Battery-Aware Work Vehicle Speed Restriction for Range Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of work vehicles engaged in utility work in fields may fail to notice predictions of fuel consumption efficiency deterioration, leading to unexpected stops due to energy source exhaustion at distant locations from replenishment sites, causing inconvenience and trouble in replenishing the energy source.

Innovation Solution

A work vehicle equipped with a driving wheel, power source, output instruction acquisition section, traveling control unit, reservoir section for energy storage, remaining amount detection section, and a restriction section that reduces maximum speed when the energy source reaches a preset threshold, prompting the user to replenish the energy source by creating awareness of diminishing energy levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the work vehicle operates at normal speed without intervention, then productivity is maintained, but the user may fail to notice energy source depletion leading to unexpected stops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of unexpected stopVSAvoidwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively restricting the vehicle speed when the energy source remaining amount falls below a threshold value. This prevents the harmful effect of unexpected stops by acting before energy depletion occurs, while the restriction is designed to be minimal enough not to significantly impact overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Loss of information

If the maximum speed is restricted to alert the user, then awareness of energy depletion is improved, but traveling time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser awareness of energy levelVSAvoidtraveling time to replenishment site
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The speed restriction mechanism employs dynamics by adjusting the maximum speed based on the remaining energy source amount. When energy is充足, normal speed is maintained. When energy drops below the threshold, speed restriction is applied dynamically to alert the user, creating a variable operational state that balances awareness and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Use of energy by moving object

If the work unit is stopped to conserve energy, then energy source preservation is improved, but work productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy source preservationVSAvoidutility work output
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system stops the work unit as a preliminary anti-action when energy source depletion is detected, preventing the more severe consequence of vehicle stoppage. This hierarchical approach prioritizes maintaining mobility over continuous work output, ensuring the vehicle can reach a replenishment site while minimizing overall productivity loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentEP3705341B1Work vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 KUBOTA CORP
  • EP3705341B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3705341B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3705341B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A work vehicle (1) includes a driving wheel (3) provided in a machine body, a motor (20) for inputting a rotational force to the driving wheel (3), a traveling control device (2) for acquiring an output instruction for the motor (20) according to an operation of a maneuvering lever (8), a traveling control unit (6) for controlling driving of the motor (20) in accordance with the output instruction, a battery (23) for reserving energy source for driving the motor (20), a remaining amount detection section (52) for detecting a remaining amount of the energy source in the battery (23), and a restriction section (53) for restricting a maximum speed of the machine body to a preset speed irrespectively of the output instruction if the remaining amount of the energy source is equal to or smaller than a preset first threshold value.