Inter-Area Route Scheduling for Autonomous Field Work Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ensuring safety and efficiency for work vehicles to automatically run between multiple areas while preventing accidents and reducing running efficiency issues on connection routes.
Innovation Solution
A setting method that sets an inter-area route for work vehicles to automatically run on connection routes and designates an automatic run permission area encompassing multiple work areas and connection routes, allowing for safe and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple work vehicles are allowed to automatically run on the same connection route between fields, then running efficiency is improved, but safety is compromised due to difficulty in ensuring safe operation
Solution Approach 1:
The connection route is divided into multiple time slots, with each time slot assigned to a specific work vehicle. This temporal segmentation allows multiple vehicles to use the same route without conflicting with each other, thereby maintaining safety while enabling efficient utilization of the route by multiple vehicles across different time periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns time slots to work vehicles based on their specific needs, field locations, and operational schedules. This dynamic allocation optimizes route usage efficiency while ensuring that safety constraints are met through controlled, scheduled access to the connection route.
2Reliability
If the work vehicle transiently stops and waits at field entrance/exit to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but running efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scheduling of time slots for each work vehicle before they actually use the connection route. By pre-assigning specific time windows for route usage, the system eliminates the need for transient stops and waiting at field entrances/exits, as vehicles can proceed directly through the route during their allocated time slot without safety conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a scheduling management mechanism that monitors and coordinates the movements of multiple work vehicles. This feedback-based coordination ensures that vehicles proceed through connection routes in their assigned time slots without needing to stop and wait, thereby maintaining both safety and running efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the work vehicle runs automatically on public roads without designated permission areas, then ease of operation is improved, but safety is compromised due to inability to control running environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system designates specific connection routes with automatic run permission, creating localized zones where automatic running is permitted. This local quality approach allows the work vehicle to operate automatically with high ease of operation on designated routes while maintaining safety control through the restricted, approved nature of these specific routes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a scheduling management mechanism as an intermediary between the work vehicle's automatic run capability and the public road environment. This intermediary assigns time slots and designates permission areas, enabling automatic operation while maintaining safety control through the mediating scheduling system that coordinates vehicle movements with road conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A setting process unit sets an inter-area route that causes a work vehicle to automatically run on a road that connects a plurality of fields, and sets, as an automatic run permission area that permits the automatic run of the work vehicle, a given range including the plurality of fields and the road which is for entering each of the plurality of fields.