JP2023005486A - Agricultural support system, and apparatus and method for creating call route for agricultural machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To call an agricultural machine to a desired point by an appropriate route.SOLUTION: An agricultural support system includes a terminal device for calling an agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to a call point, and a processing apparatus for creating a call route along which the agricultural machine moves toward the call point in an area excluding an area where the agricultural machine has already worked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to agricultural support systems, apparatus and methods for creating call routes for agricultural machinery.

Research and development toward automation of agricultural machinery used in fields is underway. For example, working vehicles such as tractors, combine harvesters, and rice transplanters that automatically travel in fields using positioning systems such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) have been put to practical use.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an automatic travel control system for a harvester that harvests crops while automatically traveling in a field and stores the harvested crops in a storage unit. In this automatic travel control system, a harvester harvests crops in a field while automatically traveling along a preset traveling route. The harvester measures the amount of harvested material stored in the storage unit, and when the amount of harvested material reaches or exceeds a certain amount, the harvester stops harvesting and performs an operation to discharge the harvested material. When discharging the harvested material, the harvester deviates from the traveling route, calculates a discharging route for reaching the discharging position where the discharging operation is performed, and automatically travels along the discharging route. The discharge route is generated based on the discharge position set in advance, the position of the machine body when the automatic traveling is interrupted to discharge the harvested material, and the harvesting situation of the field. Specifically, a route that reaches the discharge position without passing through unworked land where the harvesting work has not yet finished is generated as the discharge route. Patent Literature 1 also describes that a similar technique can be used not only for the discharge of crops but also for replenishment of fuel.

Patent Literature 2 discloses an agricultural machine that replenishes materials such as fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, seedlings, and seeds at replenishment positions set on a turning route included in a planned travel route. In this agricultural machine, a driver can operate a switch during automatic travel to change the replenishment position from a position on a turn route in the planned travel route to a position on another turn route.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-22429 JP 2021-40497 A

The present disclosure provides novel techniques for allowing agricultural machinery to be called to a desired location on an appropriate route.

An agricultural support system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to a call point, and a call route along which the agricultural machine moves to go to the call point. and a processing device for creating in an area excluding the

A processing apparatus according to another aspect of the disclosure comprises one or more processors and a memory storing a computer program. The computer program causes the one or more processors to receive a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or call the agricultural machine. receiving an operation to call a point from a user; and based on the call signal or the operation by the user, a call route along which the agricultural machine moves toward the call point, and a work-completed area of the agricultural machine. Create in the excluding region and let it run.

General or specific aspects of the disclosure may be implemented by an apparatus, system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable non-transitory storage medium, or any combination thereof. A computer-readable storage medium may include both volatile and non-volatile storage media. A device may consist of a plurality of devices. When the device is composed of two or more devices, the two or more devices may be arranged in one device, or may be divided and arranged in two or more separate devices. .

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it becomes possible to call the agricultural machine to a desired point on an appropriate route.

1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an agricultural support system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing an example of a working vehicle and a working machine (implement); FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a work vehicle, a work machine, and a call terminal; FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that performs positioning by RTK-GNSS; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an operation terminal and an operation switch group; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a working vehicle that automatically travels along a target route in a field; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of steering control operation during automatic driving; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that travels along a target route; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle that is shifted to the right from the target route; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle at a position shifted to the left from a target route; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle facing in an inclined direction with respect to a target route; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a situation in which a work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; 9B is a diagram showing an example of a call path created in the example of FIG. 9A; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing another example of a situation in which a work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; 10B shows an example of a call path created in the example of FIG. 10A; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing still another example of a situation in which the work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; FIG. 11B shows an example of a call path created in the example of FIG. 11A; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing still another example of a situation in which the work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; 12B illustrates an example call path created in the example of FIG. 12A; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing still another example of a situation in which the work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; 13B illustrates an example call path created in the example of FIG. 13A; FIG. 13B shows another example of a call path created in the example of FIG. 13A; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing still another example of a situation in which the work vehicle receives a call from a calling terminal; 14B illustrates an example call path created in the example of FIG. 14A; FIG. Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of creating a call path; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI that allows a user to designate a call point and call a work vehicle; FIG. 10 is an example of a GUI that allows the call point to be changed after the call has been manipulated; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI for causing the work vehicle to resume work travel; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a work vehicle returning from a call point to a breakpoint along a return route; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the work vehicle returning to the interruption point along the return route from the call point; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of call routes when a plurality of work vehicles travel for work within one field; 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a system in which a processing device that communicates with a work vehicle creates a call route; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of a processing apparatus. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a system in which a monitoring terminal calls work vehicles; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing another example of a system in which a monitoring terminal calls a work vehicle;

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary verbosity in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It is noted that the inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description for a full understanding of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby. Absent. In the following description, constituent elements having the same or similar functions are given the same reference numerals.

The following embodiments are examples, and the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. For example, the numerical values, shapes, materials, steps, order of steps, layout of display screens, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications are possible as long as there is no technical contradiction. Moreover, it is possible to combine one aspect with another aspect as long as there is no technical contradiction.

(Overview of embodiment)
First, an outline of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

An agricultural support system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that automatically operates to a call point, and a call route along which the agricultural machine moves to the call point, excluding the work completed area of the agricultural machine. and a processor for creating the region.

In the present disclosure, "agricultural machinery" means machinery used in agricultural applications. Examples of agricultural machinery include tractors, harvesters, rice transplanters, ride-on tenders, vegetable transplanters, lawn mowers, seeders, fertilizer applicators, and agricultural mobile robots. Not only when a work vehicle such as a tractor functions alone as an "agricultural machine", but also when a work vehicle (implement) attached to or towed by the work vehicle and the work vehicle as a whole function as one "agricultural machine" It may work. Agricultural machines perform farm work such as plowing, sowing, pest control, fertilization, planting of crops, or harvesting on the ground in fields. These agricultural operations are sometimes referred to as "ground operations" or simply "operations." Traveling while a vehicle-type agricultural machine performs farm work is sometimes referred to as "working travel."

"Automatic operation" means that the movement of agricultural machinery is controlled by the action of a control device without manual operation by a driver. Agricultural machines that operate automatically are sometimes called “automatic driving farm machines” or “robot farm machines”. During automatic operation, not only the movement of the agricultural machine but also the movement of the agricultural work may be automatically controlled. When the agricultural machine is a vehicle-type machine, the automatic driving of the agricultural machine is called "automatic driving". The controller may control at least one of the steering, movement speed adjustment, movement start and stop necessary for movement of the agricultural machine. When controlling a work vehicle equipped with a work implement, the control device may control operations such as raising and lowering the work implement and starting and stopping the operation of the work implement. Movement by automatic operation may include not only movement of the agricultural machine toward a destination along a predetermined route, but also movement following a tracking target. An agricultural machine that operates automatically may have a function of moving partially based on a user's instruction. In addition to the automatic operation mode, the agricultural machine that automatically operates may operate in a manual operation mode in which the agricultural machine is moved by manual operation by the driver. The act of steering an agricultural machine not by manual operation but by the action of a control device is called "automatic steering". Part or all of the controller may be external to the agricultural machine. Communication, such as control signals, commands, or data, may occur between a control device external to the agricultural machine and the agricultural machine. An agricultural machine that operates automatically may move autonomously while sensing the surrounding environment without a human being involved in controlling the movement of the agricultural machine. Agricultural machines capable of autonomous movement can run unmanned inside or outside a field (for example, on roads). Obstacle detection and obstacle avoidance operation may be performed during autonomous movement.

A “terminal device” is a device for calling an agricultural machine to a desired position, and is also called a “calling device” or a “calling terminal”. The terminal device may be, for example, a portable device such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a remote controller (remote control), or a stationary device such as a desktop personal computer (PC). good. The terminal device may be used in a field where the agricultural machine is working, or may be used in a place away from the field where the agricultural machine is working.

When the terminal device is used in a field where the agricultural machine performs farm work, the terminal device is used to call the agricultural machine to or near the position of the terminal device while the agricultural machine is performing farm work, for example. obtain. In this case, the terminal device may comprise a positioning device such as a GNSS receiver. The terminal device may be configured to transmit a call signal including location information of the terminal device to the agricultural machine in response to an operation such as pressing a specific button on the terminal device by the user. The user can call the agricultural machine to the "call point" by operating the terminal device. The calling point can be set, for example, at a point within a radius of several meters centered on the position where the user operated the terminal device (referred to as "operating position"). For example, the same position as the operating position or a position several meters away from the operating position can be set as the call point. The terminal device can input a point that matches the operation position as the call point, or input a predetermined position that is several meters away from the operation position as the call point. This allows a call point to be set at or near the location of the terminal device.

The terminal device may be configured to transmit to the agricultural machine a call signal containing information on the location specified by the user instead of the information on the location of the terminal device itself. For example, the user activates application software installed in the terminal device, displays a map of the field on the display of the terminal device, designates a desired point on the map, and calls the agricultural machine to that point. be able to. In response to this operation, the terminal device can transmit a call signal including position information to the agricultural machine, with the point specified by the user as the call point. The agricultural machine responds to the call signal and moves toward the call point indicated by the position information. In this case, the terminal device and the user do not necessarily have to be located away from the agricultural machine. A user on the agricultural machine may operate the terminal device to designate a desired point, and move the agricultural machine to that point. The terminal device may be mounted on agricultural machinery.

When the terminal device is used at a location away from the field where the agricultural machinery performs farm work, the terminal device may be, for example, a monitoring computer at the user's home or business office that monitors the agricultural machinery. The monitoring computer can be a stationary computer or a portable computer such as a smart phone, tablet computer, or laptop computer. Also in this case, the user activates the application software installed in the terminal device, displays the map of the field on the display, designates the desired point on the map, and calls the agricultural machine to that point. can be done. Thereby, the agricultural machine can be called to a desired point by remote control using the terminal device.

A "processing device" is a device that creates a path for an agricultural machine to travel. In the following description, the processing device may be referred to as a "route creation device". A processing unit may be, for example, a computer comprising one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor can then create the path by executing a computer program stored in memory. The processing device may be mounted on the agricultural machine, or may be installed at a location separate from the agricultural machine. One of the electronic control units (ECU) mounted on the agricultural machine may function as a processing device. Alternatively, an external computer such as a server that communicates with the agricultural machine via a network may function as the processing device. Furthermore, the terminal device may have the function of the processing device. That is, the processor of the terminal device may create a call route to the call point and send a call signal containing the information of the call route to the agricultural machine. In that case, the terminal device incorporates the above processing device. In this way, the terminal device and the processing device do not have to be independent devices, and one device may have the functions of both the terminal device and the processing device.

A "worked area" means an area in a field where agricultural work has been performed by an agricultural machine. For example, if the agricultural machine is an aggregate of a tractor and an implement connected to the tractor, an area where agricultural work has been performed by the implement corresponds to the worked area. The worked area can be continuously recorded in the storage device while the agricultural machine is moving while performing farm work. The storage device that stores the worked area may be provided in the agricultural machine, or may be a device such as an online storage connected to the agricultural machine via a network. When a plurality of agricultural machines perform agricultural work in a field, an area where the agricultural work was performed by any of the agricultural machines can be recorded as a worked area. The worked area can be determined, for example, based on the position information of the agricultural machine and the preset working width of the agricultural machine. The position information of the agricultural machine may be generated by a positioning device including, for example, a GNSS receiver provided with the agricultural machine. The position information of the agricultural machine may be generated by an external computer such as a server that communicates with the agricultural machine. In that case, an external computer sequentially receives output data from devices such as a GNSS receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) provided on the agricultural machine, calculates the position of the agricultural machine based on those data, The position information is transmitted to the agricultural machine. The operation of determining the worked area and storing it in the storage device may be performed by the above-described processing device (that is, the route creating device), or may be performed by another device. For example, an ECU mounted on the agricultural machine or a computer such as a server communicating with the agricultural machine may record the worked area.

According to the above embodiments, a user such as a supervisor of the agricultural machine can operate the terminal device to call the agricultural machine to the call point. For example, the user supplies agricultural materials (such as seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and seedlings) necessary for the agricultural machinery to perform farm work in the field, rides the agricultural machinery, and checks the state of the agricultural machinery. Agricultural machinery can be summoned to a desired location for Therefore, the user can perform work such as replenishment without moving to the position of the agricultural machine. Also, the call point can be changed by the user moving or operating the terminal device. For this reason, a system in which the destination position (discharge position or replenishment position) of the agricultural machine is fixed as in Patent Document 1, and a material replenishment position is determined at the time when the path of the agricultural machine is created as in Patent Document 2. Convenience can be greatly improved compared to a system in which is determined.

Further, according to the above embodiment, a call path, which is the path that the agricultural machine travels toward the call point, is created in an area excluding the worked area of the agricultural machine. This allows the agricultural machine to be called to a desired call point without the machine trampling the ground in the worked area, for example tilling, sowing or planting. Therefore, the possibility of impairing the effectiveness of the work or damaging the crops can be reduced.

The agricultural support system may further comprise a controller for controlling operation of the agricultural machine such that the agricultural machine moves along the call path. The control device causes the agricultural machine to move along the calling path by sending control signals to a drive device (eg, prime mover, transmission, steering device, etc.) included in the agricultural machine. The control device may be a device such as an ECU provided in the agricultural machine, or an external computer such as a server that communicates with the agricultural machine. The control unit may also have the function of the processing unit described above, ie the function of creating the call path.

When the agricultural machine receives the call, the controller may move the agricultural machine along the call path while causing the agricultural machine to at least partially stop farming. For example, the controller may cause the agricultural machine to move along the call path with the agricultural machine completely stopped from farming. Alternatively, the control device may cause the agricultural machine to move along the call route while performing agricultural work in some section in which the agricultural machine moves.

The agricultural support system may further include a storage device that stores an area where agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine as a worked area. The terminal may be configured to send a call signal containing the location information of the call point to the processor. The processing device can create a call path based on the location information and the worked areas stored in the storage device.

The processing device determines a worked area based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device and the working width of the agricultural machine while the agricultural machine is moving along the preset target path; The worked area may be stored in a storage device. The process of storing the worked area in the storage device is not limited to the processing device, and may be performed by another device.

When the processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is moving along a preset target route, the processing device selects a route including a portion of the target route that is located on the traveling direction side of the agricultural machine. may be determined as the call path. This is because no work has been performed on the portion of the target path that is located on the traveling direction side of the agricultural machine, so there will be no problem even if the ground is stepped on by the agricultural machine.

The processing unit can create a call path, for example, in terms of (1) and (2) below.
(1) If there is no work-completed area between the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received from the terminal device and the call point, a straight route toward the call point is determined as the call route.
(2) If there is a work-completed area between the position of the agricultural machine and the call point, a route along the outer periphery of the work-finished area toward the call point is determined as the call-out route.
Here, whether or not there is a worked area between the position of the agricultural machine and the call point can be determined by whether or not the straight line connecting the position of the agricultural machine and the call point overlaps the worked area. "Agricultural machine position" means a reference position set to the agricultural machine. For example, if an agricultural machine has a GNSS receiver and the position of the GNSS receiver (that is, the mounting position) is defined as the reference position, the mounting position of the GNSS receiver corresponds to the position of the agricultural machine. Alternatively, in the agricultural machine, if a position several meters (m) away from the mounting position of the GNSS receiver is defined as the reference position, the position several meters away from the mounting position corresponds to the position of the agricultural machine. A “straight route” means a route that is mostly straight, and may partially include curved or polygonal portions. For example, a "straight route" includes a route that advances by a small distance (for example, 1 m) from the position at which the call was received, changes direction, and proceeds straight toward the call point.

The agricultural machine can be controlled to travel along a target path including, for example, a plurality of parallel main paths and one or more turning paths connecting the plurality of main paths. In that case, the processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is traveling along one of the plurality of main paths, and stores the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received and the call point. If there is a worked area in between, a path straight along the main path from the position of the agricultural machine, then along the perimeter of the worked area to the call point, and the opposite of the worked area from the position of the agricultural machine. After turning to the side and going straight in the opposite direction, the shorter route may be determined as the calling route among the routes toward the calling point along the perimeter of the worked area. With such an operation, it is possible to determine a calling route that reaches the calling point in a short time according to the positional relationship among the agricultural machine, the calling point, and the worked area.

In this way, when a call is received, the processing device creates two or more routes to the call point without passing through the worked area, and determines the shortest route among these routes as the call route. may

As mentioned above, the terminal device may be a mobile terminal equipped with a GNSS receiver. In that case, the mobile terminal may send a paging signal to the processor that includes the location information of the mobile terminal generated based on the signal output from the GNSS receiver. A point indicated by the location information (that is, a point indicated by the location information when the mobile terminal is operated) or a point several meters away from the point indicated by the location information can be determined as the call point.

The terminal device may be a monitoring computer for remote monitoring of agricultural machinery. The monitoring computer may respond to a user action by transmitting a call signal containing the location information of the call point to the processing device.

A processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure comprises one or more processors and a memory storing a computer program. The computer program causes the one or more processors to receive a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or call the agricultural machine. receiving an operation to call a point from a user; and based on the call signal or the operation by the user, a call route along which the agricultural machine moves toward the call point, and a work-completed area of the agricultural machine. Create and execute in the excluding area.

A computer-implemented method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure includes: (a) receiving a call signal including location information of a call point from a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that performs autonomous driving to a call point; (b) a call path along which the agricultural machine travels to the call point based on the call signal or the operation by the user; in an area excluding the worked area of the agricultural machine.

A computer program according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, comprising: (a) causing the computer to receive a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point; or (b) based on the call signal or the operation by the user, a call route along which the agricultural machine travels to the call point; , creating an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine.

An embodiment in which the technology of the present disclosure is applied to a work vehicle such as a tractor, which is an example of agricultural machinery, will be described below. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied not only to work vehicles such as tractors, but also to any agricultural machine that automatically operates. The agricultural machine may be, for example, a work vehicle other than a tractor, such as a harvester, a rice transplanter, a ride-on care machine, a vegetable transplanter, a lawn mower, a seeding machine, a fertilizer, or an agricultural mobile robot.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an agricultural support system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a work vehicle 100 and a call terminal 400 for calling the work vehicle 100 to a call point. The work vehicle 100 is an example of the agricultural machine described above, and the call terminal 400 is an example of the terminal device described above. The work vehicle 100 in this embodiment is a tractor. The tractor can be equipped with a work implement (implement) at one or both of the rear and front. The tractor can automatically travel in a field while performing farm work according to the type of implement. The agricultural work performed in the present embodiment may be any work such as tillage, sowing, or planting of crops, the effect of which may be impaired if the work vehicle 100 steps on the ground after the work. In the following description, the work vehicle 100 controlling the implements to perform the work may be expressed as "the work vehicle 100 performs the work". It should be noted that the techniques of this embodiment and other embodiments to be described later can be similarly applied to agricultural machines other than tractors.

The work vehicle 100 has an automatic driving function. That is, the work vehicle 100 is driven not by manual operation but by the action of the control device. The control device in this embodiment is provided inside the work vehicle 100 and can control both the speed and steering of the work vehicle 100 .

Work vehicle 100 includes a positioning device 110 that includes a GNSS receiver. The control device automatically causes the work vehicle 100 to travel based on the position of the work vehicle 100 specified by the positioning device 110 and the target route pre-stored in the storage device. The control device controls the operation of the implements in addition to the travel control of the work vehicle 100 . As a result, the work vehicle 100 can perform work using the implements while automatically traveling.

Calling terminal 400 may be, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a mobile device such as a remote control. The calling terminal 400 can be used by the user 10 who is located away from the work vehicle 100 in the field. The user 10 can be, for example, a supervisor of the work vehicle 100, or a worker who performs work such as replenishment of agricultural materials (eg, fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, seedlings, etc.) or replenishment of fuel. The calling terminal 400 is equipped with a GNSS receiver. Call terminal 400 transmits a call signal including position information of call terminal 400 to work vehicle 100 in accordance with an operation by user 10 . When receiving the call signal, work vehicle 100 automatically moves to the call point indicated by the position information of call terminal 400 .

The work vehicle 100 in this embodiment includes a processing device (also referred to as a “route creation device”) that creates a route along which the work vehicle 100 moves. The route creation device creates a route (hereinafter referred to as a “target route”) along which the work vehicle 100 travels when performing work in a field. Furthermore, the route creation device also creates a call route for the work vehicle 100 to go to the call point when called by the call terminal 400 . The route creation device creates a call route in an area excluding the work completed area of the work vehicle 100 . A worked area is an area where agricultural work has been performed by work vehicle 100 . The worked area is continuously recorded in the storage device by a route generating device or other processing device while work vehicle 100 is traveling for work. The worked area can be determined, for example, based on the position of work vehicle 100 identified by positioning device 110 and the preset working width of work vehicle 100 . The working width is the width of the area where work is performed by the implements connected to the work vehicle 100 . The route creating device creates a calling route based on the position information included in the calling signal transmitted from calling terminal 400 and the worked area stored in the storage device. The control device controls the drive device (eg, steering device, transmission device, power device, etc.) of work vehicle 100 along the created call path. As a result, the work vehicle 100 can move to the call point without going through the worked area.

Thus, the work vehicle 100 in this embodiment automatically moves to the call point of the calling terminal 400 when receiving a call from the calling terminal 400 . At this time, the work vehicle 100 heads for the call point along the call route that does not pass through the worked area. As a result, it is possible to avoid impairing the effect of the work due to the work vehicle 100 stepping on the worked area.

A more specific example of the configuration and operation of the system according to this embodiment will be described below.

[1. Constitution]
FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing an example of work vehicle 100 and work machine (implement) 300 coupled to work vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. The work vehicle 100 in this embodiment has both manual operation mode and automatic operation mode functions. In the automatic operation mode, work vehicle 100 can run unmanned.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the work vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 101 , a prime mover (engine) 102 and a transmission (transmission) 103 . The vehicle body 101 is provided with tires 104 (wheels) and a cabin 105 . Tires 104 include a pair of front wheels 104F and a pair of rear wheels 104R. A driver's seat 107 , a steering device 106 , an operation terminal 200 , and a group of switches for operation are provided inside the cabin 105 . One or both of the front wheels 104F and the rear wheels 104R may be crawlers instead of tires.

Work vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 2 further includes a plurality of cameras 120 . The cameras 120 may be provided on the front, rear, left, and right of the work vehicle 100, for example. Camera 120 photographs the environment around work vehicle 100 and generates image data. The image acquired by the camera 120 can be transmitted to, for example, a monitoring computer (also referred to as a “monitoring terminal”) for remote monitoring. The image can be used, for example, to monitor work vehicle 100 during unmanned operation. The camera 120 is provided as required, and can be omitted if unnecessary.

Work vehicle 100 further includes a positioning device 110 . The positioning device 110 includes a GNSS receiver. The GNSS receiver includes an antenna for receiving signals from GNSS satellites and processing circuitry for determining the position of work vehicle 100 based on the signals received by the antenna. The positioning device 110 receives GNSS signals transmitted from GNSS satellites and performs positioning based on the GNSS signals. GNSS is a general term for satellite positioning systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, eg, Michibiki), GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. The positioning device 110 in this embodiment is provided in the upper part of the cabin 105, but may be provided in another position.

The positioning device 110 may include other types of devices, such as LiDAR sensors, instead of or in addition to GNSS receivers. The positioning device 110 may use the data acquired by the camera 120 for positioning. When a feature functioning as a feature point exists in the environment in which the work vehicle 100 travels, the work vehicle 100 is detected based on the data acquired by the LiDAR sensor or the camera 120 and the environment map recorded in advance in the storage device. position can be estimated with high accuracy. A LiDAR sensor or camera 120 may be used in conjunction with a GNSS receiver. By using the data acquired by the LiDAR sensor or camera 120 to correct or supplement the position data based on the GNSS signals, the position of work vehicle 100 can be determined with higher accuracy. Positioning device 110 may also utilize signals from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to supplement position data. The IMU can measure the tilt and minute movements of work vehicle 100 . Positioning performance can be improved by using data obtained by the IMU to supplement position data based on GNSS signals.

Work vehicle 100 further includes a plurality of obstacle sensors 130 . In the example shown in FIG. 2, obstacle sensors 130 are provided in front and rear of the cabin 105 . Obstacle sensors 130 may be placed at other locations as well. For example, one or more obstacle sensors 130 may be provided anywhere on the sides, front, and rear of the vehicle body 101 . The obstacle sensor 130 is used to detect surrounding obstacles and stop or detour during automatic travel.

Prime mover 102 may be, for example, a diesel engine. An electric motor may be used instead of the diesel engine. The transmission 103 can change the driving force and the moving speed of the work vehicle 100 by shifting. The transmission 103 can also switch between forward and reverse travel of the work vehicle 100 .

The steering device 106 includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, and a power steering device that assists steering by the steering wheel. The front wheels 104F are steerable wheels, and the running direction of the work vehicle 100 can be changed by changing the turning angle (also referred to as the "steering angle") of the front wheels 104F. The steering angle of the front wheels 104F can be changed by operating the steering wheel. The power steering system includes a hydraulic system or an electric motor that supplies an assist force for changing the steering angle of the front wheels 104F. When automatic steering is performed, the steering angle is automatically adjusted by the power of the hydraulic system or the electric motor under the control of the control device arranged in the work vehicle 100 .

A coupling device 108 is provided at the rear portion of the vehicle body 101 . Coupling device 108 includes, for example, a three-point support device (also referred to as a "three-point link" or "three-point hitch"), a PTO (Power Take Off) shaft, a universal joint, and a communication cable. Work implement 300 can be attached to and detached from work vehicle 100 by coupling device 108 . The coupling device 108 can change the position or attitude of the working machine 300 by elevating the three-point linkage by, for example, a hydraulic device. In addition, power can be sent from work vehicle 100 to work implement 300 via the universal joint. Work vehicle 100 can cause work implement 300 to perform a predetermined work while pulling work implement 300 . The connecting device may be provided in front of the vehicle body 101 . In that case, a work machine can be connected to the front of work vehicle 100 .

Work machine 300 shown in FIG. 2 is a rotary cultivator, but work machine 300 is not limited to a rotary cultivator. Any task, e.g. seeder, spreader, transplanter, mower, rake, baler, harvester, sprayer, or harrow machine can be connected to the work vehicle 100 for use.

The work vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 2 is capable of manned operation, but may be adapted only to unmanned operation. In that case, components required only for manned operation, such as cabin 105 , steering device 106 and driver's seat 107 , may not be provided in work vehicle 100 . The unmanned work vehicle 100 can travel autonomously or remotely controlled by a user.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of work vehicle 100, work machine 300, and call terminal 400. As shown in FIG. Work vehicle 100 and work machine 300 can communicate with each other via a communication cable included in coupling device 108 . Work vehicle 100 and call terminal 400 can communicate with each other by wireless communication.

The work vehicle 100 in the example of FIG. 3 includes a positioning device 110, a camera 120, an obstacle sensor 130, an operation terminal 200, a drive device 140, a sensor group 150 for detecting the operating state of the work vehicle 100, a control system 160, and a communication device. A device 190 and an operation switch group 210 are provided. The positioning device 110 comprises a GNSS receiver 111 , an RTK receiver 112 and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 115 . The sensor group 150 includes a steering wheel sensor 152 , a steering angle sensor 154 and an axle sensor 156 . Control system 160 includes storage device 170 and control device 180 . The controller 180 includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 181-185. Work machine 300 includes a drive device 340 , a control device 380 , and a communication device 390 . The calling terminal 400 comprises a GNSS receiver 410 , an input device 420 , a display device 430 , a storage device 450 , a processor 460 and a communication device 490 . Note that FIG. 3 shows constituent elements that are relatively highly relevant to the operation of automatic driving by the work vehicle 100, and illustration of other constituent elements is omitted.

The positioning device 110 shown in FIG. 3 performs positioning of the work vehicle 100 using RTK (Real Time Kinematic)-GNSS. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the work vehicle 100 that performs positioning by RTK-GNSS. Positioning by RTK-GNSS uses correction signals transmitted from the reference station 60 in addition to GNSS signals transmitted from a plurality of GNSS satellites 50 . The reference station 60 can be installed in the vicinity of the field on which the work vehicle 100 travels (for example, within 1 km from the work vehicle 100). The reference station 60 generates, for example, an RTCM format correction signal based on the GNSS signals received from the plurality of GNSS satellites 50 and transmits the correction signal to the positioning device 110 . A GNSS receiver 111 in the positioning device 110 receives GNSS signals transmitted from a plurality of GNSS satellites 50 . RTK receiver 112 includes an antenna and modem to receive correction signals transmitted from reference station 60 . Positioning device 110 may include a processor that performs positioning by calculating the position of work vehicle 100 based on GNSS signals and correction signals. By using RTK-GNSS, it is possible to perform positioning with an accuracy of, for example, an error of several centimeters. Location information, including latitude, longitude and altitude information, is obtained through RTK-GNSS high-precision positioning. The positioning device 110 calculates the position of the work vehicle 100, for example, at a frequency of about 1 to 10 times per second.

Note that the positioning method is not limited to RTK-GNSS, and any positioning method (interferometric positioning method, relative positioning method, etc.) that can obtain position information with required accuracy can be used. For example, positioning using VRS (Virtual Reference Station) or DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) may be performed. If position information with required accuracy can be obtained without using the correction signal transmitted from the reference station 60, the position information may be generated without using the correction signal. In that case, the positioning device 110 does not have to include the RTK receiver 112 .

The positioning device 110 in this embodiment further includes an IMU 115 . IMU 115 includes a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope. IMU 115 may include an orientation sensor, such as a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. IMU 115 functions as a motion sensor and can output signals indicating various quantities such as acceleration, speed, displacement, and attitude of work vehicle 100 . Positioning device 110 can estimate the position and orientation of work vehicle 100 with higher accuracy based on the signals output from IMU 115 in addition to the GNSS signals and correction signals. Signals output from IMU 115 may be used to correct or impute position calculated based on GNSS signals and correction signals. The IMU 115 outputs signals more frequently than GNSS signals. Using the high-frequency signal, the position and orientation of work vehicle 100 can be measured at a higher frequency (for example, 10 Hz or higher). Instead of the IMU 115, a separate 3-axis acceleration sensor and 3-axis gyroscope may be provided. The IMU 115 may be provided as a separate device from the positioning device 110 .

Positioning device 110 may include other types of sensors, such as LiDAR sensors, in addition to or instead of GNSS receiver 111 , RTK receiver 112 and IMU 115 . Depending on the environment in which work vehicle 100 travels, the position and orientation of work vehicle 100 can be estimated with high accuracy based on the data from these sensors.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the processor of positioning device 110 calculates the position of work vehicle 100 based on signals output from GNSS receiver 111 , RTK receiver 112 and IMU 115 . The position calculation is not limited to the positioning device 110, and may be performed by other devices. For example, control device 180 or an external computer may acquire output data of each receiver and each sensor necessary for positioning and calculate the position of work vehicle 100 based on those data.

Camera 120 is an imaging device that captures an environment around work vehicle 100, and includes an image sensor, an optical system such as one or more lenses, and a signal processing circuit. The camera 120 captures an image of the environment around the work vehicle 100 while the work vehicle 100 is traveling, and generates data of an image (for example, a moving image). Images generated by camera 120 can be used, for example, when a remote monitor uses a monitor terminal to check the environment around work vehicle 100 . The images generated by camera 120 may be used for positioning or obstacle detection. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of cameras 120 may be provided at different positions on work vehicle 100, or a single camera may be provided.

Obstacle sensor 130 detects objects existing around work vehicle 100 . Obstacle sensor 130 may comprise, for example, a laser scanner or ultrasonic sonar. Obstacle sensor 130 outputs a signal indicating the presence of an obstacle when an object is present closer than a predetermined distance from obstacle sensor 130 . A plurality of obstacle sensors 130 may be provided at different positions on work vehicle 100 . For example, multiple laser scanners and multiple ultrasonic sonars may be placed at different locations on work vehicle 100 . By providing such many obstacle sensors 130, blind spots in monitoring obstacles around the work vehicle 100 can be reduced.

Drive device 140 includes various devices necessary for running work vehicle 100 and driving work implement 300 , such as prime mover 102 , transmission device 103 , steering device 106 , and coupling device 108 . Prime mover 102 may comprise an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, for example. Drive system 140 may include an electric motor for traction instead of or in addition to the internal combustion engine.

Steering wheel sensor 152 measures the rotation angle of the steering wheel of work vehicle 100 . The steering angle sensor 154 measures the steering angle of the front wheels 104F, which are steered wheels. Measured values by the steering wheel sensor 152 and the steering angle sensor 154 are used for steering control by the controller 180 .

Axle sensor 156 measures the rotational speed of the axle connected to tire 104, that is, the number of revolutions per unit time. Axle sensor 156 can be, for example, a sensor utilizing a magnetoresistive element (MR), a Hall element, or an electromagnetic pickup. The axle sensor 156 outputs, for example, a numerical value indicating the number of rotations per minute (unit: rpm) of the axle. Axle sensors 156 are used to measure the speed of work vehicle 100 .

Storage device 170 includes one or more storage media such as flash memory or magnetic disks. Storage device 170 stores various data generated by positioning device 110 , camera 120 , obstacle sensor 130 , sensor group 150 , and control device 180 . The data stored in storage device 170 may include map data of the environment in which work vehicle 100 travels, data of a target route in automatic driving, and data indicating a worked area. The storage device 170 also stores a computer program that causes each ECU in the control device 180 to execute various operations described later. Such a computer program can be provided to work vehicle 100 via a storage medium (such as a semiconductor memory or an optical disk) or an electric communication line (such as the Internet). Such computer programs may be sold as commercial software.

Control device 180 includes a plurality of ECUs. The plurality of ECUs include, for example, an ECU 181 for speed control, an ECU 182 for steering control, an ECU 183 for work machine control, an ECU 184 for automatic operation control, and an ECU 185 for route creation. ECU 181 controls the speed of work vehicle 100 by controlling prime mover 102 , transmission 103 , and brakes included in drive device 140 . The ECU 182 controls the steering of the work vehicle 100 by controlling the hydraulic system or the electric motor included in the steering system 106 based on the measurement value of the steering wheel sensor 152 . ECU 183 controls the operations of the three-point linkage and the PTO shaft included in coupling device 108 in order to cause work machine 300 to perform desired operations. ECU 183 also generates a signal for controlling the operation of work machine 300 and transmits the signal from communication device 190 to work machine 300 . The ECU 184 performs calculation and control for realizing automatic driving based on signals output from the positioning device 110 , the steering wheel sensor 152 , the steering angle sensor 154 and the axle sensor 156 . During automatic operation, the ECU 184 sends a speed change command to the ECU 181 and a steering angle change command to the ECU 182 . ECU 181 changes the speed of work vehicle 100 by controlling prime mover 102, transmission 103, or brakes in response to speed change commands. The ECU 182 changes the steering angle by controlling the steering device 106 in response to the command to change the steering angle. The ECU 185 functions as the above-described processing device (that is, the route creation device), creates the target route of the work vehicle 100 , and records it in the storage device 170 . The ECU 185 also creates a call route to the call point when called from the call terminal 400 . The ECU 184 sends necessary commands to the ECUs 181 and 182 so that the work vehicle 100 moves along the route created by the ECU 185 .

By the functions of these ECUs, the control device 180 realizes automatic driving. During automatic operation, control device 180 controls drive device 140 based on the position of work vehicle 100 measured or estimated by positioning device 110 and the target route or call route stored in storage device 170 . Accordingly, control device 180 can cause work vehicle 100 to travel along the target route or the called route.

A plurality of ECUs included in control device 180 can communicate with each other according to a vehicle bus standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). Instead of CAN, a higher-speed communication method such as in-vehicle Ethernet (registered trademark) may be used. Although each of the ECUs 181 to 185 is shown as a separate block in FIG. 3, their respective functions may be realized by a plurality of ECUs. An on-board computer that integrates at least some functions of the ECUs 181 to 185 may be provided. The control device 180 may include ECUs other than the ECUs 181 to 185, and an arbitrary number of ECUs may be provided according to functions. Each ECU includes processing circuitry that includes one or more processors.

Communication device 190 communicates with communication device 390 of work machine 300 . Communication device 190 includes a circuit for transmitting/receiving signals conforming to the ISOBUS standard such as ISOBUS-TIM to/from communication device 390 of working machine 300 . As a result, work machine 300 can be caused to perform a desired operation, or information can be acquired from work machine 300 . The communication device 190 can also transmit and receive signals conforming to any wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), cellular mobile communication such as 3G, 4G or 5G, or Bluetooth (registered trademark). It may include communication circuitry and antennas that perform to and from communication device 490 of terminal 400 . Communication device 190 may communicate with an external computer via a wired or wireless network. The external computer may be, for example, a server computer that centrally manages information about fields on the cloud and uses data on the cloud to support agriculture. Such external computers may be configured to perform some of the functions of work vehicle 100 . For example, an external computer may execute the route creation function by the ECU 185 . In that case, an external computer functions as the aforementioned "processing device".

Operation terminal 200 is a terminal for a user to perform operations related to travel of work vehicle 100 and operation of work implement 300, and is also referred to as a virtual terminal (VT). Operating terminal 200 may include a display device, such as a touch screen, and/or one or more buttons. The display device can be a display such as a liquid crystal or an organic light emitting diode (OLED), for example. By operating the operation terminal 200, the user can perform various operations such as switching the automatic driving mode on/off, setting a target route, recording or editing a map, and switching the working machine 300 on/off. can be executed. At least part of these operations can also be realized by operating the operation switch group 210 . Operation terminal 200 may be configured to be removable from work vehicle 100 . A user located away from work vehicle 100 may operate operation terminal 200 that has been removed to control the operation of work vehicle 100 . The user may control the operation of work vehicle 100 by operating a device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a personal computer (PC) on which necessary application software is installed, instead of operating terminal 200 . The calling terminal 400 may also function as the operation terminal 200 .

Drive device 340 in work machine 300 performs operations necessary for work machine 300 to perform a predetermined work. Drive device 340 includes a device, such as a hydraulic device, an electric motor, or a pump, depending on the application of work machine 300 . Controller 380 controls the operation of drive 340 . Control device 380 causes drive device 340 to perform various operations in response to signals transmitted from work vehicle 100 via communication device 390 . A signal corresponding to the state of work implement 300 can also be transmitted from communication device 390 to work vehicle 100 .

Calling terminal 400 may be, for example, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a mobile device such as a remote control. A GNSS receiver 410 in calling terminal 400 outputs data containing information about the location of calling terminal 400 based on signals transmitted from multiple GNSS satellites. GNSS receiver 410 outputs data in, for example, NMEA format. The input device 420 is a device that receives input operations from the user, and may include one or more buttons or switches. Display device 430 may be a display such as a liquid crystal or OLED, for example. Input device 420 and display device 430 may be realized by a touch screen. Storage device 450 may include a semiconductor storage medium such as flash memory, for example. Storage device 450 stores computer programs executed by processor 460 and various data generated by processor 460 . Processor 460 performs the following operations by executing computer programs stored in storage device 450 . Processor 460 transmits a call signal including position information of call terminal 400 from communication device 490 to communication device 190 of work vehicle 100 in response to a user's call operation using input device 420 . The location information of calling terminal 400 is generated based on the signal output from GNSS receiver 410 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation terminal 200 and the operation switch group 210 provided inside the cabin 105. As shown in FIG. A switch group 210 including a plurality of switches that can be operated by a user is arranged inside the cabin 105 . The operation switch group 210 includes, for example, a switch for selecting the gear stage of the main transmission or the sub-transmission, a switch for switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, a switch for switching between forward and reverse, and a working machine. A switch or the like for raising or lowering 300 may be included. Note that if the work vehicle 100 only operates unmanned and does not have a function of manned operation, the work vehicle 100 need not include the operation switch group 210 .

[2. motion]
Next, an example of the operation of work vehicle 100 will be described.

[2-1. Automatic driving operation]
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the working vehicle 100 that automatically travels along a target route in a field. In this example, the farm field includes a work area 70 where work vehicle 100 works using work machine 300, and a headland 80 located near the outer edge of the farm field. Which areas on the field map correspond to the work area 70 and the headlands 80 can be set in advance by the user. The target paths in this example include a plurality of parallel main paths P1 and a plurality of turning paths P2 connecting the plurality of main paths P1. The main path P1 is located within the work area 70, and the turning path P2 is located within the headland 80. As shown in FIG. Each main path P1 shown in FIG. 6 is a straight path, but each main path P1 may include a curved portion. The dashed line in FIG. 6 represents the working width of work implement 300 . The working width is preset and recorded in the storage device 170 . The working width can be set and recorded by the user operating the operation terminal 200 . Alternatively, the working width may be automatically recognized and recorded when work implement 300 is connected to work vehicle 100 . The intervals between the main paths P1 can be set according to the working width. The target route is created by the ECU 185 based on the user's operation before the automatic driving is started. The target route can be created, for example, so as to cover the entire work area 70 in the field. The work vehicle 100 automatically travels along a target route as shown in FIG. 6 from a work start point to a work end point while repeating reciprocation. Note that the target route shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and the method of determining the target route is arbitrary.

Work vehicle 100 may also be set to perform a series of pre-recorded actions when turning on headland 80 . A program that defines this series of operations is referred to as an "operation sequence" in this specification. The motion sequence may be set by a user and recorded in storage device 170 . When work vehicle 100 turns along the turning path, control device 180 can cause work vehicle 100 to perform a series of operations according to a pre-recorded operation sequence. When starting a headland turn at the end of the main route P1 (when fielding out), and when ending the headland turning and starting traveling along the next main route P1 (when fielding in), respectively. Different motion sequences can be recorded. As an operation sequence, for example, the following operations can be recorded.
・Up/down of 3-point linkage ・ON/OFF of PTO rotation ・ON/OFF of differential lock ・Switching of 4WD/2WD ・Increase/decrease of engine speed ・Switching of transmission

The control system 160 has a function as a headland management system (HMS) that manages a series of operations performed during headland turning. A series of actions may include a field-out action performed at the start of a turn and a field-in action performed at the end of a turn. The field-out operation includes, for example, raising work implement 300 connected to work vehicle 100, stopping power output to work implement 300, stopping the differential lock function provided in work vehicle 100, switching from two-wheel drive (2WD) mode to four-wheel drive mode. At least one operation of switching to the (4WD) mode and lowering the engine speed of work vehicle 100 may be included. The field-in operation includes, for example, at least lowering of work implement 300, initiation of power output to work implement 300, initiation of differential lock function, switching from four-wheel drive mode to two-wheel drive mode, and increasing engine speed. It can include one action. The control device 180 may cause the display device such as the operation terminal 200 to display a setting screen for allowing the user to set the content of the series of operations. The control device 180 causes the storage device 170 to store an operation sequence based on the content of the set series of operations.

Control device 180 controls the operation of work implement 300 according to a prerecorded operation sequence when turning at headland 80 . Thereby, the automatic turning at the headland 80 can be executed smoothly. Control device 180 not only when turning on headland 80 but also when turning within work area 70 when receiving a call from call terminal 400 , similarly to when fielding out, raises work implement 300 , and An operation such as stopping power output to work machine 300 may be performed.

Next, an example of control during automatic operation by the control device 180 will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the steering control operation during automatic driving executed by the control device 180 . While the work vehicle 100 is traveling, the control device 180 performs automatic steering by executing the operations of steps S121 to S125 shown in FIG. As for the speed, it is maintained at a preset speed, for example. The control device 180 acquires data indicating the position of the work vehicle 100 generated by the positioning device 110 while the work vehicle 100 is traveling (step S121). Next, control device 180 calculates the deviation between the position of work vehicle 100 and the target route (step S122). The deviation represents the distance between the position of work vehicle 100 at that time and the target route. The control device 180 determines whether or not the calculated positional deviation exceeds a preset threshold value (step S123). If the deviation exceeds the threshold, the control device 180 changes the steering angle by changing the control parameters of the steering device included in the driving device 140 so that the deviation becomes smaller. If the deviation does not exceed the threshold in step S123, the operation of step S124 is omitted. In subsequent step S125, control device 180 determines whether or not an operation end command has been received. An operation end command can be issued, for example, when the user instructs to stop the automatic operation by remote control, or when work vehicle 100 reaches the destination. If the command to end the operation has not been issued, the process returns to step S121, and similar operations are executed based on the newly measured position of the work vehicle 100. FIG. The control device 180 repeats the operations of steps S121 to S125 until an operation end command is issued. The above operations are executed by ECUs 182 and 184 in control device 180 .

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the control device 180 controls the drive device 140 based only on the deviation between the position of the work vehicle 100 specified by the positioning device 110 and the target route. may be controlled. For example, when the azimuth deviation, which is the angular difference between the direction of the work vehicle 100 specified by the positioning device 110 and the direction of the target route, exceeds a preset threshold value, the control device 180 drives according to the deviation. A control parameter (eg, steering angle) of the steering system of device 140 may be changed.

Hereinafter, examples of steering control by the control device 180 will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D.

8A is a diagram showing an example of the work vehicle 100 traveling along the target route P. FIG. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of work vehicle 100 at a position shifted to the right from target path P. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8C is a diagram showing an example of work vehicle 100 at a position shifted to the left from target path P. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8D is a diagram showing an example of the work vehicle 100 oriented in a direction inclined with respect to the target path P. FIG. In these figures, the pose indicating the position and orientation of work vehicle 100 measured by positioning device 110 is expressed as r(x, y, θ). (x, y) are coordinates representing the position of the reference point of work vehicle 100 in the XY coordinate system, which is a two-dimensional coordinate system fixed to the earth. In the examples shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, the reference point of work vehicle 100 is at the position where the GNSS antenna is installed on the cabin, but the position of the reference point is arbitrary. θ is an angle representing the measured orientation of work vehicle 100 . In the illustrated example, the target path P is parallel to the Y-axis, but in general the target path P is not necessarily parallel to the Y-axis.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the position and orientation of work vehicle 100 do not deviate from target path P, control device 180 maintains the steering angle and speed of work vehicle 100 unchanged.

As shown in FIG. 8B , when the position of work vehicle 100 is shifted to the right from target path P, control device 180 steers work vehicle 100 so that the traveling direction of work vehicle 100 leans leftward and approaches path P. change the angle. At this time, the speed may be changed in addition to the steering angle. The magnitude of the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the magnitude of the positional deviation Δx.

As shown in FIG. 8C , when the position of work vehicle 100 is shifted to the left from target path P, control device 180 steers work vehicle 100 so that the traveling direction of work vehicle 100 is tilted to the right and approaches path P. change the angle. Also in this case, the speed may be changed in addition to the steering angle. The amount of change in the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the magnitude of the positional deviation Δx.

As shown in FIG. 8D, when work vehicle 100 does not deviate greatly from target path P but is oriented in a different direction from target path P, control device 180 performs steering such that azimuth deviation Δθ becomes small. change the angle. Also in this case, the speed may be changed in addition to the steering angle. The magnitude of the steering angle can be adjusted, for example, according to the respective magnitudes of the position deviation Δx and heading deviation Δθ. For example, the smaller the absolute value of the positional deviation Δx, the larger the amount of change in the steering angle corresponding to the azimuth deviation Δθ. If the absolute value of the positional deviation Δx is large, the steering angle will be greatly changed in order to return to the route P, so the absolute value of the azimuth deviation Δθ will inevitably become large. Conversely, when the absolute value of the positional deviation Δx is small, it is necessary to make the azimuth deviation Δθ close to zero. Therefore, it is appropriate to relatively increase the weight (that is, the control gain) of the azimuth deviation Δθ for determining the steering angle.

Control techniques such as PID control or MPC control (model predictive control) can be applied to the steering control and speed control of work vehicle 100 . By applying these control techniques, the control for bringing the work vehicle 100 closer to the target path P can be smoothed.

Note that when an obstacle is detected by one or more obstacle sensors 130 during travel, the control device 180 stops the work vehicle 100 . Controller 180 may control drive 140 to avoid an obstacle if an obstacle is detected.

[2-2. Move to Call Point]
Next, an example of the operation when receiving a call from the calling terminal 400 while the work vehicle 100 is automatically driving will be described.

When receiving a call from the calling terminal 400 , the work vehicle 100 in this embodiment stops the work and moves to the calling point of the calling terminal 400 . At this time, the work vehicle 100 moves along the call route, which is the route to reach the call point without stepping on the completed work area. The call route is created based on the call point, the positional relationship between the work vehicle 100 when the call is received, and the worked area.

FIG. 9A is a diagram schematically showing an example of a situation in which a call is received from call terminal 400 while work vehicle 100 is automatically traveling in a field. In this example, the work vehicle 100 is traveling along one main route P1 included in the target route P while performing work unmanned. In this state, the user outside the work area 70 uses the call terminal 400 to call the work vehicle 100 . Calling terminal 400 in this example is a smart phone, and software for calling work vehicle 100 is installed in advance. The user uses the calling terminal 400 to replenish the work vehicle 100 with agricultural materials (seeds, fertilizers, seedlings, etc.) necessary for work by the work vehicle 100, or to manually drive the work vehicle 100. perform an operation that invokes the . When a call operation is performed, call terminal 400 transmits a call signal including position information of call terminal 400 output from GNSS receiver 410 to work vehicle 100 . When receiving the call signal, work vehicle 100 determines the call point based on the position information and moves toward the call point. At this time, the work vehicle 100 creates a call route toward the call point so as not to step on the completed work area 72, and travels along the call route. The call path is created by ECU 185 in controller 180 .

Information on the worked area 72 is required to create a call path. Therefore, the ECU 185 in this embodiment causes the storage device 170 to store the worked area 72 while the work vehicle 100 is traveling along the target route P. FIG. Worked area 72 can be calculated based on the position of work vehicle 100 identified by positioning device 110 and the preset working width of work vehicle 100 . While the work vehicle 100 is traveling, the ECU 185 causes the storage device 170 to store information indicating the range of the worked area 72 (for example, information about the coordinate range on the map). Note that the work completed area 72 may be recorded not only by the ECU 185 but also by another ECU or another computer such as an external server.

When creating a call route, the ECU 185 first determines a call point, which is a destination. The ECU 185 may set the point itself indicated by the position information included in the calling signal transmitted from the calling terminal 400 as the calling point. However, the positioning result of the GNSS receiver 410 at the calling terminal 400 generally contains an error, and in some cases the positioning error can be several meters or more. Therefore, if the position information contained in the calling signal is used as it is, a point far away from the actual position of calling terminal 400 may be determined as the calling point. For example, a point inside the worked area 72 or a point on the road outside the field may be determined as the call point. In order to avoid such a situation, when the position indicated by the position information included in the call signal indicates a position inside the work completed area 72 or on the road, the ECU 185 sets the position indicated by the position information to the position inside the farm field and the work completed area. The position may be corrected to a position outside the area 72 and the corrected position may be used as the position of the call point. Thereby, even when the positioning error of the GNSS receiver 410 is large, the call point can be set at an appropriate position. When such a correction is made, the ECU 185 may send a notification to the calling terminal 400 indicating that the call point has been corrected.

After determining the call point, ECU 185 determines the call route based on the position of the call point, the position of work vehicle 100 specified by positioning device 110 , and the information of worked area 72 stored in storage device 170 . The ECU 185 determines a route from the position of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received to the call point without passing through the work completed area 72 as the call route.

FIG. 9B is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which work vehicle 100 moves toward call point B2 along call path P3. In this example, the call point B2 is determined as a point in the headland 80 near the calling terminal 400 in the headland 80 . There is a worked area 72 between the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received and the call point B2. In other words, a straight line (dotted line in FIG. 9B) connecting position B1 of work vehicle 100 when receiving a call and call point B2 overlaps work completed area 72 . In such a case, the ECU 185 determines a route from the position B1 toward the call point B2 along the outer circumference of the work completed area 72 as the call route P3.

The ECU 185 can be configured, for example, to determine the shortest route that can reach the call point B2 along the perimeter of the worked area 72 as the call route P3. In the example of FIG. 9B , the route from the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received goes straight along the main route P1 during travel, and then along the outer circumference of the worked area 72 toward the call point B2. It is determined as call path P3. A call path P3 shown in FIG. A second straight line P3b in contact with C1 and extending substantially parallel to the boundary between the work area 70 and the headland 80, an arc of a second circle C2 in contact with the second straight line P3b, and a call in contact with the second circle C2. It is created by connecting a third straight line P3c extending to the point B2. The radii of the first circle C1 and the second circle C2 can be set to predetermined values, such as the minimum radius that the work vehicle 100 can turn. A distance d between the boundary line between the work area 70 and the headland 80 and the straight line P3b can be set to a predetermined value such as half the width of the headland 80, for example.

Called route P3 in the example of FIG. 9B includes a portion of target route P that has not yet traveled at the time work vehicle 100 is called, that is, a portion that is positioned on the traveling direction side of work vehicle 100 . In this manner, the ECU 185 may determine a route including a portion of the target route P that is located on the travel direction side of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received as the call route P3. Such a route determination method is significantly different from the conventional method disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. In Patent Document 1, a path for discharge or supply is determined avoiding unworked areas so that unharvested crops (for example, rice) are not stepped on by the harvester. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the call path P3 may be determined while avoiding the worked area 72, and the call path P3 may include an unworked area. In the present embodiment, since the call path P3 is created in an area other than the worked area 72, it is possible to avoid impairing the effect of the work due to the work vehicle 100 stepping on the worked area 72. FIG.

In the present embodiment, when work vehicle 100 starts traveling along call path P3, control device 180 stops work by work implement 300 . For example, control device 180 stops the rotation of PTO and raises the three-point linkage, thereby stopping work by work implement 300 . Instead of such an operation, work vehicle 100 continues work without stopping work implement 300 while traveling along the portion of call route P3 that overlaps main route P1 of target route P. may For example, in the example of FIG. 9B, after the work vehicle 100 is called, the work may be continued in at least part of the section traveling along the main route P1. Such an operation can improve work efficiency.

The ECU 185 in this embodiment creates a call route using different methods according to the positional relationship between the call point B2, the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 that received the call, and the work completed area 72. FIG. Some examples of how call paths are created are described below.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing another example in which the work completed area 72 exists between the position B1 of the called work vehicle 100 and the call point B2. In the example of FIG. 10A, the position of call terminal 400 is closer to the opposite side of the traveling direction of work vehicle 100 than in the example of FIG. 9A. In such a case, if a call route is created by a method similar to the method shown in FIG. 9B, it will take a long time for the work vehicle 100 to reach the call point B2. Therefore, in this example, as shown in FIG. 10B , the ECU 185 turns from the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received to the side opposite to the side where the work completed area 72 exists, and goes straight in the opposite direction. After that, a route toward the call point B2 along the outer circumference of the worked area 72 is determined as a call route P3. In this example as well, the ECU 185 creates, as the calling path P3, a path combining a plurality of straight lines and a plurality of arcs, as in the example of FIG. 9B. Specifically, the call path P3 shown in FIG. 10B includes a first straight line P3a extending a relatively short predetermined distance (for example, 1 m) along the main path P1 from the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 that received the call; An arc of a first circle C1 having a predetermined radius in contact with a first straight line P3a, and a pillow on the opposite side of the traveling direction of the work vehicle 100 before turning from a point turned 180° along the arc of the first circle C1. A second straight line P3b extending to the ground 80, an arc of a second circle C2 with a predetermined radius in contact with the second straight line P3b, and a boundary line between the work area 70 and the headland 80 in contact with the second circle C2. It is created by connecting a third straight line P3c extending in parallel, an arc of a third circle C3 contacting the third straight line P3c, and a fourth straight line P3d contacting the third circle C3 and extending to the call point B2. obtain.

FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example in which there is no work completed area 72 between position B1 of work vehicle 100 that has received a call and call point B2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11B, the ECU 185 determines a straight path P3 from the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received to the call point B2 as the call path. For example, a straight line P3a extending a relatively short predetermined distance (for example, 1 m) along the main path P1 from the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 when the call is received, and an arc of a circle C1 with a predetermined radius in contact with the straight line P3a. and a straight line P3b that touches the circle C1 and extends to the call point B2 can be determined as the call path P3.

In each of the above examples, the work vehicle 100 is called while traveling along the linear main route P1 within the work area 70 . The work vehicle 100 may be called while turning on the headland 80 without being limited to such an example. Some examples of how call paths are created in such cases are described below.

FIG. 12A is a diagram showing an example in which a call is made from call terminal 400 while work vehicle 100 is turning on headland 80 . In such an example, the ECU 185 creates the calling route after the work vehicle 100 finishes turning and starts traveling along the next main route P1. In the example of FIG. 12A , there is a worked area 72 between position B1 of work vehicle 100 and call point B2, and call point B2 is relatively far from work vehicle 100. In the example of FIG. In such a case, the ECU 185 calls a route that goes straight along the next main path P1 to the headland 80 on the opposite side and along the perimeter of the worked area 72 toward the call point B2, as shown in FIG. 12B. Determined as route P3. The route creation method in this case is the same as the example shown in FIG. 9B.

FIG. 13A is a diagram showing another example in which a call is made from call terminal 400 while work vehicle 100 is turning on headland 80 . In this example, there is a worked area 72 between position B1 of work vehicle 100 and call point B2, and call point B2 is relatively close to work vehicle 100. FIG. In this case as well, the ECU 185 creates the calling route after the work vehicle 100 finishes turning and starts traveling along the next main route P1. As shown in FIG. 13B, the ECU 185 once travels along the next main route P1 for a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), turns to the side opposite to the side where the work completed area 72 exists, and then travels straight in the opposite direction. , along the perimeter of the worked area 72 toward the call point B2 is determined as the call route P3. The route creation method in this case is the same as the example shown in FIG. 10B.

Note that, as in the example of FIG. 13B, when the call point B2 is close to the position B1 of the work vehicle 100 that received the call and the call point B2 is on the rear side of the work vehicle 100, the work vehicle 100 moves backward, that is, travels backward. to the call point. For example, as shown in FIG. 13C, the ECU 185 may create a call route P3 along which the work vehicle 100 travels backward and heads for the call point B2. Also in this example, a call path P3 can be created by connecting a plurality of straight lines and arcs. In this case, the ECU 184 causes the work vehicle 100 to move to the call point B2 by moving backward along the call path P3. In this manner, when the relative position between the position of work vehicle 100 that has received the call and the call point B2 and the orientation of work vehicle 100 satisfy predetermined conditions, control device 180 causes work vehicle 100 to move backward for a call. It may be moved toward the point B2. As a result, the time required to reach the calling point B2 can be shortened.

FIG. 14A is a diagram showing still another example in which a call is made from call terminal 400 while work vehicle 100 is turning on headland 80 . In this example, there is no worked area 72 between position B1 of work vehicle 100 and call point B2. In such a case, the ECU 185 determines a straight path from the position B1 to the position B2 as the call path P3, as shown in FIG. 14B. The route creation method in this case is the same as the example shown in FIG. 11B.

By the operation described above, the work vehicle 100 can reach the call point B2 in a short time without stepping on the work completed area 72 . Note that the method of creating the call path P3 in each of the above examples is merely an example. Call path P3 may be created in a different manner than described above.

Next, with reference to FIG. 15, an example of a call route creation method by the ECU 185 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of a method of creating a call route by the ECU 185. As shown in FIG. In this example, the ECU 185 determines whether or not the communication device 190 has received a call signal while the work vehicle 100 is automatically traveling for work (step S141). When the call signal is received, the ECU 185 determines whether or not the call point indicated by the position information included in the call signal is within the travelable area (step S142). The travelable area means an area in which the work vehicle 100 is allowed to travel within the field. The drivable area may be, for example, an area inside the farm field and outside the worked area, which is separated by a certain distance or more from both the outer periphery of the farm field and the worked area. The constant distance may be, for example, a value greater than half the working width of work vehicle 100 . The travelable distance can be set in advance, for example, before starting automatic driving. If the call point is within the travelable area, the process proceeds to step S144. If the call point is not within the travelable area, the process proceeds to step S143. In step S143, the ECU 185 corrects the call point to a point within the travelable area. The correction can be made, for example, to minimize the distance between the original call point and the corrected call point. After step S143, the process proceeds to step S144.

In step S144, ECU 185 determines whether or not there is a worked area between the position of work vehicle 100 and the call point. For example, the ECU 185 determines whether a straight line with a predetermined width (for example, a width equal to or greater than the work width) connecting the position of the work vehicle 100 specified by the positioning device 110 and the call point overlaps the work completed area. If the straight line overlaps the worked area, it can be determined that there is a worked area between the position of work vehicle 100 and the call point. If there is no worked area between the position of work vehicle 100 and the call point, ECU 185 determines a straight route from the position of work vehicle 100 to the call point as the call route (step S145). Here, the “straight route” is not limited to a completely straight route, and may be a route partially including curved lines or polygonal lines as shown in FIG. 11B or FIG. 14B. ECU 185 may adjust the angle and length of the straight portion, and the position and radius of curvature of the curved portion in the call route so that work vehicle 100 does not step on the worked area.

If there is a worked area between the position of work vehicle 100 and the call point, ECU 185 determines whether work vehicle 100 is turning on a headland or traveling along the main route (step S146). . If work vehicle 100 is traveling along the main route, the process proceeds to step S148. When the work vehicle 100 is turning on the headland, the system waits until the work vehicle 100 finishes turning and starts traveling along the main route (step S147). When work vehicle 100 finishes turning and starts traveling along the main route, the process proceeds to step S148.

In step S148, the ECU 185 selects a first route from proceeding to the headland on the traveling direction side of the work vehicle 100 to the call point along the outer periphery of the worked area, and a headland on the opposite side of the traveling direction after turning. , then create a second path along the perimeter of the worked area toward the call point, and calculate the travel time for both. The first path is, for example, a path such as call path P3 shown in FIGS. 9B and 12B. The second path is, for example, a path such as call path P3 shown in FIGS. 10B and 13B. The ECU 185 compares the travel time of the first route and the travel time of the second route (step S149). If the travel time of the first route is less than or equal to the travel time of the second route, the ECU 185 determines the first route as the calling route (step S150). Conversely, if the travel time of the first route is longer than the travel time of the second route, the ECU 185 determines the second route as the call route (step S151).

By the above operation, the ECU 185 can create an appropriate call route according to the position of the work vehicle 100 when receiving the call, the position of the call point, and the work completed area. By traveling along the call route created by such actions, the work vehicle 100 can reach the call point in a relatively short time without stepping on the worked area.

Note that the route creation method shown in FIG. 15 is merely an example, and can be modified as appropriate. For example, instead of the operations of steps S148 to S151, only the first route may be created and determined as the calling route. Alternatively, as in the example of FIG. 13C, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the route to go backward to the call point may be determined as the call route.

The system may be configured to allow the user to change call points while work vehicle 100 is moving along the call path. For example, while the work vehicle 100 is moving along the call path, the system is configured so that the user holding the call terminal 400 moves and performs the call operation again at the destination point to change the call point. may have been In that case, the ECU 185 may be configured to, after creating the call route, execute the operation shown in FIG. 15 again, for example, to correct the call route when the call signal is received again. The modified call path is also constructed so that it does not go through the worked area.

The work vehicle 100 stops when it reaches the call point. Work vehicle 100 also stops if obstacle sensor 130 detects the user of call terminal 400 or other obstacles before reaching the call point. When the obstacle is detected and stopped, the work vehicle 100 may start moving toward the call point again when the obstacle goes out of the detection range. In each of the examples described above, the direction at which work vehicle 100 stops depends on the direction of the termination portion of the call path. The user may be allowed to specify the orientation of the work vehicle 100 when it stops. For example, the user operates the call terminal 400 to specify the orientation of the work vehicle 100 when the work vehicle 100 is stopped so that the work vehicle 100 stops in an orientation suitable for performing work such as replenishment of materials or in an orientation that is easy to board. You may make it possible. The designation of the direction to stop may be performed before the work vehicle 100 is called, or may be performed while the work vehicle 100 is traveling along the call route. When the user performs an operation to specify the direction to stop, the calling terminal 400 sends a call signal including not only the positional information of the call point but also the information specifying the direction of the work vehicle 100 at the call point to the work vehicle 100. Send. The ECU 185 creates a call route so as to stop the work vehicle 100 in the direction indicated by the information.

In each of the above examples, the ECU 185 determines the position determined by the GNSS receiver 410 of the calling terminal 400, or a position corrected from that position, as the position of the call point. That is, the ECU 185 determines the position of the call point based on the position information of the calling terminal 400 itself. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such forms. For example, the user may operate the calling terminal 400 to designate a desired position as the calling point.

FIG. 16A is a diagram illustrating an example of a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to designate a call point and call work vehicle 100. FIG. A display screen such as that shown in FIG. 16A may be displayed on display device 430 of calling terminal 400 . This display screen includes a field map 90 (for example, an aerial photograph) and a button 91 for instructing the work vehicle 100 to call. The user can designate a call point by tapping or clicking a desired point on the field map 90 . In the example of FIG. 16A, a mark 92 indicating the specified call point and a mark 93 indicating the current location are displayed on the map 90, and the coordinates (eg, latitude and longitude) of the specified call point are also displayed. The user can call the work vehicle 100 to the call point by pressing the button 91 after designating the call point. In this example, when the button 91 is pressed, the call terminal 400 transmits a call signal including position information (for example, coordinate values such as latitude and longitude) of the designated call point to the work vehicle 100 . The control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 receives the call signal, creates a call route, and starts traveling along the call route.

The system may be configured to allow the user to specify one or more waypoints through which the call path will traverse. For example, a GUI such as that shown in FIG. 16A may further include a function for specifying passing points. In that case, the calling terminal 400 transmits to the work vehicle 100 a calling signal including information indicating one or more passing points in addition to the positional information of the calling point. The control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 creates a call route that passes through the waypoints, and controls the work vehicle 100 to go to the called point via one or more waypoints.

FIG. 16B is an example of a GUI that allows the call point to be changed after the call has been manipulated. After the user performs a call operation and work vehicle 100 starts traveling along the call route, a screen as shown in FIG. 16B may be displayed on call terminal 400 . The user can change the specified call point. The user can change the call point by performing an operation such as tapping a position corresponding to the changed call point on the map 90 of the field and pressing a "change call point" button 96.例文帳に追加When the button 96 is pressed, the calling terminal 400 transmits to the work vehicle 100 a calling signal including position information of the changed calling point. The ECU 185 of the work vehicle 100 receives the call signal and corrects the call route so as to head for the changed call point. The ECU 184 controls the work vehicle 100 to go to the changed call point along the corrected call route. The display screen shown in FIG. 16B also includes a cancel button 95 . The user can also cancel the call of the work vehicle 100 by pressing the cancel button 95 . When button 95 is pressed, work vehicle 100 stops heading to the call point. In this case, the work vehicle 100 may automatically return to the location where the call was received during the work travel to resume the work travel, or may stop at the spot and wait for an instruction from the user.

The work vehicle 100 may be configured to automatically return to the point where the work travel was interrupted in response to the call and restart the work travel after completing the work such as replenishment at the call point. For example, the work vehicle 100 may be configured to resume work travel by performing an operation to resume work travel using the call terminal 400 after the user finishes work such as replenishment.

FIG. 16C is a diagram showing an example of a GUI for causing work vehicle 100 to resume work travel. In this example, when the work vehicle 100 reaches the call point, a screen as shown in FIG. 16C is displayed on the call terminal 400. FIG. The user can instruct the work vehicle 100 to resume the work travel by pressing the “restart work travel” button 97 . When the button 97 is pressed, the call terminal 400 transmits to the work vehicle 100 a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "return signal") for resuming work travel. When the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 receives the return signal, the work vehicle 100 returns to the point where the work travel was interrupted, and controls the drive device 140 to resume the work travel.

When implementing this function, the control device 180 causes the storage device 170 to store the position of the point (hereinafter referred to as the “interruption point”) when the work vehicle 100 interrupts the farm work. The control device 180 causes the work vehicle 100 to interrupt farm work when causing the work vehicle 100 to start moving along the call route in response to the call signal or while the work vehicle 100 is moving along the call route. Let At the timing of the interruption, control device 180 causes storage device 170 to store the position of the interruption point. When the return signal is received after the work vehicle 100 is called to the call point, the ECU 185 of the control device 180 creates a return route that returns to the interruption point without passing through the work completed area. A return path may be, for example, a path that travels in reverse along the call path. If it is difficult to turn around at the call point and move forward along the call path in the opposite direction, you may continue backing up the call path and return to the breakpoint. The ECU 184 of the control device 180 controls the driving device 140 so that the work vehicle 100 is moved forward or backward along the return route to the suspension point, and the work vehicle 100 resumes work travel from the suspension point. In addition, when the work vehicle 100 returns to the interruption point along the return route and resumes the farm work, it is difficult to return to the interruption point without stepping on the worked area at all. Therefore, it is permissible for work vehicle 100 moving along the return path to slightly step on the worked area. This point is the same when work vehicle 100 moves along the call route.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the work vehicle 100 returning from the call point B2 to the interruption point B3 along the return route P4. In this example, after being called at position B1, work vehicle 100 moves along main route P1 on target route P even when moving along call route P3 to head to call point B2. Continue working while you are there. After completing work such as replenishment at the call point B2, the work vehicle 100 creates a return route P4 in response to the return signal, and travels along the return route P4 to the interruption point B3. In this example, the work by the work vehicle 100 is performed to the end of the line without interruption in the middle of the line on the main route P1. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 17, the starting point of the next row is recorded as the breakpoint B3. In the example of FIG. 17, the space at the call point B2 is wider than in the example of FIG. 9B, and there is enough space for work vehicle 100 to turn. Different from this example, if there is not enough space for turning, the controller 180 creates a return path P4 by reversing the direction of the call path P3, as shown in FIG. 18, for example. The work vehicle 100 may be moved to the discontinuation point B3 by moving backward along the line. In the example of FIG. 18, the work vehicle 100 has suspended the work when it receives a call at the position B1, and the position of the suspension point B3 coincides with the position B1.

In each of the above examples, only one work vehicle 100 travels for work within one field, but a plurality of work vehicles may simultaneously travel for work within one field. In this case, when the ECU 185 in the control device 180 receives the call signal, if there are other worked areas where agricultural work has been performed by other work vehicles, the ECU 185 calls the call point without going through any of the worked areas. determine the call path to go to An example of such a case will be described below.

FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a situation in which the first work vehicle 100A and the second work vehicle 100B are simultaneously traveling for work within one field. In this example, the first work vehicle 100A and the second work vehicle 100B are working while reciprocating on opposite sides of the field. In this situation, assume that the first work vehicle 100A receives a call from the call terminal 400 while it is turning on the headland 80 . In this case, unlike the example shown in FIG. 14B, when the first work vehicle 100A that has received the call goes from the position B1 to the call point B2 along a straight path, the second work vehicle 100B performs the work. It goes through the completed area 72B. In such a case, the control device 180 of the first work vehicle 100A controls not only the worked area 72A where the first work vehicle 100A has worked, but also the worked area where the second work vehicle 100B has worked. A call path P3 is created so as not to pass through 72B as well. In the example of FIG. 19, an inverted L-shaped call path P3 is created along the headland 80 that can reach the call point B2 in the shortest time.

(Other embodiments)
Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

In the above-described embodiment, the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 creates a call route and controls the work vehicle 100 to travel along the call route. A device other than controller 180 may perform the creation of the call path. For example, an external computer such as a server that communicates with work vehicle 100 may create the call route.

FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a system in which processing device 500 communicating with work vehicle 100 via network 40 creates a call route. In this example, not the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100 but the external processing device 500 creates the call route and transmits the information to the work vehicle 100 . The processing device 500 may be a computer such as a cloud server, for example.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the processing device 500. As shown in FIG. Processing device 500 comprises one or more processors 560 , storage device 570 and communication device 590 . Storage device 570 includes memory that stores computer programs that are executed by processor 560 . Communication device 590 transmits and receives signals to and from communication device 190 in work vehicle 100 and communication device 490 in call terminal 400 . In this embodiment, when the calling terminal 400 calls the work vehicle 100 , it transmits a signal including position information of the calling point to the processing device 500 via the network 40 . The processor 560 of the processing device 500 creates a call route in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, based on the position information, the position information of the work vehicle 100 acquired from the work vehicle 100, and the information indicating the worked area. . The communication device 590 of the processing device 500 transmits the call route information to the work vehicle 100 . The work vehicle 100 moves to the call point along the call route. The processor 560 of the processing unit 500 may generate target routes for work travel as well as call routes. In that case, work vehicle 100 does not need to be equipped with ECU 185 for route creation shown in FIG.

Instead of processing unit 500, calling terminal 400 may create the call path. In that case, call terminal 400 acquires the position information of work vehicle 100 and the information of the worked area from work vehicle 100 or processing device 500 . The processor 460 of the call terminal 400 creates a call route based on the position information of the work vehicle 100, the position information of the call point, and the information of the worked area. The calling terminal 400 transmits to the work vehicle 100 a calling signal including the positional information of the calling point and the information of the calling route. By such operation, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

In each of the above embodiments, a monitoring terminal for monitoring the work vehicle 100 may perform the operation of calling the work vehicle 100 instead of the call terminal 400 . Such a monitoring terminal may be provided, for example, at the home or office of the user who monitors work vehicle 100 .

FIG. 22 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a system in which the monitoring terminal 600 calls the work vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. The monitoring terminal 600 is, for example, a laptop computer or a personal computer, and can communicate with the work vehicle 100 via the network 40 . Note that the monitoring terminal 600 may be a portable computer such as a smart phone or a tablet computer. By operating the monitoring terminal 600, the user can call the work vehicle 100 to a desired point, as in the above-described embodiments. The configuration of monitoring terminal 600 is similar to that of calling terminal 400 shown in FIG. In this example, the configuration of work vehicle 100 is the same as that in the first embodiment. Instead of the ECU 185 in the control device 180 of the work vehicle 100, the monitoring terminal 600 may create the calling route. In that case, the monitoring terminal 600 acquires the position information of the work vehicle 100 and the information of the worked area from the work vehicle 100 . Monitoring terminal 600 creates a call route based on the position information of the call point, the position information of work vehicle 100 , and the information of the worked area, and transmits the information to work vehicle 100 .

FIG. 23 is a diagram schematically showing another example of a system in which the monitoring terminal 600 calls the work vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. This system is obtained by replacing the calling terminal 400 in the system shown in FIG. In this system, the monitoring terminal 600 transmits the position information of the calling point to the processing device 500 based on the user's operation. The processing device 500 creates a call route and transmits it to the work vehicle 100 as in the example of FIG. 20 . Also in this example, instead of the processing device 500 , the monitoring terminal 600 may create the worked area and transmit the information to the work vehicle 100 .

The work vehicle 100 in each of the above embodiments is a tractor, but the technology of each of the above embodiments may be applied to vehicles other than tractors or agricultural machines other than vehicles. For example, the techniques of the above-described embodiments may be applied to agricultural machines such as harvesters, rice transplanters, ride-on care machines, vegetable transplanters, lawn mowers, or agricultural mobile robots.

The device for creating the call path and the device for controlling the movement of the agricultural machine according to the call path in each of the above embodiments can be retrofitted to agricultural machines that do not have these functions. Such equipment may be manufactured and sold independently of agricultural machinery. Computer programs used in such devices may also be manufactured and sold independently of agricultural machinery. The computer program may be provided by being stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, for example. Computer programs may also be provided by download via telecommunications lines (eg, the Internet).

As noted above, the present disclosure includes systems, devices, methods, and computer programs described in the following items.

[Item A1]
a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to a call point;
a processing device that creates a call route along which the agricultural machine moves to the call point in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
Agricultural support system with

[Item A2]
The agricultural support system according to item A1, further comprising a control device that controls operation of the agricultural machine so that the agricultural machine moves along the call path.

[Item A3]
The agricultural support system according to item A2, wherein the control device causes the agricultural machine to move along the call route while causing the agricultural machine to at least partially stop farm work.

[Item A4]
further comprising a storage device that stores an area in which agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine as the worked area;
The terminal device transmits a call signal including location information of the call point to the processing device,
the processing device creates the call path based on the location information and the worked area stored in the storage device;
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A3.

[Item A5]
The processing device, while the agricultural machine is moving along a preset target path, based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device and the working width of the agricultural machine, The agricultural support system according to item A4, wherein an area is determined and the worked area is stored in the storage device.

[Item A6]
When the processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is moving along a preset target route, the processing device is positioned on the traveling direction side of the agricultural machine in the target route. The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A5, wherein a route including a portion is determined as the calling route.

[Item A7]
The processing device is
if there is no worked area between the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received from the terminal device and the call point, determining a linear route toward the call point as the call route;
If the worked area is between the position of the agricultural machine and the call point, determining a route toward the call point along the perimeter of the worked area as the call route.
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A6.

[Item A8]
The agricultural machine is controlled to move along a target path including a plurality of parallel main paths and one or more turning paths connecting the plurality of main paths;
The processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is moving along one of the plurality of main paths, and receives the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received and the If the worked area is between the called point and the agricultural After turning from the position of the machine to the opposite side of the worked area and going straight in the opposite direction, among the paths along the outer circumference of the worked area toward the call point, the short path is determined as the call path.
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A7.

[Item A9]
the terminal device is a mobile terminal comprising a GNSS receiver, and transmits a call signal including position information of the mobile terminal generated by the GNSS receiver to the processing device;
The calling point is a point indicated by the location information,
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A8.

[Item A10]
The terminal device is a monitoring computer for remotely monitoring the agricultural machine, and transmits a call signal including position information of the call point to the processing device in response to an operation by a user using the monitoring computer. , the agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A8.

[Item A11]
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to A8, wherein the processing device is built in the terminal device.

[Item A12]
The agricultural machine is
a tractor;
an implement coupled to the tractor;
with
The worked area is an area where agricultural work has been performed by the implement.
The agricultural support system according to any one of items A1 to 11.

[Item A13]
one or more processors;
a memory storing a computer program;
with
The computer program causes the one or more processors to:
Receiving a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or accepting an operation from the user to call the agricultural machine to the call point;
creating a call route along which the agricultural machine travels toward the call point based on the call signal or the operation by the user in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
to run
processing equipment.

[Item A14]
A computer-implemented method comprising:
Receiving a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or accepting an operation from the user to call the agricultural machine to the call point;
creating a call route along which the agricultural machine travels toward the call point based on the call signal or the operation by the user in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
method including.

[Item B1]
An agricultural machine that moves while performing farm work,
a communication device;
a control device that controls the agricultural machine;
with
The control device is
moving the agricultural machine along a preset first route while causing the agricultural machine to perform the agricultural work;
In response to a call received by the communication device from an external device to a call point located outside the worked area where the agricultural work was performed by the agricultural machine, from a position where the agricultural machine received the call. moving the agricultural machine along a second path toward the call point without passing through the worked area;
Agricultural machines.

[Item B2]
The call includes location information indicating the call point,
The control device, in response to the call, determines the second route based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device, the worked area stored in a storage device, and the position information. , moving the agricultural machine along the second path;
Agricultural machinery according to item B1.

[Item B3]
a positioning device;
a storage device that stores the first path and the worked area;
further comprising
The call includes location information indicating the call point,
The control device is
moving the agricultural machine along the first route based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device and the first route stored in the storage device;
In response to the call, the second route is determined based on the position of the agricultural machine specified by the positioning device, the worked area stored in the storage device, and the position information indicating the call point. determining and moving the agricultural machine along the second path;
Agricultural machinery according to item B1.

[Item B4]
wherein the control device causes the storage device to store the worked area based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device while the agricultural machine is moving along the first path; Agricultural machine according to B2 or B3.

[Item B5]
When receiving a call including position information indicating a call point located inside the worked area, the control device corrects the position of the call point to a position outside the worked area, and corrects the corrected position. as the location of the call point to determine the second path.

[Item B6]
The agricultural machine according to item B5, wherein when the position of the call point is corrected, the control device causes the communication device to transmit information indicating the corrected position to the external device.

[Item B7]
When receiving the call, if there is another worked area in which agricultural work has been performed by another agricultural machine, the control device controls the call point without going through the worked area and the other worked area. Agricultural machine according to any of items B2 to B6, determining the second path to

[Item B8]
the second path is determined by the external device or another device connected to the external device via a network;
The call includes information indicating the second route,
wherein the control device moves the agricultural machine according to information indicating the second route;
Agricultural machinery according to item B1.

[Item B9]
Agriculture according to any one of items B1 to B8, wherein in response to the call, the control device causes the agricultural machine to stop the agricultural work and move the agricultural machine along the second route. machine.

[Item B10]
The agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to B9, wherein the second path includes part of the first path.

[Item B11]
The agricultural machine according to item B10, wherein the control device causes the agricultural machine to perform the agricultural work in at least part of a section in which the agricultural machine is moved along the part of the first route.

[Item B12]
The control device determines whether or not there is the worked area between the position of the agricultural machine when receiving the call and the call point, Agricultural machine according to any one of items B2 to B7, wherein if there is no worked area in the second path, a straight path toward the call point is determined as the second path.

[Item B13]
When the worked area exists between the position of the agricultural machine and the call point, the control device determines a route toward the call point along the outer circumference of the worked area as the second route. An agricultural machine according to any one of items B2 to B7 and B12.

[Item B14]
The first route includes a plurality of parallel main routes and one or more turning routes connecting the plurality of main routes,
If the call is received while the agricultural machine is traveling along one of the plurality of main paths, the control unit changes the position of the agricultural machine from the position of the agricultural machine when the call was received. determining a route including a portion of the first route located on the traveling direction side as the second route;
Agricultural machine according to any of items B2 to B7, B12, B13.

[Item B15]
The first route includes a plurality of parallel main routes and one or more turning routes connecting the plurality of main routes,
receiving said call while said agricultural machine is traveling along one of said plurality of main paths, and said operation between said position of said agricultural machine when said call is received and said call point; If there is a completed area, the control device moves straight from the position along the main route, then along the outer circumference of the worked area to the call point, and from the position to the worked area. After turning to the opposite side and going straight in the opposite direction, the shorter route among the routes toward the call point along the outer circumference of the worked area is determined as the second route.
Agricultural machine according to any of items B2 to B7, B12 to B14.

[Item B16]
The first route includes a plurality of parallel main routes and one or more turning routes connecting the plurality of main routes,
receiving said call while said agricultural machine is moving along one of said turning paths, and said worked area between said position of said agricultural machine when said call is received and said calling point If there is, the control device moves straight along the main route connected to the turning route, then follows a route toward the call point along the outer circumference of the worked area, and a route connected to the turning route After going straight along the main path, turning to the opposite side of the worked area and going straight in the opposite direction, the short path among the paths toward the calling point along the outer circumference of the worked area determine as the second route,
Agricultural machine according to any of items B2 to B7, B12 to B15.

[Item B17]
From item B1, when the relative position between the call point and the agricultural machine and the orientation of the agricultural machine satisfy predetermined conditions, the control device causes the agricultural machine to move toward the call point by moving in reverse. Agricultural machinery according to any of B16.

[Item B18]
The external device is a mobile terminal equipped with a GNSS receiver,
the call includes location information of the mobile terminal generated by the GNSS receiver;
the location information indicates the location of the call point;
Agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to B17.

[Item B19]
the external device is a monitoring terminal that remotely monitors the agricultural machine;
the call is sent in response to an operation of a user using the monitoring terminal;
the call point is specified by the user;
Agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to B17.

[Item B20]
The control device is
When causing the agricultural machine to start moving along the second route in response to the call, or while moving the agricultural machine along the second route, the agricultural machine interrupts the agricultural work. and store the position of the interruption point where the agricultural work was interrupted in a storage device;
After the agricultural machine is called to the call point, in response to a return command, the agricultural machine is moved along a third route returning to the interruption point without passing through the work completed area, and causing the agricultural machine to resume the agricultural operation from
Agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to B19.

[Item B21]
The agricultural machine according to item B20, wherein the third path is a reverse path along the second path.

[Item B22]
When the communication device receives a call to a call point different from the call point while the agricultural machine is moving along the second route, the control device causes the agricultural machine to The agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to B21, wherein the agricultural machine is moved from the other called position along a route toward the other called point without passing through the worked area.

[Item B23]
the call includes information specifying an orientation of the agricultural machine at the call point;
The control device stops the agricultural machine in the orientation indicated by the information.
Agricultural machine according to any one of items B1 to 22.

[Item B24]
The call includes information of one or more passing points through which the second route should pass;
the controller directs to the call point via the one or more waypoints;
Agricultural machine according to any of items B1 to B23.

[Item B25]
The agricultural machine is
a tractor;
an implement coupled to the tractor;
with
The worked area is an area where the farm work has been performed by the implement.
Agricultural machine according to any of items B1 to B24.

[Item B26]
A device for generating information used for controlling an agricultural machine that automatically moves while performing farm work,
one or more processors;
a memory for storing a computer program;
a communication circuit that communicates with the agricultural machine;
with
The one or more processors execute the computer program to:
When the agricultural machine is moving along a preset first route while performing the agricultural work, movement to a call point outside the worked area where the agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine. In response to a command from a user directing the agricultural machine,
obtaining information on the worked area from a storage device storing the worked area;
Acquiring position information of the agricultural machine from a positioning device;
determining a second route from the position of the agricultural machine to the call point without passing through the worked area;
outputting information indicating the second route;
Device.

[Item B27]
The apparatus of item B26, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send a control signal to a drive of the agricultural machine to move the agricultural machine along the second path.

[Item B28]
The apparatus of item B26, wherein the one or more processors further send a call command to the agricultural machine including the information indicative of the second path.

[Item B29]
A device for controlling one or more agricultural machines that automatically move while performing farm work,
one or more processors;
a memory for storing a computer program;
a communication circuit in communication with the one or more agricultural machines;
with
The one or more processors
While each of the one or more agricultural machines is moving along a first route set for each while performing the farm work, position information of the agricultural machine is acquired from a positioning device, and the position information is storing the worked area in which the agricultural work has been performed by the one or more agricultural machines in a storage device based on
in response to a command from a user directing a designated one of the one or more agricultural machines to move to a call point outside the worked area;
obtaining information on the worked area from the storage device;
Acquiring position information of the designated agricultural machine from the positioning device;
determining a second route from the specified position of the agricultural machine to the call point without passing through the worked area;
sending a control signal to the designated agricultural machine to move the designated agricultural machine along the second path;
Device.

[Item B30]
A method of controlling an agricultural machine that moves while performing farm work, comprising:
moving the agricultural machine along a preset first route while causing the agricultural machine to perform the agricultural work;
In response to a call transmitted from an external device to a call point located outside the worked area where the agricultural work was performed by the agricultural machine, the agricultural machine moves from the position where the call was received to the completed work area. moving the agricultural machine along a second path toward the call point without passing through an area;
method including.

[Item B31]
A method for generating information used for controlling an agricultural machine that automatically moves while performing farm work,
When the agricultural machine is moving along a preset first route while performing the agricultural work, movement to a call point outside the worked area where the agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine. In response to a command from a user directing the agricultural machine,
obtaining information on the worked area from a storage device that stores the worked area;
Acquiring position information of the agricultural machine from a positioning device;
Determining a second route from the agricultural machine location to the call point without passing through the worked area;
outputting information indicating the second route;
method including.

[Item B32]
A method for controlling one or more agricultural machines that automatically move while performing agricultural work, comprising:
While each of the one or more agricultural machines is moving along a first route set for each while performing the farm work, position information of the agricultural machine is acquired from a positioning device, and the position information is storing in a storage device the worked area in which the agricultural work has been performed by the one or more agricultural machines based on
in response to a command from a user directing a designated one of the one or more agricultural machines to move to a call point outside the worked area;
obtaining information of the worked area from the storage device;
Acquiring position information of the designated agricultural machine from the positioning device;
Determining a second route from the designated agricultural machine location to the call point without passing through the worked area;
sending a control signal to the designated agricultural machine to move the designated agricultural machine along the second path;
method including.

[Item B33]
A computer program for controlling an agricultural machine that moves while performing farm work, the computer comprising:
moving the agricultural machine along a preset first route while causing the agricultural machine to perform the agricultural work;
In response to a call transmitted from an external device to a call point located outside the worked area where the agricultural work was performed by the agricultural machine, the agricultural machine moves from the position where the call was received to the completed work area. moving the agricultural machine along a second path toward the call point without passing through an area;
computer program that causes the

[Item B34]
A computer program for generating information used to control agricultural machinery that automatically moves while performing farm work, the computer comprising:
When the agricultural machine is moving along a preset first route while performing the agricultural work, movement to a call point outside the worked area where the agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine. In response to a command from a user directing the agricultural machine,
obtaining information on the worked area from a storage device that stores the worked area;
Acquiring position information of the agricultural machine from a positioning device;
Determining a second route from the agricultural machine location to the call point without passing through the worked area;
outputting information indicating the second route;
computer program that causes the

[Item B35]
A program for controlling one or more agricultural machines that automatically move while performing farm work, comprising:
While each of the one or more agricultural machines is moving along a first route set for each while performing the farm work, position information of the agricultural machine is acquired from a positioning device, and the position information is storing in a storage device the worked area in which the agricultural work has been performed by the one or more agricultural machines based on
in response to a command from a user directing a designated one of the one or more agricultural machines to move to a call point outside the worked area;
obtaining information of the worked area from the storage device;
Acquiring position information of the designated agricultural machine from the positioning device;
Determining a second route from the designated agricultural machine location to the call point without passing through the worked area;
sending a control signal to the designated agricultural machine to move the designated agricultural machine along the second path;
computer program that causes the

The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to agricultural machines such as tractors, harvesters, rice transplanters, ride-on care machines, vegetable transplanters, mowers, seeders, fertilizers, and agricultural robots.

10 user 40 network 50 GNSS satellite 60 reference station 70 work area 72 work completed area 80 headland 90 map 91 call button 92 mark indicating call point 93 mark indicating current position of call terminal 94 call point coordinates 95 cancel button 96 call point Change button 97 Work travel restart button 100 Work vehicle 101 Vehicle main body 102 Prime mover (engine)
103 Transmission
104 Tires 105 Cabin 106 Steering Gear 107 Driver's Seat 108 Coupling Device 110 Positioning Device 111 GNSS Receiver 112 RTK Receiver 115 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
120 Camera 130 Obstacle Sensor 140 Driving Device 150 Sensor Group 152 Steering Wheel Sensor 154 Steering Angle Sensor 156 Rotation Sensor 160 Control System 170 Storage Device 180 Control Device 181, 182, 183, 184, 185 ECU
190 communication device 200 operation terminal 210 operation switch group 300 work machine 340 drive device 380 control device 390 communication device 400 calling terminal 410 GNSS receiver 420 input device 430 display device 450 storage device 460 processor 490 communication device 500 processing device 560 processor 570 storage Device 590 Communication device 600 Monitoring terminal

Claims (14)

a terminal device that calls an agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to a call point;
a processing device that creates a call route along which the agricultural machine moves to the call point in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
Agricultural support system with 2. The agricultural support system of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling operation of said agricultural machine such that said agricultural machine moves along said call path. 3. The agricultural support system according to claim 2, wherein said controller moves said agricultural machine along said call path while causing said agricultural machine to at least partially stop farming. further comprising a storage device that stores an area in which agricultural work has been performed by the agricultural machine as the worked area;
The terminal device transmits a call signal including location information of the call point to the processing device,
the processing device creates the call path based on the location information and the worked area stored in the storage device;
The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The processing device, while the agricultural machine is moving along a preset target path, based on the position of the agricultural machine identified by the positioning device and the working width of the agricultural machine, 5. The agricultural support system according to claim 4, wherein an area is determined and said worked area is stored in said storage device. When the processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is moving along a preset target route, the processing device is positioned on the traveling direction side of the agricultural machine in the target route. 6. The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a route including a portion is determined as said calling route. The processing device is
if there is no worked area between the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received from the terminal device and the call point, determining a linear route toward the call point as the call route;
If the worked area is between the position of the agricultural machine and the call point, determining a route toward the call point along the perimeter of the worked area as the call route.
The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The agricultural machine is controlled to move along a target path including a plurality of parallel main paths and one or more turning paths connecting the plurality of main paths;
The processing device receives a call from the terminal device while the agricultural machine is moving along one of the plurality of main paths, and receives the position of the agricultural machine when the call is received and the If the worked area is between the called point and the agricultural After turning from the position of the machine to the opposite side of the worked area and going straight in the opposite direction, among the paths along the outer circumference of the worked area toward the call point, the short path is determined as the call path.
The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. the terminal device is a mobile terminal comprising a GNSS receiver, and transmits a call signal including position information of the mobile terminal generated by the GNSS receiver to the processing device;
The calling point is a point indicated by the location information,
The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The terminal device is a monitoring computer for remotely monitoring the agricultural machine, and transmits a call signal including position information of the call point to the processing device in response to an operation by a user using the monitoring computer. 9. The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said processing device is built in said terminal device. The agricultural machine is
a tractor;
an implement coupled to the tractor;
with
The worked area is an area where agricultural work has been performed by the implement.
The agricultural support system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. one or more processors;
a memory storing a computer program;
with
The computer program causes the one or more processors to:
Receiving a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or accepting an operation from the user to call the agricultural machine to the call point;
creating a call route along which the agricultural machine travels toward the call point based on the call signal or the operation by the user in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
to run
processing equipment. A computer-implemented method comprising:
Receiving a call signal including position information of the call point from a terminal device that calls the agricultural machine that performs automatic operation to the call point, or accepting an operation from the user to call the agricultural machine to the call point;
creating a call route along which the agricultural machine travels toward the call point based on the call signal or the operation by the user in an area excluding a worked area of the agricultural machine;
method including.

Images