Work Vehicle Route Display for Start Point Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional work vehicles require manual operation to position the vehicle within a predetermined distance of the start point for automatic traveling, which can be challenging due to the wide area of fields with unworked and worked regions, making it difficult to determine the precise location of start points like field entrances, discharge positions, or return positions relative to the vehicle's position.
Innovation Solution
An automatic traveling method and system that uses a portable terminal to display a work screen showing the vehicle's position, target positions, and a connecting guideline, allowing easy determination of positional relationships, even when the target is not within the screen's view, and automatically hiding the guideline once traveling begins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the worker manually operates the work vehicle to position it within a predetermined distance of the start point for automatic traveling, then the automatic traveling can be started, but it becomes difficult to determine the precise location of the start point relative to the vehicle position when the field area is wide and the start point is far from the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a visual dimension to the display by showing a guideline that connects the vehicle position to the start point. This guideline extends beyond the visible field boundaries, allowing the operator to see the directional relationship and distance to the start point even when the start point itself is not visible on the current display view. This transforms a 2D map display into a 3D spatial relationship representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guideline acts as an intermediary visual element that bridges the gap between the vehicle position and the start point. Instead of requiring direct visibility of the start point, the guideline serves as a visual mediator that indicates the path and relationship, enabling the operator to understand the spatial relationship without both points being simultaneously visible on the display.
2Loss of information
If the display part shows the entire field map to display the start point position, then the start point becomes visible, but the area around the own vehicle position cannot be sufficiently enlarged for detailed confirmation
Solution Approach 1:
The guideline extends into the third dimension of visual information by projecting beyond the visible field boundaries. This allows the display to maintain a zoomed-in view of the vehicle area while still providing directional and distance information to distant points like the start point, effectively adding a depth dimension to the 2D display.
Solution Approach 2:
The display information is segmented into two parts: the detailed local view showing the vehicle position and surrounding area, and the global directional information provided by the guideline indicating the path to the start point. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
3Measurement precision
If the display part enlarges the area around the own vehicle position for detailed confirmation, then the detail of vehicle position area is improved, but the position of the start point may fail to be displayed
Solution Approach 1:
The guideline serves as a visual intermediary that compensates for the loss of start point visibility when the display is zoomed in. Even though the start point itself may not be visible in the enlarged view, the guideline extends from the vehicle position to indicate the direction and relative position of the start point, maintaining awareness of the target location.
Solution Approach 2:
By extending the guideline beyond the visible display boundaries, the system adds spatial context in another dimension. The guideline acts as a visual anchor that connects the detailed local view to the broader field context, allowing the operator to understand both the immediate vehicle surroundings and the overall position relative to the start point simultaneously.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide an automatic traveling method, a work vehicle, and an automatic traveling system that can easily determine the positional relationship between a target position and an own vehicle position in a field. [Solution] A combine harvester 1 is a work vehicle that performs automatic traveling in a field and is equipped with a control device 30 and a portable terminal 40. The portable terminal 40 includes the control device 41 and the display part 44. The control device 41 functions as the display control part 52 to display, on the display part 44, the automatic traveling route 74 for performing automatic traveling to the unworked region 73 in the field, the start point 75 that is the target point indicating the target position of the combine harvester 1 in the field, the own vehicle marker 71 indicating the own vehicle position of the combine harvester 1, and the guideline 80 connecting the start point 75 and the own vehicle marker 71.