Agricultural Travel Control for Outermost Field Edge Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional travel control systems for work vehicles struggle to perform automatic travel in the outermost peripheral regions of agricultural fields without colliding with ridges or leaving unworked areas, as they often prohibit automatic travel in these regions due to safety concerns.

Innovation Solution

A travel control system that includes a permission unit to allow automatic travel in the outermost peripheral region if predetermined conditions are met, such as a reference value exceeding the work device's lateral width and a threshold value determined by a threshold value determination unit, which considers the work device's width, sensor detection range, turning radius, and drive mode, ensuring safe navigation and complete coverage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic travel is executed in the outermost peripheral region, then work coverage is improved, but the risk of collision with ridges increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework coverageVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes parameters (reference value, threshold value) based on device dimensions and sensor capabilities to dynamically adjust permission conditions for outermost periphery automatic traveling, enabling safe operation when conditions are met

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The judgment unit continuously monitors whether permission conditions are satisfied based on sensor detection range and device parameters, providing feedback control to permit or prohibit outermost periphery automatic traveling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the reference value is set larger to prevent ridge collision, then safety is improved, but unworked regions may appear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveridge collision preventionVSAvoidwork coverage completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system optimizes the reference value parameter by balancing two conditions: being larger than device lateral width for safety, and being larger than threshold value for complete coverage, achieving both safety and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a reference value that is excessively larger than the device lateral width to ensure safety margin, while the threshold value determination ensures this excess does not create unworked regions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If conventional travel control systems prohibit automatic travel in outermost peripheral region, then collision risk is reduced, but work coverage is incomplete

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidfield coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of universally prohibiting outermost periphery automatic traveling, the system inverts the approach by permitting it when specific permission conditions are satisfied, achieving both safety and complete coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses parameter-based permission conditions (reference value comparison with lateral width and threshold value) to dynamically determine whether to permit outermost periphery automatic traveling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4140266A1Travel control system for an agricultural machine
Publication Date: 2023.03.01 KUBOTA CORP
  • EP4140266A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4140266A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4140266A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A travel control system includes a permission unit that permits outermost periphery automatic traveling if predetermined permission conditions are satisfied. The permission conditions include a first condition and a second condition. The first condition is that a reference value corresponding to a working width (W1) of a work device (30) is larger than a lateral width (W2) of the work device. The second condition is that the reference value is larger than a threshold value determined by a threshold value determination unit. The threshold value determination unit determines the threshold value based on a reference distance (D1) between a front end position of a work vehicle (1) and a reference position (SP) at which the work device (30) is switched from a working state to a non-working state.