JP2019175059A - Cruise control system of work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cruise control system of a work vehicle making it possible to automatically cruise a work vehicle in the event that positioning information on the work vehicle cannot be acquired using a satellite positioning system.SOLUTION: Included are an automatic cruise control unit that implements first cruise control of automatically cruising a work vehicle 1 along a predesignated target cruise route on the basis of positioning information on the work vehicle 1 acquired using a satellite positioning system, a three-dimensional information measurement sensor that is included in the work vehicle 1 and measures three-dimensional information on the surroundings of the work vehicle 1, a geography acquisition unit that acquires a geography K3 on the surroundings of the work vehicle 1 on the basis of the measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor, and a cruise direction identification unit that identifies a cruise direction V of the work vehicle 1 for the geography K3 acquired by the geography acquisition unit. The automatic cruise control unit can implement second cruise control of automatically cruising the work vehicle 1 on the basis of the cruise direction V of the work vehicle 1, which is identified by the cruise direction identification unit, in place of the first cruise control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

  The present invention relates to a travel control system for a work vehicle that automatically travels the work vehicle.

  The travel control system for a work vehicle as described above is applied to an automatic travel system that automatically travels the work vehicle, and follows a preset target travel route based on position information of the work vehicle obtained from a satellite positioning system. Automatic traveling control for automatically traveling the work vehicle is performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  For example, if a positioning failure occurs, such as when a windbreak forest or building cannot receive radio waves from a satellite, or when radio waves cannot be received due to radio wave interference, etc., position information of the work vehicle is temporarily received from the satellite positioning system. Cannot be obtained automatically. Therefore, when a positioning failure occurs, the work vehicle cannot automatically travel along the target travel route, so it is conceivable to stop the work vehicle from automatically traveling. However, if the automatic traveling of the work vehicle is stopped every time a positioning failure occurs, the work efficiency is lowered.

  Therefore, in the system described in Patent Document 1, when a positioning failure occurs, the system is switched to inertial navigation in which the work vehicle automatically travels based on measurement information of an inertial measurement device such as a gyro sensor provided in the work vehicle. Thus, the automatic traveling of the work vehicle is continued. Inertial navigation is continued until a set time elapses after a positioning failure occurs or until a set distance has elapsed after a positioning failure occurs. If the set time elapses after the positioning failure occurs, or if the positioning failure does not disappear even if the set distance travels after the positioning failure occurs, the automatic traveling of the work vehicle is stopped.

International Publication No. 2015/147111

  In the system described in Patent Document 1, when the positioning information of the work vehicle cannot be acquired by the satellite positioning system due to the occurrence of a positioning failure or the like, the work vehicle continues to automatically travel by inertial navigation. However, it is difficult to accurately determine the traveling direction of the work vehicle with only the measurement information of the inertial measurement device, and in some cases, the work vehicle may greatly deviate from the target travel route. Therefore, there is still room for improvement as a configuration for performing automatic traveling of the work vehicle when the positioning information of the work vehicle cannot be acquired by the satellite positioning system.

  In view of this situation, a main problem of the present invention is to provide a travel control system for a work vehicle that can automatically travel the work vehicle when the positioning information of the work vehicle cannot be acquired by the satellite positioning system.

A first characteristic configuration of the present invention is an automatic travel control that performs first travel control for automatically traveling a work vehicle along a preset target travel route based on positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by a satellite positioning system. And
A three-dimensional information measuring sensor that is provided in the work vehicle and measures three-dimensional information around the work vehicle;
Based on the measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor, a terrain acquisition unit that acquires the terrain around the work vehicle;
A traveling direction identifying unit that identifies the traveling direction of the work vehicle with respect to the terrain acquired by the terrain acquiring unit;
The automatic travel control unit can execute second travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle based on the travel direction of the work vehicle specified by the travel direction specifying unit, instead of the first travel control. It is in the point which is comprised.

  According to this configuration, since the three-dimensional information measurement sensor measures three-dimensional information around the work vehicle, the terrain acquisition unit can calculate, for example, irregularities on the traveling surface of the work vehicle from the measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor. And the shape of the end of the traveling region can be grasped, and the terrain around the work vehicle can be specified. The traveling direction specifying unit can specify the traveling direction of the work vehicle according to the terrain, for example, the direction along the terrain acquired by the terrain acquiring unit is set as the traveling direction of the work vehicle. In the second travel control, the automatic travel control unit can automatically travel the work vehicle along the travel direction of the work vehicle specified by the travel direction specifying unit. Thereby, for example, when a positioning failure occurs, the automatic traveling control unit can perform the second traveling control instead of the first traveling control, and the satellite positioning system cannot acquire the positioning information of the work vehicle. However, the work vehicle can be automatically driven.

The second characteristic configuration of the present invention is an automatic travel that performs a first travel control that automatically travels the work vehicle along a preset target travel route based on positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by a satellite positioning system. A control unit;
A three-dimensional information measuring sensor that is provided in the work vehicle and measures three-dimensional information around the work vehicle;
A target point setting unit for setting a target point on a display screen of a display unit on which a three-dimensional image generated from measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor and a target travel route are superimposed and displayed;
The automatic travel control unit, instead of the first travel control, uses the direction toward the target point set by the target point setting unit as the travel direction of the work vehicle to perform third travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle. Is configured to be executable.

  According to this configuration, the target point setting unit sets the target point on the display screen of the display unit on which the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor and the target travel route are superimposed and displayed. The target point for automatically running the work vehicle can be set three-dimensionally. In the third traveling control, since the automatic traveling control unit can grasp in three dimensions what the target point is with respect to the work vehicle, the target point set by the target point setting unit Is set as the traveling direction of the work vehicle, and the work vehicle can automatically travel toward the set traveling direction. Thereby, for example, when a positioning failure occurs, the automatic traveling control unit can perform the third traveling control instead of the first traveling control, and can acquire the positioning information of the work vehicle by the satellite positioning system. Even without this, the work vehicle can be automatically driven.

According to the third characteristic configuration of the present invention, the work vehicle is provided with a travel direction detection unit that detects a travel direction of the work vehicle,
In the third travel control, the automatic travel control unit is configured to automatically travel the work vehicle using detection information of the travel direction detection unit.

  According to this configuration, since the automatic travel control unit can grasp the current travel direction of the work vehicle from the detection information of the travel direction detection unit, the current travel direction of the work vehicle is set by the target point setting unit. The work vehicle can be automatically traveled so that the travel direction set using the set target point is obtained. As a result, the work vehicle can automatically travel without significantly deviating from the travel direction set using the target point set by the target point setting unit.

The figure which shows schematic structure of an automatic traveling system Block diagram showing schematic configuration of automatic driving system Diagram showing the target travel route The figure which shows the upper part part of the tractor in front view The figure which shows the upper part part of a tractor in a rear view The figure which shows the antenna unit and front rider sensor in the use position in a side view The perspective view which shows the support structure of an antenna unit and a front rider sensor The figure which shows the antenna unit and front rider sensor in the non-use position in a side view The figure which shows the roof in a side view in a use position and a non-use position, an antenna unit, a front rider sensor, and a rear rider sensor Perspective view showing support structure of rear rider sensor The figure which shows the measurement range of the front rider sensor and the rear rider sensor in the side view The figure which shows the measurement range of the front rider sensor, the rear rider sensor, and the sonar unit in plan view The figure which shows the three-dimensional image produced | generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor The figure which shows the three-dimensional image produced | generated from the measurement information of the rear rider sensor in the state which has located the working device in the descent position The figure which shows the three-dimensional image produced | generated from the measurement information of the rear rider sensor in the state which has located the working device in the raising position The figure which shows the traveling direction of the three-dimensional image produced | generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor, the acquired topography, and the specified tractor The figure which shows the state which superimposed and displayed the three-dimensional image produced | generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor, and a target driving | running route The flowchart which shows operation | movement when performing 2nd traveling control during execution of 1st traveling control.

An embodiment when a work vehicle provided with an obstacle detection system according to the present invention is applied to an automatic travel system will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this automatic traveling system, as shown in FIG. 1, a tractor 1 is applied as a work vehicle according to the present invention. Other than the tractor, a riding rice transplanter, a combiner, a riding mower, a wheel loader, a snowplow, etc. It is possible to apply a passenger work vehicle and an unmanned work vehicle such as an unmanned mower.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic traveling system includes an automatic traveling unit 2 mounted on the tractor 1 and a mobile communication terminal 3 that is set to communicate with the automatic traveling unit 2. The mobile communication terminal 3 can employ a tablet personal computer, a smartphone, or the like having a display unit 51 (for example, a liquid crystal panel) that can be touch-operated.

  The tractor 1 includes a traveling machine body 7 having left and right front wheels 5 that function as drivable steering wheels, and drivable left and right rear wheels 6. A bonnet 8 is disposed on the front side of the traveling machine body 7, and an electronically controlled diesel engine (hereinafter referred to as an engine) 9 having a common rail system is provided in the bonnet 8. A cabin 10 that forms a boarding type driving unit is provided behind the hood 8 of the traveling machine body 7.

  A rotary cultivator, which is an example of the working device 12, is connected to the rear portion of the traveling machine body 7 via a three-point link mechanism 11 so as to be movable up and down and rollable so that the tractor 1 can be configured to have a rotary cultivating specification. it can. A work device 12 such as a plow, a seeding device, or a spraying device can be connected to the rear portion of the tractor 1 instead of the rotary tiller.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 1 includes an electronically controlled transmission 13 that shifts the power from the engine 9, an all-hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 that steers the left and right front wheels 5, and the left and right rear wheels 6. Left and right side brakes (not shown) for braking, an electronically controlled brake operating mechanism 15 that enables hydraulic operation of the left and right side brakes, and a work clutch that intermittently transmits power to the work device 12 such as a rotary tiller (see FIG. (Not shown), an electronically controlled clutch operating mechanism 16 that enables hydraulic operation of the work clutch, an electrohydraulic control type lifting drive mechanism 17 that drives the working device 12 such as a rotary tiller, etc., automatic travel of the tractor 1, etc. Vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 having various control programs and the like, a vehicle speed sensor 19 for detecting the vehicle speed of the tractor 1, and a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the front wheels 5 20, and the positioning unit 21 and the like for measuring the current position and current heading of the tractor 1 is provided.

  The engine 9 may be an electronically controlled gasoline engine equipped with an electronic governor. As the transmission 13, a hydraulic mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMT), a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (HST), a belt-type continuously variable transmission, or the like can be employed. The power steering mechanism 14 may be an electric power steering mechanism 14 provided with an electric motor.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cabin 10 includes a cabin frame 31 that forms a framework of the cabin 10, a front glass 32 that covers the front side, a rear glass 33 that covers the rear side, and an axis around the vertical direction. And a pair of left and right doors 34 (see FIG. 1) that can swing open and close and a roof 35 on the ceiling side. The cabin frame 31 includes a pair of left and right front columns 36 disposed at the front end and a pair of left and right rear columns 37 disposed at the rear end. In a plan view, front struts 36 are disposed at the left and right corners on the front side, and rear struts 37 are disposed at the left and right corners on the rear side. The cabin frame 31 is supported on the traveling machine body 7 via an anti-vibration member such as an elastic body, and anti-vibration measures are taken to prevent vibration from the traveling machine body 7 and the like from being transmitted to the cabin 10. In the state, a cabin 10 is provided.

  Inside the cabin 10, as shown in FIG. 1, a steering wheel 38 that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 5 via a power steering mechanism 14 (see FIG. 2), a driver's seat 39 for passengers, a touch panel An expression display unit and various operation tools are provided. On both lateral sides of the front portion of the cabin 10, a boarding / alighting step 41 serving as a boarding / alighting unit for the cabin 10 (driver's seat 39) is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 includes a shift control unit 181 that controls the operation of the transmission 13, a brake control unit 182 that controls the operation of the left and right side brakes, and a work device 12 such as a rotary tillage device. A work device control unit 183 that controls the operation, a steering angle setting unit 184 that sets the target steering angle of the left and right front wheels 5 during automatic traveling and outputs the target steering angle to the power steering mechanism 14, and a preset target traveling for automatic traveling A non-volatile in-vehicle storage unit 185 and the like for storing the route P (for example, see FIG. 3) and the like are included.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning unit 21 includes a satellite that measures the current position and the current direction of the tractor 1 using a GPS (Global Positioning System) which is an example of a satellite positioning system (NSS: Navigation Satellite System). A navigation device 22, an inertial measurement unit (IMU: 23) 23 that has a three-axis gyroscope, a three-direction acceleration sensor, and the like and measures the attitude, orientation, and the like of the tractor 1 are provided. Positioning methods using GPS include DGPS (Differential GPS) and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic GPS). In the present embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for positioning of a moving body is employed. Therefore, a reference station 4 that enables positioning by RTK-GPS is installed at a known position around the field as shown in FIGS.

  Each of the tractor 1 and the reference station 4 includes, as shown in FIG. 2, GPS antennas 24 and 61 that receive radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellite 71 (see FIG. 1), and between the tractor 1 and the reference station 4. Communication modules 25, 62, and the like that enable wireless communication of various types of information including positioning information in are provided. Thereby, the satellite navigation device 22 receives the positioning information obtained by the GPS antenna 24 on the tractor side receiving the radio wave from the GPS satellite 71, and the GPS antenna 61 on the base station side receives the radio wave from the GPS satellite 71. Based on the obtained positioning information, the current position and the current direction of the tractor 1 can be measured with high accuracy. In addition, the positioning unit 21 includes the satellite navigation device 22 and the inertial measurement device 23, thereby measuring the current position, current azimuth, and attitude angle (yaw angle, roll angle, pitch angle) of the tractor 1 with high accuracy. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the GPS antenna 24, the communication module 25, and the inertial measurement device 23 provided in the tractor 1 are housed in an antenna unit 80. The antenna unit 80 is disposed at an upper position on the front side of the cabin 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 includes positioning information between the terminal electronic control unit 52 having various control programs for controlling the operation of the display unit 51 and the like, and the communication module 25 on the tractor side. A communication module 55 that enables wireless communication of various types of information is provided. The terminal electronic control unit 52 includes a travel route generation unit 53 that generates a target travel route P (for example, see FIG. 3) for travel guidance for automatically traveling the tractor 1, and various input information input by the user. A non-volatile terminal storage unit 54 that stores the target travel route P and the like generated by the travel route generation unit 53 is included.

  When the travel route generation unit 53 generates the target travel route P, a driver or a user such as a driver or the like follows the input information for setting the target travel route displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. Vehicle body information such as the type and model of the work device 12 is input, and the input vehicle body information is stored in the terminal storage unit 54. A travel region S (see FIG. 3) that is a target for generating the target travel route P is used as a field, and the terminal electronic control unit 52 of the mobile communication terminal 3 acquires field information including the shape and position of the field to obtain a terminal storage unit. 54.

  The acquisition of the field information will be described. When the user or the like drives and actually travels the tractor 1, the terminal electronic control unit 52 determines the shape and position of the field from the current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21. It is possible to acquire position information for specifying the like. The terminal electronic control unit 52 specifies the shape and position of the field from the acquired position information, and acquires the field information including the travel region S specified from the specified shape and position of the field. FIG. 3 shows an example in which a rectangular traveling area S is specified.

  When the field information including the identified shape and position of the field is stored in the terminal storage unit 54, the travel route generation unit 53 uses the field information and the vehicle body information stored in the terminal storage unit 54 to target A travel route P is generated.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the travel route generating unit 53 sets the travel region S into a central region R1 and an outer peripheral region R2. The central area R1 is set at the center of the traveling area S, and is a reciprocating work area in which a predetermined operation (for example, work such as tillage) is performed by automatically traveling the tractor 1 in the reciprocating direction in advance. . The outer peripheral region R2 is set around the central region R1, and is a circular work region in which the tractor 1 automatically travels in the circular direction following the central region R1 and performs a predetermined operation. For example, the travel route generation unit 53 uses the turning radius included in the vehicle body information, the front / rear width and the left / right width of the tractor 1, and the space required for turning the tractor 1 to turn around the field. Seeking. The traveling route generation unit 53 divides the traveling region S into a central region R1 and an outer peripheral region R2 so as to ensure the space obtained on the outer periphery of the central region R1.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the travel route generation unit 53 generates a target travel route P using vehicle body information, farm field information, and the like. For example, the target travel route P includes a plurality of work routes P1 that are arranged in parallel at a constant distance corresponding to the work width and have the same straight traveling distance in the central region R1, and the start ends of the adjacent work routes P1. It has the connection path | route P2 which connects a termination | terminus, and the circulation path | route P3 (it shows with the dotted line in the figure) which circulates in outer periphery area | region R2. The plurality of work paths P1 are paths for performing predetermined work while causing the tractor 1 to travel straight ahead. The connection path P2 is a U-turn path for changing the traveling direction of the tractor 1 by 180 degrees without performing a predetermined work, and connects the end of the work path P1 and the start end of the next adjacent work path P1. ing. The circulation path P3 is a path for performing a predetermined operation while the tractor 1 travels around in the outer peripheral region R2. The circulatory path P3 switches the traveling direction of the tractor 1 90 degrees by switching the tractor 1 between forward traveling and backward traveling at positions corresponding to the four corners of the traveling region S. Incidentally, the target travel route P shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and what target travel route is set can be appropriately changed.

  The target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 53 can be displayed on the display unit 51 and is stored in the terminal storage unit 54 as route information associated with vehicle body information, farm field information, and the like. The route information includes the azimuth angle of the target travel route P, the set engine speed and the target travel speed set according to the travel mode of the tractor 1 on the target travel route P, and the like.

  In this way, when the travel route generation unit 53 generates the target travel route P, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transfers the route information from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the tractor 1, whereby the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 of the tractor 1. However, route information can be acquired. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 causes the tractor 1 to automatically travel along the target travel route P while acquiring its current position (current position of the tractor 1) by the positioning unit 21 based on the acquired route information. Can do. The current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 is transmitted from the tractor 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, every several seconds), and the mobile communication terminal 3 grasps the current position of the tractor 1. ing.

  Regarding the transfer of the route information, the entire route information can be transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 at a time before the tractor 1 starts the automatic travel. Further, for example, the route information including the target travel route P can be divided into a plurality of route portions for each predetermined distance with a small amount of information. In this case, only the initial route portion of the route information is transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 before the tractor 1 starts automatic traveling. After the start of automatic driving, every time the tractor 1 reaches a route acquisition point set according to the amount of information or the like, route information of only the subsequent route portion corresponding to that point is transmitted from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the on-vehicle electronic control. It may be transferred to the unit 18.

  When starting the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, for example, when the user or the like moves the tractor 1 to the start point and various automatic traveling start conditions are satisfied, the user can display the display unit 51 on the mobile communication terminal 3. The mobile communication terminal 3 transmits an instruction to start automatic driving to the tractor 1 by instructing start of automatic driving by operating. As a result, in the tractor 1, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 receives an instruction to start automatic traveling, and the positioning unit 21 obtains its current position (current position of the tractor 1) while obtaining the target traveling route P. The automatic traveling control for automatically traveling the tractor 1 is started. Automatic traveling control in which the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 automatically travels the tractor 1 along the target traveling route P in the traveling region S based on the positioning information of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 using the satellite positioning system. It is comprised as an automatic travel control part which performs.

  The automatic travel control includes automatic shift control for automatically controlling the operation of the transmission 13, automatic braking control for automatically controlling the operation of the brake operating mechanism 15, automatic steering control for automatically steering the left and right front wheels 5, and a rotary tillage device. The automatic operation control for automatically controlling the operation of the working device 12 is included.

  In the automatic shift control, the shift control unit 181 determines whether the tractor 1 on the target travel route P is based on the route information of the target travel route P including the target travel speed, the output of the positioning unit 21, and the output of the vehicle speed sensor 19. The operation of the transmission 13 is automatically controlled so that the target travel speed set according to the travel mode and the like is obtained as the vehicle speed of the tractor 1.

  In the automatic braking control, the braking control unit 182 causes the left and right side brakes to move rearward in the braking area included in the route information of the target traveling route P based on the target traveling route P and the output of the positioning unit 21. The operation of the brake operation mechanism 15 is automatically controlled so as to properly brake the wheel 6.

  In the automatic steering control, the steering angle setting unit 184 determines the target of the left and right front wheels 5 based on the route information of the target travel route P and the output of the positioning unit 21 so that the tractor 1 travels automatically on the target travel route P. The steering angle is obtained and set, and the set target steering angle is output to the power steering mechanism 14. Based on the target steering angle and the output of the steering angle sensor 20, the power steering mechanism 14 automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5 so that the target steering angle is obtained as the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 5.

  In the automatic work control, the work device control unit 183 operates the tractor 1 at the start of the work route P1 (for example, see FIG. 3) based on the route information of the target travel route P and the output of the positioning unit 21. As the start point is reached, a predetermined work (for example, tillage work) by the work device 12 is started, and the tractor 1 reaches the work end point such as the end of the work path P1 (for example, see FIG. 3). Along with this, the operations of the clutch operation mechanism 16 and the lifting drive mechanism 17 are automatically controlled so that the predetermined work by the work device 12 is stopped.

  Thus, in the tractor 1, the transmission 13, the power steering mechanism 14, the brake operation mechanism 15, the clutch operation mechanism 16, the lift drive mechanism 17, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 18, the vehicle speed sensor 19, the steering angle sensor 20, positioning. The automatic traveling unit 2 is configured by the unit 21, the communication module 25, and the like.

  In this embodiment, not only the user or the like does not get on the cabin 10 but also the tractor 1 automatically runs, and the tractor 1 can also automatically run while the user or the like gets on the cabin 10. Accordingly, not only the user or the like does not board the cabin 10 but also the tractor 1 can automatically travel along the target travel route P by the automatic traveling control by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18, and the user or the like can board the cabin 10. Even in this case, the tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the target travel route P by the automatic travel control by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18.

  When a user or the like is in the cabin 10, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 switches between an automatic running state in which the tractor 1 is automatically run and a manual running state in which the tractor 1 is run based on the operation of the user or the like. be able to. Therefore, the automatic travel state can be switched from the automatic travel state to the manual travel state during the automatic travel on the target travel route P, and conversely, the manual travel can be performed while the manual travel state is traveling. The state can be switched to the automatic running state. For switching between the manual driving state and the automatic driving state, for example, a switching operation unit for switching between the automatic driving state and the manual driving state can be provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat 39, and the switching operation unit is carried around. It can also be displayed on the display unit 51 of the communication terminal 3. Further, when the user operates the steering wheel 38 during the automatic traveling control by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18, the automatic traveling state can be switched to the manual traveling state.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tractor 1 is provided with an obstacle detection system 100 for detecting an obstacle around the tractor 1 (the traveling machine body 7) and avoiding a collision with the obstacle. ing. The obstacle detection system 100 includes a plurality of rider sensors (corresponding to distance sensors) 101 and 102 that can measure a distance to a measurement object in three dimensions using a laser, and an ultrasonic wave to the measurement object. Sonar units 103 and 104 having a plurality of sonars capable of measuring distances, an obstacle detection unit 110, and a collision avoidance control unit 111 are provided. Here, the measurement object to be measured by the rider sensors 101 and 102 and the sonars 103 and 104 is an object or a person.

  The obstacle detection unit 110 performs an obstacle detection process for detecting a measurement object such as an object or a person within a predetermined distance as an obstacle based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 and the sonar units 103 and 104. It is configured. The collision avoidance control unit 111 is configured to perform collision avoidance control when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle. The obstacle detection unit 110 repeatedly performs obstacle detection processing based on measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 and the sonar units 103 and 104 in real time, appropriately detects obstacles such as objects and people, and avoids collision. The control unit 111 performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with an obstacle detected in real time.

  The obstacle detection unit 110 and the collision avoidance control unit 111 are provided in the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is connected to an engine electronic control unit included in the common rail system, the rider sensors 101 and 102, the sonar units 103 and 104, and the like in a communicable manner via a CAN (Controller Area Network). ing.

  The rider sensors 101 and 102 measure the distance from the round-trip time until the laser beam (for example, pulsed near-infrared laser beam) bounces off the measurement object to the measurement object (Time Of Flight). . The rider sensors 101 and 102 scan the laser beam at high speed in the vertical and horizontal directions at a high speed, and sequentially measure the distance to the measurement object at each scanning angle, so that the distance to the measurement object is three-dimensionally. Measuring. The rider sensors 101 and 102 repeatedly measure the distance to the measurement object within the measurement range in real time. The rider sensors 101 and 102 are configured to be able to generate a three-dimensional image from measurement information and output it to the outside. The three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 is displayed on a display device such as the display unit of the tractor 1 or the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that the user or the like can visually recognize the presence or absence of an obstacle. be able to. By the way, in the three-dimensional image, for example, the distance in the perspective direction can be shown using color or the like.

  As the rider sensors 101 and 102, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the front rider used for detecting an obstacle on the front side of the tractor 1 with the front side of the tractor 1 (running vehicle body 7) as the measurement range C A sensor 101 and a rear rider sensor 102 used for detecting an obstacle on the rear side of the tractor 1 with the rear side of the tractor 1 (the traveling machine body 7) as a measurement range D are provided.

  The front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102 will be described below. The support structure of the front rider sensor 101, the support structure of the rear rider sensor 102, the measurement range C of the front rider sensor 101, and the measurement range D of the rear rider sensor 102 are described below. This will be explained in order.

A support structure for the front rider sensor 101 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the front rider sensor 101 is attached to the bottom of the antenna unit 80 disposed at the upper position on the front side of the cabin 10. First, the support structure of the antenna unit 80 will be described. Next, a structure for attaching the front rider sensor 101 to the bottom of the antenna unit 80 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the antenna unit 80 is attached to a pipe-shaped antenna unit support stay 81 that extends over the entire length of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The antenna unit 80 is disposed at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The antenna unit support stay 81 is fixedly connected in a state extending over the left and right mirror mounting portions 45 located on the left and right oblique front sides of the cabin 10. The mirror mounting portion 45 includes a mirror mounting base material 46 fixed to the front support column 36, a mirror mounting bracket 47 fixed to the mirror mounting base material 46, and a hinge portion 49 provided on the mirror mounting bracket 47. , And a mirror mounting arm 48 that is rotatable. As shown in FIG. 7, the antenna unit support stay 81 is formed in a bridge shape in which left and right end portions are curved downward. The left and right ends of the antenna unit support stay 81 are fixedly connected to the upper end side portion of the mirror mounting bracket 47 via the first mounting plate 201. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a horizontal mounting surface is formed on the upper end portion of the mirror mounting bracket 47, and a horizontal mounting surface is also formed on the lower end portion of the first mounting plate 201. Has been. The antenna unit support stay 81 is fixedly connected in a posture extending in the horizontal direction by being fastened by a connecting tool 50 such as a bolt and nut in a state in which both mounting surfaces are superposed on each other. Since the antenna unit 80 is supported by the front column 36 constituting the cabin frame 31 via the antenna unit support stay 81 and the mirror mounting portion 45, the antenna unit 80 is prevented from transmitting vibration to the antenna unit 80 and the like. The unit 80 is firmly supported.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the mounting structure of the antenna unit 80 to the antenna unit support stay 81 is the second mounting plate 202 fixed to the antenna unit 80 side and the second mounting plate 202 fixed to the antenna unit support stay 81 side. The antenna unit 80 is attached to the antenna unit support stay 81 by fastening the 3 attachment plate 203 with a connector 50 such as a bolt and nut.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the second mounting plate 202 is provided as a pair on the left and right sides with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The second mounting plate 202 is configured by a plate-like body bent in an L shape having a stay side mounting portion 202b extending downward from an outer end portion of the unit side mounting portion 202a extending in the left-right direction. The second mounting plate 202 is mounted in such a manner that the unit side mounting portion 202a is fixedly connected to the bottom portion of the antenna unit 80 by the connector 50 or the like, and the stay side mounting portion 202b extends downward. Although not shown in the drawings, a pair of front and rear circular holes for connection by a connector or the like is formed in the stay side mounting portion 202b of the second mounting plate 202.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the third mounting plate 203 is configured by an L-shaped plate-like body whose front side portion extends below the rear side portion. Similarly to the second mounting plate 202, the third mounting plate 203 is provided as a pair on the left and right sides with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The third attachment plate 203 is attached in such a manner that the lower end edge of the rear part is fixedly connected to the upper part of the antenna unit support stay 81 by welding or the like, and the front part is located on the front side of the antenna unit support stay 81. . The third mounting plate 203 is formed with a long elongated hole 203a extending along the front-rear direction of the traveling machine body 7 from the front side portion to the rear side portion, and a connecting round hole on the lower side of the front side portion. 203b is formed.

  When the antenna unit 80 is attached to the antenna unit support stay 81, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the antenna unit 80 is disposed above the antenna unit support stay 81, and the antenna of the communication module 25 is placed upward. It is located in the use position extending to the side. The second mounting plate 202 is connected to the third mounting plate 202 so that the front and rear round holes of the stay mounting portion 202b of the second mounting plate 202 are aligned with the front end and the rear end of the elongated hole 203a of the third mounting plate 203. The second mounting plate 202 and the third mounting plate 203 are overlapped with each other while being positioned on the inner side of the mounting plate 203. The coupling unit 50 is inserted and fastened across the round holes before and after the second mounting plate 202 and the long holes 203a of the third mounting plate 203, so that the antenna unit 80 is attached to the antenna unit support stay 81 at the use position. Can be attached. At this time, locations corresponding to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the long hole 203a are set as connection locations by the connector 50, and in each of the pair of left and right second mounting plates 202 and third mounting plates 203. A total of four locations including the front portion and the rear portion are connected portions by the connector 50.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the antenna unit 80 is located not only at the use position, but also at the front side of the antenna unit support stay 81 as shown in FIG. The antenna unit support stay 81 can be attached to the antenna unit support stay 81 even in a non-use position extending to the position.

  When the antenna unit 80 is attached to the antenna unit support stay 81 in the non-use position, as shown in FIG. 8, the antenna unit 80 is located in the non-use position and the second attachment plate 202 has a stay side attachment portion 202b. In a state in which the second mounting plate 202 is positioned inward of the third mounting plate 203 so that the front and rear circular holes are aligned with the front end portions of the circular holes 203b and the long holes 203a of the third mounting plate 203. The second mounting plate 202 and the third mounting plate 203 are overlapped. The connecting tool 50 is inserted through the front round hole in the stay side mounting portion 202b of the second mounting plate 202 and the round hole 203b in the third mounting plate 203, and the rear of the second mounting plate 202 in the stay side mounting portion 202b. The antenna unit 80 can be attached to the antenna unit support stay 81 at the non-use position by inserting and fastening the connector 50 across the side round hole and the front side end of the long hole 203a.

  For example, when the antenna unit 80 is changed from the use position (see FIG. 6) to the non-use position (see FIG. 8), as shown in FIG. 6, the front end of the long hole 203a of the third mounting plate 203 is used. The connecting tool 50 located at the rear is removed, the connecting tool 50 located at the rear end of the long hole 203a of the third mounting plate 203 is loosened, and the state where the connecting tool 50 is inserted into the long hole 203a is maintained. By moving the connector 50 forward along the long hole 203a from the rear side end to the front side end, the antenna unit 80 is suspended downwardly with the connector 50 as a pivot shaft. As shown in FIG. 8, the position of the antenna unit 80 is changed to the non-use position. Therefore, the connecting tool 50 is inserted through the round hole on the front side of the second mounting plate 202 and the round hole 203b on the third mounting plate 203, and the front side of the round hole on the rear side of the second mounting plate 202 and the long hole 203a. The connector 50 can be inserted and fastened over the side end portion, and the antenna unit 80 can be repositioned from the use position to the non-use position.

  In a state where the antenna unit 80 is attached at the use position, as shown in FIG. 9A, a part of the antenna unit 80 protrudes upward from the highest level line Z passing through the highest part 35a of the roof 35. The antenna of the communication module 25 can be arranged on the upper side so that the wireless communication of the communication module 25 can be performed appropriately. On the other hand, when the antenna unit 80 is attached at the non-use position, the upper end of the antenna unit 80 is located at the same height position as the highest level line Z or the highest level line Z as shown in FIG. Is also placed at a low position. As a result, when the tractor 1 is transported or when the tractor 1 is stored in a storage location such as a barn, the antenna unit 80 does not protrude above the highest level line Z, and the antenna unit 80 becomes an obstacle. Further, it is possible to prevent the antenna unit 80 from being damaged due to contact with an obstacle or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the mounting structure of the front rider sensor 101 to the antenna unit 80 is fastened by a connecting tool 50 such as a bolt and nut via a fourth mounting plate 204 and a fifth mounting plate 205, thereby A sensor 101 is attached to the bottom of the antenna unit 80. The fourth mounting plate 204 has a mounting surface portion 204a extending in the left-right direction, and is formed in a bridge shape in which both end portions of the mounting surface portion 204a extend downward. The fifth mounting plate 205 has a pair of left and right mounting surface portions 205a facing each other in the left-right direction, and is formed in a bridge shape in which upper end portions of the mounting surface portions 205a are connected to each other. The mounting surface portion 204 a of the fourth mounting plate 204 is fixedly connected to the bottom portion of the antenna unit 80 by the connector 50. A front side portion of the fourth mounting plate 204 and a rear side portion of the fifth mounting plate 205 are fixedly connected by the connector 50. A pair of left and right mounting surface portions 205 a of the fifth mounting plate 205 are fixedly connected to both lateral side portions of the front rider sensor 101 by the connector 50. The front rider sensor 101 is attached so as to be sandwiched between the left and right attachment surface portions 205a of the fifth attachment plate 205 in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the front rider sensor 101 is configured to be detachable from the antenna unit 80 via a fourth mounting plate 204 and a fifth mounting plate 205. The front rider sensor 101 can be retrofitted, and only the front rider sensor 101 can be removed. Further, since the antenna unit 80 is also detachably attached to the mirror attachment portion 45 via the antenna unit support stay 81, the front rider sensor 101 is attached to and detached from the traveling machine body 7 by the front rider sensor 101 alone. And can be attached to and detached from the traveling machine body 7 together with the antenna unit 80. The front rider sensor 101 uses an antenna unit support stay 81 and the like that support the antenna unit 80 as a common support stay, and, like the antenna unit 80, prevents transmission of vibration to the front rider sensor 101. Strongly supported.

  Since the front rider sensor 101 is provided integrally with the antenna unit 80, by changing the position of the antenna unit 80 between the use position and the non-use position, as shown in FIG. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the use position that is used for obstacle detection on the front side of the traveling machine body 7 and the non-use position that is not used for obstacle detection as shown in FIG. The position can be changed freely.

  When the front rider sensor 101 is located at the use position, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9A, the front rider sensor 101 serves as a boarding / alighting portion for the cabin 10 (driver's seat 39) in the vertical direction. It is disposed at a position higher than 41 (see FIG. 1) and at a position corresponding to the roof 35. The front rider sensor 101 is attached in a front lowering posture that is located on the lower side as the front side portion is located. The front rider sensor 101 is provided to measure in a state where the front side of the traveling machine body 7 is looked down obliquely from the upper side. Since the antenna unit support stay 81 is disposed at a position overlapping the front end portion 35b of the roof 35 in the front-rear direction of the traveling machine body 7 and in the vicinity of the front end portion 35b of the roof 35 in the vertical direction, the front rider sensor 101 is disposed in the vicinity of the front obliquely upper side with respect to the front end portion 35 b of the roof 35 using the lower space of the antenna unit 80. Thus, as shown in FIG. 11, at least a part of the front rider sensor 101 overlaps with the front end portion 35 b of the roof 35 from the line of sight of the passenger T sitting on the driver's seat 39. The arrangement position of the front rider sensor 101 is a position where at least a part of the front rider sensor 101 is hidden at the front end portion 35 b of the roof 35. The front rider sensor 101 exists in a position where a part of the front rider sensor 101 deviates from the visible range B1 on the front side of the occupant T seated in the driver's seat 39, and the field of view of the occupant T seated in the driver's seat 39 is Can be prevented from being blocked.

  When the front rider sensor 101 is located at the non-use position, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B, the upper end portion of the front rider sensor 101 is placed at the highest level line Z (FIG. 9B) as in the antenna unit 80. ) Refer to the above)). Thereby, when transporting the tractor 1 or when storing the tractor 1 in a storage location such as a barn, not only the antenna unit 80 but also the front rider sensor 101 is prevented from protruding above the highest level line Z. is doing.

  About the arrangement position of the front rider sensor 101, it is arrange | positioned in the center part of the left-right direction of the antenna unit 80 in the left-right direction of the traveling body 7. FIG. Since the antenna unit 80 is disposed at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling aircraft body 7, the front rider sensor 101 is also a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the lateral direction of the traveling aircraft body 7. Is arranged.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in addition to the front rider sensor 101, a front camera 108 whose imaging range is the front side of the traveling machine body 7 is attached to the fifth mounting plate 205 by a connector or the like. The front camera 108 is disposed above the front rider sensor 101. Similar to the front rider sensor 101, the front camera 108 is attached in a front-down posture that is located on the lower side as the front side portion is located. The front camera 108 is provided so as to take an image in a state where the front side of the traveling machine body 7 is looked down obliquely from above. A captured image captured by the front camera 108 can be output to the outside. The captured image of the front camera 108 can be displayed on a display device such as the display unit of the tractor 1 or the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that a user or the like can visually recognize the situation around the tractor 1.

Next, a support structure for the rear rider sensor 102 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the rear rider sensor 102 is attached to a pipe-like sensor support stay 301 over the entire length of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The rear rider sensor 102 is disposed at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the sensor support stay 301 is fixedly connected so as to extend over the left and right rear columns 37 located at the left and right ends of the cabin 10. The sensor support stay 301 is formed in a bridge shape in a plan view in which the left and right ends are curved obliquely forward. The left and right end portions of the sensor support stay 301 are fixedly connected to attachment members provided at upper end portions of the left and right rear columns 37 via a sixth attachment plate 206. A sixth mounting plate 206 is fixedly connected to the left and right ends of the sensor support stay 301 by welding or the like. The sensor support stay 301 is fixedly connected in a posture extending in the horizontal direction by fastening the sixth mounting plate 206 and a mounting member provided at an upper end side portion of the rear column 37 with the connecting tool 50.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rear rider sensor 102 is attached to the sensor support stay 301 via a seventh attachment plate 207 and an eighth attachment plate 208 as shown in FIG. . The seventh mounting plate 207 has a pair of left and right side wall surface portions 207a facing each other in the left and right direction, and is formed in a bridge shape in which upper end portions of the side wall surface portions 207a are connected to each other. The eighth mounting plate 208 has a pair of left and right mounting surface portions 208a facing each other in the left-right direction, and is formed in a bridge shape in which the upper end portions of the mounting surface portion 208a are connected to each other. The lower end edge of the side wall surface portion 207a of the seventh mounting plate 207 is fixedly connected to the sensor support stay 301 by welding or the like. The rear part of the seventh mounting plate 207 and the front part of the eighth mounting plate 208 are fixedly connected by the connector 50. A pair of left and right mounting surface portions 208 a of the eighth mounting plate 208 are fixedly connected to both lateral side portions of the rear rider sensor 102 by the connector 50. The rear rider sensor 102 is attached so as to be sandwiched between the left and right attachment surface portions 208a of the eighth attachment plate 208 in the left-right direction. A reinforcing plate 302 is fixedly connected to the front portion of the seventh mounting plate 207 by a connector or the like. A front side portion of the reinforcing plate 302 is fixedly connected to the upper surface portion of the roof 35 by a connecting tool 50. The reinforcing plate 302 extends in the front-rear direction in a U-shape having an upright wall with both side ends in the left-right direction bent upward, and extends across the roof 35, the seventh mounting plate 207, and the sensor support stay 301. Is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 9B and 10, the rear rider sensor 102 is disposed at a position higher than the getting-on / off step 41 (see FIG. 1) and in a position corresponding to the roof 35 in the vertical direction. The rear rider sensor 102 is attached to the sensor support stay 301 in a rearwardly lowered posture that is located on the lower side as the rear side portion is located. The rear rider sensor 102 is provided so as to perform measurement in a state where the rear side of the traveling machine body 7 is looked down obliquely from above. The sensor support stay 301 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear end portion 35c of the roof 35 in the front-rear direction of the traveling machine body 7 and at the position overlapping the rear end portion 35c of the roof 35 in the vertical direction. The sensor 102 is disposed at substantially the same height with respect to the rear end portion 35c of the roof 35 or at a position in the vicinity of the rear obliquely upper side. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11, at least a part of the rear rider sensor 102 overlaps with the rear end portion 35 c of the roof 35 from the line of sight of the passenger T sitting on the driver's seat 39. The rear rider sensor 102 is disposed at a position where at least a part of the rear rider sensor 102 is hidden at the rear end portion 35 c of the roof 35. The occupant T seated in the driver's seat 39 is located at a position where a part of the rear rider sensor 102 deviates from the rear viewable range B2, and the view of the occupant T seated in the driver's seat 39 is the rear rider sensor. Blocking at 102 can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rear rider sensor 102 is configured to be detachable from the rear column 37 via a sensor support stay 301, a seventh mounting plate 207, and an eighth mounting plate 208. The rear rider sensor 102 can be retrofitted, and the rear rider sensor 102 can be removed. Since the rear rider sensor 102 is supported by the rear column 37 constituting the cabin frame 31 via the sensor support stay 301, the rear rider sensor 102 is firmly supported while preventing transmission of vibration to the rear rider sensor 102. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the rear rider sensor 102, a rear camera 109 whose imaging range is the rear side of the traveling machine body 7 is attached to the eighth mounting plate 208 by a connector or the like. The rear camera 109 is disposed above the rear rider sensor 102. Similar to the rear rider sensor 102, the rear camera 109 is attached in a rear-lowering posture that is located on the lower side as the rear part is located. The rear camera 109 is provided so as to take an image in a state where the rear side of the traveling machine body 7 is looked down obliquely from above. A captured image captured by the rear camera 109 can be output to the outside. The captured image of the rear camera 109 can be displayed on a display device such as the display unit of the tractor 1 or the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that a user or the like can visually recognize the situation around the tractor 1.

The measurement range C of the front rider sensor 101 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the front rider sensor 101 has a left / right measurement range C1 in the left / right direction, and also has an up / down measurement range C2 in the up / down direction as shown in FIG. As a result, the front rider sensor 101 has a quadrangular pyramid that is included in the left / right measurement range C1 and the vertical measurement range C2 in the range from the self to the position separated by the first set distance X1 (see FIG. 12) A shape measurement range C is set.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the left-right measurement range C1 in the front rider sensor 101 is a left-right symmetric range with the left-right center line of the traveling aircraft body 7 as the symmetry axis in the left-right direction of the traveling aircraft body 7. The left / right measurement range C1 is set to a range of a first set angle α1 between a first boundary line E1 and a second boundary line E2 extending from the front rider sensor 101. The lateral measurement range C <b> 1 is set to be larger than the lateral width of the tractor 1 and the lateral width of the work device 12 in the lateral width direction of the traveling machine body 7. The size of the left and right measurement range C1 can be changed as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the vertical measurement range C2 in the front rider sensor 101 is set to a range of a second set angle α2 between the third boundary line E3 and the fourth boundary line E4 extending from the front rider sensor 101. Yes. The third boundary line E3 is set as a horizontal line extending in the horizontal direction forward from the front rider sensor 101, and the fourth boundary line E4 is based on a first tangent line G1 from the front rider sensor 101 to the front upper portion of the front wheel 5. Is also set to a straight line located on the lower side. The vertical measurement range C2 is set so that the first center line F1 between the third boundary line E3 and the fourth boundary line E4 is located above the bonnet 8. A sufficiently large measuring range is secured. By setting the fourth boundary line E4 below the first tangent line G1, a measurement object such as an object or a person is positioned near the front end of the traveling machine body 7 (the front end of the bonnet 8). Even if exists, the measurement object can be measured.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a part of the bonnet 8 and a part of the front wheel 5 enter the vertical measurement range C <b> 2 in the front rider sensor 101. If the obstacle detection process is performed based on the measurement information, a part of the hood 8 or a part of the front wheel 5 may be erroneously detected as an obstacle. Therefore, a first masking process for preventing the erroneous detection is performed. In the first masking process, in the measurement range C of the front rider sensor 101, a masking range L in which a part of the hood 8 and a part of the front wheel 5 are present is not detected as an obstacle (see FIG. 13). Is set in advance.

  For example, in the first masking process, as a pre-process using the front rider sensor 101, a measurement is actually performed by the front rider sensor 101, and a three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information at that time is displayed on the display unit of the tractor 1 or a mobile phone. The information is displayed on a display device such as the display unit 51 of the communication terminal 3. A user or the like operates the display device while confirming a three-dimensional image of the display device, thereby setting a masking range L in which detection as an obstacle is not performed. As shown in FIG. 13, if a part of the bonnet 8 and a part of the front wheel 5 are present on the three-dimensional image, a range La in which a part of the bonnet 8 is present and the front wheel 5. The masking range L is set based on a reference range including a partially existing range Lb. As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 13, the front wheel 5 is steered left and right by operating the steering wheel 38, the power steering mechanism 14 and the like, so that the masking range includes the steering range in which the front wheel 5 is steered left and right. It is preferable to set L.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, a chevron-shaped range larger than the reference range including the range La in which a part of the bonnet 8 exists and the range Lb in which a part of the front wheel 5 exists is set as the masking range L. is doing. Incidentally, the masking range L is set to a three-dimensional range in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. For example, the masking range L is set to a shape corresponding to the shape of the hood 8 or the front wheel 5 so as to include only the range La where a part of the bonnet 8 exists and the range Lb where a part of the front wheel 5 exists. The range and shape of the masking range L can be appropriately changed.

  In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 is included in the left / right measurement range C1 (see FIG. 12) in the left / right direction by performing the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101, and In the range included in the vertical measurement range C2 (see FIG. 11) in the direction, the presence or absence of an obstacle is detected in a range excluding the masking range L.

The measurement range D of the rear rider sensor 102 will be described.
Like the front rider sensor 101, the rear rider sensor 102 has a left / right measurement range D1 in the left / right direction as shown in FIG. 12, and an up / down measurement range D2 in the up / down direction as shown in FIG. Have. As a result, the rear rider sensor 102 has a quadrangular pyramid that is included in the left and right measurement range D1 and the vertical measurement range D2 in the range from the self to the position separated by the third set distance X3 (see FIG. 12). A shape measurement range D is set. Incidentally, X1 and X3 can be set to the same distance or different distances.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the left and right measurement range D1 in the rear rider sensor 102 is set to a third setting between the fifth boundary line E5 and the sixth boundary line E6 extending from the rear rider sensor 102, as in the front rider sensor 101. The angle α3 is set in a range. Similar to the front rider sensor 101, the left / right measurement range D <b> 1 is set to a range larger than the lateral width of the tractor 1 and the lateral width of the work device 12 in the lateral width direction of the traveling machine body 7.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the vertical measurement range D2 in the rear rider sensor 102 is set to a range of a fourth set angle α4 between the seventh boundary line E7 and the eighth boundary line E8 extending from the rear rider sensor 102. Yes. Since the working device 12 is provided so as to freely move up and down between the raised position and the lowered position, in FIG. 11, the working device 12 located at the lowered position is indicated by a solid line, and the working device located at the raised position. 12 is indicated by a dotted line. The seventh boundary line E7 is set as a horizontal line extending in the horizontal direction rearward from the rear rider sensor 102, and the eighth boundary line E8 is formed at the rear upper part of the work device 12 located at the lowered position from the rear rider sensor 102. It is set to a straight line located below the second tangent line G2 that faces. In the vertical measurement range D2, the second center line F2 between the seventh boundary line E7 and the eighth boundary line E8 is located above the working device 12 in the ascending position (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 11). Thus, a sufficiently large measurement range is secured on the upper side of the working device 12 in the raised position. By setting the eighth boundary line E8 below the second tangent line G2, even if there is a measurement object such as an object or a person in the vicinity of the rear end of the working device 12 at the lowered position, etc. The measurement object can be measured.

  Since a part of the work device 12 enters the vertical measurement range D2 of the rear rider sensor 102, when the obstacle detection unit 110 performs the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102, the work is performed. There is a possibility that a part of the device 12 is erroneously detected as an obstacle. Therefore, a second masking process for preventing the erroneous detection is performed. In the second masking process, a range in which a part of the work device 12 exists within the measurement range D of the rear rider sensor 102 is preliminarily set as a masking range L (see FIGS. 14 and 15) in which detection as an obstacle is not performed. It is set.

  For example, in the second masking process, similarly to the first masking process, as a pre-process for using the rear rider sensor 102, a measurement is actually performed by the rear rider sensor 102, and a three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information at that time is generated. The information is displayed on a display device such as the display unit of the tractor 1 or the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. A user or the like sets a masking range L in which an obstacle is not detected by operating the display device while checking a three-dimensional image of the display device.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the working device 12 is raised and lowered between a lowered position and a raised position (position indicated by a dotted line in the figure). The tractor 1 travels while performing the predetermined work by lowering the working device 12 to the lowered position, and performs only traveling without raising the working device 12 to the raised position and performing the predetermined work. Thus, in the second masking process, as the masking range L, a masking range L1 for the lowered position is set as shown in FIG. 14, and a masking range L2 for the raised position is set as shown in FIG. 14 and 15, with respect to the work device 12, a portion existing within the measurement range D of the rear rider sensor 102 is indicated by a solid line, and a portion existing outside the measurement range D of the rear rider sensor 102 is indicated by a dotted line. Show. By operating the lifting / lowering operation tool in the cabin 10, the work device 12 is positioned at the lowered position, and the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102 at that time is used to lower the working position. A masking range L1 is set. By operating the lifting and lowering operation tool in the cabin 10, the work device 12 is positioned at the raised position, and the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102 at that time is used for the raised position. A masking range L2 is set.

  14 and 15, rectangular ranges larger than the reference range including the range Lc in which the work device 12 exists are set as masking ranges L1 and L2. Incidentally, the masking range L is set to a three-dimensional range in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. The masking range L can be set to a shape according to the shape of the work device 12 so as to include only the range Lc where the work device 12 exists, and the masking ranges L1 and L2 can be set to any range and shape. It can be changed as appropriate.

  In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 performs the obstacle detection processing based on the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102, so that it is included in the left / right measurement range D1 (see FIG. 12) in the left / right direction, and In the range included in the vertical measurement range D2 (see FIG. 11) in the direction, the presence or absence of an obstacle is detected in a range excluding the masking ranges L1 and L2. The obstacle detection unit 110 performs the obstacle detection process using the masking range L1 for the lowered position when the work device 12 is located at the lowered position, and the raised position when the work device 12 is located at the raised position. Obstacle detection processing is performed using the masking range L2.

Hereinafter, the sonar units 103 and 104 will be described.
The sonar units 103 and 104 are configured to measure the distance from the round trip time until the projected ultrasonic wave bounces off the measurement object and bounces back to the measurement object. The sonar units 103 and 104 are configured to detect a measurement object as an obstacle and measure the distance to the obstacle when any object is present as a measurement object within the measurement range.

  As shown in FIG. 12, as the sonar units 103 and 104, the right sonar unit 103 whose measurement range is the right side of the tractor 1 (traveling machine body 7) and the tractor 1 (traveling machine body 7) as shown in FIG. A left sonar unit 104 having a measurement range on the left side is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the measurement range N of the right sonar unit 103 is different from the measurement range N of the left sonar unit 104 only in that the direction extending from the traveling machine body 7 is opposite to the left and right. The measurement range N is symmetrical between the right side and the left side.

  The sonar units 103 and 104 measure the outside of the traveling machine body 7. The sonar units 103 and 104 are attached to the traveling machine body 7 so as to project ultrasonic waves toward the lower side by a predetermined angle from the horizontal direction, and extend from the sonar units 103 and 104 to the lower side by a predetermined angle. The measurement range N is set in. The measurement range N of the sonar units 103 and 104 is a range in which the distance from the sonar units 103 and 104 to the predetermined distance toward the outer side of the traveling machine body 7 is a radius. It is set between the left / right measurement range C1 of the sensor 101 and the left / right measurement range D1 of the rear rider sensor 102.

  In this manner, the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle in the left and right measurement ranges N by performing the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the sonar units 103 and 104.

  Hereinafter, the obstacle detection process by the obstacle detection unit 110 and the collision avoidance control by the collision avoidance control unit 111 will be described. First, an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102. The collision avoidance control when detected will be described, and then collision avoidance control when an obstacle is detected in the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the sonar units 103 and 104 will be described.

  Two rider sensors, a front rider sensor 101 and a rear rider sensor 102, are provided as rider sensors. The obstacle detection unit 110 switches between forward and backward travel at a forward / reverse switching point included in the target travel route P. Alternatively, the obstacle detection state is switched based on forward / reverse switching by a reversing lever for forward / reverse switching provided in the cabin 10. When the tractor 1 travels forward, measurement is performed by the front rider sensor 101, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches to a forward detection state in which obstacle detection processing is performed based on measurement information of the front rider sensor 101, and the tractor 1 moves backward. When traveling, measurement is performed by the rear rider sensor 102, and the obstacle detection unit 110 is switched to a reverse detection state in which obstacle detection processing based on measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102 is performed. In this way, depending on whether the tractor 1 is traveling forward or backward, switching between using the rider sensor of the front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102 to detect obstacles, the processing burden is increased. Obstacles are detected while mitigating the problem.

  In the forward detection state, the obstacle detection unit 110 performs an obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101, and is included in the left-right measurement range C1 (see FIG. 12) and in the vertical direction. In the range included in the vertical measurement range C2 (see FIG. 11), the presence or absence of an obstacle is detected in a range excluding the masking range L (see FIG. 13). In the reverse detection state, when the work device 12 is in the lowered position, the obstacle detection unit 110 performs an obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102, and the left and right measurement ranges D1 (see FIG. 12) and in the range included in the vertical measurement range D2 (see FIG. 11) in the vertical direction, the presence / absence of an obstacle is detected in a range excluding the masking range L1 for the lowered position (see FIG. 14). is doing. In the reverse detection state, when the work device 12 is positioned at the raised position, the obstacle detection unit 110 performs an obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102, and the left and right measurement ranges D1 (see FIG. 12) and in the range included in the vertical measurement range D2 (see FIG. 11) in the vertical direction, the presence / absence of an obstacle is detected in a range excluding the masking range L2 for the ascending position (see FIG. 15). is doing.

  When an obstacle is detected using the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102, as shown in FIG. 12, in which range of obstacle detection detection ranges that are measurement ranges C and D, the obstacle is detected. The control content of the collision avoidance control by the collision avoidance control unit 111 is set differently depending on whether an object is detected. The measurement ranges C and D (detection ranges) have three ranges of the first detection range J1, the second detection range J2, and the third detection range J3 according to the distance from the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102. Is set. The first detection range J1 is set such that the distance from the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102 ranges from the fourth set distance X4 to the first set distance X1 or from the fourth set distance X4 to the third set distance X3. Has been. In the second detection range J2, the distance from the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102 is set to a range from the fifth set distance X5 to the fourth set distance X4. The third detection range J3 is set such that the distance from the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102 is a range up to the fifth set distance X5. Therefore, for the tractor 1 including the front rider sensor 101, the rear rider sensor 102, and the work device 12, the first detection range J1, the second detection range J2, and the third detection range J3 are set to be closer to each other in that order. Has been.

  The control content of the collision avoidance control when an obstacle is detected using the front rider sensor 101 or the rear rider sensor 102 is the same whether the tractor 1 is traveling forward or backward. The case where the tractor 1 is traveling forward will be described.

  When the tractor 1 is traveling forward, as shown in FIG. 12, when an obstacle is detected within the first detection range J1 in the obstacle detection process, the collision avoidance control unit 111 performs the collision avoidance control. The first notification control is performed to control the notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer or a notification lamp to notify that an obstacle exists in the first detection range J1. In the first notification control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 so that the notification buzzer is intermittently operated at a predetermined frequency and the notification lamp is lit in a predetermined color.

  When an obstacle is detected in the second detection range J2 in the obstacle detection process, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer or a notification lamp as the collision avoidance control, and the second While performing 2nd alerting | reporting control which alert | reports that an obstruction exists in the detection range J2, 1st deceleration control which decelerates the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 is performed. In the second notification control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 so that the notification buzzer is intermittently operated at a predetermined frequency and the notification lamp is lit in a predetermined color. In the first deceleration control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 obtains the predicted collision time until the tractor 1 collides with the obstacle based on the current vehicle speed of the tractor 1, the distance to the obstacle, and the like. The collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the engine 9, the transmission 13, the brake operation mechanism 15, and the like so as to decelerate the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 while maintaining the calculated predicted collision time for a set time (for example, 3 seconds). I have control.

  When an obstacle is detected in the third detection range J3 in the obstacle detection process, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer or a notification lamp as the collision avoidance control, While performing 3rd alerting | reporting control which alert | reports that an obstruction exists in the detection range J3, stop control which stops the tractor 1 is performed. In the third notification control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 so that the notification buzzer is continuously operated and the notification lamp is lit in a predetermined color. In the stop control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the brake operation mechanism 15 and the like so as to stop the tractor 1.

  Incidentally, the predetermined frequency for intermittently generating the notification buzzer in the first notification control and the second notification control may be the same frequency or different frequencies. In addition, the predetermined color for lighting the notification lamp in the first to third notification control may be the same color or different colors. In the first to third notification control, the collision avoidance control unit 111 indicates that an obstacle exists in any of the first to third detection ranges J1 to J3 in addition to the control of the notification device 26 of the tractor 1. The terminal electronic control unit 52 can also be controlled so that the display content is displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3.

  For example, when an obstacle is detected in the first detection range J1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 performs the first notification control, so that the user or the like indicates that there is an obstacle in the first detection range J1. Can be notified. When the traveling of the tractor 1 is continued and the obstacle detection range approaches the second detection range J2 from the first detection range J1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 performs the first deceleration control in addition to the second notification control. In order to avoid a collision between the tractor 1 and the obstacle, the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 can be reduced. Even if the tractor 1 is decelerated, when the obstacle detection range approaches the third detection range J3 from the second detection range J2, the collision avoidance control unit 111 performs stop control in addition to the third notification control. The tractor 1 can be stopped, and the collision between the tractor 1 and the obstacle can be avoided appropriately.

  When the rider sensors 101 and 102 are used, a moving measurement object such as a person is also detected as an obstacle. Therefore, even if an obstacle is detected within the detection range J, the obstacle may move out of the detection range J due to the movement of the obstacle itself. Therefore, when the obstacle is out of the first detection range J1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 ends the first notification control. When the obstacle is out of the second detection range J2, the collision avoidance control unit 111 terminates the second notification control and increases the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 to the set vehicle speed. Car speed recovery control is performed to control 13 and the like. When the obstacle is out of the third detection range J3, the collision avoidance control unit 111 ends the third notification control while maintaining the tractor 1 in the travel stop state. In this case, the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 can be resumed by instructing the user to resume the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 or the like.

Next, collision avoidance control when an obstacle is detected in the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the sonar units 103 and 104 will be described.
Although the sonar units 103 and 104 are provided on the left and right, the obstacle detection unit 110 is configured to detect all of the sonar units 103 and 104 on both the left and right sides, regardless of whether the tractor 1 travels forward or backward. Obstacle detection processing is performed based on the measurement information.

  When an obstacle is detected in the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the sonar units 103 and 104, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer and a notification lamp as the collision avoidance control. Then, the fourth notification control for notifying that an obstacle is present in the measurement range N of any one of the sonar units 103 and 104 is performed, and the second deceleration control for decreasing the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 is performed. In the fourth notification control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the notification device 26 so that the notification buzzer is intermittently operated at a predetermined frequency and the notification lamp is lit in a predetermined color. In the second deceleration control, for example, the collision avoidance control unit 111 controls the engine 9, the transmission 13, the brake operation mechanism 15, and the like so as to decelerate the vehicle speed of the tractor 1 to the set vehicle speed.

  In this way, the obstacle detection system 100 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle on the front side and the rear side of the traveling body 7 using the front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102, and uses the sonar units 103 and 104. Thus, the presence or absence of an obstacle on the left and right of the traveling machine body 7 can be detected. When the obstacle detection system 110 detects the presence of an obstacle, the obstacle detection system 110 notifies the user of the presence of the obstacle by the collision avoidance control unit 111 performing collision avoidance control. To avoid a collision with an obstacle, and even if there is a possibility that the tractor 1 and the obstacle collide, the tractor 1 is decelerated or stopped so that the tractor 1 and the obstacle A collision can be avoided appropriately.

  In the automatic travel state, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 performs automatic travel control. Therefore, the tractor 1 is automatically traveled while the tractor 1 is decelerated or stopped by the obstacle detection system 100 to avoid collision with the obstacle. Can be made. Even in a manual driving state, to the user who is driving, the obstacle detection system 100 notifies the presence of an obstacle, and supports driving for avoiding a collision between the tractor 1 and the obstacle. Can do.

  When the tractor 1 is automatically driven, as described above, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 uses the positioning satellite system to acquire the target set in advance based on the position information of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21. The first traveling control (automatic traveling control) for automatically traveling the tractor 1 along the traveling route P (see FIG. 3) is performed. The on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is configured not only to automatically travel the tractor 1 by the first travel control, but also to automatically travel the tractor 1 by the second travel control and the third travel control. In the second traveling control and the third traveling control, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 automatically causes the tractor 1 to travel automatically even if the positioning unit 21 has not acquired the position information of the tractor 1.

Hereinafter, the second traveling control and the third traveling control will be described.
For example, when the target travel route P as shown in FIG. 3 is generated, the linear work route P1 generated in the central region R1 and the straight part of the circulation route P3 generated in the outer peripheral region R2 The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 can execute the second traveling control and the third traveling control to automatically travel the tractor 1. As described above, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 can execute the second traveling control and the third traveling control on the linear route in the target traveling route P, and the traveling region S in the connection route P2 and the circulation route P3. The second traveling control and the third traveling control are not executed on the curved route corresponding to the corner.

First, the second traveling control will be described.
In order to execute the second traveling control, as shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 has a terrain acquisition unit 112 that acquires the terrain around the tractor 1 based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102. And a traveling direction identifying unit 113 that identifies the traveling direction of the tractor 1 with respect to the terrain acquired by the terrain acquiring unit 112.

  The rider sensors 101 and 102 measure the distance to the measurement object around the tractor 3 in three dimensions, and acquire the three-dimensional distance information as the three-dimensional information around the tractor 1. Based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102, for example, the terrain acquisition unit 112 can acquire the distance to the traveling surface of the traveling region S in three dimensions, so that the unevenness of the traveling surface can be grasped. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the terrain acquisition unit 112 includes, as the terrain, an already-worked area K1 that has already been plowed or the like in the traveling area S and an unworked area K2 that has not yet been plowed or otherwise. Boundary portion K3 (a straight line indicated by a thick line in the figure) can be specified. FIG. 16 shows a state in which a three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 is displayed on a display device such as the display unit of the tractor 1 or the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3.

  When the target travel route P as shown in FIG. 3 is generated, in the central region R1 of the travel region S, the tractor 1 automatically travels in the reciprocating direction along the linear work route P1 to perform a predetermined work. (For example, working such as tillage), as shown in FIG. 16, the boundary portion K3 between the already-worked area K1 and the unworked area K2 is linear along the work path P1 (see FIG. 3). . As illustrated in FIG. 16, the traveling direction identification unit 113 identifies a traveling direction V parallel to the boundary K3 as the traveling direction of the tractor 1. The identified traveling direction V can be indicated by a straight line extending in parallel with the boundary K3 from the center in the lateral width direction of the tractor 1 to the front side.

  The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 grasps the current traveling direction of the tractor 1 based on the measurement information of the inertial measurement device 23, and the traveling direction of the current tractor 1 is identified by the traveling direction identifying unit 113. The travel of the tractor 1 is controlled by automatic steering control so as to be V. As described above, in the automatic steering control, as shown in FIG. 2, the steering angle setting unit 184 determines the left and right front wheels based on the current traveling direction of the tractor 1 and the traveling direction V identified by the traveling direction identifying unit 113. 5 is obtained and set, and the set target steering angle is output to the power steering mechanism 14. Based on the target steering angle and the output of the steering angle sensor 20, the power steering mechanism 14 automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5 so that the target steering angle is obtained as the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 5.

  Thus, even if the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 performs the second traveling control and the positioning unit 21 does not acquire the position information of the tractor 1, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 has the work path P1 and the outer peripheral region R2. The tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the generated straight part of the circulation path P3.

  FIG. 16 illustrates an example in which the terrain acquisition unit 112 acquires a boundary K3 between the already-worked area K1 and the unworked area K2 as the terrain. The topography is not limited to the boundary K3 between the already-worked area K1 and the unworked area K2, and the topography of the end of the travel area S, the ridges formed in the travel area S, and the like can be acquired as the topography. In addition, if there is an object that exists in a linearly arranged state, such as a seedling planted in the traveling region S or a grass that exists in the traveling region S, the juxtaposed direction of the object can be acquired as terrain. .

Next, the third traveling control will be described.
In order to execute the third traveling control, as shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is provided with a target point setting unit 114 that sets a target point for automatically traveling the tractor 1.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 displays a three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 on the display unit of the tractor 1. FIG. 17 shows a state in which a three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 is displayed on the display unit of the tractor 1. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 superimposes and displays the target travel route P stored in the in-vehicle storage unit 185 on the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101. In FIG. 17, the work route P <b> 1 is superimposed and displayed as the target travel route P. The superimposed display of the target travel route P and the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 can be displayed not only on the display unit of the tractor 1 but also on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3.

  The target point setting unit 114 sets a target point M1 on the work path P1 on the screen of the display unit 51 on which the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 and the work path P1 are superimposed. Yes. Regarding the setting of the target point M1, the target point setting unit 114 can automatically set a position that is a predetermined distance away from the front end of the tractor 1 on the work path P1 as the target point M1. Further, the target point setting unit 114 is designated on the work route P1 by the user or the like on the screen of the display unit 51 on which the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 and the work route P1 are superimposed. A point can also be set as the target point M1.

  When the target point M1 is set by the target point setting unit 114, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 determines the position of the target point M1 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction within the measurement range C of the front rider sensor 101. I can understand. Since the mounting position of the front rider sensor 101 in the tractor 1 and the measurement range C of the front rider sensor 101 from the mounting position are specified values, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 has the target point M1 relative to the tractor 1. It is possible to specify the position in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Therefore, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 can specify the target direction from the tractor 1 toward the target point M1.

  The on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 controls the traveling of the tractor 1 by automatic steering control so that the traveling direction of the tractor 1 becomes the specified target direction. Since the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 grasps the current traveling direction of the tractor 1 based on the measurement information of the inertial measurement device 23, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 determines the tractor 1 by automatic steering control based on the measurement information of the inertial measurement device 23. Controlling driving. In this automatic steering control, the steering angle setting unit 184 obtains and sets the target steering angle of the left and right front wheels 5 based on the current traveling direction of the tractor 1 and the specified target direction, and uses the set target steering angle as power. Output to the steering mechanism 14. Based on the target steering angle and the output of the steering angle sensor 20, the power steering mechanism 14 automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5 so that the target steering angle is obtained as the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 5.

  Thus, even if the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 executes the third travel control and the positioning unit 21 does not acquire the position information of the tractor 1, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 can obtain the work path P1 and the outer peripheral region R2. The tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the generated straight part of the circulation path P3.

  Incidentally, although the case where the target point M1 is set on a linear route such as the work route P1 has been described in the third travel control, the target point M1 can also be set on the connection route P2. In this case, the three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 and the connection path P2 are superimposed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 or the display unit of the tractor 1, and the target point is displayed on the screen. The setting unit 114 can set the target point M1 on the connection route P2. The target point setting unit 114 may automatically cause the tractor 1 to travel along the connection route P2 by repeatedly performing the operation of setting the target point M1 on the connection route P2 (in real time) every time the set period elapses. it can.

Hereinafter, the timing at which the second traveling control and the third traveling control are executed will be described.
When starting the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, as described above, for example, when the user or the like moves the tractor 1 to the start point and various automatic traveling start conditions are satisfied, Operates the display unit 51 to instruct the start of automatic travel, whereby the automatic travel of the tractor 1 is started.

  The various automatic travel start conditions include a start condition for the positioning satellite system in which the current position information of the tractor 1 is acquired by the positioning unit 21 using the positioning satellite system. In order to satisfy the start condition for the positioning satellite system, radio waves must be received from a predetermined number or more of the GPS satellites 71. For this reason, work such as adjusting the reception status of the GPS antenna 61 is required. Become. Further, it may take time until the current position information of the tractor 1 is acquired by the positioning unit 21. Therefore, even if the tractor 1 is moved to the start point, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 cannot immediately perform the first traveling control (automatic traveling control using the position information of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21). There is a case.

  Therefore, when the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 is started, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 can execute the third traveling control instead of the first traveling control. Thereby, even if the start condition for the positioning satellite system is not satisfied, the tractor 1 can automatically travel along the work route P1 of the target travel route P, and the automatic travel can be started smoothly. When the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 performs the third traveling control, when the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 is started, the first traveling control can be executed because the start condition for the positioning satellite system is satisfied. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 stops the third traveling control, executes the first traveling control, and shifts from the third traveling control to the first traveling control, thereby continuing the automatic traveling of the tractor 1. Incidentally, when a predetermined time or more has elapsed from the start of the automatic travel of the tractor 1 and inconvenience occurs by continuously executing the third travel control, the on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 causes the automatic travel of the tractor 1 to occur. When a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the start of the tractor, the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 can be stopped.

  As for the second traveling control, there is a positioning failure that causes the reception status of the GPS antenna 61 to be poor, such as being unable to receive radio waves from a predetermined number or more of the GPS satellites 71 during the execution of the first traveling control by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18. When it occurs, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 executes the second traveling control instead of the first traveling control.

This will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
The on-vehicle electronic control unit 18 determines whether or not a positioning failure has occurred during execution of the first traveling control. If no positioning failure has occurred, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 continues to execute the first traveling control. (In the case of No in Step # 1, Step # 2).

  When a positioning failure has occurred, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is linear in the target travel route P based on the position information of the tractor 1 acquired from the positioning unit 21 immediately before the positioning failure has occurred. It is determined whether the vehicle is traveling on a route (for example, work route P1) (in the case of Yes in step # 1, step # 3). If the vehicle is not traveling on the straight path, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 stops the traveling of the tractor 1. At this time, notification indicating that traveling has been stopped due to a positioning failure is performed.

  If the vehicle is traveling along the straight path, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 executes the second traveling control instead of the first traveling control (in the case of Yes in step # 3, step # 5). In the second traveling control, the terrain acquisition unit 112 acquires the terrain such as the boundary portion K3 between the already-worked area K1 and the unworked area K2 based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 (step # 6). When the terrain acquisition unit 112 acquires the terrain, the traveling direction specifying unit 113 specifies the traveling direction of the tractor 1 (step # 7). The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 causes the tractor 1 to automatically travel in the traveling direction specified by the traveling direction specifying unit 113 (step # 8).

  In the above-described case, when the automatic traveling of the tractor 1 is started, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 executes the third traveling control. Instead, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 executes the second traveling control. May be. If a positioning failure occurs during the execution of the first travel control, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 executes the second travel control. Instead, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 performs the third travel control. May be executed. As described above, the timing of executing the second travel control and the third travel control can be changed as appropriate, and when the first travel control cannot be performed, the second travel control or the third travel control is performed, whereby the tractor 1 automatic traveling can be effectively performed.

  In the second traveling control and the third traveling control described above, rider sensors 101 and 102 that measure the distance to the measurement object in three dimensions are used as the three-dimensional information measurement sensors that measure the three-dimensional information around the tractor 1. However, for example, the cameras 108 and 109 attached to the upper side of the rider sensors 101 and 102 can be used as the three-dimensional information measurement sensor.

[Another embodiment]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Note that the configuration of each embodiment described below is not limited to being applied alone, but may be applied in combination with the configuration of another embodiment.

(1) Various changes can be made to the configuration of the work vehicle.
For example, the work vehicle may be configured in a hybrid specification including an engine 9 and an electric motor for traveling, or may be configured in an electric specification including an electric motor for traveling instead of the engine 9. .
For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a semi-crawler specification including left and right crawlers instead of the left and right rear wheels 6 as a traveling unit.
For example, the work vehicle may be configured to have a rear wheel steering specification in which the left and right rear wheels 6 function as steering wheels.

(2) In the above embodiment, the front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102 are arranged at positions corresponding to the roof 35 in the vertical direction. For example, the front rider sensor 101 is provided at the front end of the bonnet 8. Can be arranged in the part. The arrangement positions of the front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102 need only be above the boarding / alighting step 41 serving as a boarding / alighting section, and the arrangement positions can be changed as appropriate.

  The arrangement position of the front rider sensor 101 and the arrangement position of the rear rider sensor 102 may be different in the vertical direction. For example, the front rider sensor 101 can be disposed at the front end of the bonnet 8 and the rear rider sensor 102 can be disposed at a position corresponding to the roof 35.

(3) In the above embodiment, the front rider sensor 101 is attached to the bottom of the antenna unit 80. However, for example, the front rider sensor 101 can be attached to the roof 35 via a support stay. What kind of member is attached can be changed as appropriate.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which two rider sensors, the front rider sensor 101 and the rear rider sensor 102, are shown. However, the number of rider sensors can be changed as appropriate, and can be one, three or more. can do.

(5) In the above embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 110 performs the obstacle detection process based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102. However, the rider sensors 101 and 102 include a control unit. The control unit can also perform obstacle detection processing. As described above, whether the obstacle detection process is performed on the sensor side or the work vehicle side can be appropriately changed.

(6) In the above embodiment, an example in which the tractor 1 includes the obstacle detection unit 110, the collision avoidance control unit 111, the terrain acquisition unit 112, the traveling direction identification unit 113, and the target point setting unit 114 has been described. A device other than the tractor 1 such as the portable communication terminal 3 can be provided.

1 Tractor (work vehicle)
18 On-vehicle electronic control unit (automatic running control unit)
23 Inertial measurement device (running direction detector)
101 Front rider sensor (3D information measurement sensor)
102 Rear rider sensor (3D information measurement sensor)
108 Front camera (3D information measurement sensor)
109 Rear camera (3D information measurement sensor)
112 Terrain acquisition unit 113 Travel direction specifying unit 114 Target point setting unit

Claims (3)

An automatic travel control unit that performs first travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle along a preset target travel route based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by the satellite positioning system;
A three-dimensional information measuring sensor that is provided in the work vehicle and measures three-dimensional information around the work vehicle;
Based on the measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor, a terrain acquisition unit that acquires the terrain around the work vehicle;
A traveling direction identifying unit that identifies the traveling direction of the work vehicle with respect to the terrain acquired by the terrain acquiring unit;
The automatic travel control unit can execute second travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle based on the travel direction of the work vehicle specified by the travel direction specifying unit, instead of the first travel control. A traveling control system for a work vehicle that is configured. An automatic travel control unit that performs first travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle along a preset target travel route based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by the satellite positioning system;
A three-dimensional information measuring sensor that is provided in the work vehicle and measures three-dimensional information around the work vehicle;
A target point setting unit for setting a target point on a display screen of a display unit on which a three-dimensional image generated from measurement information of the three-dimensional information measurement sensor and a target travel route are superimposed and displayed;
The automatic travel control unit, instead of the first travel control, uses the direction toward the target point set by the target point setting unit as the travel direction of the work vehicle to perform third travel control for automatically traveling the work vehicle. A traveling control system for a work vehicle configured to be executable. The work vehicle includes a travel direction detection unit that detects a travel direction of the work vehicle,
The work vehicle travel control system according to claim 2, wherein the automatic travel control unit automatically travels the work vehicle using detection information of the travel direction detection unit in the third travel control.

Images