Agriculture assistance device, agriculture assistance method, program, and self-propelled device

Abstract

An agriculture assistance device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first coordinate information at a point when a first self-propelled device traveling in a field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal and second coordinate information at a point when the first self-propelled device acquires second trigger information from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and a setting unit that sets a section in map information of the field on the basis of the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

Description

Agricultural support device, agricultural support method, program, and self-propelled device

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural support device, an agricultural support method, a program, and a self-propelled device.

[0002] One smart agriculture system being considered is one that divides a farm field into predetermined sections and displays evaluation information for each section, thereby helping users easily understand the evaluation information. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an area management method that includes determining the length of a first side of a plurality of rectangular sections that divide the farm field based on the adjacent distance between two adjacent positions represented by two temporally adjacent adjacent position information among a plurality of position information at each time of a working device that moves and works in the farm field, determining the positions of the plurality of sections based on the length of the first side of the plurality of sections, and outputting evaluation information that represents the work in the plurality of sections.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-149476

[0004] Incidentally, there are already plots in a field that have been used by farmers for managing agricultural work, etc., even without the need for the system to set up new plots as described above. For example, assuming a field with trees lined up in a certain direction D1 as shown in Figure 1A, the field can be divided by lanes 520 between the rows of trees 510 and zones 530 that divide each lane 520 at predetermined intervals in the direction D1.

[0005] As shown in Figure 1A, the lengths of the zones 530 in the direction D1 are not uniform, and the number of zones in one lane 520 varies. Thus, the division rules vary from field to field, but the divisions are easy to use and familiar to the farmworkers in each field. However, the divisions made by the system described in Patent Document 1 do not reflect the divisions in the actual field.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an agricultural support device, an agricultural support method, and a program that can perform divisions in map data of a field according to the divisions within the field that have previously been used by agricultural workers, as well as a self-propelled device that travels within the field and performs the divisions.

[0007] An agricultural support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device that self-propels within a field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal, and second coordinate information when second trigger information is acquired from the user terminal after the first trigger information, and a setting unit that sets sections in map information of the field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an agricultural support device, an agricultural support method, and a program that can perform divisions in map data of a field according to the divisions within the field that have previously been used by agricultural workers, as well as a self-propelled device that travels within the field and performs the divisions.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating a division in a farm field. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a smart agriculture system. FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating setting of divisions in map information. FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating a state when first coordinate information and second coordinate information are acquired by a first self-propelled device traveling in a lane. FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating a state when third coordinate information to fifth coordinate information are acquired by a second self-propelled device traveling in a lane. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the hardware configuration and functional configuration of a server. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating traveling data. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating division data in map information. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of setting divisions in map information. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the position of a self-propelled device using map information in which divisions have been set.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0011] 1. System FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a smart agriculture system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1B, in one example of the smart agriculture system 1 of this embodiment, a user terminal 100, a server 200, and a self-propelled device 300 are connected via a network N. The self-propelled device 300 transmits coordinate information within the field 500 to an agricultural support device (hereinafter referred to as the "server 200") in response to trigger information acquired from the user terminal 100. The server 200 may then set sections in map information of the field in response to the coordinate information acquired from the self-propelled device 300.

[0012] 1C shows a top view for explaining the setting of sections in map information. In the setting of sections in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1C, the map information (coordinate information) held by the smart agriculture system 1 is associated with the range of sections in the actual farm field. In this way, by identifying the coordinate information of the self-propelled device, it is possible to identify the section in which the self-propelled device is located.

[0013] In addition, the self-propelled device 300 may transmit coordinate information within the field 500 to the server 200 at any time, and the server 200 may output information regarding the section in which the self-propelled device 300 is located based on the coordinate information obtained from the self-propelled device 300.

[0014] The user terminal 100 is a terminal that transmits trigger information to the self-propelled device 300 via the network N or the like, and may be a tablet terminal or smartphone carried by a farm worker who performs farm work in the field 500 or a manager who manages the field. When operated by the user, the user terminal 100 can transmit trigger information to the self-propelled device 300 at any timing.

[0015] In this embodiment, the "trigger information" may be information indicating the timing at which the self-propelled device 300 acquires coordinate information about the location of the self-propelled device 300. In other words, upon acquiring the trigger information, the self-propelled device 300 quickly acquires coordinate information at that time.

[0016] In this embodiment, the "coordinate information" may be absolute position information or relative position information based on an arbitrary position within a farm field, etc. The self-propelled device 300 may acquire such coordinate information using GNSS (Global Navigation System), including GPS, LiDAR, an ultrasonic sensor, an inertial measurement unit, etc. Note that in FIG. 1C, the relative position information is shown as x and y coordinates.

[0017] In this embodiment, the "map information" is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, information created by SLAM or the like as the self-propelled device 300 moves within the field.

[0018] The server 200 performs a process of setting sections in the map information of the field, and may function as a management device for managing the entire field in an integrated manner. Specifically, the server 200 has a setting unit that acquires first coordinate information and second coordinate information in response to trigger information acquired from the user terminal 100 via the communication I / F 220 and the network N, and sets sections in the map information of the field based on the first coordinate information and second coordinate information.

[0019] The server 200 is responsible for the control calculations of the entire system, and may also serve as an instruction unit that instructs the self-propelled device 300, etc. on the driving route, a processing unit that performs various processes on the acquired information, and a prediction unit that predicts the yield of agricultural crops and workload.

[0020] The self-propelled device 300 is a device that moves by itself within a farm field, and may have various sensors for acquiring coordinate information as well as various sensors for acquiring environmental parameters such as the temperature and humidity of the farm field.

[0021] Of the self-propelled devices 300, the device that self-propels within the field to acquire coordinate information for setting up divisions in the map information is referred to as the first self-propelled device 310, and the device that self-propels within the field after the divisions have been set to collect various data and perform agricultural work within the field is referred to as the second self-propelled device 320.

[0022] There are no particular restrictions as long as the configuration is such that it achieves the above-mentioned objective, but for example, the first self-propelled device 310 may have an acquisition unit that acquires first trigger information from a user terminal and acquires second trigger information from the user terminal after the first trigger information, and an output unit that outputs to the agricultural support device first coordinate information when the first trigger information is acquired and second coordinate information when the second trigger information is acquired.

[0023] 1D shows a top view illustrating how the first self-propelled device 310 acquires the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information. For example, a user traveling within a field with the self-propelled device 300 can operate the user terminal 100 at any time to transmit the first trigger information and the second trigger information to the self-propelled device 300. The self-propelled device 300 then acquires first coordinate information 541 when it acquires the first trigger information and second coordinate information 542 when it acquires the second trigger information. The server 200 then sets a section 630 in the map information based on the first coordinate information 541 and the second coordinate information 542.

[0024] By employing a system constructed in this manner, it is possible to set a section 630 at any time based on first coordinate information 541 indicating the start point of the section and second coordinate information 542 indicating the end point. By acquiring the first coordinate information 541 and second coordinate information 542 manually set by the user in accordance with the section 530 in the field 500 that has previously been used by the farm worker, the section 630 set in the map data of the field 500 will correspond to the section 530 in the actual field 500 that has previously been used by the farm worker.

[0025] Furthermore, for example, the second self-propelled device 320 may have an output unit that outputs third coordinate information for identifying the section in which the self-propelled device is located to the agricultural support device. FIG. 1E is a top view illustrating the manner in which the second self-propelled device 320 acquires the third to fifth coordinate information. As shown in FIG. 1D above, after a section 630 corresponding to a section 530 in the actual field 500 is set in the map information, the server 200 can use this information to identify the section in which the second self-propelled device 320 is located. Specifically, the server 200 can identify the section based on the coordinate information from the second self-propelled device 320.

[0026] The timing of transmission of coordinate information from the second self-propelled device 320 is not particularly limited and may be unrelated to user operation. For example, the second self-propelled device 320 may transmit coordinate information to the server 200 as needed, such as the third coordinate information 543 to the fifth coordinate information 545, continuously or intermittently at predetermined time intervals. The server 200 may then transmit and display information about the section in which the second self-propelled device 320 is located, for example, to a user terminal. This allows the user to know the location of the second self-propelled device 320 in terms of the actual section in the field, rather than using coordinate information.

[0027] In addition, if the server 200 is aware of the planned driving route of the second self-propelled device 320, the server 200 may detect deviation of the second self-propelled device 320 from the planned driving route and correct the coordinates based on that detection, in accordance with the coordinate information obtained from the second self-propelled device 320.

[0028] 1.1 Server 200 The hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 200 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2A, and then each control will be described in detail in association with the functional configuration of the server 200.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2A, the server 200 includes, for example, a processor 210, a communication interface 220, an input / output interface 230, a memory 240, a storage 250, and one or more communication buses 260 for interconnecting these components.

[0030] The processor 210 executes processes, functions, or methods implemented by code or instructions included in a program stored in the storage 250. The processor 210 may include, for example and without limitation, one or more central processing units (CPUs), MPUs, GPUs, etc., and may implement the processes, functions, or methods disclosed in each embodiment by logic circuits (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit or the like, or by dedicated circuits.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2A , the processor 210 of this embodiment may be configured to function as a transceiver 211 , an acquisition unit 212 , a setting unit 213 , an identification unit 214 , a determination unit 215 , and a correction unit 216 .

[0032] The communication interface 220 transmits and receives various data to and from other devices via the network N. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as mutual communication is possible. For example, the communication interface 220 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these. The network N is not particularly limited as long as it is a known wireless or wired communication network. The network may include one or more networks.

[0033] The input / output interface 230 may include information input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, and information output devices such as a display. Note that the agricultural support device 200 may receive a predetermined input or execute a predetermined output by connecting an external input / output interface 230.

[0034] The memory 240 temporarily stores programs loaded from the storage 250 and provides a working area for the processor 210. The memory 240 also temporarily stores various data generated while the processor 210 is executing the programs. The memory 240 may be, for example, a high-speed random access memory such as a DRAM, an SRAM, a DDR RAM, or another random access solid-state storage device, or a combination of these.

[0035] The storage 250 stores programs, each functional unit, and various data. The storage 250 may store travel data 251 related to the travel of the self-propelled device 300, information 252 related to the plots set by the server 200, and map information 253 of the field. The storage 250 may be, for example, one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or nonvolatile memories such as other nonvolatile solid-state storage devices, or a combination of these. Another example of the storage 250 is one or more storage devices installed remotely from the processor 210.

[0036] The transmitter / receiver unit 211 may function, for example, as a transmitter that transmits various information to other devices such as the user terminal 100 and the self-propelled device 300 via the communication interface 220 and the network N, or as a receiver that receives various information from other devices such as the user terminal 100 and the self-propelled device 300.

[0037] For example, the transmitter / receiver 211 may receive first coordinate information 541 and second coordinate information 542 from a first self-propelled device 310 that is self-propelled within a farm field ( FIG. 1D ). Here, the first coordinate information 541 is information indicating the position coordinates of the first self-propelled device 310 at the time when the first self-propelled device 310 receives first trigger information from the user terminal 100. Furthermore, the second coordinate information 542 is information indicating the position coordinates of the first self-propelled device 310 at the time when the first self-propelled device 310 receives second trigger information from the user terminal 100 after the first trigger information.

[0038] In this embodiment, "coordinate information" refers to information for numerically expressing a specific position in a field space, and may be two-dimensional coordinates or three-dimensional coordinates. Furthermore, the coordinate information may be absolute position information such as longitude and latitude, or may be relative position information with respect to an arbitrary origin. The relative position information may be expressed in an orthogonal coordinate system such as x and y, or may be expressed in a polar coordinate system using a distance r from the origin and an angle θ from the origin.

[0039] Furthermore, the "trigger information" is information that instructs the first self-propelled device 310 on the timing to acquire coordinate information, and may, for example, instruct the first self-propelled device 310 to immediately acquire coordinate information at that time when the trigger information is received, or to acquire coordinate information at a predetermined time. The "trigger information" is transmitted to the first self-propelled device 310 via the network N in response to an operation on the user terminal 100.

[0040] Furthermore, the transmitter / receiver 211 may receive third coordinate information 543, fourth coordinate information 544, and fifth coordinate information 545 from the second self-propelled device 320 self-propelled within the field ( FIG. 1E ). Here, the third coordinate information 543, fourth coordinate information 544, and fifth coordinate information 545 are information indicating the position coordinates of the second self-propelled device 320, acquired at any timing by the second self-propelled device 320. The fourth coordinate information is coordinate information acquired before the third coordinate information, and the fifth coordinate information is coordinate information acquired after the third coordinate information.

[0041] The transmitter / receiver 211 may receive the third coordinate information 543, the fourth coordinate information 544, the fifth coordinate information 545, etc., as well as imaging information acquired at that position and other information about the field.

[0042] The transmitting / receiving unit 211 may record the received first coordinate information 541 and second coordinate information 542 in the traveling data 251 related to the first self-propelled device 310. Similarly, the transmitting / receiving unit 211 may record the received third coordinate information 543, fourth coordinate information 544, and fifth coordinate information 545 in the traveling data 251 related to the second self-propelled device 320.

[0043] 2B shows an example of the data structure of the driving data 251. In the driving data 251, a "driving ID" that uniquely identifies the autonomous driving data, a "vehicle ID" that uniquely identifies the first self-propelled device 310 or the second self-propelled device 320 that drove, and a "driving log" that is information related to the driving results may be recorded in association with each other.

[0044] In particular, the "travel log" may record coordinate information such as the first coordinate information 541 to the fifth coordinate information 545 received from the first self-propelled device 310 or the second self-propelled device 320, and may also store travel records such as the travel location, travel route, travel speed, and time spent traveling independently, "trigger information" acquired during travel, "coordinate information" corresponding to the trigger information, and information regarding the travel schedule received from the server 200, etc. Each piece of coordinate information may also be recorded in association with any information within the field acquired by the first self-propelled device 310 or the second self-propelled device 320 at that coordinate, such as image data.

[0045] The driving route included in the "driving log" may include a predetermined planned driving route of the first self-propelled device 310 or the second self-propelled device 320, and the driving route actually traveled by the first self-propelled device 310 or the second self-propelled device 320, as determined from the first coordinate information 541 to the fifth coordinate information 545, etc.

[0046] The acquisition unit 212 may, for example, acquire first coordinate information 541 when the first self-propelled device self-propelled in the field acquires first trigger information from the user terminal, and second coordinate information 542 when the first self-propelled device acquires second trigger information from the user terminal after the first trigger information, by referring to the travel data 251. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 212 may acquire the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information directly from the transmission / reception unit 211 that received the coordinate information.

[0047] Similarly, the acquisition unit 212 may acquire the third coordinate information 543 to the fifth coordinate information 545 of the second self-propelled device that is self-propelled within the field by referring to the traveling data 251, or may acquire the third coordinate information 543 to the fifth coordinate information 545 directly from the transmission / reception unit 211 that received the coordinate information.

[0048] The setting unit 213 sets a section based on the first coordinate information 541 and the second coordinate information 542. For example, the setting unit 213 may set the first coordinate information 541 as the start point of the section, the second coordinate information 542 as the end point of the section, and set the area between the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information as a section 630 on the map information in the lane on which the first self-propelled device 310 is traveling ( FIG. 1D ). In other words, the length of the section in direction D1 may be defined by the first coordinate information 541 and the second coordinate information 542. Furthermore, when rows of trees 510 are spaced apart at regular intervals, such as 2 m, the width w of the section in direction D2 can be set to the width w. In this way, the area of ​​a specified lane between the first coordinate information 541 and the second coordinate information 542 may be set as a section.

[0049] The second coordinate information 542 that is treated as the end point of a certain section may be treated as the first coordinate information 541 of the next section, i.e., the start point of the section. This allows section setting to be performed without creating gaps between sections that are lined up in the direction D1.

[0050] In this embodiment, for example, while the user moves through the field together with the first self-propelled device 310, the user operates the user terminal 100 at any timing in accordance with the division of the actual field. As a result, the trigger information received from the user terminal 100 reflects the start and end points of the division of the actual field. Therefore, even if the divisions 530 within the field are more uneven as shown in FIG. 1A, for example, it is possible to represent divisions 630 equivalent to the actual field on the map information 600.

[0051] The setting unit 213 may record information about the set plot in plot information 252. Fig. 2C shows an example of the data configuration of plot information. In plot information 252, a "plot ID" for uniquely identifying the plot, a "plot name" that is the name or label of the plot in the actual field, such as (lane 1, zone b) that is convenient for management by agricultural workers, and a "coordinate range" that corresponds to the range of the plot may be recorded in association with each other.

[0052] The identification unit 214 may identify the section 630 in which the second self-propelled device 320 is located based on the third coordinate information 543 of the second self-propelled device 320 acquired by the acquisition unit 212, and may output the identified section to, for example, the user terminal 100 or another terminal. At this time, the identification unit 214 may identify the section corresponding to the third coordinate information 543 by referring to the section information 252. For example, as shown in FIG. 1C , if the acquired third coordinate information 543 is (2, 6), the identification unit 214 can identify that the second self-propelled device 320 is in the section of lane 1, zone b.

[0053] 1E, the determination unit 215 determines whether the third coordinate information 543 is within the passage of the section or within the allowable width of the preset planned travel route of the second self-propelled device 320. Here, the passage of the section may be the center line of the lane. If the third coordinate information 543 is within the allowable width, it can be determined that the second self-propelled device 320 is proceeding along the planned travel route, and if the third coordinate information 543 is outside the allowable width, it can be determined that the second self-propelled device 320 may be deviating from the planned travel route.

[0054] Note that Figure 1E shows an example in which the allowable width is defined from the center line of the lane, but since the planned driving route may not necessarily coincide with the center line, the allowable width may also be set based on the planned driving route (teaching line).

[0055] The allowable width may be set not only in the width direction D2 but also in the traveling direction D1. Specifically, when the third coordinate information 543 is further back than the fourth coordinate information 544 in the predetermined traveling direction D1 of the second self-propelled device 310, the determination unit 215 may determine that the third coordinate information 543 is outside the range of the allowable width, indicating that the second self-propelled device 310 has deviated from the planned traveling route.

[0056] 1E , when third coordinate information 543 is outside the range of the allowable width, correction unit 216 may correct it based on fourth coordinate information 544 acquired before third coordinate information 543 and fifth coordinate information 545 acquired after third coordinate information 543. The correction may include correcting third coordinate information 543 that is outside the range of the allowable width based on coordinate information acquired before and after it, or may include flagging third coordinate information 543 that is outside the range of the allowable width as invalid so that it is not recorded in the driving data or is not used as valid information for identifying the driving route.

[0057] The method of correction based on the coordinate information acquired before and after is not particularly limited, but for example, instead of the third coordinate information 543 that is outside the range of the allowable width, the third coordinate information may be corrected based on the fourth coordinate information 544 and the fifth coordinate information 545 that are within the range of the allowable width. Specifically, the third coordinate information 543 may be corrected as the midpoint between the fourth coordinate information 544 and the fifth coordinate information 545. Furthermore, when there are consecutive pieces of third coordinate information 543 that are outside the range of the allowable width, the corrected third coordinate information 543 may be obtained by proportional division based on the fourth coordinate information 544 and the fifth coordinate information 545 that are located before and after the series of third coordinate information 543 that are outside the range of the allowable width, i.e., that sandwich the series of coordinate information that are outside the range of the allowable width.

[0058] 2. Operational Processing The processing for setting sections in map information will be described below with reference to the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 3A.

[0059] 3A, in step S01, the first self-propelled device 310 acquires first trigger information from the user terminal 100, and in step S02, the first self-propelled device 310 acquires first coordinate information in response to the first trigger information and transmits it to the server 200. Then, in step S03, the server 200 records the first coordinate information.

[0060] Similarly, in step S04, the first self-propelled device 310 acquires second trigger information from the user terminal 100, and in step S05, the first self-propelled device 310 acquires second coordinate information in response to the second trigger information and transmits it to the server 200. Then, in step S06, the server 200 records the second coordinate information. In this way, coordinate information corresponding to trigger information is accumulated in the traveling data 251.

[0061] Then, in step S04, the setting unit 213 of the server 200 sets a section in the map information of the field. Specifically, from the travel data 251 in which a large amount of coordinate information is accumulated, the setting unit 213 may identify the coordinate information acquired corresponding to trigger information that is in a chronological order as the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information, and set the area between the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information as the section 630 on the map information.

[0062] Next, a process for identifying the position of the second mobile device 320 within the field using map information in which sections are set will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3B.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3B, in step S11, the acquisition unit 212 of the server 200 acquires third coordinate information, and in step S12, the determination unit 215 determines whether the third coordinate information is within the allowable range.

[0064] If the third coordinate information is within the allowable range, the section is identified in step S14, and the result is output to the user terminal, etc. On the other hand, if the third coordinate information is outside the allowable range, the third coordinate information is corrected in step S13, and the section is identified in step S14, and the result is output to the user terminal, etc.

[0065] 3. Agricultural Support Method The agricultural support method of this embodiment includes the steps of: an agricultural support device acquiring first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device self-propelled within a farm field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal; and second coordinate information when a first self-propelled device acquires second trigger information from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and setting a section in map information of the farm field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

[0066] Note that the specific aspects of the method of this embodiment have been described above in the control process, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0067] 4. Program The program of this embodiment causes the agricultural support device to execute the steps of acquiring first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device self-propelled within a farm field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal and second coordinate information when second trigger information is acquired from the user terminal after the first trigger information, and setting a section in map information of the farm field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

[0068] The program may be recorded on a readable recording medium. Note that the specific aspects of the processing executed by the program of this embodiment have been described in the control processing section above, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0069] The present invention has industrial applicability as a component technology that can be used in smart agriculture systems.

[0070] 1...Smart agriculture system, 100...User terminal, 200...Server, 210...Processor, 211...Transmitter / receiver unit, 212...Acquisition unit, 213...Setting unit, 214...Identification unit, 215...Determination unit, 216...Correction unit, 220...Communication interface, 230...Agricultural support device, 230...Input / output interface, 240...Memory, 250...Storage, 251...Traveling data, 252...Plot information , 253...map information, 260...communication bus, 300...self-propelled device, 310...first self-propelled device, 320...second self-propelled device, 500...field, 510...row of trees, 520...lane, 530...section, zone, 541...first coordinate information, 542...second coordinate information, 543...third coordinate information, 544...fourth coordinate information, 545...fifth coordinate information, 600...map information, 630...section, N...network, w...width.

Claims

1. An agricultural support device having: an acquisition unit that acquires first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device that self-propels within a farm field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal, and second coordinate information when second trigger information is acquired from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and a setting unit that sets divisions in map information of the farm field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

2. The agricultural support device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the area between the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information as the section in the lane on which the first self-propelled device is traveling.

3. The agricultural support device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires third coordinate information from a second self-propelled device that is self-propelled within a farm field, and has an identification unit that identifies the plot in which the second self-propelled device is located based on the third coordinate information.

4. An agricultural support device as described in claim 3, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether the third coordinate information is within the allowable width range of the passageway of the section or the preset travel route of the second self-propelled device, and a correction unit that, if the third coordinate information is outside the allowable width range, corrects the third coordinate information based on fourth coordinate information obtained before the third coordinate information and fifth coordinate information obtained after the third coordinate information.

5. The agricultural support device according to claim 4, wherein the correction unit corrects the third coordinate information based on the fourth coordinate information and the fifth coordinate information that are within the range of the allowable width.

6. The agricultural support device described in claim 4, wherein the determination unit determines that the third coordinate information is outside the range of the allowable width when the third coordinate information is further back than the fourth coordinate information in the predetermined traveling direction of the second self-propelled device.

7. An agricultural support method in which an agricultural support device executes the steps of: acquiring first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device self-propelled within a field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal, and second coordinate information when second trigger information is acquired from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and setting a section in map information of the field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

8. A program that causes an agricultural support device to execute the steps of: acquiring first coordinate information when a first self-propelled device that is self-propelled within a farm field acquires first trigger information from a user terminal; and second coordinate information when second trigger information is acquired from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and setting a section in map information of the farm field based on the first coordinate information and the second coordinate information.

9. A self-propelled device that moves within a farm field, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first trigger information from a user terminal and acquires second trigger information from the user terminal after the first trigger information; and an output unit that outputs, to an agricultural support device, first coordinate information when the first trigger information is acquired and second coordinate information when the second trigger information is acquired.

10. A self-propelled device that moves within a farm field, the self-propelled device having an output unit that outputs, to an agricultural support device, coordinate information for identifying the plot in which the self-propelled device is located.

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