CN117121702A - Automatic travel method, work vehicle, and automatic travel system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic travel method, a work vehicle and an automatic travel system, which can resume travel to a work path and improve workability regardless of the position of the work vehicle separated from the work path. A combine (1) is a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path (63) in a field (60), and is provided with a control device (30). The control device (30) functions as a return travel control unit (37), and the return travel control unit (37) automatically returns the combine (1) to the work path (63) in response to a return operation of the combine (1) in the field (60) when the combine (1) is separated from the work path (63).

Description

Automatic travel method, work vehicle, and automatic travel system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatic travel method, a work vehicle, and an automatic travel system for performing automatic travel of the work vehicle in a field.

Background

Conventionally, a work vehicle such as a combine harvester is configured to be capable of performing automatic travel in a field, and to automatically perform work such as harvesting while automatically traveling along a predetermined work path. Further, in some cases, the work vehicle temporarily stops the automatic travel so as to be separated from the work path and move to a position where the work is performed in order to perform the work in the middle of the discharge work of the harvested grain, the material and fuel replenishment work, and the like. In order to restart the automatic travel that is temporarily interrupted, the work vehicle needs to travel to the restoration travel of the work path.

For example, the automatic travel control system disclosed in patent document 1 includes: a route setting unit that sets a travel route for automatic travel; and an automatic travel control unit that performs automatic travel control of the machine body based on the position of the machine body and the travel path. The path setting unit calculates a restoration position in the travel path based on the halfway work position and the harvest condition of the field after the automatic travel is interrupted and the work is performed at the halfway work position set in advance in the field, and generates a restoration path that moves to the restoration position based on the restoration position and the harvest condition of the field.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2020-22429

In the prior art such as patent document 1, the restoration travel of the work vehicle is performed in accordance with the restoration route from the halfway work position to the restoration position, with the completion of the grain discharge operation as a trigger. However, in the conventional work vehicle, the operator cannot generate a return route at any timing and perform return travel, and therefore workability is lowered. In addition, in the conventional work vehicle, the restoration travel cannot be started at any position in the field, and when the vehicle is separated from the intermediate work position, the operator is required to move the work vehicle to the intermediate work position, and therefore the workability is lowered.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to provide an automatic travel method, a work vehicle and an automatic travel system, which can resume travel to a work path and improve workability regardless of the position of the work vehicle separated from the work path.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the automatic travel method according to the present invention is an automatic travel method for a work vehicle that performs automatic travel of a preset work path in a field, and includes a return travel step of automatically returning the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the work vehicle according to the present invention is a work vehicle that automatically travels along a preset work path in a field, and includes a return travel control unit that automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the automatic travel system according to the present invention is an automatic travel system for a work vehicle that performs automatic travel of a predetermined work path in a field, and includes a return travel control unit that, when the work vehicle is separated from the work path, automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic travel method, a work vehicle, and an automatic travel system that can resume traveling to a work path regardless of the position of the work vehicle that is separated from the work path and that can improve workability.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a combine harvester according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a combine harvester according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a first example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a second example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a third example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a fourth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a fifth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a sixth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a seventh example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing an eighth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a ninth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a tenth example of the return travel of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing a discharge travel of an eleventh example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing recovery running of an eleventh example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a discharge travel of a twelfth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a recovery travel of a twelfth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a plan view showing a discharge travel of a thirteenth example of a combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a plan view showing a restoration travel of a thirteenth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a plan view showing a discharge travel of a fourteenth example of a combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 20 is a plan view showing recovery running of a fourteenth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a plan view showing another example of recovery running of the fourteenth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a plan view showing a discharging travel of a fifteenth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 23 is a plan view showing a restoration travel of a fifteenth example of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 24 is a plan view showing a recovery travel of a sixteenth example of a combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 25 is a plan view showing a seventeenth example of a combine harvester according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the combine harvester is traveling in return.

Fig. 26 is a plan view showing an example of a work screen displayed on a mobile terminal of the combine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 27 is a side view of a tractor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 28 is a block diagram of a tractor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a plan view showing an eleventh example of the recovery running of the tractor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 30 is a plan view showing a twelfth example of the recovery running of the tractor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 31 is a plan view showing a thirteenth example of the recovery running of the tractor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

Combine harvester (work vehicle); 2. a driving part; harvesting part; control means; an automatic travel control unit; restoring the running control unit; 40. the mobile terminal; terminal side control means; 44. a display; 51. a job path generation unit; 53. a restoration route generation unit; 54. a display control unit; field; 61. the field is not operated; 62. already working place; 63. the job path; a disengaged position; 65. the recovery position; restoration path; job screen; 73. the restoration route generation button; tractor; vehicle body; a work machine; control means; an automatic travel control unit; a return travel control unit; mobile terminal; terminal side control means; 144. display; a job path generation unit; 153. a restoration path generating section; 154. display control.

Detailed Description

First embodiment

As a first embodiment of the work vehicle of the present invention, a combine harvester 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and the like. The combine harvester 1 is an example of a work vehicle capable of performing automatic travel such as harvesting while automatically traveling along a predetermined work path. The combine harvester 1 travels on a field to be worked by automatic driving or manual operation, and performs works such as harvesting for harvesting crops from a grain stalk planted in an unworked field. The combine 1 is a work vehicle that is restricted from traveling without work in an unworn field, in other words, is allowed to travel without work in an unworn field. The combine harvester 1 is configured to perform, for example, an automatic operation for controlling steering by automatic driving and a traveling speed by manual operation, and an unmanned operation for controlling steering and traveling speed by automatic driving, and capable of autonomously traveling, turning, and operating in a field.

The combine 1 performs harvesting work for a plurality of rows and columns of the grain stalks while traveling in a straight row and column having a harvesting width that is a predetermined number of rows and columns within the harvestable number of rows. The combine 1 may set any one of the manual travel mode and the automatic travel mode. The combine harvester 1 is configured as follows: when the manual travel mode is set, the manual travel is performed in accordance with the manipulation of the manipulation unit 9 by the operator.

On the other hand, the combine harvester 1 is configured to: when the automatic travel mode is set, automatic travel is performed in which the harvesting operation is automatically performed while automatically traveling along a predetermined work path in the field. For example, the combine 1 performs automatic travel in a travel mode such as reciprocating cutting along a plurality of straight paths in a region of a field having unharvested stalks (hereinafter referred to as unharvested ground), and repeated girdling while shifting the circumference of the straight path along the inner periphery of the unharvested ground to the center side. The combine 1 performs peripheral travel for harvesting operation while surrounding the outer peripheral shape of the land by performing peripheral travel before performing automatic travel, thereby forming a land in the land and setting the inner side of the land as an automatic travel work area.

The combine harvester 1 can temporarily interrupt automatic travel in the middle of the work path and can move to a middle work position where middle works such as discharging work of harvested grains and material and fuel replenishing work are performed when the combine harvester is separated from the work path at a predetermined separation position on the work path.

For example, the combine harvester 1 stores grains harvested from a field while performing harvesting travel, and a collection unit such as a truck or a container for collecting grains harvested by the combine harvester 1 is provided outside the field. The combine harvester 1 sets a discharge position (intermediate work position) at which grains are discharged from the combine harvester 1 to the recovery unit at a position adjacent to the recovery unit in the field. When grains are discharged during the automatic travel, the combine 1 interrupts the automatic travel at a predetermined disengagement position on the work path, and performs the discharge travel (traveling travel) from the disengagement position to the discharge position by automatic driving or manual operation. The disengagement position may be set based on, for example, the timing at which the storage amount of the cereal grains becomes full, or may be arbitrarily set according to an operation by the operator.

The combine 1 is configured to be able to perform recovery running, that is: after the combine harvester is separated from the working path, the combine harvester is automatically driven to the recovery position along the recovery path from the self-propelled position of the combine harvester 1 to the predetermined recovery position on the working path according to the predetermined recovery operation. The return position may be set at a separation position when the combine 1 is separated from the work path during automatic travel, may be set at another position on the work path based on the own vehicle position, the traveling direction, and the work state of the field of the combine 1, or may be set arbitrarily according to an operation by an operator.

As shown in fig. 1, the combine harvester 1 includes a travel unit 2, a harvesting unit 3, a threshing unit 4, a sorting unit 5, a storage unit 6, a straw processing unit 7, a power unit 8, and a handling unit 9, and is configured by a so-called combine harvester with harvesting and threshing functions (japanese self-threshing コ). The combine harvester 1 is driven by a driving unit 2, threshing the stalks harvested by a harvesting unit 3 by a threshing unit 4, sorting the grains by a sorting unit 5, and storing the grains in a storage unit 6. The combine harvester 1 processes the threshed straw by a straw processing part 7. The combine harvester 1 drives the traveling unit 2, the harvesting unit 3, the threshing unit 4, the sorting unit 5, the storage unit 6, and the straw processing unit 7 by power supplied from the power unit 8.

The traveling unit 2 is provided below the body frame 10, and includes a pair of left and right crawler traveling devices 11 and a transmission (not shown). The traveling unit 2 rotates the crawler belt of the crawler belt traveling device 11 by power (for example, rotational power) transmitted from the engine 27 of the power unit 8, and thereby turns the combine 1 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The transmission transmits the power (rotational power) of the power unit 8 to the crawler travel device 11, and also shifts the rotational power.

The harvesting unit 3 is provided in front of the travel unit 2, and performs harvesting operations for rows and columns within the harvestable line number. The harvesting unit 3 includes a crop divider 13, a lifting device 14, a cutting device 15, and a conveying device 16. The crop divider 13 divides the crop stalks of the field one by one, and guides the crop stalks of a predetermined number of rows within the harvestable number of rows to the lifting device 14. The lifting device 14 lifts the grain stalks guided by the crop divider 13. The cutting device 15 cuts off the grain stalks lifted by the lifting device 14. The conveying device 16 conveys the cereal bars cut by the cutting device 15 to the threshing unit 4. The harvesting unit 3 is configured to: when the harvesting operation is performed, the device is lowered to the operation position, and when the harvesting operation is not performed, the device is raised to the non-operation position.

The threshing part 4 is arranged behind the harvesting part 3. The threshing unit 4 includes a feed chain 18 and a threshing cylinder 19. The feed chain 18 conveys the stalks conveyed from the conveyor 16 of the harvesting unit 3 for threshing, and conveys the threshed stalks, that is, the stalks to the stalk processing unit 7. The threshing cylinder 19 threshes the cereal bars conveyed by the feed chain 18.

The sorting unit 5 is disposed below the threshing unit 4. The sorting unit 5 includes a swing sorting device 21, an air-blowing sorting device 22, a grain conveying device (not shown), and a grass cutting discharge device (not shown). The swing classifying device 21 screens the threshed objects falling from the threshing section 4 and classifies the threshed objects into grains, grass scraps, and the like. The air-blowing sorting device 22 sorts the threshed objects sorted by the swing sorting device 21 into grains, grass scraps, and the like by air blowing. The grain conveying apparatus conveys grains sorted by the swing sorting apparatus 21 and the air-blown sorting apparatus 22 to the storage unit 6. The grass clippings discharge device discharges the grass clippings separated by the swing separation device 21 and the air-blowing separation device 22, and the like, to the outside of the machine.

The storage unit 6 is provided on the right side of the threshing unit 4. The storage unit 6 includes a grain tank 24 and a discharge device 25. The grain box 24 stores grains conveyed from the sorting section 5. The maximum amount of grains that can be stored in the grain box 24 (maximum storage amount) is set for the storage unit 6. The discharge device 25 is constituted by an auger or the like, and discharges grains stored in the grain tank 24 to an arbitrary place.

The straw treatment part 7 is arranged behind the threshing part 4. The straw processing unit 7 includes a straw conveying device (not shown) and a straw cutting device (not shown). The straw conveying device conveys the straw conveyed from the feed chain 18 of the threshing unit 4 to the straw cutting device. The straw cutting device cuts off the straw conveyed by the straw conveying device and discharges the straw out of the machine.

The power unit 8 is provided above the running unit 2 and in front of the storage unit 6. The power unit 8 includes an engine 27 that generates rotational power. The power unit 8 transmits the rotational power generated by the engine 27 to the traveling unit 2, the harvesting unit 3, the threshing unit 4, the sorting unit 5, the storage unit 6, and the straw processing unit 7.

The operating section 9 is provided above the power section 8. The operating unit 9 includes, around a driver seat, which is a seat on which an operator sits, a handle for instructing turning of the body of the combine 1, a main shift lever and a sub shift lever for instructing a change in the forward and backward speed of the combine 1, and the like as operation elements for operating the travel of the combine 1. The manual travel of the combine harvester 1 is performed by the travel unit 2 that receives the operation of the handle of the operating unit 9, the main shift lever, and the sub shift lever. The operating unit 9 is provided with a mechanism for operating a harvesting operation by the harvesting unit 3, a threshing operation by the threshing unit 4, a discharging operation by the discharging device 25 of the storage unit 6, and the like.

The combine 1 includes a positioning unit 28 for acquiring the vehicle position of the combine 1 by using a satellite positioning system such as GNSS. The positioning unit 28 receives positioning signals from positioning satellites via positioning antennas, and obtains positional information of the positioning unit 28, that is, a self-vehicle position of the combine 1, based on the positioning signals. The positioning unit 115 may be constituted by a quantum compass instead of the positioning antenna.

Next, the control device 30 of the combine harvester 1 will be described with reference to fig. 2. The control device 30 is configured by a computer such as a CPU, and is connected to a storage unit 31 such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, and a flash memory, and a communication unit 32 for communicating with an external device.

The storage unit 31 stores programs and data for controlling various components and various functions of the combine harvester 1, and the control device 30 controls the various components and the various functions by executing arithmetic processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 31. The control device 30 obtains the self-vehicle position of the combine harvester 1 from the positioning unit 28, for example.

The communication unit 32 can perform wireless communication with external devices such as the mobile terminal 40 held by the operator via a wireless communication antenna. The control device 30 controls the communication unit 32 to perform wireless communication with the mobile terminal 40, and transmits and receives various information to and from the mobile terminal 40.

The control device 30 receives field information and a work path 63 set for the field 60, which is the work object of the combine harvester 1, from the mobile terminal 40 via the communication unit 32 as shown in fig. 3 to 12, and stores the information in the storage unit 31. The field 60 includes an unworn ground 61 where no work has yet been performed and an unworn ground 62 where the harvesting work of the grain stalks has been completed, and the work path 63 is provided in the unworn ground 61. The field information includes, for example, information such as shape, size, and position information (coordinates, etc.) of a field region along the outer periphery of the field 60, the non-worked field 61 in the field 60, and the shape, size, and position information (coordinates, etc.) of the worked field 62. The field information may include a midway work position such as a discharge position adjacent to the collection unit outside the field 60 in the field 60.

Further, the control device 30 operates as an automatic travel control unit 35, a traveling control unit 36, and a return travel control unit 37 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 31. The automatic travel control unit 35, the movement travel control unit 36, and the return travel control unit 37 implement an automatic travel process, a movement travel process, and a return travel process of the automatic travel method according to the present invention.

When the automatic travel mode is set, the automatic travel control unit 35 controls the automatic travel of the combine 1. When the automatic travel control unit 35 starts the automatic travel, it acquires the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 from the positioning unit 28, and controls the power unit 8, the travel unit 2, and the harvesting unit 3 so that the combine 1 automatically travels along the work path 63 based on the self-vehicle position, the field information, and the work path 63. When the automatic travel control unit 35 performs the automatic travel, the operation of the harvesting unit 3 is started and the harvesting unit 3 is lowered to the working position.

The automatic travel control unit 35 temporarily interrupts the automatic travel in the middle of the work path 63 in response to a predetermined interrupt operation using the manipulation unit 9 and the mobile terminal 40, or when a predetermined interrupt condition based on the work state of the combine 1 is satisfied. At this time, the automatic travel control unit 35 stops the operation of the harvesting unit 3 and raises the harvesting unit 3 to the non-working position. When the combine 1 having been disconnected from the work path 63 by automatic driving or manual operation, the automatic travel control unit 35 stores the disconnected position 64 in the storage unit 31 and transmits the stored position to the mobile terminal 40 via the communication unit 32. The automatic travel control unit 35 resumes the temporarily interrupted automatic travel in response to a predetermined resumption operation using the manipulation unit 9 and the mobile terminal 40, or when a predetermined resumption condition based on the work state of the combine 1 is satisfied.

The travel control unit 36 controls travel for moving the combine 1 separated from the predetermined separation position 64 on the work path 63 to a halfway work position separated from the work path 63, and performs travel by automatic driving or manual operation. For example, when the automatic travel of the combine 1 is temporarily interrupted by the automatic travel control unit 35, the travel control unit 36 performs the travel of the combine 1 in accordance with a predetermined travel operation using the manipulation unit 9 or the mobile terminal 40, or when a predetermined travel condition based on the operation state of the combine 1 is satisfied.

The combine 1 can be moved to a midway work position such as a discharge position where the discharge work of the harvested grains is performed and a replenishment position where the replenishment work of the materials and the fuel is performed, and the movement travel control unit 36 performs, as movement travel, the discharge travel in which the combine 1 having reached the escape position 64 set in the work path 63 in the field 60 is moved to the discharge position. For example, when the combine 1 that is automatically traveling reaches the release position 64, the travel control unit 36 stops the automatic traveling, stops the operation of the harvesting unit 3, and moves the harvesting unit 3 up to the non-working position, and obtains a discharge path from the release position 64 to the discharge position from the mobile terminal 40, and controls the power unit 8 and the travel unit 2 so that the discharge travel is performed by the automatic driving along the discharge path.

When the combine 1 is separated from the working path 63, the return travel control unit 37 automatically returns the combine 1 to the working path 63 in response to a return operation of the combine 1 in the field 60. For example, after the combine 1 is separated from the work path 63, the return travel control unit 37 obtains a return path 66 (see fig. 3 to 12) from the self-traveling position of the combine 1 to a predetermined return position 65 on the work path 63 from the mobile terminal 40 according to a predetermined return operation using the manipulation unit 9 and the mobile terminal 40, and controls the power unit 8 and the travel unit 2 so that return travel to the return position 65 is performed by automated driving along the return path 66 while stopping the operation of the harvesting unit 3 and raising the harvesting unit 3 to the non-work position. When the return travel is stopped and the vehicle moves to the automatic travel after reaching the return position 65, the return travel control unit 37 starts decelerating at a predetermined distance before the return position 65, and changes the vehicle speed to 0 at the return position 65. At this time, in order to prepare for the automatic travel, the return travel control unit 37 may automatically lower the harvesting unit 3 to the working position when reaching the return position 65, or automatically lower the harvesting unit 3 to the working position while decelerating the travel. Alternatively, when continuously moving from the return travel to the automatic travel, the return travel control unit 37 may start the change of the vehicle speed at a predetermined distance before the return position 65 so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed of the automatic travel at the return position 65 or immediately before the return position 65.

The return travel control unit 37 enables return travel under automatic driving when the entire body of the combine 1 is located in the field 60, and prohibits return travel under automatic driving when the combine 1 is located outside the field 60, for example, when a part of the body of the combine 1 protrudes outside the field 60, since safety cannot be ensured.

When the return position 65 is provided at the end (start) of the straight path 67 constituting the work path 63, the return travel control unit 37 can execute the return travel in the automated driving when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the return position 65 at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than the predetermined separation threshold, and can prohibit the return travel in the automated driving even if the return path 66 is not provided, when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the return position 65 is less than the predetermined separation threshold. Alternatively, as another example, the return travel control unit 37 may enable the return travel under the automatic driving to be executed according to the return operation regardless of the distance between the vehicle position and the return position 65. When the separation position 64 is provided in the middle of the straight path 67 constituting the work path 63, the return travel control unit 37 enables the return travel in the automated driving when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined separation threshold value at the time of the return operation, and prohibits the return travel in the automated driving when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined separation threshold value. Alternatively, as another example, the return travel control unit 37 may enable the return travel under the automatic driving to be executed according to the return operation regardless of the distance between the vehicle position and the disengagement position 64.

The mobile terminal 40 is one of the components of the combine harvester 1, and is a terminal capable of remotely operating the combine harvester 1, and is constituted by a tablet terminal having a touch panel, a notebook personal computer, or the like, for example. The same operation device as the mobile terminal 40 may be provided in the operation unit 9. In the present invention, the combine harvester 1 and the mobile terminal 40 constitute an automatic travel system.

As shown in fig. 2, the mobile terminal 40 includes a terminal-side control device 41 configured by a computer such as a CPU, and the terminal-side control device 41 is connected to a terminal-side storage unit 42 such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, or a flash memory, and a terminal-side communication unit 43 that communicates with an external device. The mobile terminal 40 includes a display unit 44 such as a touch panel and a monitor for displaying various information and outputting the information to the operator, and an input unit 45 such as a touch panel and an operation key for receiving an input operation of various information from the operator.

The terminal-side storage unit 42 stores programs and data for controlling various components and functions of the mobile terminal 40, and the terminal-side control device 41 executes arithmetic processing based on the programs and data stored in the terminal-side storage unit 42 to control the various components and functions of the mobile terminal 40. The terminal-side storage unit 42 stores field information of the field 60, which is the operation target of the combine harvester 1, and the operation route 63.

The terminal-side communication unit 43 is communicably connected to the communication unit 32 of the combine harvester 1 via a wireless communication antenna. The terminal-side control device 41 controls the terminal-side communication unit 43 to wirelessly communicate with the combine 1, and transmits and receives various information to and from the combine 1.

The terminal-side control device 41 of the mobile terminal 40 operates as a field selection unit 50, a work path generation unit 51, a movement path generation unit 52, a restoration path generation unit 53, and a display control unit 54 by executing the program stored in the terminal-side storage unit 42. The field selecting unit 50, the working path generating unit 51, the moving path generating unit 52, and the restoration path generating unit 53 implement the field selecting step, the working path generating step, the moving path generating step, and the restoration path generating step of the automatic travel method according to the present invention.

The field selection unit 50 manually or automatically selects a field 60 to be an automatic traveling work object. For example, the field selection unit 50 displays a field selection screen (not shown) that displays a field 60 corresponding to the field information stored in the terminal-side storage unit 42 as selectable on the display unit 44. When any one of the fields 60 is selected on the field selection screen by a manual operation, the field selection unit 50 selects the field 60 that has been selected as the work object, and reads out the field information from the terminal-side storage unit 42.

When the generation of a new field is operated on the field selection screen, the field selection unit 50 selects a new field at the vehicle position of the combine 1 as a work target. When the combine 1 performs harvesting travel around the outer peripheral shape of the new field, the field selecting unit 50 receives the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 positioned by the positioning unit 28 of the combine 1 from the combine 1, records positional information of the outer peripheral shape and positional information of a harvesting travel path, and generates field information of the new field to be stored in the terminal-side storing unit 42.

The work path generating unit 51 generates a work path 63 for performing work while the combine 1 is traveling, and for example, generates a work path 63 (see fig. 3 to 12) for automatically traveling in the field 60 selected by the field selecting unit 50, stores the generated work path in the terminal-side storage unit 42, and transmits the generated work path to the combine 1 via the terminal-side communication unit 43. The work path 63 includes travel information on travel by automatic travel and work information on a work such as harvesting. The travel information includes the travel direction at each travel position and the set vehicle speed in addition to the travel position in the field 60. The job information includes information related to the job such as the running or stop of harvesting at each travel position, harvesting speed, and harvesting height.

Specifically, the work path generating unit 51 generates one or more straight paths 67 for harvesting while traveling in the forward direction, based on the travel mode (reciprocating cutting or girdling) selected by the operation of the mobile terminal 40, for the field 60, and combines a plurality of straight paths 67 and a plurality of turning paths connecting the straight paths 67 to generate the work path 63. For example, the working path generating unit 51 generates, as an automatic traveling target of the combine 1, a working path 63 which is formed inside a worked ground 62 which is a ground along the outer periphery of the field 60 as shown in fig. 3 to 12, and which is reciprocally cut in the plurality of straight paths 67 in the working ground 61 as shown in fig. 3 to 4, 6 to 12, and 22 to 25, and a girdling working path 63 which is spirally wound around the plurality of straight paths 67 in the working ground 61 as shown in fig. 5 and 13 to 21. When the job path generation unit 51 regenerates the job path 63 in the same field 60, the original job path 63 may be used. The straight path 67 may be a curved path.

In addition, in the case where the combine 1 automatically travels as a work vehicle with a person, since the steering unit 9 is provided on the right part of the machine body, the work path generating unit 51 preferably generates the work path 63 so that the work site 62 is located on the right side of the machine body. On the other hand, in the case where the combine 1 automatically travels as an unmanned work vehicle, the work path generating unit 51 may generate the work path 63 regardless of whether the worked place 62 is located on the right side of the machine body, because the arrangement of the manipulating unit 9 is not required.

The movement path generating unit 52 generates a movement path along which the combine 1 moves from the separation position 64 to the intermediate work position. The travel path includes travel information related to travel, and the travel information includes travel directions at the respective travel positions and a set vehicle speed in addition to the travel positions in the field 60. The set vehicle speed of the travel path may be set to be equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed of the automatically traveling work path 63. The movement path generation unit 52 generates a discharge path for discharging the cereal grains from the release position 64 to the discharge position by automatic driving as a movement path for moving the combine 1, the storage amount of which has become full, to the discharge position, stores the discharge path in the terminal-side storage unit 42, and transmits the discharge path to the combine 1 via the terminal-side communication unit 43.

The restoration route generation unit 53 generates a restoration route 66 (see fig. 3 to 12) for restoring the combine 1, which is automatically stopped and separated from the work route 63, to the work route 63, and stores the restoration route in the terminal-side storage unit 42, and transmits the restoration route to the combine 1 via the terminal-side communication unit 43. The return path 66 includes travel information related to travel, and the travel information includes travel directions at the respective travel positions and a set vehicle speed in addition to the travel positions in the field 60. The set vehicle speed of the return path 66 may be set to be equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed of the automatically traveling work path 63. The restoration route generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 on the work route 63 according to a predetermined generation operation using the manipulating unit 9 and the mobile terminal 40, acquires the vehicle position of the combine 1 when the generation operation is performed from the positioning unit 28 of the combine 1, and generates the restoration route 66 for restoring the vehicle position of the combine 1 to the restoration position 65 by the autopilot. The restoration-path generating unit 53 preferably generates the restoration path 66 so as to be straight in the same direction as the traveling direction of the working path 63 by at least a predetermined distance or more and then reaches the restoration position 65, in other words, preferably sets a straight path at least a predetermined distance or more from the end of the restoration path 66.

The return path generating unit 53 generates the return path 66 by combining the straight path and the turning path so that the combine 1 moves to the return position 65 at the shortest distance while avoiding the non-work area 61 from the vehicle position at the time of the generating operation, for example. In other words, the restoration route generation unit 53 generates the restoration route 66 so that the combine harvester 1 performs restoration travel in the work area 62. The restoration-path generating unit 53 may use the work path 63 when generating the restoration path 66.

First embodiment

For example, as shown in fig. 3, when the combine harvester 1 uses a predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as a separation path 67a, and when the separation position 64 at the end of the separation path 67a is separated from the working path 63 by interrupting the automatic travel, as a first embodiment, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the next path 67b using the straight path 67 to which the separation path 67a is connected next as the next path 67 b. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 so that the combine 1 moves from the vehicle position at the time of the generating operation to the restoration position 65 at the start end of the next path 67b while avoiding the non-working area 61. In addition, fig. 3 shows an example in which a reciprocating cutting work path 63 that reciprocates on a plurality of straight paths 67 is generated for an unworn ground 61 of a field 60, and as another example of the first embodiment, when a girdling work path 63 is generated, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may set the restoration position 65 at the start end of the next path 67b with the straight path 67 connected next to the separation path 67a as the next path 67 b.

Second embodiment

As shown in fig. 4, when the combine harvester 1 uses a predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as a separation path 67a, and the separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67a is separated from the working path 63 by interrupting the automatic travel, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the separation path 67a as a second embodiment. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the first restoration path 66a so that the combine 1 moves from the vehicle position at the time of the generating operation to the restoration position 65 at the start end of the escape path 67a while avoiding the non-working ground 61. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 obtains, as the second restoration path 66b, a path of the work path 63 corresponding to a section from the restoration position 65 at the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a and the second restoration path 66b.

In addition, when the unworked area 61 is present between the vehicle position and the disengagement position 64 of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may generate the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a and the second restoration path 66b as described above, but on the other hand, when the unworked area 61 is not present between the vehicle position and the disengagement position 64, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may generate the restoration path 66 that moves to the disengagement position 64 at the shortest distance from the vehicle position while avoiding the unworked area 61. In the second embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, an example is shown in which a work path 63 for reciprocating cutting is generated in a plurality of straight paths 67 for an unworked area 61 of a field 60, and as another example of the second embodiment, when a work path 63 for girdling is generated, the restoration path generating unit 53 may similarly set the restoration position 65 at the start end of the separation path 67 a.

Third embodiment

In the first embodiment described above, the explanation has been made of the example in which the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the next path 67b and generates the restoration path 66 when the combine 1 breaks the automatic travel at the escape position 64 at the end of the escape path 67a and escapes from the work path 63, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

For example, as shown in fig. 5, there are cases where: when a work path 63 for repeated girdling is generated around the center side of the non-work area 61 of the field 60, which is formed by connecting a plurality of straight paths 67, the combine 1 separated from the work path 63 is located at a position separated from the start of the next path 67 b. In this case, as the third embodiment, the return path generating unit 53 may set the return position 65 at the entrance corner 61a on the premise that the corner of the non-working area 61 closest to the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generating operation is the entrance corner 61a, and the combine 1 enters the non-working area 61 from the entrance corner 61a and starts the automatic travel again from the working path 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, thereby generating the return path 66 traveling to the return position 65 of the entrance corner 61 a. At this time, the restoration route generation unit 53 preferably sets the entry corner 61a so as to take the shortest distance based on the vehicle position and the traveling direction of the combine 1 and the entry direction of the combine 1 at each corner of the non-work area 61, and generates the restoration route 66. The return path generating unit 53 preferably sets the entry corner 61a and generates the return path 66 so as to be a travel that is only forward travel and includes fewer turns.

In the third embodiment described above, as shown in fig. 5, the work path generating unit 51 generates, as the next path 67b ', the straight path 67 starting from the entry corner 61a for the remaining non-work area 61, and generates again the work path 63 of the loop cut repeatedly while shifting the loop toward the center side, which is formed by connecting the plurality of straight paths 67 including the next path 67 b'. In fig. 5, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line.

Fourth embodiment

As shown in fig. 6, the following may be present: when a work path 63 for reciprocating cutting is generated for the non-work area 61 of the field 60 along the plurality of straight paths 67, the combine 1 separated from the work path 63 is positioned in a direction orthogonal to the next path 67b with respect to the non-work area 61. In this case, as the fourth embodiment, the corner of the non-working area 61 closest to the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation may be set as the entrance corner 61a, and the combine 1 may enter from the entrance corner 61a to the non-working area 61 in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b and restart the automatic travel from the working path 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, on the premise that the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a, and generates the restoration path 66 from the combine 1 to the restoration position 65 of the entrance corner 61a so as to face the entrance corner 61a in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67 b. In addition to the separation of the combine harvester 1 in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b, the restoration path generating unit 53 may add a condition to the range in which the combine harvester 1 is located between both ends of the next path 67b in the traveling direction of the next path 67b as shown in fig. 6.

In the fourth embodiment described above, the working path generating unit 51 regenerates the working path 63 so as to include, as the next path 67b', the straight path 67 traveling from the entrance corner 61a of the non-working area 61 in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67 b. For example, as shown in fig. 6, the work path generating unit 51 newly generates a next path 67b' which enters the non-work area 61 from the entrance corner 61a in a direction orthogonal to the original plurality of straight paths 67 of the work path 63 and travels straight to an end portion on the opposite side of the entrance corner 61 a. The work path generating unit 51 corrects the remaining straight path 67 to the work width of the short combine 1 on the side of the entrance corner 61 a. Then, the job path generation section 51 generates the job path 63 again as follows: the end closest to the end of the next path 67b 'among the ends of the corrected and shortened straight path 67 is set as the start of the remaining straight path 67, and the end of the next path 67b' and the start of the remaining straight path 67 are connected, and reciprocating cutting is performed in the remaining straight path 67 from the start. At this time, the remaining straight path 67 may change the traveling direction. In fig. 6, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line.

Fifth embodiment

In the first embodiment described above, the explanation has been made of the example in which the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the escape path 67a and generates the restoration path 66 when the combine 1 breaks the automatic travel at the escape position 64 in the middle of the escape path 67a and is deviated from the work path 63.

For example, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, there is a first situation as follows: when the working path 63 for reciprocating cutting is generated in the non-working area 61 of the field 60 along the plurality of straight paths 67, the combine 1 separated from the working path 63 is positioned in a direction orthogonal to the straight paths 67 with respect to the non-working area 61 on the side opposite to the separation position 64 with the non-working area 61 interposed therebetween. In this first situation, as a fifth embodiment, when the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the separation path 67c as shown in fig. 7, on the premise that the linear path 67 adjacent to the separation path 67a is the adjacent path 67c, the end of the adjacent path 67c on the start side of the separation path 67a is the start of the adjacent path 67c, and the restoration path 66 from the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation to the restoration position 65 is generated. The predetermined distance threshold value may be set according to the length of the escape route 67a, for example, a half length of the escape route 67a, or may be set according to an arbitrary operation by the operator.

In the fifth embodiment, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 from the end of the adjacent path 67c to the separation position 64 in order to restart the automatic travel of the separation path 67a from the separation position 64 after the automatic travel of the adjacent path 67 c. For example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66c that is backward moved from the end of the adjacent path 67c to the beyond-off position 64 along the adjacent path 67c that has become the work place 62, and the second restoration path 66d that is turned from the end of the first restoration path 66c to the beyond-off position 64.

In the fifth embodiment described above, the job path generation section 51 generates the job path 63 again as follows: from the start end to the end of the adjacent path 67c, from the escape position 64 of the escape path 67a to the end, and then to reciprocate along the remaining straight path 67. In fig. 7, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line. In the above, the example of the fifth embodiment was described as being applied to the case where the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, the case where the work place 62 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined harvesting distance), but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the fifth embodiment may be applied to a case where the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is less than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, a case where the remaining unworked ground 61 of the escape route 67a is less than a predetermined unharvested distance).

Sixth embodiment

On the other hand, in contrast to the first situation, as the sixth embodiment, if the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold, the return route generation unit 53 sets the return position 65 at the start of the escape route 67a and generates the return route 66 on the premise that the automatic travel is restarted from the escape position 64 from the start of the escape route 67a toward the escape position 64, as in the second embodiment, as shown in fig. 8. That is, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66e from the self-traveling position of the combine 1 to the restoration position 65 at the start of the separation path 67a at the time of the generating operation and the second restoration path 66f corresponding to the section from the restoration position 65 at the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64. In this case, the job path generation unit 51 may not generate the job path 63 again. In the above, the example of the sixth embodiment was described as being applied when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the distance from the work place 62 of the escape route 67a is less than the predetermined harvesting distance). For example, the sixth embodiment may be applied to a case where the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, a case where the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined non-harvesting distance).

In the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 and generates the restoration path 66 according to whether or not the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in another example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may set the restoration position 65 at which the shortest distance is obtained and generate the restoration path 66 in each of the fifth and sixth embodiments. Alternatively, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may perform setting of the restoration position 65 and generation of the restoration path 66 in accordance with an arbitrary selection operation by the operator in the restoration path 66 in each of the fifth and sixth embodiments.

Seventh embodiment, eighth embodiment

Further, for example, as shown in fig. 9 to 12, when the work path 63 for reciprocating the plurality of straight paths 67 is generated for the non-work area 61 of the field 60, there is a second situation in which the combine 1 that automatically travels at the escape position 64 in the middle of the escape path 67a and is out of the work path 63 is located on the escape position 64 side with respect to the non-work area 61 in the direction orthogonal to the straight path 67, or is located on the outer side (out of the range between the two ends of the straight path 67) with respect to the non-work area 61 in the traveling direction of the straight path 67. In this second situation, as the seventh and eighth embodiments, the straight path 67 connected next to the escape path 67a is set as the next path 67b, the end of the next path 67b on the side closer to the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation is set as the start of the next path 67b, and the automatic travel is started again from the start, on the premise that the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the next path 67b, and generates the restoration path 66 from the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation to the restoration position 65, as shown in fig. 9 and 10.

In the seventh and eighth embodiments, after the automatic travel of the next route 67b, the restoration route generation unit 53 may set the restoration route 66 by setting the restoration route 65 according to whether or not the distance from the start of the departure route 67a to the departure route 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold, as in the fifth and sixth embodiments.

That is, in the seventh embodiment, when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the restoration route generation unit 53 generates the restoration route 66 from the end of the next route 67b to the restoration position 65 at the start of the adjacent route 67c adjacent to the escape route 67a, as shown in fig. 9. In this case, similarly to the fifth embodiment, in order to restart the automatic travel of the escape route 67a from the escape position 64 after the automatic travel of the adjacent route 67c, the restoration route generation unit 53 generates the restoration route 66 having the first restoration route 66c and the second restoration route 66d from the terminal end of the adjacent route 67c to the escape position 64. In the above, the example of the seventh embodiment was described as being applied to the case where the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, the case where the work place 62 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined harvesting distance), but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the seventh embodiment may be applied when the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is smaller than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the remaining unworked land 61 of the escape route 67a is smaller than a predetermined unharvested distance).

On the other hand, in the eighth embodiment, when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is smaller than the predetermined distance threshold, the restoration route generation unit 53 generates the restoration route 66 having the first restoration route 66g from the end of the next route 67b to the restoration position 65 at the start of the escape route 67a and the second restoration route 66h corresponding to the section from the restoration position 65 at the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64, as shown in fig. 10. In the above, the example of the eighth embodiment was described as being applied when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the distance from the work place 62 of the escape route 67a is less than the predetermined harvesting distance). For example, the eighth embodiment may be applied to a case where the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, a case where the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined non-harvesting distance).

In the seventh and eighth embodiments described above, the example in which the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 and generates the restoration path 66 according to whether or not the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in another example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may set the restoration position 65 at which the shortest distance is obtained and generate the restoration path 66 in each of the seventh and eighth embodiments. Alternatively, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may perform setting of the restoration position 65 and generation of the restoration path 66 in accordance with an arbitrary selection operation by the operator in the restoration path 66 in each of the seventh and eighth embodiments.

Ninth and tenth embodiments

Alternatively, in the second situation described above, as the ninth embodiment and the tenth embodiment, before moving to the automatic travel of the next route 67b as in the seventh embodiment and the eighth embodiment, the restoration route generation unit 53 may set the restoration route 66 to the departure route 67a or the adjacent route 67c by setting the restoration route 65 according to whether or not the distance from the start of the departure route 67a to the departure location 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold as shown in fig. 11 and 12, similarly to the fifth embodiment and the sixth embodiment. For example, in the ninth embodiment, when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape route 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the automatic travel of the remaining escape route 67a is restarted from the escape route 64 or the end of the escape route 67a, and if this is assumed, the return route generation unit 53 sets the return route 65 at the escape route 64 or the end of the escape route 67a, and generates the return route 66 from the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation to the return route 65.

The following example is shown in fig. 11: assuming that the automatic travel of the straight path 67a' from the end of the escape path 67a is restarted, the return path generating unit 53 sets the return position 65a at the end of the escape path 67a, and generates the return path 66a from the self-propelled position of the combine harvester 1 to the return position 65a after the return travel passes the return position 65a, and then turns to the return position 65a at the end of the escape path 67 a.

In the ninth embodiment, in order to resume the automatic travel of the remaining plurality of straight paths 67 from the next path 67b after the automatic travel of the straight path 67a ' from the end of the straight path 67a, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65b at the start of the next path 67b, and generates the restoration path 66b traveling from the end of the straight path 67a ' or the departure position 64 to the restoration position 65b at the start of the next path 67b, where the automatic travel of the straight path 67a ' is completed. Fig. 11 shows an example in which the restoration route generation unit 53 generates a restoration route 66b from the departure position 64 to the restoration position 65b at the start of the next route 67 b.

In the ninth embodiment described above, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so as to automatically travel from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape path 67a or from the end of the escape path 67a to the escape position 64, and in this case, the work path 63 may not be regenerated for the next path 67b and the subsequent plural straight paths 67. In fig. 11, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67a' of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line. In the above, the example of the ninth embodiment was described as being applied to the case where the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, the case where the work place 62 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined harvesting distance), but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the ninth embodiment may be applied to a case where the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is less than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, a case where the remaining unworked land 61 of the escape route 67a is less than a predetermined unharvested distance).

On the other hand, in the tenth embodiment, when the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold, the restoration route generation unit 53 changes the traveling direction of the adjacent route 67c so that the end of the adjacent route 67c located on the side closer to the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation is the start of the adjacent route 67c, and starts the automatic traveling again from the start, and on the premise that the restoration route 66a is set at the start of the adjacent route 67c to generate the restoration route 66a traveling from the vehicle position to the restoration position 65a of the combine 1, as shown in fig. 12.

In the tenth embodiment, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66b from the end of the adjacent path 67c to the separation position 64 in order to restart the automatic travel of the separation path 67a from the separation position 64 after the automatic travel of the adjacent path 67 c. For example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets a restoration path 66b at the start of the separation path 67a, and generates a restoration path 66b having a first restoration path 66i from the end of the adjacent path 67c to the restoration path 65b and a second restoration path 66j corresponding to the section from the restoration path 65b to the separation path 64.

In the tenth embodiment described above, the work path generating section 51 regenerates the work path 63 so as to automatically travel from the start end to the end of the adjacent path 67c, and regenerates the work path 63 so as to automatically travel from the escape position 64 of the escape path 67a to the end and then to reciprocate the rest of the straight path 67. In fig. 12, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line. In the above, the example of the tenth embodiment was described as being applied to the case where the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, the case where the work area 62 of the escape route 67a is less than the predetermined harvesting distance), but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the tenth embodiment may be applied to a case where the distance from the escape position 64 to the end of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, a case where the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape route 67a is equal to or greater than a predetermined non-harvesting distance).

In the ninth and tenth embodiments described above, the example in which the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 and generates the restoration path 66 according to whether or not the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in another example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may set the restoration position 65 at which the shortest distance is obtained and generate the restoration path 66 in each of the ninth and tenth embodiments. Alternatively, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may perform setting of the restoration position 65 and generation of the restoration path 66 in accordance with an arbitrary selection operation by the operator in the restoration path 66 in each of the ninth and tenth embodiments.

Eleventh embodiment

In the eleventh embodiment, as shown in fig. 13 and 14, a work path 63 is formed for the non-work area 61 of the field 60, which is formed by connecting a plurality of straight paths 67, and which is repeatedly girdled while being deviated toward the center side. In the eleventh embodiment, the combine harvester 1 uses a predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as the escape path 67a, and the combine harvester breaks automatic travel at the escape position 64 in the middle of the escape path 67a to escape from the working path 63, and in this case, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 in the middle of the escape path 67 a.

For example, in the eleventh embodiment, as shown in fig. 13 and 14, a discharge position 68 (intermediate work position) is set in front of the combine harvester 1 at the separation position 64 with the unworked ground 61 interposed therebetween. In this case, as shown in fig. 13, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 (movement path) so that the combine 1 is discharged from the separation position 64 to the discharge position 68 while avoiding the non-working area 61. For example, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 so as to avoid the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape path 67a as follows: after retreating from the escape position 64 along the escape path 67a, the vehicle turns obliquely forward, moves laterally of the remaining unworked land 61, and advances to the discharge position 68 while bypassing the remaining unworked land 61.

Alternatively, the movement path generation unit 52 may generate the discharge path 69 as follows: the harvesting travel is performed obliquely forward from the escape position 64, and the remaining unworked land 61 of the escape path 67a is escaped while harvesting, moves laterally of the remaining unworked land 61, and advances to the discharge position 68 while bypassing the remaining unworked land 61. In this case, the travel control unit 36 preferably maintains the harvesting unit 3 at the working position and continues the operation of the harvesting unit 3 even when reaching the disengaging position 64, and stops the operation of the harvesting unit 3 and lifts the harvesting unit 3 to the non-working position after disengaging the rest of the non-working area 61 while harvesting.

As shown in fig. 14, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 so that the combine 1 moves from the vehicle position (for example, the discharge position 68) at the time of the generation operation to the restoration position 65 in the middle of the separation path 67a while avoiding the non-work place 61. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may generate the restoration path 66 that is reversed in the discharge path 69, and for example, may generate the first restoration path 66a as follows: the remaining non-working area 61 which is retracted from the discharge position 68 and bypasses the separation path 67a moves to the side of the remaining non-working area 61, and then turns obliquely rearward and moves to the return position 65 on the separation path 67 a. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 obtains, as the second restoration path 66b, a path of the work path 63 corresponding to a portion of the section from the restoration position 65 to the separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67 a. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a and the second restoration path 66b.

In the eleventh embodiment, since the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 of the separation path 67a is smaller than the predetermined separation distance, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 in the middle of the separation path 67a and generates the restoration path 66, but the end of the separation path 67a is also closer to the discharge position 68. Therefore, as another example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 may extend the start of the straight path 67 connected to the separation path 67a next to the end of the non-working area 61 so as to restart the loop cutting from the end of the separation path 67a, and set the restoration position 65 at the start of the straight path 67. In this case, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 that moves from the discharge position 68 to the restoration position 65 at the start end of the extended straight-line path 67.

Twelfth embodiment

In the eleventh embodiment described above, the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 in the middle of the escape path 67a to generate the restoration path 66 when the loop-cut work path 63 is generated, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

For example, in the twelfth embodiment, as shown in fig. 15 and 16, a discharge position 68 (intermediate work position) is set in front of the combine 1 at the separation position 64 via the non-work area 61, and the vehicle position (for example, the discharge position 68) of the combine 1 separated from the work path 63 is separated from the separation path 67 a. In this case as well, as in the eleventh embodiment, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 (movement path) so that the combine 1 is discharged from the separation position 64 to the discharge position 68 while avoiding the non-work 61 as shown in fig. 15. For example, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 so as to avoid the remaining non-work land 61 of the escape path 67a as follows: after retreating from the escape position 64 along the escape path 67a, the vehicle turns obliquely forward, moves laterally of the remaining unworked land 61, and advances to the discharge position 68 while bypassing the remaining unworked land 61.

As shown in fig. 16, the restoration route generation unit 53 detects a corner of the non-working area 61 closest to the vehicle position (the discharge position 68) of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation from the non-working area 61, and is an entrance corner 61a into which the vehicle can enter from the discharge position 68 by advancing. Then, the restoration route generation unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a on the premise that the combine 1 enters the non-work area 61 from the entrance corner 61a and resumes the automatic travel from the work route 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, and generates the restoration route 66 traveling to the restoration position 65 of the entrance corner 61a. For example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 in such a manner that: to the entrance corner 61a side, and then, after turning to the traveling direction toward the entrance corner 61a, to the predetermined distance.

In the twelfth embodiment, as shown in fig. 16, the work path generating unit 51 generates a straight path 67 starting from the entry corner 61a as a next path 67b for the remaining non-work areas 61, and regenerates the work path 63 of the loop cut repeatedly while shifting the loop around the center side, which is formed by connecting a plurality of straight paths 67 including the next path 67 b. At this time, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so that the work path is automatically driven from the escape position 64 after the travel to the escape position 64 with respect to the escape path 67 a. Fig. 15 shows a straight path 67 of the original work path 63, and fig. 16 shows a straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the restoration route generating unit 53 may generate a restoration route for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight route to the escape position 64 in order to automatically travel to the end of the adjacent straight route generated in the non-work place 61 at a position adjacent to the escape route 67a and then restart the automatic travel of the escape route 67a from the escape position 64. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, the work route 63 may be regenerated so as to travel to the escape position 64 and then automatically travel from the escape position 64 as described above. In addition, instead of the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 being equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, a return path for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight path to the separation position 64 may be generated when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is less than the predetermined distance threshold. In addition, instead of the case where the distance from the start end of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the work path 63 may be regenerated so as to automatically travel from the separation position 64 after traveling to the separation position 64 as described above.

In the case where the discharge position 68 is set in front of the combine harvester 1 at the separation position 64 with the non-working area 61 interposed therebetween, the restoration path generating unit 53 may determine whether or not to apply any of the eleventh embodiment and the twelfth embodiment based on the distance between the separation position 64 (separation path 67 a) and the discharge position 68. For example, it is preferable that the restoration route generating unit 53 applies the eleventh embodiment when the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 is smaller than the predetermined separation distance and applies the twelfth embodiment when the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 is larger than the predetermined separation distance and is larger than the predetermined separation distance.

The restoration route generation unit 53 may determine whether to apply any of the eleventh embodiment and the twelfth embodiment depending on whether the automatic travel is the pedestrian travel or the unmanned travel. For example, it is preferable that the restoration route generating unit 53 applies the twelfth embodiment regardless of the distance between the escape position 64 and the discharge position 68 when the automatic travel is the manned travel, and applies the eleventh embodiment when the distance between the escape position 64 and the discharge position 68 is less than the predetermined separation distance and relatively close to each other when the automatic travel is the unmanned travel, and applies the twelfth embodiment when the distance between the escape position 64 and the discharge position 68 is greater than the predetermined separation distance and relatively far to each other.

Thirteenth embodiment

In the twelfth embodiment described above, the restoration-path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entry corner 61a that can be entered from the discharge position 68 by advancing and generates the restoration path 66 when the girdling work path 63 is generated, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

For example, in the thirteenth embodiment, as shown in fig. 17 and 18, a discharge position 68 (intermediate work position) is set laterally of the combine harvester 1 at the separation position 64 with the non-work place 61 interposed therebetween. In this case as well, as in the eleventh and twelfth embodiments, the movement path generating unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 (movement path) so that the combine 1 is discharged (moved) from the separation position 64 to the discharge position 68 while avoiding the non-working area 61, as shown in fig. 17. For example, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 so as to avoid the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape path 67a as follows: after retreating from the escape position 64 along the escape path 67a, the vehicle turns obliquely forward, moves laterally of the remaining unworked land 61, and advances to the discharge position 68 while bypassing the remaining unworked land 61.

As shown in fig. 18, the restoration route generating unit 53 detects an entry corner 61a closest to the own vehicle position (discharge position 68) of the combine harvester 1 from the working place 61 regardless of the traveling direction of the combine harvester 1 at the time of the generating operation. Then, the restoration route generation unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a on the premise that the combine 1 enters the non-work area 61 from the entrance corner 61a and resumes the automatic travel from the work route 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, and generates the restoration route 66 traveling to the restoration position 65 of the entrance corner 61a. For example, the restoration-path generating section 53 generates the restoration path 66 as follows: the combine harvester turns from the discharge position 68 to the front of the combine harvester 1 after the entrance corner 61a is located along the outer periphery of the field 60, turns in the traveling direction toward the entrance corner 61a, and advances a predetermined distance to the entrance corner 61a.

In the thirteenth embodiment, as in the twelfth embodiment, the work path generating unit 51 generates, as the next path 67b, a straight path 67 starting from the entry corner 61a for the remaining non-work area 61, and generates again a work path 63 in which the loop including the next path 67b is repeatedly looped while being shifted toward the center side by connecting a plurality of straight paths 67 including the next path 67b, as shown in fig. 18. At this time, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so that the work path is automatically driven from the escape position 64 after the travel to the escape position 64 with respect to the escape path 67 a. Fig. 17 shows a straight path 67 of the original work path 63, and fig. 18 shows a straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the return route generating unit 53 may generate a return route for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight route to the escape position 64 in order to automatically travel to the end of the adjacent straight route generated in the non-work place 61 at a position adjacent to the escape route 67a and then to restart the automatic travel of the escape route 67a from the escape position 64. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, the work route 63 may be regenerated so as to travel to the escape position 64 and then automatically travel from the escape position 64 as described above. In addition, instead of the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 being equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, a return path for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight path to the separation position 64 may be generated when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is less than the predetermined distance threshold. In addition, instead of the case where the distance from the start end of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the work path 63 may be regenerated so as to automatically travel from the separation position 64 after traveling to the separation position 64 as described above.

Fourteenth embodiment

In the fourteenth embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 19 and 20, when the girdling work path 63 is generated, the discharging position 68 (intermediate work position) is set on the side of the combine 1 at the disengaging position 64 on the side opposite to the non-work place 61. In this case as well, as in the eleventh and twelfth embodiments, the movement path generating unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 (movement path) so that the combine 1 is discharged (moved) from the separation position 64 to the discharge position 68 while avoiding the non-working area 61, as shown in fig. 19. For example, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 so as to avoid the remaining non-work area 61 of the escape path 67a as follows: the vehicle moves backward from the release position 64 along the release path 67a, turns obliquely forward, moves to the side of the remaining non-work area 61, and advances to the discharge position 68.

As shown in fig. 20, the restoration route generation unit 53 detects a corner of the non-working area 61 closest to the vehicle position (the discharge position 68) of the combine 1 at the time of the generation operation from the non-working area 61, and is an entrance corner 61a into which the vehicle can enter from the discharge position 68 by advancing. Then, the restoration route generation unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a on the premise that the combine 1 enters the non-work area 61 from the entrance corner 61a and resumes the automatic travel from the work route 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, and generates the restoration route 66 traveling to the restoration position 65 of the entrance corner 61a. For example, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 in such a manner that: to the entrance corner 61a side, and then, after turning to the traveling direction toward the entrance corner 61a, to the predetermined distance.

In the fourteenth embodiment described above, as in the thirteenth embodiment, the work path generating unit 51 generates, as the next path 67b, a straight path 67 starting from the entry corner 61a for the remaining non-work area 61, and generates again a work path 63 in which the loop formed by connecting a plurality of straight paths 67 including the next path 67b is repeatedly looped while being shifted toward the center side, as shown in fig. 20. At this time, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so that the work path is automatically driven from the escape position 64 after the travel to the escape position 64 with respect to the escape path 67 a. Fig. 19 shows the straight path 67 of the original work path 63, and fig. 20 shows the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the return route generating unit 53 may generate a return route for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight route to the escape position 64 in order to automatically travel to the end of the adjacent straight route generated in the non-work place 61 at a position adjacent to the escape route 67a and then to restart the automatic travel of the escape route 67a from the escape position 64. When the distance from the start of the escape route 67a to the escape position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, the work route 63 may be regenerated so as to travel to the escape position 64 and then automatically travel from the escape position 64 as described above. In addition, instead of the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 being equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, a return path for automatically traveling from the end of the adjacent straight path to the separation position 64 may be generated when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is less than the predetermined distance threshold. In addition, instead of the case where the distance from the start end of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined distance, when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the work path 63 may be regenerated so as to automatically travel from the separation position 64 after traveling to the separation position 64 as described above.

The restoration-path generating unit 53 may determine whether or not to apply the fourteenth embodiment based on the distance to the entrance corner 61a and the exit position 64 of the non-work place 61 closest to the discharge position 68. For example, as shown in fig. 20, when the discharge position 68 is closer to the entrance corner 61a than the escape position 64, the restoration-path generating unit 53 applies the fourteenth embodiment to set the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a based on the discharge position 68 and generate the restoration path 66. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 21, when the discharge position 68 is closer to the escape position 64 than to the entrance corner 61a, the restoration-path generating unit 53 preferably does not apply the fourteenth embodiment, but sets the restoration position 65 in the middle of the escape path 67a or on the extension line of the escape path 67a, and generates the restoration path 66. For example, the return path generating unit 53 generates the first return path 66a so as to move backward from the discharge position 68 to the side of the remaining non-work area 61, turn obliquely backward, and move to the return position 65 on the separation path 67 a. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 obtains a second restoration path 66b from the restoration position 65 to the separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67a or on the extension line of the separation path 67 a. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a and the second restoration path 66b.

Fifteenth embodiment

In the fifteenth embodiment, as shown in fig. 22 and 23, when the reciprocating cutting work path 63 is generated, the discharge position 68 is set on the side of the combine 1 at the separation position 64 on the side opposite to the non-work area 61. At this time, when the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 is a predetermined separation distance or more and is relatively large, the movement path generation unit 52 generates the discharge path 69 as follows in the same manner as the example of fig. 19 described above: the vehicle moves backward from the release position 64 along the release path 67a, turns obliquely forward, moves to the side of the remaining non-work area 61, and advances to the discharge position 68. On the other hand, when the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 is smaller than the predetermined separation distance and is relatively close, the movement path generation unit 52 may generate the discharge path 69 as shown in fig. 22 as follows: after repeating the backward travel and the cornering forward obliquely a plurality of times (for example, 2 times), the vehicle moves to the discharge position 68 side, and then advances to the discharge position 68.

When the distance between the separation position 64 and the discharge position 68 is greater than or equal to the predetermined separation distance, the return path generating unit 53 sets the return position 65 in the middle of the separation path 67a or on the extension line of the separation path 67a, and generates the first return path 66a so as to move backward from the discharge position 68 to the side of the remaining non-work place 61, turn obliquely backward, and move to the return position 65 on the separation path 67a, as in the example of fig. 21 described above. On the other hand, when the distance between the escape position 64 and the discharge position 68 is smaller than the predetermined separation distance and is relatively short, the return path generating unit 53 sets the return position 65 in the middle of the escape path 67a or on the extension line of the escape path 67a, and generates the first return path 66a so as to move to the return position 65 on the escape path 67a by repeating the cornering and the forward traveling obliquely backward a plurality of times (for example, 2 times) after the backward traveling from the discharge position 68, as shown in fig. 23. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 obtains a second restoration path 66b from the restoration position 65 to the separation position 64 midway along the separation path 67 a. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a and the second restoration path 66b.

The movement path generation unit 52 and the restoration path generation unit 53 may be applied to the fifteenth embodiment not only when the distance between the escape position 64 and the discharge position 68 is short but also when the distance between the work site 62 of the escape path 67a is shorter than the predetermined harvesting distance (that is, when the remaining non-work site 61 of the escape path 67a is longer than the predetermined non-harvesting distance).

In the fifteenth embodiment, as shown in fig. 22 and 23, an example is shown in which the work path 63 with the reciprocating cut is generated, and as another example of the fifteenth embodiment, when the work path 63 with the girdle is generated, the movement path generating unit 52 may similarly generate the discharge path 69 in which the backward travel and the obliquely forward turning travel are repeated a plurality of times, and the restoration path generating unit 53 may generate the first restoration path 66a in which the obliquely rearward turning travel and the forward travel are repeated a plurality of times.

Sixteenth embodiment

In the seventh and eighth embodiments described above, the explanation was made of the case where, when the work path 63 for the reciprocating cut is generated, the combine 1 is separated from the work path 63 at the separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67a, and the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the next path 67b to which the separation path 67a is connected, and generates the restoration path 66 from the own position (the discharge position 68) to the restoration position 65 of the combine 1 at the time of the generating operation, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

In the sixteenth embodiment, the non-work width of the non-work area 61 in the direction orthogonal to the work path 63 is equal to or greater than the predetermined width threshold. At this time, when the distance between the discharge position 68 and the next path 67b is smaller than the predetermined separation distance and is relatively close, the restoration path generating unit 53 applies the seventh and eighth embodiments, and sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the next path 67b to generate the restoration path 66. On the other hand, when the distance between the discharge position 68 and the start of the next path 67b is a predetermined distance or more and is relatively long, the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the start of the straight path 67c corresponding to the intermediate division in the working path 63 and generates the restoration path 66 in order to generate the intermediate division for the non-working area 61, as shown in fig. 24.

Seventeenth embodiment

In the fourth embodiment described above, when the working path 63 for reciprocating cutting is generated, the combine 1 separated from the working path 63 at the separation position 64 at the end of the separation path 67a is positioned in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b with respect to the non-working area 61, and in the seventeenth embodiment, as shown in fig. 25, the combine 1 separated from the working path 63 at the separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67a is positioned at the discharge position 68 in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b with respect to the non-working area 61. In the seventeenth embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the corner of the non-working area 61 closest to the discharge position 68 is defined as an entrance corner 61a, and the combine 1 enters the non-working area 61 from the entrance corner 61a in a direction perpendicular to the next path 67b and starts the automatic travel again from the working path 63 located at the entrance corner 61a, and on the assumption that the restoration path generating unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 at the entrance corner 61a, and generates the restoration path 66 along which the combine 1 travels to the restoration position 65 of the entrance corner 61a so as to face the entrance corner 61a in a direction perpendicular to the next path 67 b.

In the seventeenth embodiment, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so as to include, as the next path 67b', the straight path 67 traveling from the entrance corner 61a of the work area 61 in the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b, as in the fourth embodiment. The work path generating unit 51 corrects the remaining straight path 67 including the escape path 67a to the amount corresponding to the work width of the short combine 1 on the side of the entrance corner 61a, and regenerates the work path 63 so as to reciprocate the remaining straight path 67. At this time, as in the example of fig. 7 and 8, the working path generating unit 51 and the restoration path generating unit 53 generate the working path 63 again and generate the restoration path 66 for the separation path 67a based on the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 or the distance from the separation position 64 to the rear end of the separation path 67 a. Fig. 25 illustrates a work path 63 and a restoration path 66 to which the example of fig. 8 is applied. In fig. 25, the straight path 67 of the original work path 63 is shown by a broken line, and the straight path 67 of the regenerated work path 63 is shown by a solid line.

As shown in fig. 26, the display control unit 54 controls the display unit 44 to display a work screen 70 for performing automatic travel, that is, return travel of the field 60, which is the work object. The display control unit 54 displays at least the map field 71, the travel start button 72, and the restoration route generation button 73 on the work screen 7.

The display control unit 54 displays the outline of the field 60 on the map field 71 based on the field information of the field 60 selected by the field selecting unit 50, and displays the vehicle identification 74 of the combine 1 on the vehicle position of the combine 1 positioned by the positioning unit 28 of the combine 1. The display control unit 54 may display the non-worked land 61 and the worked land 62 in a recognizable manner by changing the display method of the line type, the line color, the background color, and the like within the range of the field 60. The display control unit 54 superimposes and displays the work route 63 generated by the work route generation unit 51 on the field 60 in the map field 71. The display control unit 54 updates the position of the vehicle identifier 74 according to the travel of the combine 1, and updates the ranges of the non-work place 61 and the work place 62 according to the progress of the harvesting work of the combine 1.

The display control unit 54 enables the operation of the travel start button 72 to be selected in order to start the automatic travel when the start condition of the automatic travel is satisfied, and disables the operation of the travel start button 72 when the start condition is not satisfied. When the travel start button 72 is selected and operated, the display control unit 54 transmits information on the field information and the work path 63 to the combine 1 together with an automatic travel start instruction. The combine 1 starts automatic travel along the work path 63 in response to the start instruction.

During the automatic travel of the combine 1, the display control unit 54 displays a travel stop button (not shown) in place of the travel start button 72 so as to be selectively operable to stop the automatic travel. When the travel stop button is selected, the display control unit 54 transmits a stop instruction to the combine harvester 1. The combine 1 stops the automatic travel according to the stop instruction. When the combine 1 stops the automatic travel, the display control unit 54 displays the travel start button 72 instead of the travel stop button. When the combine harvester 1 stops traveling automatically and is separated from the work path 63, the display control unit 54 may display the separation position 64 on the work path 63 of the map column 71.

When the start condition of the return travel is satisfied, the display control unit 54 displays the return path generation button 73 so as to be selectively operable to generate the return path 66, and when the start condition is not satisfied, the return path generation button 73 is not selectively operable. For example, the display control unit 54 determines that the restoration travel start condition is not satisfied when the combine 1 is located outside the field 60, when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the restoration position 65 is less than a predetermined distance threshold, when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the separation position 64 is less than a predetermined distance threshold, or the like.

The display control unit 54 may display the unsatisfied starting condition of the return travel on the job screen 70 or another screen to report. In addition, when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the return position 65 is less than the predetermined distance threshold value, or when the distance between the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 and the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold value, the automatic travel from the self-vehicle position of the combine 1 along the work path 63 can be restarted without performing the return travel, and the automatic travel may be displayed on the work screen 70 or another screen to be reported.

Alternatively, the display control unit 54 may always display the restoration route generation button 73 so as to be able to be selectively operated, and if the start condition of the restoration travel is not satisfied, the selection operation may not be accepted, and the start condition of the restoration travel that is not satisfied may be displayed on the job screen 70 or another screen to report.

The display control unit 54 may accept the restoration path generation button 73 as a generation operation of the restoration path 66 each time it is selected, and instruct the restoration path generation unit 53 to generate the restoration path 66. Alternatively, the display control unit 54 may switch the on/off state of the selection operation state every time the restoration path generation button 73 is selected and operated, and instruct the restoration path generation unit 53 to generate the restoration path 66 at all times (for example, at predetermined time intervals) when the selection operation state is on.

In the first embodiment, the description has been given of the example in which the selection operation of the restoration-path generating button 73 is used as the trigger for generating the restoration path 66, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, completion of the discharge operation of the harvested grain and completion of the replenishment operation of the material and the fuel may be used as a trigger for generating the restoration path 66.

When the restoration route generation unit 53 sets the restoration position 65 and generates the restoration route 66, the display control unit 54 displays the restoration position 65 and the restoration route 66 on the field 60 in a superimposed manner in the map field 71, and displays a direction line 75 connecting the restoration position 65 and the vehicle logo 74 with a straight line.

When the restoration travel start condition is satisfied and the restoration route 66 is generated, the display control unit 54 displays the travel start button 72 so that the selection operation is possible in order to start the restoration travel, and when the restoration route 66 is not generated and the start condition is not satisfied, the travel start button 72 is not selectively operated. When the travel start button 72 is selected, the display control unit 54 receives the return operation, and transmits information on the return route 66 to the combine 1 together with a return travel start instruction. The combine 1 starts the recovery travel along the recovery path 66 in response to the start instruction. The display control unit 54 may display the restoration travel of the combine 1, the ongoing restoration travel, and the completion of the restoration travel on the work screen 70 or another screen to report, or the terminal-side control device 41 may report by other means such as sound.

In the first embodiment, the description has been made of the case where the selection operation of the travel start button 72 is used as the trigger for starting the return travel, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the completion of the discharge operation of the harvested grain and the completion of the replenishment operation of the material and the fuel may be used as a trigger for starting the recovery travel, or the generation of the recovery path 66 may be used as a trigger for starting the recovery travel.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the combine harvester 1 is a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path 63 in a field 60, and includes the control device 30. The control device 30 functions as a return travel control unit 37, and when the combine 1 is separated from the work path 63, the return travel control unit 37 automatically returns the combine 1 to the work path 63 in response to a return operation of the combine 1 in the field 60.

In other words, the present invention is an automatic travel method of a work vehicle such as a combine 1 that automatically travels along a preset work path 63 in a field 60, and includes a return travel step of automatically returning the combine 1 toward the work path 63 in response to a return operation of the combine 1 in the field 60 when the combine 1 is separated from the work path 63.

Accordingly, the restoration travel is performed from the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the restoration operation, regardless of the position of the combine 1 that is separated from the work path 63, and therefore the restoration travel can be performed even if the combine 1 is separated from the intermediate work position such as the discharge position, and the movement of the combine 1 to the intermediate work position is not required, so that the workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, the combine harvester 1 includes a mobile terminal 40, and the mobile terminal 40 includes a terminal-side control device 41. The terminal-side control device 41 functions as a restoration route generation unit 53, and the restoration route generation unit 53 generates a restoration route 66 to be restored to the work route 63 based on the own vehicle position of the combine 1 in response to a generation operation of the combine 1. The return travel control unit 37 automatically returns the combine harvester 1 to travel based on the return path 66.

Accordingly, the restoration path 66 is generated from the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the restoration operation, regardless of the position of the combine 1 that is separated from the work path 63, so that restoration travel can be performed based on the restoration path 66 even if the combine 1 is separated from the intermediate work position such as the discharge position, and the combine 1 does not need to be moved to the intermediate work position, so that workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the distance between the return position 65 provided at the end of the straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 and the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than the predetermined separation threshold value, the return travel control unit 37 automatically returns the combine 1 to the working path 63.

In this way, when automatic driving is not required, such as when the self-propelled position of the combine 1 is close to the return position 65, unnecessary return travel is not performed, and thus workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the distance between the separation position 64 at which the combine 1 is separated from the middle of the straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 and the vehicle position of the combine 1 at the time of the restoration operation is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, the restoration travel control unit 37 automatically restores the combine 1 to travel toward the separation position 64.

In this way, when automatic driving is not required, such as when the self-propelled position and the disengagement position 64 of the combine 1 are close, unnecessary return travel is not performed, and thus workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the combine 1 is a work vehicle in which travel without accompanying work is restricted in the non-work area 61 of the field 60 and the combine 1 is separated at the separation position 64 in the middle of the straight path 67 constituting the work path 63, the restoration-path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66a traveling to the start of the straight path 67 and the second restoration path 66b traveling from the start to the separation position 64 on the straight path 67.

In this way, the generated work path 63 can be used for the second restoration path 66b to generate the restoration path 66, and restoration travel can be smoothly performed.

According to the present embodiment, the terminal-side control device 41 functions as the work path generating unit 51 that generates the work path 63 including one or more straight paths 67, and the control device 30 functions as the automatic travel control unit 35 that automatically travels the combine harvester 1 along the work path 63. When the combine 1 has the predetermined straight path 67 as the escape path 67a and the end of the escape path 67a is away, and the combine 1 has the straight path 67 next to the escape path 67a as the next path 67b and the direction orthogonal to the next path 67b is away, the restoration path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 that travels to the entrance corner 61a so as to face the entrance corner 61a in the orthogonal direction, with the corner of the non-working area 61 of the field 60 closest to the vehicle position of the combine 1 as the entrance corner 61 a. When the restoration path generating unit 53 generates the restoration path 66 facing the entrance corner 61a in the orthogonal direction, the work path generating unit 51 regenerates the work path 63 so as to include the straight path 67 running in the orthogonal direction from the entrance corner 61 a.

As a result, even if the self-traveling position of the combine 1 is separated from the next path 67b, the return travel smoothly returning to the working path 63 can be performed, and the automatic travel in the non-working area 61 can be smoothly restarted.

According to the present embodiment, when the combine harvester 1 has separated from a predetermined separation position 64 in the middle of the separation path 67a by taking a predetermined straight path 67 out of one or more straight paths 67 constituting the working path 63 as the separation path 67a, the restoration path generating unit 53 generates a restoration path 66 traveling to the next straight path 67 of the separation path 67a, that is, to the next path 67b or to the start end of the straight path 67 adjacent to the separation path 67 a.

As a result, even when the combine 1 is separated from the middle of the separation path 67a, the return travel smoothly returning to the working path 63 can be performed, and the automatic travel in the non-working area 61 can be started again smoothly, so that the workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the combine harvester 1 has separated from a predetermined separation position 64 in the middle of a separation path 67a by taking a predetermined straight path 67 out of one or more straight paths 67 constituting the working path 63 as the separation path 67a, the return travel control unit 37 returns the combine harvester 1 to travel to the start of the straight path 67 adjacent to the separation path 67a, and returns the combine harvester 1 to travel to the separation position 64 after the combine harvester 1 travels and works to the end of the straight path 67 adjacent to the separation path 67 a.

As a result, even when the combine 1 is separated from the middle of the separation path 67a, the return travel smoothly returning to the working path 63 can be performed, and the automatic travel in the non-working area 61 can be started again smoothly, so that the workability can be improved.

In the first embodiment, the example of the combine 1 constituted by the combine with harvesting and threshing has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the combine 1 may be constituted by a general-purpose combine.

In the first embodiment described above, the example in which the work vehicle is constituted by the combine 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the working vehicle of the first embodiment may be a vehicle that is limited to travel without accompanying work in the non-working area 61 of the field 60 and is allowed to travel without accompanying work in the working area 62 of the field 60.

Second embodiment

In the first embodiment described above, the example was described in which the work vehicle was the combine 1 that was restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the non-work area 61 of the field 60, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in the second embodiment, the working vehicle may be a vehicle such as a tractor 101 or a rice seedling transplanting machine in which travel not accompanying work is restricted in the worked field 62 of the field 60, in other words, a vehicle in which travel not accompanying work is permitted in the non-worked field 61 of the field 60. As a second embodiment of the work vehicle, a tractor 101 will be described with reference to fig. 27 and the like. Note that, the tractor 101 of the second embodiment is not described in the same manner as the combine 1 of the first embodiment.

As shown in fig. 27, the tractor 101 includes a vehicle body 102 and a working machine 103, and is configured to perform work such as tilling by the working machine 103 while traveling by the vehicle body 102. A work machine 103 such as a rotary tiller, a rake, a loader, a plow, a box blade, etc. that perform various operations is attached to the vehicle body 102 as necessary to the tractor 101.

The tractor 101 may set any one of a manual travel mode and an automatic travel mode. When the manual travel mode is set, the tractor 101 performs manual travel according to an operation of various operating elements (a handle, an accelerator pedal, a shift lever) by an operator. When the automatic travel mode is set, the tractor 101 controls the vehicle speed, steering, and the like by the control device 130 so as to travel along the work path 63 automatically. The tractor 101 performs automatic traveling in a traveling mode such as reciprocating traveling in which the plurality of straight paths 67 reciprocate in the non-working area 61 of the field 60, and repeated surrounding traveling while shifting the surrounding of the straight paths 67 from the center side to the outside of the non-working area 61. The straight path 67 may be a curved straight path.

A pair of left and right front wheels 110 are provided on the front lower side of the vehicle body 102, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 111 are provided on the rear lower side of the vehicle body 102. A cab 112 for an operator to ride is provided at an upper portion of the vehicle body 102, and a driver seat and various kinds of operating elements are provided inside the cab 112. As an operation element for operating the travel of the tractor 101, a handle for instructing a turn of the body of the tractor 101, a main shift lever and a sub shift lever for instructing a change in the forward and backward speed of the tractor 101, and the like are provided. The vehicle body 102 is provided with a power unit 113, a work implement lifting mechanism 114, a positioning unit 115 (see fig. 28), and a control device 130.

The power unit 113 includes an engine 116 and a transmission 117, and power of the engine 116 is transmitted to the front wheels 110 and the rear wheels 111 while being shifted by the transmission 117. A pair of left and right lower links 118, a top link 119, and a PTO shaft 120 are connected to the rear portion of the transmission 117, and the work machine 103 is coupled to rear ends of the lower links 118, the top link 119, and the PTO shaft 120, and is driven by the PTO shaft 120.

The work implement lifting mechanism 114 includes a pair of left and right lifting arms 121 and a lifting cylinder 122 formed of a hydraulic cylinder. The front end of one lift arm 121 is connected to a lower link 118 via a link member 123, and the front end of the other lift arm 121 is connected to the other lower link 118 via a rolling cylinder 124. The work implement lifting mechanism 114 is capable of changing the height of the work implement 103 supported by the vehicle body 102 by driving the lifting cylinder 122. The work implement lifting mechanism 114 lowers the work implement 103 to the work position when performing work, and lifts the work implement 103 to the non-work position when not performing work.

The working machine 103 is constituted by, for example, a rotary tiller, and includes a tilling cover 125 extending in the left-right direction. A tilling rotary shaft 126 having a rotary shaft extending in the left-right direction is rotatably attached to the tilling cover 125, and the tilling rotary shaft 126 is rotated by power transmitted from the PTO shaft 120. Further, a plurality of tilling claws 127 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction on the tilling rotary shaft 126. The working machine 103 is configured to perform cultivation by rotating the cultivation claw 127 with the cultivation rotating shaft 126 with respect to soil in the field 60.

The positioning unit 115 is configured to acquire position information (positioning point) of the tractor 101 by using a satellite positioning system such as GNSS, to receive positioning signals from positioning satellites via a positioning antenna, and to acquire position information of the positioning unit 115, that is, position information of the tractor 101, based on the positioning signals. The positioning unit 115 may be constituted by a quantum compass instead of the positioning antenna.

Next, the control device 130 will be described. The control device 130 has the same function as the control device 30 of the combine harvester 1, and is constituted by a computer such as a CPU, and is connected to a storage unit 131 such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, and a flash memory, and a communication unit 132 for communicating with external devices, as shown in fig. 28.

The storage unit 131 stores programs and data for controlling various components and functions of the tractor 101, and the control device 130 executes arithmetic processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 131 to control the various components and functions. The control device 130 obtains the own vehicle position of the tractor 101 from the positioning unit 115, for example.

The communication unit 132 can perform wireless communication with external devices such as the mobile terminal 140 held by the operator via a wireless communication antenna. The control device 130 controls the communication unit 132 to perform wireless communication with the mobile terminal 140, and transmits and receives various information to and from the mobile terminal 140.

The control device 130 receives the field information and the work path 63 set for the field 60, which is the work target of the tractor 101, from the mobile terminal 140 via the communication unit 132, and stores them in the storage unit 131 as shown in fig. 29 to 31.

Further, the control device 130 operates as the automatic travel control unit 135, the movement travel control unit 136, and the return travel control unit 137 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 131. The automatic travel control unit 135, the movement travel control unit 136, and the return travel control unit 137 implement an automatic travel process, a movement travel process, and a return travel process of the automatic travel method according to the present invention.

The automatic travel control unit 135 has the same function as the automatic travel control unit 35 of the combine 1, and controls the automatic travel of the tractor 101 when the automatic travel mode is set. When the automatic travel control unit 135 starts the automatic travel, it acquires the own vehicle position of the tractor 101 from the positioning unit 115, and controls the power unit 113, the steering device (not shown), and the work implement 103 so that the tractor 101 automatically travels along the work path 63 based on the own vehicle position, the field information, and the work path 63. When the automatic travel control unit 135 performs the automatic travel, the operation of the work implement 103 is started and the work implement 103 is lowered to the work position.

The automatic travel control unit 135 temporarily interrupts the automatic travel in the middle of the work path 63 in response to a predetermined interrupt operation using the operation tool of the cab 112 or the mobile terminal 140, or in the case where a predetermined interrupt condition based on the work state of the tractor 101 is satisfied. At this time, the automatic travel control unit 135 stops the operation of the work machine 103 and raises the work machine 103 to the non-work position. When the tractor 101, which has been stopped from traveling automatically, is to be disconnected from the work path 63 by automatic driving or manual operation, the automatic travel control unit 135 stores the disconnected position 64 in the storage unit 131 and transmits the stored position to the mobile terminal 140 via the communication unit 132. The automatic travel control unit 135 resumes the temporarily interrupted automatic travel in response to a predetermined resumption operation using the operation tool of the cab 112 or the mobile terminal 140, or when a predetermined resumption condition based on the work state of the tractor 101 is satisfied.

The travel control unit 136 has the same function as the travel control unit 36 of the combine 1, and controls travel of the tractor 101 separated from the predetermined separation position 64 on the work path 63 to a halfway work position separated from the work path 63, and the travel is performed by automatic driving or manual operation. For example, when the automatic travel of the tractor 101 is temporarily interrupted by the automatic travel control unit 135, the travel control unit 136 stops the operation of the work machine 103 and raises the work machine 103 to the non-work position, and when a predetermined travel condition based on the work state of the tractor 101 is satisfied, the travel control unit performs the travel of the tractor 101 in accordance with a predetermined travel operation of the mobile terminal 140 and an operation tool using the cab 112.

The return travel control unit 137 has the same function as the return travel control unit 37 of the combine 1, and automatically returns the tractor 101 to travel toward the work path 63 in response to a return operation of the tractor 101 in the field 60 when the tractor 101 is separated from the work path 63. For example, after the tractor 101 is separated from the work path 63, the return travel control unit 137 obtains the return path 66 from the self-vehicle position of the tractor 101 to the predetermined return position 65 on the work path 63 from the mobile terminal 140 according to a predetermined return operation using the operation tool of the cab 112 and the mobile terminal 140, and controls the power unit 113 and the steering control device (not shown) so as to perform return travel to the return position 65 by automatic driving along the return path 66 while stopping the operation of the work machine 103 and raising the work machine 103 to the non-work position. When the return travel is stopped when reaching the return position 65 and then the vehicle moves to the automatic travel, the return travel control unit 137 starts decelerating at a predetermined distance before the return position 65 to set the vehicle speed at the return position 65 to 0. At this time, the return travel control unit 137 may automatically lower the work implement 103 to the work position when reaching the return position 65 or manually operated, or may automatically lower the work implement 103 to the work position while decelerating the travel, in preparation for the automatic travel. Alternatively, when continuously moving from the return travel to the automatic travel, the return travel control unit 137 may start the change of the vehicle speed at a predetermined distance before the return position 65 so that the vehicle speed becomes the set vehicle speed of the automatic travel at the return position 65 or immediately before the return position 65.

The mobile terminal 140 is one of the constituent elements of the tractor 101, has the same function as the mobile terminal 40 of the combine harvester 1, and is a terminal capable of remotely operating the tractor 101, and is constituted by a tablet terminal having a touch panel, a notebook personal computer, or the like, for example. The same operation device as the mobile terminal 140 may be provided in the cab 112. In the present invention, the tractor 101 and the mobile terminal 140 constitute an automatic travel system.

As shown in fig. 28, the mobile terminal 140 includes a terminal-side control device 141 configured by a computer such as a CPU, and the terminal-side control device 141 is connected to a terminal-side storage unit 142 such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, or a flash memory, and a terminal-side communication unit 143 that communicates with an external device. The mobile terminal 140 includes a display unit 144 such as a touch panel and a monitor for displaying various information and outputting the information to the operator, and an input unit 145 such as a touch panel and an operation key for receiving an input operation of various information from the operator.

The terminal-side storage unit 142 stores programs and data for controlling various components and functions of the mobile terminal 140, and the terminal-side control device 141 performs arithmetic processing based on the programs and data stored in the terminal-side storage unit 142 to control the various components and functions of the mobile terminal 140. The terminal-side storage unit 142 stores field information of the field 60, which is the object of operation of the tractor 101.

The terminal-side communication unit 143 is communicably connected to the communication unit 132 of the tractor 101 via a wireless communication antenna. The terminal-side control device 141 controls the terminal-side communication unit 143 to wirelessly communicate with the tractor 101, and transmits and receives various information to and from the tractor 101.

The terminal-side control device 141 of the mobile terminal 140 operates as the field selection unit 150, the work path generation unit 151, the movement path generation unit 152, the restoration path generation unit 153, and the display control unit 154 by executing the program stored in the terminal-side storage unit 142. The field selecting unit 150, the working path generating unit 151, the moving path generating unit 152, and the restoration path generating unit 153 implement a field selecting step, a working path generating step, a moving path generating step, and a restoration path generating step of the automatic travel method according to the present invention.

The field selection unit 150 has the same function as the field selection unit 50 of the combine 1, and manually or automatically selects the field 60 to be the work object of the automatic travel of the tractor 101.

The work path generating unit 151 has the same function as the work path generating unit 51 of the combine 1, and generates a work path 63 for the tractor 101 to travel while performing work, for example, generates a work path 63 (see fig. 29 to 31) automatically traveling on the field 60 selected by the field selecting unit 150, stores the generated work path in the terminal-side storage unit 142, and transmits the generated work path to the tractor 101 via the terminal-side communication unit 143. For example, the working path generating unit 151 generates a working path 63 that reciprocates in a plurality of straight paths 67 in the non-working area 61 inside the field 60.

The movement path generating unit 152 has the same function as the movement path generating unit 52 of the combine 1, and generates a movement path along which the tractor 101 moves from the separation position 64 to the intermediate work position. The travel path includes travel information related to travel, and the travel information includes travel directions at the respective travel positions and a set vehicle speed in addition to the travel positions in the field 60. The set vehicle speed of the travel path may be set to be equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed of the automatically traveling work path 63. When the movement path generation unit 152 generates the movement path, the movement path is stored in the terminal-side storage unit 142 and transmitted to the tractor 101 via the terminal-side communication unit 143.

The restoration route generation unit 153 has the same function as the restoration route generation unit 53 of the combine 1, generates a restoration route 66 for restoring the tractor 101, which is disconnected from the work route 63 by stopping the automatic travel, to the work route 63, sets the restoration position 65 on the work route 63, generates the restoration route 66 for restoring the tractor 101 from the vehicle position to the restoration position 65 by the automatic travel, stores the generated restoration route 66 in the terminal-side storage unit 142, and transmits the generated restoration route to the tractor 101 via the communication unit 132. The return path 66 includes travel information related to travel, and the travel information includes travel directions at the respective travel positions and a set vehicle speed in addition to the travel positions in the field 60. The set vehicle speed of the return path 66 may be set to be equal to or greater than the set vehicle speed of the automatically traveling work path 63. The restoration route generation unit 153 obtains the vehicle position of the tractor 101 at the time of performing the generation operation from the positioning unit 115 of the tractor 101 according to a predetermined generation operation using the operation tool of the cab 112 and the mobile terminal 140, and generates the restoration route 66 from the vehicle position to the restoration position 65. The restoration-path generating unit 153 preferably generates the restoration path 66 so as to travel straight in the same direction as the traveling direction of the working path 63 at least a predetermined distance or more to reach the restoration position 65, in other words, preferably sets a straight path at least a predetermined distance or more from the end of the restoration path 66.

The restoration-path generating unit 153 can generate the restoration path 66 similar to the first to seventeenth embodiments of the first embodiment, for example, but in the second embodiment, the restoration-path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 so that the tractor 101 moves at the shortest distance while avoiding the work area 62, in other words, so that the tractor 101 travels in a restoration mode without working 61, in particular. In the case of applying any one of the first to seventeenth embodiments, the restoration-route generating unit 153 also generates the restoration route 66 by combining the straight route and the turning route so that the tractor 101 moves to the restoration position 65 at the shortest distance while avoiding the work place 62 from the vehicle position at the time of the generating operation, for example.

Eighteenth embodiment

For example, as shown in fig. 29, in the eighteenth embodiment similar to the first embodiment, when the tractor 101 uses a predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as the escape path 67a, and the escape position 64 at the end of the escape path 67a interrupts the automatic travel and is away from the working path 63, the restoration path generating unit 153 sets the straight path 67 to which the escape path 67a is connected next as the next path 67b, and sets the restoration position 65 at the start end of the next path 67 b. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 so that the tractor 101 moves from the vehicle position at the time of the generating operation to the restoration position 65 at the start end of the next path 67b while avoiding the work area 62. Fig. 29 shows an example in which a work path 63 that reciprocates in a plurality of straight paths 67 is generated for an unworn area 61 of a field 60, and as another example of the eighteenth embodiment, when a work path 63 that surrounds the work is generated, the restoration-path generating unit 153 may set the restoration position 65 at the start end of the next path 67b with the straight path 67 that is connected next to the separation path 67a as the next path 67 b.

Nineteenth embodiment

As shown in fig. 30, in the nineteenth embodiment similar to the second embodiment, when the tractor 101 uses the predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as the escape path 67a, and the escape position 64 in the middle of the escape path 67a is disconnected from the working path 63 by interrupting the automatic travel, the return path generating unit 153 preferably sets the return position 65 at the escape position 64. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 153 generates the first restoration path 66k so that the tractor 101 moves from the vehicle position of the tractor 101 at the time of the generating operation to a position separated from the work place 62 on the separation path 67a toward the opposite side of the work place 62 from the separation position 64. The restoration-path generating unit 153 generates a second restoration path 66m that travels backward from the end of the first restoration path 66k to the restoration position 65 at the separation position 64. The restoration-path generating unit 153 may acquire a path that is a part of the departure path 67a as the second restoration path 66m. Then, the restoration-path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66k and the second restoration path 66m.

In addition, when the work place 62 is present between the vehicle position and the release position 64 of the tractor 101 at the time of the generation operation, the restoration route generation unit 153 may generate the restoration route 66 having the first restoration route 66k and the second restoration route 66m as described above, and when the work place 62 is not present between the vehicle position and the release position 64, the restoration route generation unit 153 may generate the restoration route 66 that moves to the release position 64 by the shortest distance from the vehicle position while avoiding the work place 62. In the nineteenth embodiment, as shown in fig. 30, an example is shown in which a work path 63 for a reciprocating work that reciprocates on a plurality of straight paths 67 is generated for an unworked area 61 of a field 60, and as another example of the nineteenth embodiment, when a work path 63 for a surrounding work is generated, the restoration path generating unit 153 may set the restoration position 65 on the separation path 67a in the same manner.

Twentieth embodiment

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 31, in the twentieth embodiment, which is similar to the second embodiment, when the tractor 101 uses the predetermined straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 as the escape path 67a, and the escape position 64 in the middle of the escape path 67a interrupts the automatic travel and is deviated from the working path 63, the restoration path generating unit 153 may set the restoration position 65 at the start end of the escape path 67 a. At this time, the restoration-path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 so that the tractor 101 moves from the vehicle position of the tractor 101 at the time of the generating operation to the restoration position 65 at the start end of the escape path 67a while avoiding the work area 62. Further, after the tractor 101 returns to the return position 65 at the start end of the separation path 67a, the tractor may perform automatic travel along with the tilling operation based on the working path 63 from the return position 65 to the separation position 64, or may perform automatic travel without the tilling operation.

In addition, when the worked area 62 exists between the own vehicle position and the escape position 64 of the tractor 101 at the time of the generation operation, the restoration route generation unit 153 may generate the restoration route 66 toward the start end of the escape route 67a as described above, and when the worked area 62 does not exist between the own vehicle position and the escape position 64, the restoration route generation unit 153 may generate the restoration route 66 that moves to the escape position 64 by the shortest distance while avoiding the worked area 62 from the own vehicle position. In the twentieth embodiment, as shown in fig. 31, an example is shown in which a work path 63 for a reciprocating work that reciprocates on a plurality of straight paths 67 is generated for an unworked area 61 of a field 60, and as another example of the twentieth embodiment, when a work path 63 for a surrounding work is generated, the restoration path generating unit 153 may set the restoration position 65 on the separation path 67a in the same manner. The restoration-path generating unit 153 may be configured to apply the nineteenth embodiment when the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is equal to or greater than a predetermined harvesting distance from the work place 62 of the separation path 67 a), and to apply the twentieth embodiment when the distance from the start of the separation path 67a to the separation position 64 is less than the predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the distance from the work place 62 of the separation path 67a is less than the predetermined harvesting distance). Alternatively, the restoration-path generating unit 153 may be configured to apply the nineteenth embodiment when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is less than a predetermined distance threshold (that is, when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is not more than a predetermined distance, that is, when the distance from the non-working place 61 of the separation path 67a is not less than a predetermined distance), and to apply the twentieth embodiment when the distance from the separation position 64 to the end of the separation path 67a is not less than a predetermined distance. Alternatively, the restoration-path generating unit 153 may be configured to apply any one of the twelfth embodiment and the thirteenth embodiment in response to an arbitrary operation by the operator.

The display control unit 154 has the same function as the display control unit 54 of the combine 1, and controls the display unit 144 to display the operation screen 70 (see fig. 26) for performing the automatic travel and the return travel of the field 60, which is the operation target. The display control unit 154 displays at least the map field 71, the travel start button 72, and the restoration route generation button 73 on the work screen 70.

The display control unit 154 displays the outline of the field 60 on the map field 71 and displays the vehicle logo 74 of the tractor 101 on the vehicle position of the tractor 101 positioned by the positioning unit 115 of the tractor 101, as in the first embodiment. The display control unit 154 displays the non-work place 61, the work place 62, and the work route 63 in the map field 71. The display control unit 154 displays the separation position 64, the return position 65, the return path 66, and the direction line 75 on the map column 71 as necessary. In the second embodiment, the functions and actions of the job screen 70 (in particular, the functions and actions of the map column 71, the travel start button 72, and the restoration route generation button 73) are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the tractor 101 is a work vehicle in which the travel of the work site 62 of the field 60 is restricted and the work is not accompanied by, and the return travel control unit 137 automatically returns the tractor 101 to travel so as to travel on the non-work site 61 of the field 60.

Thus, the tractor 101 can perform the return travel without stepping on the worked area 62, and workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the tractor 101 is separated from the separation position 64 in the middle of the straight path 67 constituting the working path 63, the restoration path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 having the first restoration path 66k of the non-working area 61 separated from the separation position 64 and the second restoration path 66m of the first restoration path 66k which is backward moved to the separation position 64 and which is moved to the straight path 67.

Thus, even when the tractor 101 is separated from the middle of the separation path 67a, the tractor can return to the working path 63 smoothly without stepping on the worked ground 62 and the workability can be improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the tractor 101 is separated from the straight path 67 constituting the working path 63 at the separation position 64 which is less than the predetermined separation distance from the start of the straight path 67, the restoration path generating unit 153 generates the restoration path 66 which travels to the start of the straight path 67.

This can generate the restoration route 66 according to the working state of the field 60 to efficiently restore the travel, thereby improving the workability.

In the second embodiment, the description has been made of the case where the selection operation of the travel start button 72 is used as the trigger for starting the return travel, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, completion of the material and fuel supply operation may be used as a trigger for starting the return travel, or generation of the return path 66 may be used as a trigger for starting the return travel.

In the second embodiment described above, the example in which the work vehicle is constituted by the tractor 101 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the working vehicle of the second embodiment may be a vehicle in which travel not accompanying work is restricted to the already-worked area 62 of the field 60 and permitted to travel not accompanying work in the not-worked area 61 of the field 60.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the explanation has been made of the case where the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 separated from the working path 63 are set at the predetermined position of the working path 63 and the restoration path 66 is generated as in the first to twentieth examples, and the travel is automatically restored to the working path 63 along the restoration path 66, but the present invention is not limited to this example. In another example, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 may set the return position 65 at a predetermined position on the work path 63 as in the first to twentieth embodiments, and then travel to the return position 65 by manual travel according to a manual operation.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 are provided with the main shift lever and the sub shift lever for instructing the forward/backward speed change, respectively. The sub-shift lever (shift member) allows the set vehicle speed to be switched between a plurality of levels (for example, high speed, medium speed, low speed, etc.), while the main shift lever allows the set vehicle speed to be shifted continuously according to the operation amounts (for example, tilting operation amounts) of the forward operation and the reverse operation. In the combine 1 and the tractor 101, in the above-described travel of discharging during the operation of the field 60, the return travel, the travel of discharging when the operation of the field 60 is completed, the travel of entering the field 60, the travel of returning to the field, and the like, which do not accompany the operation of the harvesting unit 3 and the working machine 103, the sub-shift lever is generally not switched for ensuring safety.

In contrast, in other examples, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 may be configured to switch the sub-shift lever even during traveling in accordance with a predetermined switching condition. The combine 1 and the tractor 101 may be configured such that the sub-shift lever is switchable between a high-speed side and a low-speed side, and the sub-shift lever may be switchable both during forward movement and during backward movement. In addition, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 may automatically switch the sub-shift lever when the switching condition is satisfied, or may switch the sub-shift lever by a manual operation.

For example, in the combine 1 and the tractor 101, in a moving path such as the discharge path 69 and the return path 66 that does not accompany the operation of the harvesting unit 3 and the working machine 103, a straight line portion having a predetermined travel distance or longer (including a gentle curve having a predetermined radius of curvature or longer) is set as an allowable path, and the sub-shift lever can be switched. The switching condition may be that the remaining length of the allowable path during traveling on the allowable path is equal to or longer than a predetermined allowable length. When this switching condition is satisfied, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 can switch the sub-shift lever to the high-speed side. In the case where the switching condition is satisfied for the allowable path, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 can switch the sub-shift lever regardless of whether the allowable path is a path along the work path 63.

When the combine 1 and the tractor 101 combine the straight line portion and the turning portion to generate the moving path, the vehicle speed may be set to a low speed at the turning portion, compared to the straight line portion. In this case, since the combine 1 and the tractor 101 need to decelerate at the end of the straight line portion when moving from the straight line portion to the turning portion, if the straight line portion is the above-described allowable path, it is determined that the remaining length of the allowable path does not include the deceleration section at the end, and the sub-shift lever cannot be switched within the deceleration section.

The combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 may be configured to stop the operation of the harvesting unit 3 or the working machine 103 and set the non-working position as the switching condition during the travel on the allowable path. The combine 1 and the tractor 101 may also be configured to allow travel on the path to continue for a predetermined distance or a predetermined time as a switching condition. Further, the combine 1 and the tractor 101 preferably automatically return to switching the sub-shift lever during traveling on the allowable path when reaching the end of the allowable path.

When the sub-shift lever is operated in a case where the switching condition is not satisfied, the combine harvester 1 and the tractor 101 report that the sub-shift lever cannot be switched by a display, a sound, a buzzer, or the like. The combine 1 and the tractor 101 preferably can switch the sub-shift lever by a report such as a display, a sound, or a buzzer when the switch condition is satisfied. The combine 1 and the tractor 101 may return to the switching state of the auxiliary gear lever by displaying a deceleration report by a display, a sound, a buzzer, or the like when moving from the straight portion to the turning portion on the moving path.

The present invention can be appropriately modified within a range not departing from the gist or the idea of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and an automatic travel method, a work vehicle, and an automatic travel system that accompany such modification are also included in the technical idea of the present invention.

[ appendix of invention ]

Hereinafter, an outline of the invention extracted from the above embodiment will be described. The configurations and processing functions described in the following notes can be optionally combined.

< appendix 1 >

An automatic travel method for a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the method includes a return travel step of automatically returning the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

< annex 2 >

The automatic travel method according to appendix 1, characterized in that,

the method further includes a restoration path generation step of generating a restoration path for the working path based on the vehicle position of the working vehicle in response to a generation operation for the working vehicle,

the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to travel based on the return route.

< notes 3 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of appendixes 1 and 2, characterized in that,

The return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path when a distance between a return position provided at an end of a straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold.

< appendix 4 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 3, characterized in that,

the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to the separation position when a distance between the separation position at which the work vehicle is separated from the middle of the straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold value.

< notes 5 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 4, characterized in that,

the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to travel so as to travel on the field without work when the work vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without work in the field with work.

< notes 6 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 2 to 4, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the working vehicle is out of the way at a separation position in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to the non-work area on the straight path separated from the separation position and a second restoration path that travels backward from the end of the first restoration path to the separation position.

< appendix 7 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 2 to 4, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in a work place in the field and the working vehicle is separated from a straight path constituting the working path at a separation position less than a predetermined separation distance from a start end of the straight path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path that travels to the start end of the straight path.

< notes 8 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 2 to 4, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in an unworked area of the field and the working vehicle is out of position at a position of separation in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to a start end of the straight path and a second restoration path that travels from the start end to the position of separation on the straight path.

< notes 9 >, respectively

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 2 to 4, comprising:

a working path generating step of generating the working path including one or more straight paths; and

an automatic travel step of automatically traveling the work vehicle along the work path,

when the working vehicle is separated from the terminal of the separation path by taking the predetermined straight path as the separation path, and when the working vehicle is separated from the next straight path of the separation path by taking the next straight path of the separation path as the next path, and the working vehicle is separated from the next straight path in the orthogonal direction, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path which travels to the entrance corner so as to face the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction by taking the corner closest to the vehicle position of the working vehicle and not working in the field as the entrance corner,

When the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path facing the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction, the working path generating step regenerates the working path so as to include a straight path running from the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction.

< notes 10 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 2 to 4, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is configured to take a predetermined straight line path out of one or more straight line paths constituting the working path as a separation path and to separate from the working vehicle at a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path that runs to the start of the straight line path next to the separation path or the straight line path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 11 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 4, characterized in that,

when the work vehicle is separated from a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path by taking a predetermined straight path out of one or more straight paths constituting the work path as the separation path, the return travel step returns the work vehicle to the start of the straight path adjacent to the separation path, and returns the work vehicle to the separation position after the work vehicle travels and works to the end of the straight path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 12 >

The automatic travel method according to any one of supplementary notes 1 to 11, characterized in that,

the switching of the transmission member capable of switching the set vehicle speeds of a plurality of levels is normally impossible during traveling without accompanying the work, and is performed according to a predetermined switching condition in a straight line portion of a travel distance equal to or longer than a predetermined travel distance of a travel path without accompanying the work.

< notes 13 >

A work vehicle for automatically traveling a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the vehicle is provided with a return travel control unit that automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

< notes 14 >

The working vehicle according to appendix 13, characterized in that,

the vehicle further includes a restoration path generation unit that generates a restoration path for the working path based on the vehicle position of the working vehicle in response to a generation operation for the working vehicle,

The return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to travel based on the return route.

< notes 15 >

The working vehicle according to any one of appendixes 13 or 14, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path when a distance between a return position provided at an end of a straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold.

< notes 16 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 13 to 15, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to the separation position when a distance between the separation position at which the work vehicle is separated from the middle of the straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold value.

< notes 17 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 13 to 16, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to travel so as to travel on the field without work when the work vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without work in the field with work.

< notes 18 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 14 to 16, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the working vehicle is out of the way at a separation position in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to the non-work area on the straight path separated from the separation position and a second restoration path that travels backward from the end of the first restoration path to the separation position.

< notes 19 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 14 to 16, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the working vehicle is separated from the middle of a straight path constituting the working path at a separation position less than a predetermined separation distance from the start of the straight path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that travels to the start of the straight path.

< notes 20 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 14 to 16, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in an unworked area of the field and the working vehicle is out of position at a position of separation in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to a start end of the straight path and a second restoration path that travels from the start end to the position of separation on the straight path.

< notes 21 >

The work vehicle according to any one of notes 14 to 16, comprising:

a work path generation unit that generates the work path including one or more straight paths; and

an automatic travel control unit that automatically travels the work vehicle along the work path,

when the working vehicle is separated from the terminal of the separation path by taking the predetermined straight path as the separation path, and when the working vehicle is separated from the next straight path of the separation path by taking the next straight path of the separation path as the next path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that travels to the entrance corner so as to face the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction by taking the corner closest to the vehicle position of the working vehicle, which is not working in the field, as the entrance corner,

When the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path facing the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction, the working path generating unit generates the working path again so as to include a straight path running from the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction.

< notes 22 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 14 to 16, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is configured to take a predetermined straight line path out of one or more straight line paths constituting the working path as a separation path and to separate from the working vehicle at a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that runs to the start of the straight line path next to the separation path or the straight line path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 23 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 13 to 16, characterized in that,

when the work vehicle is separated from a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path by taking a predetermined straight path out of one or more straight paths constituting the work path as the separation path, the return travel control unit returns the work vehicle to the start of the straight path adjacent to the separation path, and returns the work vehicle to the separation position after the work vehicle travels and works to the end of the straight path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 24 >

The working vehicle according to any one of notes 13 to 23, characterized in that,

the switching of the transmission member capable of switching the set vehicle speeds of a plurality of levels is normally impossible during traveling without accompanying the work, and is performed according to a predetermined switching condition in a straight line portion of a travel distance equal to or longer than a predetermined travel distance of a travel path without accompanying the work.

< notes 25 >

An automatic traveling system for a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the vehicle is provided with a return travel control unit that automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

< notes 26 >

The automatic travel system according to appendix 25, characterized in that,

the vehicle further includes a restoration path generation unit that generates a restoration path for the working path based on the vehicle position of the working vehicle in response to a generation operation for the working vehicle,

The return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to travel based on the return route.

< notes 27 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 25 and 26, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path when a distance between a return position provided at an end of a straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold.

< notes 28 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 25 to 27, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to the separation position when a distance between the separation position at which the work vehicle is separated from the middle of the straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold value.

< notes 29 >)

The automatic travel system according to any one of supplementary notes 25 to 28, characterized in that,

the return travel control unit automatically returns the work vehicle to travel so as to travel on the field without work when the work vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without work in the field with work.

< notes 30 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 26 to 28, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the working vehicle is out of the way at a separation position in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to the non-work area on the straight path separated from the separation position and a second restoration path that travels backward from the end of the first restoration path to the separation position.

< notes 31 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 26 to 28, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the working vehicle is separated from the middle of a straight path constituting the working path at a separation position less than a predetermined separation distance from the start of the straight path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that travels to the start of the straight path.

< notes 32 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 26 to 28, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in an unworked area of the field and the working vehicle is out of position at a position of separation in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that travels to a start end of the straight path and a second restoration path that travels from the start end to the position of separation on the straight path.

< notes 34 >, respectively

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 26 to 28, comprising:

a work path generation unit that generates the work path including one or more straight paths; and

an automatic travel control unit that automatically travels the work vehicle along the work path,

when the working vehicle is separated from the terminal of the separation path by taking the predetermined straight path as the separation path, and when the working vehicle is separated from the next straight path of the separation path by taking the next straight path of the separation path as the next path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that travels to the entrance corner so as to face the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction by taking the corner closest to the vehicle position of the working vehicle, which is not working in the field, as the entrance corner,

When the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path facing the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction, the working path generating unit generates the working path again so as to include a straight path running from the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction.

< notes 34 >, respectively

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 26 to 28, characterized in that,

when the working vehicle is configured to take a predetermined straight line path out of one or more straight line paths constituting the working path as a separation path and to separate from the working vehicle at a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path, the restoration path generating unit generates the restoration path that runs to the start of the straight line path next to the separation path or the straight line path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 35 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of supplementary notes 25 to 28, characterized in that,

when the work vehicle is separated from a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path by taking a predetermined straight path out of one or more straight paths constituting the work path as the separation path, the return travel control unit returns the work vehicle to the start of the straight path adjacent to the separation path, and returns the work vehicle to the separation position after the work vehicle travels and works to the end of the straight path adjacent to the separation path.

< notes 36 >

The automatic travel system according to any one of notes 25 to 35, characterized in that,

the switching of the transmission member capable of switching the set vehicle speeds of a plurality of levels is normally impossible during traveling without accompanying the work, and is performed according to a predetermined switching condition in a straight line portion of a travel distance equal to or longer than a predetermined travel distance of a travel path without accompanying the work.

Claims (14)

1. An automatic travel method for a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the method includes a return travel step of automatically returning the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

2. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1, wherein,

the method further includes a restoration route generation step of generating a restoration route to the work route based on the own vehicle position of the work vehicle in response to a generation operation to the work vehicle,

The return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to travel based on the return route.

3. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path when a distance between a return position provided at an end of a straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold.

4. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

when the distance between the separation position at which the work vehicle is separated from the middle of the straight path constituting the work path and the vehicle position of the work vehicle at the time of the return operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined separation threshold value, the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to the separation position.

5. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

the return travel step automatically returns the work vehicle to travel so as to travel on the field without work when the work vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without work in the field with work.

6. The automatic traveling method according to claim 2, wherein,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in a work place in the field and the working vehicle is out of the way at a separation position in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that is a path traveling to an unworked place on the straight path separated from the separation position and a second restoration path that is a path traveling backward from a terminal end of the first restoration path to the separation position.

7. The automatic traveling method according to claim 2, wherein,

the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path that travels to the start of the straight path when the work vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying work in the work area of the field and the work vehicle is separated from the work vehicle at a separation position that is less than a predetermined separation distance from the start of the straight path in the middle of the straight path that constitutes the work path.

8. The automatic traveling method according to claim 2, wherein,

when the working vehicle is a vehicle that is restricted from traveling without accompanying a work in an unworked area of the field and the working vehicle is out of position at a break-away position in the middle of a straight path constituting the working path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path having a first restoration path that is a path traveling to a start end of the straight path and a second restoration path that is a path traveling from the start end to the break-away position on the straight path.

9. The automatic travel method according to claim 2, characterized by comprising:

a working path generating step of generating the working path including at least one straight path; and

an automatic travel step of automatically traveling the work vehicle along the work path,

when the working vehicle takes a predetermined straight path as a separation path and separates at a terminal end of the separation path, and the working vehicle takes a next straight path of the separation path as a next path and separates in an orthogonal direction to the next path, the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path that travels to the entrance corner so as to face the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction, with a corner of the field that is closest to a vehicle location of the working vehicle as an entrance corner,

When the restoration path generating step generates the restoration path facing the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction, the working path generating step regenerates the working path so as to include a straight path traveling from the entrance corner in the orthogonal direction.

10. The automatic traveling method according to claim 2, wherein,

when the work vehicle is configured to take a predetermined straight line path out of one or more straight line paths constituting the work path as a separation path and separate the work vehicle at a predetermined separation position in the middle of the separation path, the return path generating step generates the return path that runs to the start of the straight line path next to the separation path or the straight line path adjacent to the separation path.

11. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that,

when the work vehicle is separated from a predetermined separation position in the middle of a separation path by taking a predetermined straight path out of one or more straight paths constituting the work path as the separation path, the return travel step returns the work vehicle to travel to the start of the straight path adjacent to the separation path, and returns the work vehicle to travel to the separation position after the work vehicle travels and works to the end of the straight path adjacent to the separation path.

12. The automatic traveling method according to claim 1, wherein,

the switching of the transmission member capable of switching the set vehicle speeds of a plurality of levels is normally impossible during traveling without accompanying the work, and is performed according to a predetermined switching condition in a straight line portion of a travel distance equal to or longer than a predetermined travel distance of a travel path without accompanying the work.

13. A work vehicle for automatically traveling a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the vehicle is provided with a return travel control unit that automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.

14. An automatic traveling system for a work vehicle that automatically travels a preset work path in a field, characterized in that,

the vehicle is provided with a return travel control unit that automatically returns the work vehicle to the work path in response to a return operation of the work vehicle in the field when the work vehicle is separated from the work path.