Work Vehicle Route Correction Using Adaptive Deviation Thresholds

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing automatic traveling systems for work vehicles face reduced work efficiency due to frequent position and orientation deviations when traveling on uneven or sloped farm fields, leading to repeated correction operations to avoid collisions with crops.

Innovation Solution

An automatic traveling method, system, and program that allows the work vehicle to adjust threshold values for position and orientation deviations based on travel history information, preventing unnecessary correction operations and improving work efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the threshold value for deviation is set low to avoid collision with crops, then collision avoidance is improved, but correction operations are executed frequently reducing work efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the threshold value changeable rather than fixed. The threshold value is dynamically adjusted based on the work vehicle's travel history information, allowing the system to adapt to different field conditions and reduce unnecessary correction operations while maintaining collision avoidance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of the threshold value based on travel history information. By modifying this critical parameter dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between collision avoidance and work efficiency, executing corrections only when truly necessary

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the threshold value is set high to improve work efficiency, then work efficiency is improved, but the risk of collision with crops increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidcollision avoidance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the work vehicle's travel history information to adjust the threshold value. This feedback mechanism ensures that the threshold is optimized based on actual performance data, maintaining high work efficiency while preventing collisions through learned adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If correction operations are executed frequently to maintain position accuracy, then position accuracy is improved, but work efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by storing and analyzing travel history information in advance. This pre-processing of data allows the system to set optimal threshold values before execution, reducing the need for frequent correction operations while maintaining position accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4099124B1Automatic traveling method, automatic traveling system, and automatic traveling program
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 YANMAR HLDG CO LTD
  • EP4099124B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4099124B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4099124B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem] To provide an automatic traveling method, an automatic traveling system, and an automatic traveling program, by which it is possible to improve work efficiency of a work by a work vehicle traveling automatically. [Solution] An automatic traveling method includes causing a work vehicle 10 to automatically travel according to a target route R in a farm field F, changeably setting a threshold value of a deviation including at least one of a position deviation and an orientation deviation of the work vehicle 10 with respect to the target route R, and causing the work vehicle 10 to execute a correction operation for correcting the deviation if the deviation exceeds the threshold value.