordinates include, for example, between a first coordinate and a second coordinate, a direction (two-way traffic direction) 66a in which travel is possible from the first coordinate to the second coordinate and from the second coordinate to the first coordinate, and a direction (one-way traffic direction) 66b in which travel is possible in either one direction, from the first coordinate to the second coordinate or from the second coordinate to the first coordinate.

[0066] Next, the process of allocating each work machine 10 to each work field 53 and the process of determining a travel route for each work machine 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an input table stored in the auxiliary storage device 503 of the server 500. The server 500 acquires information for allocating each work machine 10 to a field and determining a travel route. The travel route is a route along which the work machine 10 automatically travels on roads surrounding the field, and includes, for example, a route from a parking area to a specific field, a route for moving between fields, and a route from a field to a parking area and back. For example, a user inputs the information into the terminal 400, and the server 500 acquires the information from the terminal 400. The information acquired by the server 500 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 503, for example, as an input table.

[0067] The input tables include, for example, a field table, a parking area table, a location table, a road table, and a work machine table. The field table includes, for example, a field ID field, a field entrance coordinate field, an area field, and a field status field. The field ID field stores an identifier for each field. The field entrance coordinate field stores the entrance coordinates of each field. Coordinates 63 and 64 shown in Figure 6 correspond to the entrance coordinates of each field stored in the field entrance coordinate field. The coordinates are expressed, for example, as XY coordinates, i.e., two-dimensional coordinates. The area field stores the area of ​​each field. The field status field stores information indicating the status of the field or the crops in the field, such as untilled, tilled, or ready to be harvested. The field table corresponds to field information.

[0068] The parking lot table includes a parking lot ID field, a parking lot entrance coordinate field, and a capacity field. The parking lot ID field stores the identifier of each parking lot. Although only one parking lot 52 is shown in FIG. 6, the server 500 may acquire information about multiple parking lots 52 from the terminal 400. The parking lot entrance coordinate field stores the parking lot entrance coordinates. The coordinates 62 shown in FIG. 6 correspond to the parking lot entrance coordinates stored in the parking lot entrance coordinate field. The coordinates are expressed, for example, as XY coordinates, i.e., two-dimensional coordinates. The capacity field stores the number of work machines 10 that can be accommodated at each parking lot.

[0069] The point table includes a point ID field, a point coordinate field, etc. The point ID field stores an identifier for each point on the roads surrounding the field. Each point is, for example, a road intersection. The point coordinate field stores the coordinates of each point. Coordinates 65 shown in FIG. 6 correspond to the coordinates stored in the point coordinate field. The coordinates are expressed, for example, as XY coordinates, i.e., two-dimensional coordinates.

[0070] The road table includes a road ID field, a first end coordinate field, a second end coordinate field, a speed limit field, and a one-way / both-side field. The road ID field stores the identifier of a road surrounding the field, such as a straight road. A road has a first end and a second end. The first end coordinate field stores the coordinate of the first end of the road, and the second end coordinate field stores the coordinate of the second end of the road. For example, in the road extending from left to right shown at the top of Figure 6, the rightmost coordinate 65a corresponds to the coordinate of the first end of the road, and the leftmost coordinate 65b corresponds to the coordinate of the second end of the road. Coordinates are expressed, for example, as XY coordinates, i.e., two-dimensional coordinates. The speed limit field stores the speed limit of each road. The one-way / both-side field stores information indicating whether each road is a one-way traffic road 66b or a two-way traffic road 66a. Information indicating that the road is one-way traffic direction 66b includes, for example, information indicating whether the direction between the first coordinate and the second coordinate is from the first coordinate to the second coordinate or from the second coordinate to the first coordinate.

[0071] The work machine table includes a work machine ID field, an assigned parking spot field, an assigned field field, a maximum speed field, a type field, and the like. The work machine ID field stores the identifier of each work machine 10. The assigned parking spot field stores information indicating the parking spot 52 where each work machine 10 is parked. The assigned field field stores information indicating the field to which each work machine 10 belongs. Note that a work machine 10 can belong to one or more fields. If a work machine 10 belongs to multiple fields, the assigned field field stores information indicating the multiple fields to which the work machine 10 belongs. The maximum speed field stores the maximum speed of each work machine 10. The maximum speed field stores the maximum working speed of the work machine 10 and / or the maximum traveling speed of the work machine 10 (the speed when traveling in a non-working state). The type field stores the type of each work machine 10, such as a tractor, harvester (combine), rice transplanter, riding farming machine, vegetable transplanter, grass cutter, seed sowing machine, fertilizer applicator, agricultural mobile robot, etc. The work machine table corresponds to machine information.

[0072] The coordinates in the field table, parking lot table, location table, and coordinate table are set based on map information obtained from, for example, an external server. That is, the field table, parking lot table, location table, and coordinate table include coordinates that make up the first road map. The coordinates in the field table, parking lot table, location table, and coordinate table correspond to the road map. The auxiliary storage device 503 stores information indicating the work field 53. For example, a user inputs information indicating which field is the work field 53 via the input device 420 of the terminal 400, and the information is transmitted from the terminal 400 to the server 500. Note that the server 500 may automatically determine which field is the work field 53. For example, the auxiliary storage device 503 of the server 500 may store work plans for each field in advance, and a field for which the plan has not been achieved may be determined to be the work field 53 based on the field table and the work plan.

[0073] The allowable time available for the allocation process and the travel route determination process may be input to the server 500 as information for determining the allocation of each work machine 10 to a field and the travel route. The allowable time is stored in the auxiliary storage device 503. For example, the user inputs the allowable time via the terminal 400. The server 500 completes the allocation process and the travel route determination process within the allowable time. As the allowable time increases, the appropriateness of the allocation of each work machine 10 to a field and the determination of the travel route improves. On the other hand, as the allowable time increases, the time required to allocate each work machine 10 to a field and determine the travel route increases. It is desirable to set the allowable time by taking into consideration the balance between the urgency of the allocation to the work field 53 and the determination of the travel route and the time required for the determination.

[0074] The control device 501 executes a process of allocating each work machine 10 to each work field 53 based on the input information (input table), information indicating the work field 53, the allowable time, etc. The input table corresponds to the field information and the machine information. One or more work fields 53 are allocated to one work machine 10. For example, the control device 501 references the work machine table and the field table (see FIG. 7 ), and assigns a tractor belonging to a work field 53 whose field status in the field table is untilled to that work field 53, assigns a fertilizer applicator belonging to that work field 53 to a work field 53 whose field status in the field table is tilled, and assigns a harvester belonging to that work field 53 to a work field 53 whose field status in the field table is ready for harvesting. That is, a combination of multiple types of work machines 10, such as tractors, fertilizer applicators, and harvesters, can be assigned to multiple work fields 53. The control device 501 can also refer to the field table and assign multiple work machines 10 to one work field 53 whose area is larger than a predetermined threshold value.

[0075] The control programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 503 include an approximate solution program for a VRP (Vehicle Routing Problem). The approximate solution program uses, for example, a column generation method.

[0076] After determining the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53, the control device 501 acquires information such as the location, input table, information indicating the work field 53, and allowable time, and executes an approximate solution program using the acquired information as input information. The input table corresponds to field information, road map, and machine information. By executing the approximate solution program, the control device 501 derives one or more candidate travel routes for each work machine 10 assigned to each work field 53.

[0077] For example, the control device 501 acquires the location of the work implement 10. The location may be measured by the positioning device 110, or if the location is initially set to the parking lot 52, the control device 501 may refer to the parking lot table and the work implement table (see FIG. 7) and acquire the parking lot entrance coordinates of the parking lot 52 to which the work implement 10 belongs as the location. The control device 501 refers to the field table (see FIG. 7) and acquires the field entrance coordinates of the assigned work field 53. The control device 501 refers to the point table (see FIG. 7) and generates multiple routes between the location of the work implement 10 and the field entrance coordinates of the assigned work field 53 based on the coordinates of points between the location of the work implement 10 and the field entrance coordinates of the assigned work field 53. Each route is, for example, a route that runs from the location of each work machine 10 (for example, the parking area 52) to each assigned work field 53 and back to the location.

[0078] The control device 501 refers to the road table (see FIG. 7 ), excludes impassable routes from the generated multiple routes, and derives the remaining routes as travel route candidates. For example, if the generated route includes a one-way road and the work machine 10 would be traveling in the wrong direction if it were to travel along the generated route, this route is excluded.

[0079] The travel route candidate that minimizes the cost of each derived travel route candidate, i.e., the parameter (index value), is determined as the travel route. Details of the parameter will be described later. The travel route is, for example, a route from the location of each work machine 10 (e.g., the parking lot 52) ​​to each assigned work field 53 and back to the location.

[0080] 8 and 9 are conceptual diagrams illustrating travel route candidates. The control device 501 derives travel route candidates for each work machine 10. The control device 501 derives one or more travel route candidates for one work machine 10. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, two travel route candidates 67, 68 are derived for one work machine 10. Note that the number of derived travel route candidates may be one, or may be three or more.

[0081] The auxiliary storage device 503 stores parameters (index values) for determining the travel route of the work implement 10. The parameters are, for example, the travel distance of the work implement 10, the working time of the work implement 10, or a weighted sum of the travel distance, travel time, and working time of the work implement 10. The control device 501 derives parameter values ​​for each of the derived travel route candidates 67, 68 for each work implement 10 and stores them in the auxiliary storage device 503. The working time of the work implement 10 is, for example, the working time in the assigned work field 53. The control device 501 references the field table and the work implement table and derives the working time based on the area of ​​the assigned work field 53 and the maximum working speed of the work implement 10. Note that instead of the maximum working speed of the work implement 10, a working speed equal to or greater than the minimum speed and less than the maximum speed of the work implement 10 may be used. The travel distance of the work implement 10 is derived, for example, based on the distance of the travel route candidate.

[0082] The work time of the work implement 10 is not limited to the work time in the assigned work field 53. The work time of the work implement 10 may be the work time of the work implement 10 in each work field 53 plus the travel time to reach each work field 53 (the time to travel on the roads surrounding the field). In this case, the control device 501 derives the travel time to reach each work field 53, for example, by referring to the work implement table, based on the maximum travel speed of the work implement 10 and the distance of the candidate travel route. Note that instead of the maximum travel speed of the work implement 10, a travel speed equal to or greater than the minimum speed but less than the maximum speed of the work implement 10 may be used. The control device 501 determines the candidate travel route 67, 68 with the smallest parameter value as the travel route. If an allowable time is set, the control device 501 completes the above-mentioned allocation process and travel route determination process within the allowable time.

[0083] Next, a process for determining a travel route for each of the multiple work machines 10 by executing an approximate solution program will be described. When determining a travel route for each of the multiple work machines 10 by executing an approximate solution program, for example, the travel route candidate with the smallest total value of the parameter values ​​for each work machine 10 is determined as the travel route for each work machine 10. Therefore, for example, when determining a travel route for only one work machine 10, the parameter value for that one work machine 10 is the smallest. However, when determining travel routes for three work machines 10, the parameter value for any one work machine 10 may not be the smallest parameter value for that work machine 10. This is because, when determining travel routes for multiple work machines 10, the travel route for each work machine 10 is determined so that the parameter value for all of the multiple work machines 10 is the smallest. The control device 501 stores the determined travel route for each work machine 10 in the auxiliary storage device 503. Note that the three work machines 10 and three travel routes are examples of multiple work machines 10 and travel routes for each work machine 10, and travel routes may be determined for two or four or more work machines 10.

[0084] Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the travel routes of each of the multiple work machines 10. In Figure 10, for example, the multiple work machines 10 include three work machines 10a to 10c, and the multiple work fields 53 include six work fields 53a to 53f. Two work fields 53a and 53b are assigned to work machine 10a, two work fields 53b and 53c are assigned to work machine 10b, and three work fields 53d, 53e, and 53f are assigned to work machine 10c.

[0085] In Figure 10, travel route 161 is the travel route of work implement 10a for working in the two work fields 53a and 53b, travel route 162 is the travel route of work implement 10b for working in the two work fields 53b and 53c, and travel route 163 is the travel route of work implement 10c for working in the three work fields 53d, 53e, and 53f. As shown in Figure 10, for example, two work implements 10a and 10b that perform the same work are assigned to work field 53b, which has a large area. In this way, multiple work implements 10 may be assigned to one work field 53. As described above, travel routes 161 to 163 are determined, for example, by executing an approximate solution program.

[0086] Fig. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an output table stored in the auxiliary storage device 503 of the server 500. The control device 501 stores the determined travel route of each work machine 10 as an output table in the auxiliary storage device 503. Fig. 11 shows the output tables for the first work machine 10 and the second work machine 10.

[0087] The output table includes, for example, a point ID field, a point coordinate field, a point attribute field, and a maximum speed field. The point ID field stores an identifier of the target point of the work implement 10. The point coordinate field stores the coordinates of the target point. The coordinates are expressed, for example, as XY coordinates, i.e., two-dimensional coordinates. The point attribute field stores attributes of the target point, such as a road or a field. The maximum speed field stores the maximum speed allowed for the work implement 10 while it moves from its current position to the target point.

[0088] For example, if the initial location of the first work implement 10 is the parking lot 52, the target point of the first work implement 10 is the coordinates (xd1, yd1) of the point ID "d1". When the first work implement 10 moves to the coordinates (xd1, yd1) at a speed not exceeding the maximum speed v1 and reaches the coordinates (xd1, yd1), the next target point of the first work implement 10 is the coordinates (xd3, yd3) of the point ID "d3". The first work implement 10 moves to the coordinates (xd3, yd3) at a speed not exceeding the maximum speed v3.

[0089] In this way, the first work implement 10 moves along the roads (travel route) around the field in accordance with the output table. The same applies to the second work implement 10. That is, the output table lists the target points that each work implement 10 must pass through in the order of movement. For example, the output table shows the travel route from when the work implement 10 departs from the parking lot 52, moves to each assigned field, and returns to the parking lot 52 after completing work in the field. Note that the output table shown in FIG. 11 is merely an example, and the number of point IDs (number of target positions) may be three or more, or may be one. Furthermore, output tables for three or more work implements 10 or for one work implement 10 may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 503.

[0090] The control device 501 transmits each determined travel route to each work machine 10. As described above, each work machine 10 stores a second road map 71 in the storage device 170. Fig. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the second road map 71. In Fig. 12, the thick line indicates the second road map 71. When a travel route is received from the server 500, the ECU 185 of the work machine 10 associates the second road map 71 with the travel route.

[0091] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the association between the second road map 71 and a travel route. Here, it is assumed that the travel route of the work implement 10 is determined to be the travel route 162 (see FIG. 10 ). The ECU 185 associates data on the travel route 162, such as point coordinates (see FIG. 11 ), with coordinates on the second road map 71. As described above, when creating the second road map 71, the location of the work implement 10 is acquired from the positioning device 110. For example, if the second road map 71 contains coordinates corresponding to the point coordinates on the travel route 162, the ECU 185 associates the coordinates on the second road map 71 with the point coordinates on the travel route 162. If the second road map 71 does not contain coordinates corresponding to the point coordinates on the travel route 162, the ECU 185 estimates coordinates corresponding to the point coordinates on the travel route 162 based on other coordinates included in the second road map 71, and associates the estimated coordinates with the point coordinates on the travel route 162. In addition, the second road map 71 may be sent from the work machine 10 to the server 500, the second road map 71 may be associated with the driving route by the server 500, the associated second road map 71 may be sent to the work machine 10, and automatic driving control of the work machine 10 may be performed by the ECU 184.

[0092] The ECU 185 associates the data of the travel route 162 with the target route (work route) in Fig. 5. For example, because the travel route 162 and the target route both include the entrance and exit of the work field 53, the ECU 185 associates coordinates 63 of the travel route 162 (the coordinates of the entrance and exit of the work field 53) with the coordinates of the entrance and exit of the target route in the work field 53. The ECU 184 moves the work implement 10 to coordinates 63 according to the travel route 162, and then moves within the work field 53 according to the target route. In other words, the work implement 10 moves from the travel route 162 to the work route. When work within the work field 53 is completed, the ECU 184 moves the work implement 10 to the entrance and exit of the work field 53 according to the target route, and then moves along the roads surrounding the field according to the travel route 162. That is, the work machine 10 moves from the work route to the travel route. Note that a target route may be transmitted from the work machine 10 to the server 500, the target route may be associated with the travel route by the server 500, the associated target route and travel route may be transmitted to the work machine 10, and automatic driving control of the work machine 10 may be performed by the ECU 184.

[0093] The ECU 184 causes the work implement 10 to automatically travel on the roads surrounding the field based on the second road map 71 associated with the point coordinates of the travel route 162. When the work implement 10 arrives at the work field 53, the ECU 184 moves the work implement 10 along a predetermined target route (work route), as shown in Figure 5, and automatically performs work within the work field 53 using the work implement 10.

[0094] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the work machines 10a-10c and the travel routes 161-163 displayed on the display device 430 of the terminal 400. The control device 501 of the server 500 generates image data including first image data displaying the travel routes 161-163 of the work machines 10a-10c and second image data displaying the fields 53, 54 and the parking lot 52, and transmits the image data to the terminal 400. The control device 460 of the terminal 400, upon receiving the image data, displays the travel routes 161-163, the fields 53, 54, the parking lot 52, etc. on the display device 430. The first image data may include data indicating that the travel routes 161-163 are to be displayed in different ways. For example, upon receiving the first image data, the control device 460 may cause the display device 430 to display the travel routes 161-163 in different colors, or with different lines, such as solid lines, dashed lines, and dashed lines.

[0095] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing each of the work machines 10a-10c moving, displayed on the display device 430 of the terminal 400. Each of the work machines 10a-10c measures its location over time using the positioning device 110 and transmits the measured location to the server 500. The control device 501 stores the received location of each of the work machines 10a-10c in the auxiliary storage device 503. The control device 501 generates third image data displaying each of the work machines 10a-10c corresponding to the received location, and transmits the third image data to the terminal 400. As shown in FIG. 15, based on the received third image data, the control device 460 causes the display device 430 to display the work machines 10a-10c at positions on the travel routes 161-163 corresponding to the location of each of the work machines 10a-10c. That is, the display positions of the work machines 10a-10c on the travel routes 161-163 are changed in accordance with the movement of the work machines 10a-10c. Each of the work machines 10a to 10c may transmit the measured location to the server 500 and the terminal 400. In this case, the control device 460 that receives the location generates the third image data. By directly transmitting the location to the terminal 400, delays in display can be reduced.

[0096] When the work implements 10a to 10c have arrived at the work field 53 and are working, the work implements 10a to 10c may transmit information to the server 500 indicating that they are working. In this case, the server 500 stores information indicating that the work implements 10a to 10c are working in the auxiliary storage device 503 and transmits the information to the terminal 400. When the server 500 receives information indicating that the work implements 10a to 10c are working, the control device 460 of the terminal 400 changes the display mode of the work implements 10a to 10c. For example, when traveling along the travel routes 161 to 163, the work implements 10a to 10c are displayed in blue on the display device 430, and when the work implements 10a to 10c are working, the work implements 10a to 10c are displayed in red on the display device 430 or flashing red. When the work in the work field 53 is completed, the display mode of the work implements 10a to 10c is restored to the original display mode.

[0097] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating the allocation process and travel route determination process performed by the server 500. The control device 501 of the server 500 acquires information (see FIG. 7) for allocating each work machine 10 to a field and determining the travel route (S1). Based on the acquired information, the control device 501 executes a process for allocating each work machine 10 to each work field 53 (S2) and determines the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 (S3). The control device 501 executes a travel route determination process for each work machine 10 (S4). In the travel route determination process, the control device 501 derives one or more travel route candidates 67, 68 for each work machine 10 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and determines one of the travel route candidates as travel routes 161, 162, 163 based on parameters for determining the travel route of the work machine 10 (see FIG. 10).

[0098] The control device 501 transmits the determined travel routes of each work machine 10 to the terminal 400 (S5). The terminal 400 displays the received travel routes of each work machine 10 on the display device 430 (see FIG. 14). The control device 501 transmits the determined travel routes to each work machine 10 (S6), and the process ends.

[0099] 17 is a flowchart illustrating the automatic driving process in the work machine 10. In an initial state, the work machine 10 is parked in the parking area 52. The ECU 184 of the work machine 10 determines whether or not a travel route has been received from the server 500 (S11). If it is determined that a travel route has not been received (S11: NO), the ECU 184 returns the process to step S11. If it is determined that a travel route has been received (S11: YES), the ECU 184 associates the received travel route with the second road map (S12, see FIG. 13).

[0100] The ECU 184 starts automatic driving in accordance with the second road map associated with the travel route (S13). For example, as shown in Fig. 13, the ECU 184 of the work implement 10b moves the work implement 10 from the coordinate 62 of the parking area 52 to the coordinate 63 of the work field 53 in accordance with the travel route 162, and then moves within the work field 53 in accordance with the target route within the work field 53 (see Fig. 5), i.e., the work route. When work within the work field 53 is completed, the ECU 184 moves the work implement 10 to the entrance / exit of the work field 53 in accordance with the target route, and then moves along the roads surrounding the field in accordance with the travel route 162.

[0101] The ECU 184 acquires the location from the positioning device 110 and determines whether or not the aircraft has returned to the parking lot 52 (S14). If it is determined that the aircraft has not returned to the parking lot 52 (S14: NO), the ECU 184 returns the process to step S14. If it is determined that the aircraft has returned to the parking lot 52 (S14: YES), the ECU 184 ends the automatic driving (S15) and ends the process.

[0102] The control device 501 is equipped with a timer. The auxiliary storage device 503 stores the scheduled work completion time for each work field 53. The work implement 10 normally works in the work field 53 at a speed slower than its maximum speed. In step S13, when the work implement 10 is working in the work field 53, it transmits information indicating that work is in progress to the server 500. When the server 500 receives the information indicating that work is in progress, it may execute a speed change process to increase the speed of the work implement 10.

[0103] The server 500 periodically acquires the location of the work machine 10 that has transmitted information indicating that it is working. Based on the acquired location, the control device 501 estimates the time when the work machine 10 will complete work in the work field 53 where it is working, and determines whether the estimated time is later than the scheduled work completion time. If the estimated time is later than the scheduled work completion time, the control device 501 determines whether the time between the estimated time and the scheduled work completion time (hereinafter referred to as the delay time) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is pre-stored in the auxiliary storage device 503. If the delay time is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control device 501 sends a command to the work machine 10 to increase the work speed.

[0104] For example, the working speed of the work implement 10 is pre-stored in multiple storage devices 170. For example, the ECU 181 can select a low speed, a normal speed, a first high speed, a second high speed, or a maximum speed. The relationship between the speeds is low speed < normal speed < first high speed < second high speed < maximum speed. The normal speed is selected initially. When the ECU 181 receives a command to increase the working speed, it selects the first high speed. When the ECU 181 subsequently receives another command to increase the working speed, it selects the second high speed. In this manner, the ECU 181 increases the speed of the work implement 10. Note that if the ECU 181 selects the maximum speed and then receives another command to increase the working speed, it transmits information to the server 500 indicating that the working speed cannot be increased. After receiving this information, the server 500 does not transmit a command to increase the working speed to the work implement 10 even if the delay time is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0105] 18 is a flowchart illustrating the speed change process performed by the server 500. The control device 501 of the server 500 determines whether or not information indicating that work is in progress has been acquired from the work machine 10 (S21). If it is determined that information indicating that work is in progress has not been acquired (S21: NO), the control device 501 returns the process to step S21. If it is determined that information indicating that work is in progress has been acquired (S21: YES), the control device 501 acquires the location of the work machine 10 that transmitted the information indicating that work is in progress (S22), and estimates the work completion time of the work machine 10 (S23).

[0106] The control device 501 determines whether the estimated time is later than the scheduled task completion time (S24). If it is determined that the estimated time is not later than the scheduled task completion time (S24: NO), the control device 501 returns the process to step S22. If it is determined that the estimated time is later than the scheduled task completion time (S24: YES), the control device 501 determines whether the delay time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S25). If it is determined that the delay time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (S25: NO), the control device 501 returns the process to step S22. If it is determined that the delay time is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (S25: YES), the control device 501 sends a command to the work machine 10 to increase the work speed (S26).

[0107] The control device 501 determines whether or not information indicating that the work speed cannot be increased has been acquired from the work machine 10 (S27). If it is determined that information indicating that the work speed cannot be increased has not been acquired (S27: NO), the control device 501 returns the process to step S22. If it is determined that information indicating that the work speed cannot be increased has been acquired (S27: YES), the control device 501 ends the process.

[0108] If the estimated time is earlier than the scheduled work completion time, for example, if the time between the estimated time and the scheduled work completion time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the control device 501 may send a command to the work machine 10 to slow down the work speed. By slowing down the work speed, the quality of work in the work field 53 can be improved.

[0109] The server 500 may recalculate the allocation of the work machine 10 to the work field 53 and the travel route if an abnormality occurs in the work machine 10, if a delay occurs in the work of the work machine 10, or if an abnormality occurs in the determined travel route.

[0110] 10, two work machines 10a and 10b are assigned to work field 53b, but if the delay time of work machine 10a or 10b in work field 53b is equal to or greater than the threshold, work machine 10c may be assigned to work field 53b. In other words, the assignment of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 is recalculated so that three work machines 10a to 10c are assigned to work field 53b. In this case, the travel route 163 of work machine 10c is also recalculated so that work machine 10c can work in work field 53b.

[0111] For example, if work implement 10a breaks down on the way from the parking area 52 to the work field 53a, making it difficult to move, work implement 10b may be assigned to the work field 53a. That is, the server 500 recalculates the assignment of each work implement 10 to each work field 53 so that work implement 10b is assigned to the three work fields 53a, 53b, and 53c. In this case, the travel route 162 of work implement 10b is also recalculated so that work implement 10b can work in the work field 53a. Note that the work implement 10 is notified of the breakdown of the work implement 10 to the server 500.

[0112] For example, if an abnormality occurs in the travel route 163 between the parking area 52 and the work field 53d, for example, if the work machine 10c detects an obstacle using the obstacle sensor 130, the server 500 recalculates the travel route 163 of the work machine 10c so that the work machine 10c makes a detour to arrive at the work field 53d. The detection of an obstacle by the obstacle sensor 130 is notified to the server 500 by the work machine 10c.

[0113] Note that if work implement 10c detects an obstacle using obstacle sensor 130, work implement 10a or 10b may be assigned to work field 53d. This is because the parameter value may be smaller if work implement 10a or 10b works in the work field 53d than if work implement 10c makes a detour and works in the work field 53d. In this case, travel path 161 or 162 for work implement 10a or 10b is recalculated so that work implement 10a or 10b can work in the work field 53d, and travel path 163 for work implement 10ac is recalculated so that work implement 10c does not work in the work field 53d.

[0114] While the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 is being recalculated, each work machine 10 performs work in accordance with the allocation of the work machine 10 to the work field 53 that was determined before the recalculation. Furthermore, while the travel route of each work machine 10 is being recalculated, each work machine 10 moves in accordance with the travel route that was determined before the recalculation.

[0115] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 and the recalculation of the travel route of each work machine 10 by the server 500. As shown in Figure 19, the control device 501 of the server 500 determines (S31) whether or not it is necessary to allocate each work machine 10 to each work field 53 or to recalculate the travel route of each work machine 10. If it is determined that recalculation is not necessary (S31: NO), the control device 501 returns the process to step S31.

[0116] If it is determined that recalculation is necessary (S31: YES), the control device 501 starts recalculation of the allocation or travel route (S32). The control device 501 determines whether the recalculation is complete (S33). If it is determined that the recalculation is not complete (S33: NO), the control device 501 executes the work and movement of each work machine 10 using the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 or the travel route of each work machine 10 determined before the recalculation (S34), and returns the process to step S33.

[0117] If it is determined that the recalculation is complete (S33: YES), the control device 501 performs the work and movement of each work machine 10 using the allocation of each work machine 10 to each work field 53 or the travel route of each work machine 10 determined by the recalculation (S35), and ends the processing.

[0118] In the agricultural support system according to the embodiment, work can be carried out efficiently in multiple work fields 53 by assigning to each work field 53 a work implement 10 suited to the characteristics of that work field 53 .

[0119] It should be noted that a computer program can be deployed to be executed on a single computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0120] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the scope of the claims and the scope equivalent to the claims. The matters described in each embodiment can be mutually combined. Furthermore, independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims can be mutually combined in any and all combinations, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, although the claims use a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), this is not limiting. A multiple claim (multi-multi claim) that references at least one other multiple claim may also be used.

[0121] 10, 10a to 10c Work machine 110 Positioning device 170 Storage device 180 Control device 500 Server 501 Control device 502 Main storage device 503 Auxiliary storage device 400 Terminal 460 Control device 451 Main storage device 452 Auxiliary storage device 420 Input device 430 Display device

Claims

1. A computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring field information regarding a plurality of fields and machine information regarding a plurality of work machines, and determining an assignment of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information.

2. The computer program according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process of recalculating an assignment of the work machine to the field when an abnormality occurs in the work machine or when a delay occurs in the work of the work machine.

3. The computer program according to claim 2, for causing a computer to execute a process of using the assignment determined before recalculation during the recalculation of the assignment to the field.

4. The computer program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring the location of each work machine and a road map indicating roads around the field, and determining a travel route between each work machine and the field based on the field information, the location, the road map, and the machine information regarding the field to which each work machine is assigned.

5. The computer program according to claim 4, for causing a computer to execute a process of deriving a plurality of travel route candidates based on the field information, the location, the road map, and the machine information, deriving an index value for each travel route candidate based on the travel distance of the work machine or the working time of the work machine, and determining the travel route candidate as the travel route based on the index value.

6. The computer program according to claim 4, for causing a computer to execute a process of generating image data including first image data for displaying the determined travel route of each work machine and second image data for displaying the field or the parking lot arranged on the travel route, and outputting the generated image data to a terminal.

7. The computer program according to claim 6, for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring the position of each work machine, generating third image data for displaying each work machine on the travel route based on the acquired position of each work machine, and outputting the generated third image data to the terminal.

8. The computer program according to claim 4 for causing a computer to execute a process of reassigning the work machine to the field or recalculating the travel route when an abnormality occurs in the travel route.

9. The computer program according to claim 8 for causing a computer to execute a process of using the assignment or the travel route determined before recalculation during the reassignment of the work machine to the field or the recalculation of the travel route.

10. The computer program according to claim 4 for causing a computer to execute a process of outputting an instruction to the work machine to perform work in the field according to a predetermined work route when the work machine arrives at the field according to the travel route.

11. The computer program according to claim 10 for causing a computer to execute a process of setting any point in the field as the arrival point of the work machine.

12. The computer program according to claim 10 for causing a computer to execute a process of associating the travel route with the work route and outputting an instruction to the work machine to move from the travel route to the work route or from the work route to the travel route.

13. The computer program according to any one of claims 1 to 3 for causing a computer to execute a process of increasing the working speed of the work machine when a delay occurs in the work of the work machine.

14. An information processing method of acquiring field information regarding a plurality of fields and machine information regarding a plurality of work machines, and determining the assignment of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information.

15. An information processing apparatus including a control unit, the control unit acquiring field information regarding a plurality of fields and machine information regarding a plurality of work machines, and determining the assignment of the work machines to the fields based on the acquired field information and machine information; and a terminal receiving information indicating the assignment of the work machines to the fields determined by the information processing apparatus.

16. The control unit acquires the location of each work machine and a road map indicating the roads around the farm field, and determines a travel route between each work machine and the farm field based on the farm field information, the location, the road map, and the machine information regarding the farm field assigned to each work machine, and transmits the determined travel route to each work machine. Each work machine includes a second control unit. The second control unit receives the travel route, acquires a second road map for the work machine to autonomously travel on the road, and associates the received travel route with the acquired second road map. The system according to claim 15.

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