Work Vehicle Auto Steering on Slopes With Dynamic Judgment Range

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural working machines face instability in automatic steering when starting on a non-straight line or on slopes, leading to challenging initial behavior and difficulty in maintaining alignment with the set traveling line.

Innovation Solution

A working vehicle equipped with a steering device, positioning device, and display device that includes an orientation scale and controller to adjust the judgment range for automatic steering based on vehicle inclination, ensuring stable switching from manual to automatic steering and maintaining alignment with the reference traveling line.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If automatic steering is started when the vehicle body is inclined on a slope, then the automatic steering can be initiated, but the initial behavior becomes unstable and the vehicle cannot maintain alignment with the reference traveling line

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of initiating automatic steeringVSAvoidstability of automatic steering
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the judgment range parameter dynamically based on vehicle inclination. When the vehicle is inclined beyond a threshold angle, the system expands the allowable orientational difference range before permitting automatic steering initiation. This parameter adaptation allows the system to accommodate sloped conditions while maintaining stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of vehicle inclination using an inclination detector device before allowing automatic steering to start. By checking the inclination state in advance and adjusting the judgment range accordingly, the system prevents unstable operation from occurring in the first place.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the judgment range for orientational difference is fixed, then the control logic is simple, but the automatic steering cannot adapt to inclined terrains and maintains poor stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of control logicVSAvoidadaptability to inclined terrain
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the judgment range dynamic rather than fixed. The controller automatically adjusts the allowable orientational difference based on real-time inclination data, expanding the range when inclined and narrowing it when level. This dynamic adaptation maintains both simplicity and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the judgment range parameter according to the detected inclination angle. When the vehicle body inclination exceeds a predetermined threshold, the system increases the maximum allowable orientational difference, enabling adaptability to different terrain conditions while keeping the underlying control logic relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If the automatic steering uses a strict orientational difference threshold, then the alignment precision is high on level ground, but the system fails to start or becomes unstable on slopes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precision with reference lineVSAvoidcapability to operate on slopes
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements parameter changes by adjusting the orientational difference threshold based on inclination. On level ground, the system maintains a strict threshold for high precision alignment. When inclined beyond the threshold angle, the system relaxes the threshold to allow automatic steering initiation and stable operation on slopes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary inclination detection and adjusts the judgment range before automatic steering begins. This preliminary action ensures that the appropriate precision level is set in advance based on terrain conditions, allowing the system to maintain high precision when possible while adapting to slopes when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3811749B1Work vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.07.09 KUBOTA CORP
  • EP3811749B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3811749B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3811749B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A working vehicle (1) includes a steering device (11) having a steering handle (30), a vehicle body (3) to travel with either manual steering by the steering handle (30) or automatic steering of the steering handle (30) based on a traveling reference traveling line (L1), and a controller (60B) to permit the automatic steering based on a plurality of steering angles of the steering device (11) obtained when the vehicle body (3) travels in a predetermined distance with the manual steering.