Work Vehicle Error Reporting for Multi-Vehicle Autonomous Operation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Monitoring multiple work vehicles that operate autonomously in a field or across multiple fields is challenging, as operators struggle to promptly identify which vehicle has encountered an error when errors occur simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

An automatic run method and system that enables work vehicles to autonomously operate, detect errors, and report specific information to an operation terminal, allowing for real-time monitoring and easy identification of faulty vehicles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple work vehicles automatically run in a field simultaneously, then productivity is improved through parallel work operations, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring error states increases making it hard for operators to grasp which vehicle has an error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoiderror detection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each work vehicle's error detection unit continuously monitors its own state and transmits error information to a central operation terminal. This feedback loop enables real-time monitoring of multiple vehicles, allowing operators to immediately identify which vehicle has encountered an error through displayed error information, thus resolving the difficulty of detecting errors in parallel-operating vehicles while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The operation terminal serves as an intermediary between multiple work vehicles and the operator. It collects error information from various vehicles via communication units and presents it in a centralized display, acting as a mediator that simplifies the operator's task of monitoring multiple vehicles simultaneously without reducing the parallel work capacity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If operators monitor multiple work vehicles simultaneously, then productivity is improved through parallel operations, but the loss of information occurs as operators cannot grasp which specific vehicle has an error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoiderror location information
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The error detection unit in each vehicle provides specific feedback about its own error state to the operation terminal, ensuring that no information is lost. The terminal displays this information with vehicle identification, allowing operators to precisely determine which vehicle has an error while maintaining simultaneous monitoring of all vehicles for continuous productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4317609A1Automatic run method, automatic run system, and automatic run program
Publication Date: 2024.02.07 YANMAR HLDG CO LTD
  • EP4317609A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4317609A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4317609A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem] Provide an automatic run method, an automatic run system, and an automatic run program that enable a user to easily grasp, when a plurality of work vehicles is automatically running, a work vehicle to which an error has occurred. [Solution] A detection process unit 112 detects an error of at least any of a plurality of work vehicles 10. A report process unit 113 causes, when an error of a work vehicle 10a among the plurality of work vehicles 10 is detected, specific information on the work vehicle 10a to be reported at an operation terminal 20 communicable with each of the plurality of work vehicles 10.