Auto-Steering Transition Control for Agricultural Steering Wheels

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing agricultural field work vehicles with automatic steering systems often experience abrupt movements of the steering tool when automatic steering starts, causing discomfort to the operator.

Innovation Solution

The agricultural field work vehicle is equipped with an automatic steering controller that performs suppression processing to gradually change the target steering parameters at the start of automatic control, thereby gently moving the steering tool and ensuring operator comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the steering mechanism operates at high speed when automatic steering starts, then the turning response is fast and productivity is improved, but the steering tool moves abruptly causing operator discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesteering mechanism speedVSAvoidoperator comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The automatic steering controller performs suppression processing on target steering parameters before the steering mechanism fully activates, gradually increasing the steering amount rather than immediate high-speed operation. This preliminary gradual activation prevents abrupt movement of the steering tool while transitioning to automatic control, resolving the contradiction between fast response and operator comfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the steering mechanism speed based on the operational state. When transitioning from manual to automatic steering, the controller suppresses target steering parameters to limit speed and reduce abrupt movements. Once the transition is complete, the system can operate at higher speeds for improved productivity, making the speed characteristic adaptable rather than fixed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the steering tool is configured to change steering amount in conjunction with drive control, then the steering response is accurate and manufacturing precision is improved, but the abrupt movement at start causes operator discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesteering control precisionVSAvoidoperator comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Before the steering mechanism begins full operation, the controller applies suppression processing to target steering parameters, establishing a gradual transition profile. This preliminary action ensures that when the steering tool changes steering amount in conjunction with drive control, it does so smoothly rather than abruptly, maintaining both precision and comfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller changes the target steering parameters dynamically based on the operational phase. During state transition from manual to automatic steering, the parameters are suppressed to limit the rate of change. After transition completion, normal precision control parameters are applied. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between precise control and operator comfort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4509389A1Agricultural field work vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.02.19 KUBOTA CORP
  • EP4509389A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4509389A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4509389A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An agricultural field work vehicle capable of performing automatic steering to travel along a target route, including: a steered wheel; a steering mechanism (3) that includes a steering tool (3A) and performs a steering operation to steer the steered wheel, the steering tool accepting a manual operation; an automatic steering controller (1) that is configured to change a state thereof between a non-controlling state where the automatic steering is not performed and an automatic control state where the automatic steering is performed, and outputs at least one target steering parameter used to travel along the target route in the automatic control state; and a steering drive device (31) that performs drive control on the steering mechanism (3) based on the at least one target steering parameter when the automatic steering controller (1) is in the automatic control state. The steering tool (3A) is configured to change a steering amount thereof in conjunction with the drive control by the steering drive device (31). The automatic steering controller (1) is configured to perform suppression processing to suppress the at least one target steering parameter in response to a state change from the non-controlling state to the automatic control state.