JP2023009078A - remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control system capable of safely stopping a work vehicle even when remote control becomes impossible.

SOLUTION: A remote control system has a remote controller (first remote control communication device 71) capable of communicating with a work vehicle 1 that travels autonomously. The remote controller has an operation unit. The work vehicle 1 is stopped in a state in which it is impossible to resume traveling with the remote controller according to a first operation mode of the operation unit.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a remote control system for autonomously traveling a work vehicle.

In recent years, in order to efficiently and simply perform agricultural work in fields, an autonomous traveling system has been developed that autonomously travels an unmanned work vehicle without an operator (see Patent Document 1). The autonomous driving system of Patent Document 1 is remotely operated by a server device installed in a house or the like that is remote from the work vehicle, and it is difficult to respond to emergencies because the working state of the tractor cannot be visually observed. . Therefore, an autonomous traveling system using an operation terminal based on a wireless communication terminal device has been developed in order to operate the autonomous traveling of a work vehicle in a work place such as a field (see Patent Documents 2 and 3).

JP 2011-254704 A JP 2016-093127 A JP 2016-168883 A

By the way, when agricultural work is performed using a work vehicle controlled by an autonomous driving system, it is necessary to stop the work vehicle by remote control when danger such as another person's intrusion into the field occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned current situation, and it is a technical object of the present invention to provide a remote control system capable of safely stopping a work vehicle even when remote control becomes impossible.

A remote control system according to one aspect is a remote control system having a remote controller capable of communicating with a work vehicle that travels autonomously. The remote controller has an operation unit. According to the first operation mode of the operation unit, the work vehicle is stopped in a state in which it is impossible to resume traveling by the remote controller.

It is the whole robot tractor side view in an embodiment. 1 is a plan view of a robot tractor; FIG. It is a functional block diagram of a robot tractor. It is the front view, top view, and right side view of a remote control. It is a rear view of a remote control. FIG. 4A is a front view, a plan view, a bottom view, a left side view, and a right side view of an example of an emergency stop remote control; FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a wireless communication terminal device; FIG. 4A and 4B are a front view and a plan view for explaining an attachment/detachment state of the emergency stop remote controller; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an emergency stop remote controller; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing operations based on the operation of the emergency stop button of the emergency stop remote controller; 4 is a timing chart showing the operating state of the emergency stop remote controller after power is turned on; 4 is a flow chart showing the state notification operation of the emergency stop remote controller; 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of detecting the remaining battery level of the emergency stop remote controller. FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing an example of execution of a pairing process request by a service tool; FIG. FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing an example of execution of a request for pairing processing by a remote control device; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing operation of pairing setting in the tractor 1. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of pairing registration in the emergency stop remote control. 4 is a flowchart showing an autonomous travel determination operation in a tractor; 4 is a timing chart showing an example of a communication state between a remote controller receiver and a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers; 4 is a timing chart showing an example in which a remote control receiver establishes communication with a plurality of emergency stop remote controls; 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of communication confirmation processing in the remote control receiver. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of communication confirmation processing in the emergency stop remote controller; 9 is a flow chart showing another example of the autonomous travel determination operation in the tractor.

<Autonomous driving system>
An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a robot tractor 1 (“robot tractor” may be simply referred to as “tractor” or may be referred to as “unmanned tractor” hereinafter) as an example of a working vehicle according to the present invention. A tractor 1 includes a body 2 that autonomously travels in a field. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine body 2 is detachably equipped with a work machine 3 . The working machine 3 is used for agricultural work. Examples of the work machine 3 include various work machines such as cultivators, plows, fertilizers, lawn mowers, and seeders. can be worn on The machine body 2 is configured such that the height and attitude of the work machine 3 mounted thereon can be changed.

In this specification, the term "autonomous traveling" means that the configuration provided for traveling by the tractor 1 is controlled by an autonomous traveling control device 51 or the like provided in the tractor 1 as shown in FIG. 1 means run. In this specification, autonomous work means that the configuration provided for the work by the tractor 1 is controlled by the autonomous travel control device 51 or the like, and the tractor 1 performs the work along a predetermined route.

<Tractor>
The configuration of the tractor 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the body 2, which is the body of the tractor 1, has a front portion supported by a pair of left and right front wheels 7, 7 and a rear portion supported by a pair of left and right rear wheels 8, 8. As shown in FIG. The front wheels 7, 7 and the rear wheels 8, 8 constitute a traveling portion.

A bonnet 9 is arranged in the front part of the body 2 . An engine 10 that is a driving source of the tractor 1 and the like are accommodated in the bonnet 9 . The engine 10 can be configured by, for example, a diesel engine, but is not limited to this, and may be configured by, for example, a gasoline engine. Also, as a drive source, an electric motor may be used in addition to or instead of the engine.

A cabin 11 in which an operator boards is arranged behind the bonnet 9 . Inside the cabin 11, there are mainly provided a steering handle 12 for steering operation by the operator, a seat 13 on which the operator can sit, and various operation devices for performing various operations. there is However, the agricultural work vehicle is not limited to the one with the cabin 11 and may be one without the cabin 11 .

Although not shown, examples of the operating device include a monitor device, a throttle lever, a main shift lever, an elevating lever, a PTO switch, a PTO shift lever, and a plurality of hydraulic shift levers. These operating devices are arranged near the seat 13 or near the steering handle 12 .

The monitor device is configured to be able to display various information about the tractor 1 . The throttle lever sets the rotation speed of the engine 10 . The main shift lever is used to change the gear ratio of the transmission case 22 . The elevating lever operates to elevate the height of the working machine 3 mounted on the machine body 2 within a predetermined range. The PTO switch switches or disconnects power transmission to a PTO shaft (power take-off shaft) projecting outward from the rear end of the transmission case 22 . That is, when the PTO switch is in the ON state, power is transmitted to the PTO shaft to rotate the PTO shaft and the working machine 3 is driven. The PTO shaft does not rotate and the working machine 3 stops. The PTO gear shift lever is used to change the power input to the working machine 3, and more specifically, to change the rotational speed of the PTO shaft. The hydraulic gear shift lever is for switching the hydraulic external take-out valve.

As shown in FIG. 1, a chassis 20 is provided in the lower part of the fuselage 2 to constitute its framework. The chassis 20 includes a body frame 21, a transmission case 22, a front axle 23, a rear axle 24, and the like.

The body frame 21 is a supporting member in the front part of the tractor 1, and supports the engine 10 directly or via a vibration isolating member or the like. The transmission case 22 changes the power from the engine 10 and transmits it to the front axle 23 and the rear axle 24 . The front axle 23 is configured to transmit power input from the transmission case 22 to the front wheels 7 . The rear axle 24 is configured to transmit power input from the transmission case 22 to the rear wheels 8 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the tractor 1 serves as a control unit for controlling the operations of the machine body 2 (forward, backward, stop, turning, etc.) and the operations of the working machine 3 (lifting, driving, stopping, etc.). An engine control device 15 , a transmission control device 16 , and a working machine control device 17 are provided so as to be able to communicate with each other via a bus line 18 . An engine control device 15 is electrically connected to a common rail device 41 as a fuel injection device provided in the engine 10, and a transmission control device 16 includes a hydraulic transmission for shifting power from the engine 10. It is electrically connected to the transmission 42 . The work machine control device 17 is also electrically connected to the work machine lifting actuator 44 . Furthermore, the tractor 1 is configured so that a service tool 19 such as a computer operated by a serviceman can be electrically connected to the vehicle bus line 18 .

The common rail device 41 injects fuel into each cylinder of the engine 10 . In this case, the fuel injection valves of the injectors corresponding to the cylinders of the engine 10 are controlled by the engine control device 15 to open and close, so that the high-pressure fuel pressure-fed from the fuel tank to the common rail device 41 by the fuel supply pump is supplied from each injector to the engine 10. The injection pressure, injection timing, and injection period (injection amount) of the fuel supplied from each injector are controlled with high accuracy.

Specifically, the transmission 42 is, for example, a movable swash plate type hydraulic continuously variable transmission, and is provided in the transmission case 22 . By appropriately adjusting the angle of the swash plate by controlling the transmission 42 with the transmission control device 16, the gear ratio of the transmission case 22 can be set to a desired gear ratio.

The lift actuator 44 operates a three-point link mechanism that connects the work machine 3 to the machine body 2, for example, to move the work machine 3 to a retracted position (a position where farm work is not performed) or a working position (a position where farm work is performed). It raises and lowers something. By controlling the lift actuator 44 by the work machine control device 17 to appropriately raise and lower the work machine 3, the farm work can be performed by the work machine 3 at a desired height in the field area, for example.

The engine control device 15 also includes a rotation speed sensor 31 for detecting the rotation speed of the engine 10, a vehicle speed sensor 32 for detecting the rotation speed of the rear wheels 8, and a steering angle for detecting the turning angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel 12. A detection value of a sensor such as the sensor 33 is converted into a detection signal and transmitted.

The tractor 1 equipped with the control devices 15 to 17 as described above communicates with each other through the vehicle bus line 18 based on various operations of the operator in the cabin 11 to control the tractor 1. By controlling each part (body 2, working machine 3, etc.), it is configured to be able to perform agricultural work while traveling in a field. In addition, the tractor 1 of the embodiment can be driven autonomously based on a predetermined control signal output from the remote control device 70 without an operator on board.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the tractor 1 is additionally provided with various components such as an autonomous traveling control device 51 for enabling autonomous traveling. Furthermore, the tractor 1 has various components such as a positioning antenna 6 necessary for acquiring position information of itself (its body) based on the positioning system. With such a configuration, the tractor 1 can acquire its own position information based on the positioning system and travel autonomously on the field.

Next, the configuration of the tractor 1 for autonomous travel will be described in detail. Specifically, the tractor 1, as shown in FIGS. (Specified low-power radio device) 55, steering actuator 43, positioning antenna 6, radio communication antenna unit 48, and the like.

The autonomous driving control device 51 and the steering control device 52 are configured to communicate with the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work implement control device 17 via the vehicle bus line 18, respectively. In addition, the autonomous driving control device 51 connects the positioning survey device 53, the wireless communication router 54, and the Mutual communication with each remote control receiver 55 is possible.

The steering actuator 43 is provided, for example, in the middle of the rotating shaft (steering shaft) of the steering handle 12 and adjusts the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering handle 12 . When the tractor 1 travels along a predetermined route (as an unmanned tractor), the steering control device 52 calculates an appropriate rotation angle of the steering handle 12 so that the tractor 1 travels along the route. The steering actuator 43 is controlled so that the steering handle 12 rotates at the rotation angle thus set. Further, the steering control device 52 communicates with the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work implement control device 17 via the vehicle bus line 18, thereby executing steering according to the vehicle speed of the tractor 1. can. The steering actuator 43 may adjust the steering angle of the front wheels 7 of the tractor 1 instead of adjusting the turning angle of the steering handle 12. does not rotate.

The positioning antenna 6 receives signals from positioning satellites that form a positioning system such as the Global Positioning System (GNSS). As shown in FIG. 1 , the positioning antenna 6 is arranged on the top surface of the roof 14 of the cabin 11 . The signal received by the positioning antenna 6 is input to the positioning survey device 53 shown in FIG. Calculated. The position information calculated by the positioning survey device 53 is acquired by the autonomous traveling control device 51 and used for controlling the tractor 1 .

The positioning survey device 53 is electrically connected to the first wireless communication antenna 48a in the wireless communication antenna unit 48, and through a first wireless communication network (for example, a 920 MHz band wireless communication network) based on the specified low-power radio, which will be described later. communication with a reference station (portable reference station) 60 that As shown in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication antenna unit 48 is arranged on the top surface of the roof 14 of the cabin 11 . The positioning survey device 53 corrects the satellite positioning information of the tractor 1 (mobile station) by receiving correction information (positioning correction information) from the reference station 60 installed near the field via the first wireless communication antenna 48a. to obtain the current position of the tractor 1. For example, various positioning methods such as DGPS (differential GPS positioning) and RTK positioning (real-time kinematic positioning) can be applied.

In this embodiment, for example, RTK positioning is applied, and a reference station 60 having a reference station positioning antenna 61 is provided in addition to the positioning antenna 6 provided on the tractor 1 on the mobile station side. The reference station 60 is arranged at a position (reference point) that does not interfere with the travel of the tractor 1, such as around a field. The position information of the reference point, which is the installation position of the reference station 60, is set in advance. The reference station 60 is provided with a reference station communication device 62 capable of communicating with the positioning survey device 53 of the tractor 1 and the communication device by the first radio communication antenna 48a via the first radio communication network constructed.

In RTK positioning, the carrier wave phase (satellite positioning information) from a positioning satellite 63 is measured by both the reference station 60 installed at the reference point and the positioning antenna 6 of the tractor 1 on the side of the mobile station whose position information is to be obtained. ing. In the reference station 60, each time the satellite positioning information is measured from the positioning satellite 63 or each time a set period elapses, correction information including the measured satellite positioning information and the position information of the reference point is generated, and the reference station communication device 62 , the correction information is transmitted to the first wireless communication antenna 48a of the tractor 1. The positioning survey device 53 of the tractor 1 (corresponding to a mobile station) corrects the satellite positioning information measured by the positioning antenna 6 using the correction information transmitted from the reference station 60, and obtains the current position information of the tractor 1 ( For example, latitude information/longitude information) is sought.

Although the present embodiment uses a high-precision satellite positioning system using the GNSS-RTK method, it is not limited to this, and other positioning systems can be used as long as high-precision position coordinates can be obtained. may GNSS-RTK is a positioning method that improves accuracy by correcting based on information from a reference station whose position is known. Since the present invention does not depend on the GNSS-RTK system, details are omitted in this embodiment.

In addition, the positioning survey device 53 can measure not only the position information of the tractor 1 (body 2) by satellite positioning, but also the forward, backward, left and right tilt angle information by inertial surveying. The tilt angle information measured by the positioning survey device 53 is obtained in association with the position information (latitude/longitude information) by the autonomous traveling control device 51 and used for the control of the tractor 1 . The positioning survey device 53 can also measure the height position of the positioning antenna 6 with respect to the agricultural field, and thus the vehicle height of the tractor 1 (body 2).

The radio communication antenna unit 48 is arranged on the upper surface of the roof 14 of the cabin 11 of the tractor 1, and the first to third radio communication antennas 48a to 48c communicate with the first to third radio communication networks having different frequency bands. It has The first wireless communication network is constructed by, for example, a specific low-power radio in the 920 MHz band, which has a high data transmission rate, in order to communicate positioning correction information from the reference station 60 . The second wireless communication network is constructed by, for example, a 2.4 GHz band low-power data communication system, etc., in order to communicate large amounts of data such as image data at high speed. Since the third wireless communication network has a smaller amount of data transmission than the second wireless communication network, it is constructed by, for example, a 400 MHz band specific low-power radio. Part of the antennas 48a to 48c may be arranged inside the cabin 11.

The first wireless communication antenna 48a is electrically connected to the positioning survey device 53, the second wireless communication antenna 48b is electrically connected to the wireless communication router 54, and the third wireless communication antenna 48c is It is electrically connected to the remote control receiver 55 . The wireless communication router 54 connected to the second wireless communication antenna 48b communicates with a remote control device 70 operated by an operator outside the tractor 1 and capable of displaying images through the second wireless communication network. The wireless communication router 54 receives a control signal from the remote control device 70 and transmits it to the autonomous traveling control device 51 via the autonomous traveling bus line 56 . The remote control receiver 55 connected to the third wireless communication antenna 48c communicates with the emergency stop remote control 71 operated by the operator outside the tractor 1 through the third wireless communication network. The remote controller receiver 55 receives a control signal from the emergency stop remote controller 71 and transmits it to the autonomous traveling control device 51 via the autonomous traveling bus line 56 .

Specifically, the remote control device 70 is configured as a tablet personal computer having a touch panel. The operator can refer to and check the information displayed on the touch panel of the remote control device 70 (for example, the information about the field required for autonomous travel). Also, the operator operates the remote control device 70 to transmit a control signal for controlling the tractor 1 to the autonomous traveling control device 51 of the tractor 1 . It should be noted that the remote control device 70 of the embodiment is not limited to a tablet personal computer, and instead of this, it is also possible to configure a notebook personal computer, for example. Alternatively, a monitor device mounted on a tractor different from the tractor 1 can be used as the remote control device.

The autonomous travel control device 51 compares the travel route generated by the remote control device 70 with the position information of the tractor 1, and autonomously drives the tractor 1 at a predetermined travel speed while performing a predetermined work along the travel route. In order to run, the steering angle of the tractor 1, the target engine speed, gear ratio, etc. are calculated, and communicated with each of the controllers 15 to 17, 52 through the vehicle bus line 18. FIG. As a result, the tractor 1 can autonomously travel along the travel route and perform agricultural work using the working machine 3 . Thus, the route in the field area (traveling area) on which the tractor 1 autonomously travels may be referred to as a "traveling route" in the following description. In addition, in the field area (running area), the area (working area) targeted for agricultural work by the working machine 3 of the tractor 1 is defined as an area obtained by excluding the headlands and margins from the entire field area. is set based on these registration points and the working width of the tractor 1 when the registration work of the registration points is executed.

The emergency stop remote control 71 is a remote control switch for stopping the tractor 1 in an emergency. Send. The emergency stop remote controller 71 transmits an emergency stop control signal when the operator presses the emergency stop button 72 . Furthermore, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is detachably attachable to the remote control device 70, and is attached with a strap (string-like member) so as to be attached to the operator's body, such as by being worn around the operator's neck.

The autonomous driving control device 51 stops fuel injection in the common rail device 41 by communicating with the engine control device 15 based on the operator's operation of the emergency stop button 72 on the emergency stop remote control 71, and the transmission control device 16, the transmission 42 is placed in a neutral state, and a braking operation is performed by the braking device 26, which will be described later. At this time, the autonomous driving control device 51 communicates with the steering control device 52 to control the steering actuator 43 so that the steering wheel 12 is in the neutral position, and the left and right front wheels 7, 7 are directed straight ahead. may be

The autonomous traveling control device 51 controls the communication state of the positioning survey device 53 with the reference station 60 (communication state in the first communication network), and the communication state of the wireless communication router 54 with the remote control device 70 (communication state in the second communication network). , and the state of communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 by the remote control receiver 55 (communication state in the third communication network) through the autonomous traveling bus line 56 . When the autonomous traveling control device 51 confirms that the communication state in any one of the first to third communication networks is cut off, the tractor 1 is controlled by communicating with the engine control device 15 and the transmission control device 16. Emergency stop of autonomous driving. In the autonomous traveling control device 51, when the positioning survey device 53, the wireless communication router 54, and the remote control receiver 55 do not receive a signal from the communication partner for a predetermined period of time or longer, the communication with the communication partner is cut off. determined to be

Further, the tractor 1 is provided with a pair of left and right brake devices 26, 26 for applying brakes to the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by two systems of brake pedal and parking brake lever operation and automatic control. That is, both the left and right brake devices 26, 26 are configured to brake the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by operating the brake pedal (or parking brake lever) in the braking direction. Further, when the rotation angle of the steering wheel 12 reaches or exceeds a predetermined angle, the braking device 26 automatically brakes the rear wheel 8 on the inner side of the turn according to a command from the transmission control device 16 ( so-called autobrake).

The portable reference station 60 includes a reference station wireless communication antenna 64 that distributes correction information, a reference station positioning antenna 61 that receives signals from a positioning satellite 63, and a reference station electrically connected to each of the wireless communication antenna 64 and the positioning antenna 61. and a communication device 62 . The portable reference station 60 is installed at a reference point for specifying the position of the tractor (work vehicle) 1, which is a mobile station. The portable reference station 60 is configured to be disassembled into a plurality of members, and each disassembled member is configured to have a size that allows it to be housed in a predetermined case and transported.

A portable reference station 60 installed at a reference point by assembling disassembled members sends a signal from a positioning satellite 63 received by a reference station positioning antenna 61 to a reference station communication device 62, and the reference station communication device 62 transmits measured satellite positioning information. and the correction information including the position information of the reference point. Then, the portable reference station 60 distributes the correction information generated by the reference station communication device 62 via the first wireless communication network.

<Wireless communication terminal device (remote control device and emergency stop remote control)>
Next, embodiments of the wireless communication terminal device 88 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, as a wireless communication terminal device 88 for operating the unmanned tractor 1, which is an autonomous working vehicle, a remote control device (terminal device main body) 70 for executing wireless communication with the tractor 1 and an emergency stop remote controller 71 are provided. I have. The remote operation device 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 communicate with the tractor 1 by wireless communication networks using different communication methods. The remote control device 70 also includes a display 74 that can be operated with a touch panel, and the emergency stop remote control 71 is detachable from the outer frame of the remote control device 70 . The emergency stop remote controller 71 also includes an emergency stop button 72 for stopping the autonomous travel of the tractor 1 and a start button (start button) 73 for restarting the autonomous travel of the tractor 1 . Each of the emergency stop button 72 and the start button 73 is composed of a momentary switch that conducts the contact when pressed, and the emergency stop button 72 also functions as a power-on switch. It should be noted that "resuming the autonomous travel of the tractor 1" means restarting the autonomous travel after the autonomous travel is temporarily stopped after the autonomous travel is started by the remote operation device 70. A temporary stop of autonomous travel may be performed by the remote operation device 70 or may be performed by the emergency stop remote controller 71 . The temporary stop of autonomous running by the emergency stop remote controller 71 may be executed by, for example, operating the start button 73, or a temporary stop remote controller other than the emergency stop remote controller 71 may be used. good too.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the remote control device 70 has a display 74 on the front surface 70a, a camera 75 on the rear surface 70b, a terminal cover 76 for power connection terminals on the right surface 70c, and a terminal cover 76 on the left surface 70d. A terminal cover 77 for an external connection terminal to which a USB or the like can be connected is provided. A remote controller mounting portion 79 is detachably attached to the outer peripheral portion of the upper right portion of the remote controller 70 so as to extend from the front surface 70a to the rear surface 70b via the upper surface 70e. The remote controller mounting portion 79 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has a tapered ridge portion 80 on the upper surface thereof, the width of which narrows toward the base end portion.

As shown in FIG. 6, the emergency stop remote controller 71 has a vertically long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes an emergency stop button 72, a start button 73, and a lamp 81 on the front surface 71a. The lamp 81 is composed of an LED, and notifies the state of the tractor 1 by turning off, lighting, blinking, or changing color, for example. The emergency stop remote controller 71 also incorporates a buzzer 155 (see FIG. 9) for announcing the state of the tractor 1 by voice. When the operator carries the emergency stop remote controller 71 alone, the operator can recognize the state of the tractor 1 by the notification operation of the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 even when the operator is a little away from the autonomously traveling tractor 1, thereby improving safety. can.

One end surface 71b of the emergency stop remote controller 71 is provided with a suspension member attachment portion 83 to which a suspension member 82 such as a strap can be attached. One side surface 71 c of the emergency stop remote control 71 is provided with a mounting groove 84 that engages with the protruding portion 80 of the remote control mounting portion 79 . The mounting groove 84 is formed from the middle portion of the one side surface 71c to the one end surface 71b, has a tapered shape that narrows toward the one side surface 71c side, and has an open end on the one side surface 71c side. In the present embodiment, the suspension member mounting portion 83 is provided on the one end surface 71b of the emergency stop remote controller 71 where the emergency stop button 72 is arranged. ) may be provided on the side where the start button 73 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the emergency stop remote control 71 is attached to the remote control device 70 by engaging the mounting groove 84 with the projection 80 of the remote control mounting portion 79 attached to the remote control device 70 . can be detachably attached to the The emergency stop remote controller 71 is attached to the remote controller attachment portion 79 so that the front surface 71 a faces the same direction as the front surface 70 a of the remote control device 70 .

In addition, an emergency stop button image 86 for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is displayed on the upper right portion of the display 74 of the remote control device 70, and a start or stop button image for starting or stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is displayed. 87 is displayed in the upper left portion of display 74 . In this way, the emergency stop button image 86 is displayed near the attachment position of the emergency stop remote control 71 on the display 74, so that the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 can be arranged together. Since it becomes easier for the operator to recognize the positions of the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 when he/she wants to stop the tractor 1 in an emergency, it is possible to suppress the delay and erroneous operation of the emergency stop operation.

Also, since the wireless communication with the tractor 1 is not started in an emergency, the start button 73 and the start or stop button image 87 may Even if it is placed at a distant position, there is little possibility of erroneous operation and no particular problem occurs.

Further, since the emergency stop button image 86 is operated by pressing (touching) the touch panel type display 74, the operator does not feel that the pressing operation has been performed. You can get the feel of pressing. The operator may use either the emergency stop button 72 or the emergency stop button image 86 when emergency stopping the tractor 1 .

By the way, the emergency stop remote controller 71 with which the tractor 1 can communicate is not limited to one unit, and can communicate with a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71 . Other operators (including workers working in the same field) other than the operator who operates the remote control device 70 carry the emergency stop remote controller 71 so that the tractor can be stopped by the notification of the lamp 81 or the buzzer 155 . 1 state can be recognized, and an emergency stop button 72 of an emergency stop remote control 71 can be operated in an emergency, so that the monitoring system of the autonomously traveling tractor 1 can be improved, and the safety of workers in the field can be improved.

<Emergency stop remote control>
Next, the internal configuration and operations of the emergency stop remote controller 71 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13. FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the emergency stop remote controller 71 has a wireless communication antenna 151 and a communication interface 152 that communicate with the third wireless communication network so as to be able to communicate with the remote control receiver 55 in the tractor 1 . The emergency stop remote controller 71 also includes a control unit 153 that controls each unit in the emergency stop remote controller 71, and a memory 154 that stores the receiver ID of the remote controller receiver 55 to be a communication partner. Further, the emergency stop remote controller 71 includes an emergency stop button 72 and a start button 73 operated by the operator, and a lamp 81 and buzzer 155 for notifying the operator.

When a switching signal is generated by contact closing/separation based on the operation of the emergency stop button 72 and is input to the control unit 153, the control unit 153 turns on power or stops the emergency based on the state of the switching signal. judge. Further, when a switching signal is generated by the contact/disconnection based on the operation of the start button 73 and is input to the control unit 153, the control unit 153 performs mutual authentication processing (pairing processing) with the remote control receiver 55. ). Control unit 153 executes communication with remote control receiver 55 by controlling communication interface 152 . Then, the control unit 153 operates the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 according to the state of the tractor 1 based on the signal from the remote control receiver 55 and the remaining battery level of the emergency stop remote control 71 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is powered on by the operator when the emergency stop button 72 is operated, and the communication interface 152 starts the communication operation. That is, when the operator connects and then separates the contacts of the switch that constitutes the emergency stop button 72 , a switching signal having rising and falling edges based on the contact/disengagement of the emergency stop button 72 is input to the control unit 153 . , the control unit 153 determines that power-on has been instructed, executes power-on to the control unit 153, and starts communication operation by the communication interface 152. FIG.

When the emergency stop button 72 is operated by the operator after the controller 153 is powered on, the controller 153 determines that an emergency stop of the tractor 1 has been instructed. Then, the emergency stop remote control 71 transmits an emergency stop signal to the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 through the communication interface 152 . That is, when the operator connects the contacts of the switch that constitutes the emergency stop button 72 and inputs a switching signal having a rise based on the connection of the emergency stop button 72 to the control unit 153, the control unit 153 causes the tractor 1 to immediately determines that an emergency stop has been instructed, and transmits an emergency stop signal to the remote control receiver 55 from the communication interface 152 .

In the emergency stop remote control 71, the emergency stop button 72 is composed of a switch that makes the contacts conductive when pressed, and also functions as a power switch. Then, the control unit 153 executes power-on when the contact of the emergency stop button 72 is separated after being connected, and after power-on, when the contact of the emergency stop button 72 is connected, through the communication interface 152 A stop signal is transmitted to the tractor 1 to stop the autonomous travel of the tractor 1 . As a result, the emergency stop button 72 can be provided with two functions, the number of switches provided on the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be reduced, and the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be miniaturized.

Also, if an oxide film is formed on the contact of the emergency stop button 72 and the contact does not conduct even when the emergency stop button 72 is pressed, it becomes impossible to turn on the power by operating the emergency stop button 72 . Therefore, the malfunction of the emergency stop button 72 can be confirmed before the emergency stop remote controller 71 is powered on without operating the emergency stop remote controller 71 . The operator can be made to recognize that an emergency stop by operating 71 is impossible.

If the emergency stop button 72 fails and cannot be returned even if it is pressed, the contact of the emergency stop button 72 remains connected when the emergency stop button 72 is operated to turn on the power. At this time, after confirming the connection of the contact of the emergency stop button 72 (rising of the switching signal), the control unit 153 keeps the contact of the emergency stop button 72 apart (falling of the switching signal) even after a predetermined time has passed. If no confirmation is made, power-on may not be executed. As a result, it is possible to confirm the malfunction of the emergency stop button 72 before the emergency stop remote controller 71 is powered on, so that it is impossible to perform an emergency stop by operating the emergency stop remote controller 71 before the tractor 1 starts autonomous traveling. The operator can be made to recognize that it is.

As described above, the emergency stop remote controller 71 includes the communication interface 152 for communicating with the autonomously traveling work vehicle, the emergency stop button 72 for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1, and the control unit for controlling the communication operation by the communication interface 152. 153, and the emergency stop button 72 is composed of a switch that contacts and disconnects, and also functions as a power-on switch. Since the emergency stop button 72 also serves as a power-on switch, the operator can confirm whether or not the power can be turned on based on the operation of the emergency stop button 72, thereby confirming the presence or absence of a failure, power shortage, etc. when the power is turned on. Therefore, before the tractor 1 starts autonomous traveling, the use of the defective emergency stop remote controller 71 is prohibited to prevent accidents caused by the failure of the emergency stop remote controller 71 during automatic traveling of the tractor 1. can be prevented. Further, by using the emergency stop button 72 also as a power-on switch, not only can the operation time for emergency stop be shortened, but also the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be compactly configured so that the operator can easily carry it.

The control unit 153 turns on the power when the operation of the emergency stop button 72 satisfies the first criterion before the power is turned on, and when the operation of the emergency stop button 72 after the power is turned on satisfies the second criterion. Then, the communication interface 152 transmits a stop signal for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 . The time required for the operation of the emergency stop button 72 to satisfy the first criterion is longer than the time required for the operation of the emergency stop button 72 to satisfy the second criterion. By shortening the operation time of the emergency stop button 72 for transmission of the stop signal compared to the operation time of the emergency stop button 72 for turning on the power, the emergency stop for the transmission operation of the stop signal with high urgency can be performed. The operation to the button 72 can be immediately responded. Therefore, when the emergency stop button 72 is operated while the tractor 1 is autonomously traveling, the time for stopping the tractor 1 can be shortened, so that the safety of the tractor 1 can be ensured while it is autonomously traveling. On the other hand, by lengthening the operating time of the emergency stop button 72 for turning on the power, the operator can be made to recognize the state of the emergency stop remote controller 71 .

The control unit 153 determines that the first criterion is met when both the contact closure of the emergency stop button 72 is detected, while the control unit 153 determines that one of the contact closures of the emergency stop button 72 (contact closure in this embodiment) satisfies the first criterion. connection) is detected, it is determined that the second criterion is satisfied. Although it is possible to prevent the emergency stop remote controller 71 from being turned on due to the emergency stop button 72 being physically stuck or due to careless contact, the tractor 1 can be reliably stopped in an emergency after the power is turned on. It can be instructed and safety can be guaranteed.

As shown in FIG. 11 , when the control unit 153 is powered on, the emergency stop remote controller 71 notifies of the power-on, and then sets the operating time (wake-up time) every predetermined time Tx (for example, 1 second). ) Power is supplied to the control unit 153 for Tx1 (Tx1<Tx, for example, 0.3 seconds) to enable the communication interface 152 to perform reception (wake-up state). During the sleep time Tx2 (=Tx-Tx1) other than the operation time Tx1 in the predetermined time Tx, the emergency stop remote controller 71 puts the control unit 153 into a state (sleep state) in which the communication interface 152 does not perform the reception operation, and the power supply is turned on. Reduce power consumption after power-on. At this time, by setting the operation time Tx1 to be shorter than the sleep time Tx2, the power consumption of the emergency stop remote control 71 after power-on can be greatly reduced, and at the same time, the remote control receiver 55 transmits the communication establishment confirmation signal (heartbeat signal) can be reliably received.

Next, the state notification operation of the emergency stop remote controller 71 will be described below with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. The emergency stop remote control 71 has a lamp 81 and a buzzer 155 as a reporting unit capable of reporting the operating state of the tractor 1 and the communication state with the remote control receiver (wireless communication device) 55 . Since the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 are provided as the notification unit, the communication state with the remote control receiver 55 is notified, so that the operator can easily recognize that remote control by the emergency stop remote control 71 is possible. In addition, since the operation state of the tractor 1 is also notified, the running state of the tractor 1 can be grasped even when the tractor 1 is located at a position away from the operator.

The lamp 81 is configured by an LED (light emitting unit) that emits light in a plurality of light emitting modes, and the buzzer 155 is configured as an audio output unit that outputs a plurality of sounds. The emergency stop remote control 71 notifies normal operation of the tractor 1, stoppage of the tractor 1, abnormality in communication with the remote control receiver 55, and low battery level by combining the lighting mode of the lamp 81 and the sound of the buzzer 155. do. By changing the operation of the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155, it is possible to notify each of the normal operation, the communication abnormality, and the stop of the tractor 1, so that the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be compactly configured. , the operator can effectively grasp the communication state and the running state while being portable.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the emergency stop button 72 is operated in the power off state and the emergency stop button 72 is operated to satisfy the first criterion (that is, when the power is turned on) (Yes in STEP 1), the control unit 153 , the power is turned on, and communication is enabled by the wireless communication antenna 151 and the communication interface 152 (STEP 2). The control unit 153 turns on the lamp 81 and outputs sound from the buzzer 155 to inform that the power is turned on (STEP 3). At this time, for example, the lamp 81 is lit in the first color (green) for a predetermined time Ty1 (2 seconds) and then turned off for a predetermined time Ty2 (1 second), and the buzzer 155 is turned off for a predetermined time Tz1 (0.1 second). report. Note that when executing the power-on notification operation, the control unit 153 maintains the wakeup state and prohibits transition to the sleep state.

The emergency stop remote controller 71 is in a wake-up state, and when a heartbeat signal transmitted from the remote controller receiver 55 of the tractor 1 is received by the communication interface 152 before a predetermined time T (for example, 1 second) elapses, the remote controller is activated. It notifies that communication with the receiver 55 has been established (STEP 4 to STEP 6). That is, the control unit 153 receives a heartbeat signal from the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1, confirms that communication with the remote control receiver 55 is normal, and notifies that communication has been established. Therefore, the lamp 81 is turned on and the buzzer 155 is caused to output sound.

In STEP 6, for example, during the operation time Tx1 during which the emergency stop remote control 71 is in the wake-up state, the lamp 81 is lit in the first color (green) and the buzzer 155 is turned on for a predetermined time Tz2 (0.1 seconds). ) is intermittently repeated. That is, when the emergency stop remote controller 71 establishes communication with the remote controller receiver 55, the lamp 81 starts blinking in the first color (green) every time Tx, and the buzzer 155 emits Alarm repeatedly when in wake-up state.

After the communication with the remote control receiver 55 is established, the emergency stop remote controller 71 confirms the reception of the heartbeat signal from the remote control receiver 55 every time Tx, and receives the heartbeat signal before the predetermined time Tx elapses. If so, check the operating state of the tractor 1 (STEP7 to STEP9). At this time, if the tractor 1 is normally performing the work operation (No in STEP 9), the emergency stop remote controller 71 notifies that the autonomous travel of the tractor 1 is normal (normal operation) (STEP 10). , to STEP7. In STEP 10, for example, the lamp 81 lights in the first color (green) during the operating time Tx1 during which the emergency stop remote control 71 is in the wake-up state. That is, when the emergency stop remote controller 71 establishes communication with the remote controller receiver 55, the lamp 81 blinks in the first color (green) every time Tx.

If the tractor 1 is stopped (Yes in STEP 9), the emergency stop remote controller 71 notifies that the tractor 1 is stopped (stop of the tractor 1) (STEP 11). In STEP 11, for example, the lamp 81 blinks in the second color (red) every predetermined time Ty2, and the buzzer 155 sounds Tz2 (Tz2>Tz1) for a predetermined time. At this time, the blinking cycle Ty2 of the second color of the lamp 81 is set to the same time as the predetermined time Tx, the lighting time for each blinking cycle is set to the same time as the operating time Tx1, and N cycles (for example, 3 cycles) are set. ), and the warning time Tz2 of the buzzer 155 may be set to time N×Tx+Tx1. As a result, immediately after recognizing the stop of the tractor 1, the lamp 81 blinks in the second color for N cycles, and at the same time, after the buzzer 155 is sounded, the wake-up state and the sleep state are repeated, and the wake-up state and the sleep state are repeated. By lighting only the lamp 81 in the second color in the state, the stop of the tractor 1 is notified.

When the heartbeat signal from the remote control receiver 55 cannot be received (No in STEP 5 or No in STEP 7), the emergency stop remote control 71 detects that communication with the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 is cut off. (Communication abnormality) is reported (STEP 12). In STEP 12, for example, the lamp 81 blinks in the third color (yellow) every predetermined time Ty3, and the buzzer 155 sounds Tz3 (Tz3>Tz1) for a predetermined time. At this time, similarly to the case of notifying the stop of the tractor 1, the flashing cycle Ty3 of the third color of the lamp 81 is set to the same time as the predetermined time Tx, and the lighting time of each flashing cycle is set to the same time as the operating time Tx1. At the same time, the transition to the sleep state may be prohibited for N cycles (for example, 3 cycles), and the warning time Tz3 of the buzzer 155 may be set to the time N×Tx+Tx1.

The emergency stop remote control 71 is equipped with a battery (not shown) as a power supply, and the remaining battery level is detected by the control unit 153, and when the remaining battery level becomes low, the lamp 81 and buzzer 155 notify the user. The battery capacity drop due to the part is notified. As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 153 detects the power supply voltage and the power supply current at the time of energization after the power is turned on, and calculates the remaining battery capacity from the amount of change in the power supply voltage and the power supply current (STEP 21).

The emergency stop remote controller 71 notifies the remaining battery level calculated by the controller 153 to the remote controller receiver 55 of the tractor 1 through the wireless communication antenna 151 and the communication interface 152 (STEP 22). When the tractor 1 receives the remaining battery level notification signal with the third wireless communication antenna 48 c and the remote control receiver 55 and checks the remaining battery level of the emergency stop remote control 71 , the second wireless communication antenna 48 b and the wireless communication router 54 , a remaining battery level notification signal is transmitted to the remote control device 70 . The remote control device 70 recognizes the remaining battery level of the emergency stop remote control 71 based on the received battery level notification signal, and displays the remaining battery level of the emergency stop remote control 71 on the display 74 .

When the controller 153 determines that the calculated remaining battery charge is equal to or less than a predetermined amount X% (eg, 5%), the emergency stop remote control 71 notifies that the remaining battery charge has decreased (STEP 23 to STEP 24). . In STEP 24, for example, during the operation time Tx1 during which the emergency stop remote control 71 is in the wake-up state, the lamp 81 is lit in the second color (red) and the buzzer 155 is turned on for a predetermined time Tz4 (0.1 seconds). ) is intermittently repeated. That is, when the emergency stop remote controller 71 confirms that the remaining battery level is low, the lamp 81 starts blinking in the second color (red) every time Tx, and the buzzer 155 is in the wake-up state immediately after communication is established. is issued a plurality of times (for example, twice).

As described above, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is powered by a battery, and when the remaining battery level falls below a predetermined value, the lamp 81 and buzzer 155 notify the user of the remaining battery level. A predetermined notification suggesting a decrease is made. Therefore, since the low battery level can be confirmed by the notification unit of the emergency stop remote control 71, a separate device (remote control device 70) for checking the battery level of the emergency stop remote control 71 is not required. The remaining battery level of the remote controller 71 for emergency stop can be recognized before the operation with , and the battery can be replaced.

The emergency stop remote controller 71 performs the following control when either one of a communication error or a stop of the tractor 1 occurs and the remaining battery level becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value (low battery level). One of the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 is caused to issue a notification suggesting a communication error and the stop of the tractor 1, and the other of the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 is caused to issue a notification suggesting a decrease in the remaining battery level. By notifying different events (communication error or tractor 1 stoppage and remaining battery level) with the sound of the buzzer 155 and the light emission of the lamp 81, the operator can recognize that a plurality of problems are occurring.

When the controller 153 simultaneously recognizes that the tractor 1 has stopped and that the remaining battery level is low, the emergency stop remote controller 71 in this embodiment first turns the lamp 81 to second to notify that the tractor 1 has stopped. At the same time as blinking in color (red) every predetermined time Ty2 (the same time as the operating time Tx1), the buzzer 155 issues a notification for a predetermined time Tz2. After that, during the operation time Tx1 during which the emergency stop remote controller 71 is in the wake-up state, the lamp 81 lights in the second color (red) and the buzzer 155 sounds for a predetermined time Tz4 (0.1 seconds). It intermittently repeats the notification to notify the low battery level. As a result, it is possible to continue to notify the low battery level after notifying the stop of the tractor with high priority, so that the operator can immediately respond to the stop of the tractor 1, and the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be operated. Recognize battery replacement.

Also, when the control unit 153 simultaneously recognizes the communication abnormality with the remote control receiver 55 and the low battery level, first, the lamp 81 is turned on in the second color (red) for a predetermined time to notify the communication abnormality. At the same time as blinking every Ty3 (the same time as the operation time Tx1), the buzzer 155 sounds Tz3 for a predetermined time. After that, during the operation time Tx1 during which the emergency stop remote controller 71 is in the wake-up state, the lamp 81 lights up in the second color (red), and the buzzer 155 sounds for a predetermined time Tz4 ( 0.1 second) is intermittently repeated to notify the low battery level. As a result, it is possible to keep reporting the low battery level after reporting a communication abnormality with a high priority. Recognize exchanges.

In the autonomous traveling system of this embodiment, a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71 can be used for one tractor 1 . That is, when three emergency stop remote controllers 71 are available for the autonomous driving system, three operators operate the emergency stop remote controllers 71 to stop the tractor 1 in an emergency, and one of the three operators The remote controller 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 are operated.

At this time, the tractor 1 stops when it becomes impossible to communicate with one of the one remote control device 70 and the three remote controllers 71 for emergency stop. When one of the three emergency stop remote controllers 71 becomes unable to communicate with the tractor 1 after the tractor 1 starts to travel autonomously, the emergency stop remote controller 71 that has become unable to communicate with the tractor 1 turns the lamp 81 to the third position. The color (yellow) indicates communication failure, while the remaining two emergency stop remote controllers 71 notify the stop of the tractor 1 with the lamps 81 of the second color (red). In other words, of the plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71, the emergency stop remote controllers 71 that have become unable to communicate with the tractor 1 have the lamps 81 of the third color, and the emergency stop remote controllers 71 that have established communication with the tractor 1. is for the lamp to be the secondary color.

Further, by transmitting the remote control number of the emergency stop remote controller 71 that has become uncommunicable from the tractor 1 to the remote control device 70 , the emergency stop remote controller 71 that has become uncommunicable can be displayed on the display of the remote control device 70 . can be displayed. As a result, not only the operator who operates the emergency stop remote controller 71 with the communication error but also the operator who operates the remote control device 70 can recognize which emergency stop remote controller 71 has become unable to communicate. Safely handle outages.

Further, by transmitting the remaining battery level of each of the plurality (three) of emergency stop remote controllers 71 from the tractor 1 to the remote control device 70 together with the remote control number, the remote control device 70 can calculate the remaining battery level for each remote control number. By recognizing the amount, the remaining battery level of each of the emergency stop remote controllers 71 can be displayed on the display 74 . Therefore, by recognizing the remaining battery level of each of the plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71, the operator who operates the remote operation device 70 needs to replace the battery before the emergency stop remote controller 71 notifies the low battery level. The emergency stop remote controller 71 is checked to prevent the emergency stop remote controller 71 from running out of battery, and the tractor 1 can stably continue autonomous running.

<Pairing (authentication process)>
Next, the pairing operation between the remote control receiver 55 and the emergency stop remote control 71 in the tractor 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a remote control receiver (first vehicle-side communication device) 55 in the tractor 1 is connected to an emergency stop remote control (first remote control device) from an external device such as a service tool 19 or a remote control device 70 . When pairing with the communication device 71 is requested, the remote control receiver 55 shifts to a pairing mode in which the emergency stop remote control 71 is authenticated. Then, upon receiving a signal from the emergency stop remote controller 71, the remote controller receiver 55 that has shifted to the pairing mode stores the remote controller ID (identification information) of the emergency stop remote controller 71, and then uses the stored remote controller ID for emergency stop. Pairing is established by transmitting to the remote controller 71 for the device.

As shown in FIG. 14, a service tool 19 capable of setting various functions of the tractor 1 is connected by wire to the vehicle bus line 18 of the tractor 1, and a serviceman operates the service tool 19, thereby enabling an emergency call by the remote control receiver 55. Authentication processing (pairing) of the stop remote controller 71 is executed. The remote control receiver 55 in the tractor 1 can authenticate a plurality of (three in this embodiment) emergency stop remote controls 71, and associates the remote control ID of each emergency stop remote control 71 with the corresponding remote control number (storage area). memorize.

When the service tool 19 is operated to select a remote control number to be authenticated and pairing registration is instructed, the remote control number to be paired registered is sent to the remote control receiver via the autonomous driving control device 51. 55 will be notified. Upon receiving the pairing registration instruction, the remote control receiver 55 recognizes the remote control number to be paired and shifts to a pairing mode in which a signal from the emergency stop remote control 71 can be received.

When the emergency stop remote controller 71 receives the operation of the emergency stop button 72 or the start button 73, the remote controller ID, which is the identification information assigned to each emergency stop remote controller 71, is read out from the memory 154, and the wireless communication antenna 151 and the communication terminal 71 are connected. It is transmitted to the remote control receiver 55 via the interface 152 . In the following explanation, it is assumed that the remote control ID is transmitted to the remote control receiver 55 based on the operation of the start button 73 . When the remote control receiver 55 receives the remote control ID of the emergency stop remote control 71, the remote control receiver 55 stores the received remote control ID in association with the remote control number. The remote control receiver 55 also stores a receiver ID, which is identification information assigned to the remote control receiver 55 for each tractor 1 . The remote controller receiver 55 generates a response signal by combining the received remote controller ID and the receiver ID, and transmits the response signal to the emergency stop remote controller 71 via the third wireless communication antenna 48c.

Upon receiving the response signal from the remote control receiver 55, the emergency stop remote controller 71 confirms that the remote controller ID confirmed by the response signal matches the remote controller ID of its own device, thereby confirming that the pairing has been established. recognize. Then, the emergency stop remote controller 71 extracts the receiver ID from the response signal and stores the receiver ID in the memory 154, thereby specifying the remote controller receiver 55 and the tractor 1 with which pairing has been established. Further, when the emergency stop remote control 71 receives the operation of the start button 73, it lights the lamp 81 in the third color (yellow) to indicate that it is in the pairing mode. After that, when pairing with the remote control receiver 55 is established, the emergency stop remote controller 71 emits a notification from the buzzer 155 to notify the establishment of pairing.

In this embodiment, the pairing mode is notified based on the operation of the emergency stop remote control 71, but the response signal from the remote control receiver 55 indicates the pairing mode. Information (pairing mode flag) may be included. At this time, the emergency stop remote controller 71 lights the lamp 81 in the third color (yellow) based on the information (pairing mode flag) to indicate that it is in the pairing mode.

As shown in FIG. 15 , a remote control device (second remote control communication device) 70 that performs wireless communication by a communication method different from that of an emergency stop remote control (first remote control communication device) 71 communicates wirelessly with the tractor 1 . By communicating with the router (second vehicle-side communication device) 54 , the remote control receiver (first vehicle-side communication device) 55 is requested to pair with the emergency stop remote control 71 . When the remote control number to be authenticated is selected and pairing registration is instructed by operating the remote control device 70 , the wireless communication router 54 of the tractor 1 receives the instruction signal from the remote control device 70 .

The remote controller 70 selects a remote controller number to be paired and transmits an instruction signal to the wireless communication router 54 with the remote controller number attached. The wireless communication router 54 receives the instruction signal from the remote control device 70, confirms the pairing registration instruction, and notifies the remote control receiver 55 of the remote control number to be paired registered. When the remote control receiver 55 receives the pairing registration instruction from the wireless communication router 54, it shifts to the pairing mode, and when it receives the remote control ID from the emergency stop remote control 71, it stores the remote control ID in association with the remote control number. . After that, the remote control receiver 55 transmits a response signal obtained by combining the remote control ID and the receiver ID to the emergency stop remote control 71, and sends the remote control receiver 55 and the tractor with which pairing has been established to the emergency stop remote control 71. Notify 1.

The tractor 1 can set through the service tool 19 whether or not to accept the pairing request for the emergency stop remote control 71 from the remote control device 70 . That is, when the service tool 19 issues a request to invalidate the pairing process by the remote control device 70, even if the wireless communication router 54 receives a signal prompting the pairing process from the remote control device 70, the remote control signal is not received. device 55 does not perform a transition to pairing mode. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the registration of the remote controller by an operator other than the operator authorized to remotely operate the tractor 1, thereby preventing theft by spoofing. By setting the pairing process to be performed only by the service tool 19 operated by the service person, not only can the pairing process be performed reliably, but also the relationship between the tractor 1 and the emergency stop remote control 71 can be confirmed. The serviceman can grasp it, and it is easy to perform after-sales service.

The remote controller receiver 55 of the tractor 1 deletes the stored remote controller ID of the emergency stop remote controller 71 based on the deletion request from the service tool 19 or the remote controller 70 . The remote controller receiver 55 stores the remote controller ID of the emergency stop remote controller 71 registered in the pairing process in association with the remote controller number. When the service tool 19 or the remote control device 70 selects a remote control number whose remote control ID is to be deleted from among the remote control numbers whose remote control IDs have been registered, the remote control receiver 55 receives the service tool 19 or the remote control device 70 . The storage of the remote controller ID corresponding to the remote controller number notified from the operation device 70 is deleted.

Since the remote controller ID of the emergency stop remote controller 71 capable of operating the tractor 1 can be registered and deleted, the assignment of the operator to the tractor 1 can be performed with the emergency shutdown remote controller 71 possessed by the operator. Therefore, it is possible to easily allocate an operator who can operate the tractor 1 according to the work schedule and work process, and to prevent theft by spoofing.

Next, details of the pairing setting operation in the tractor 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, in the tractor 1, when the remote control receiver 55 detects the reception of the pairing setting request signal (Yes in STEP 31), the wireless communication router 54 receives the request signal from the remote controller 70. If (Ys in STEP 32) and the request from the remote controller 70 is not restricted (No in STEP 33), the remote control receiver 55 checks the remote control number included in the request signal (STEP 34). Further, even when a request signal is received from the service tool 19 via the autonomous driving control device 51 (No in STEP 32), the remote control receiver 55 confirms the remote control number included in the request signal (STEP 34).

Based on the request signal, when the remote control receiver 55 recognizes that the registration of the remote control ID for the confirmed remote control number is requested ("Register" in STEP 35), it shifts to the pairing mode and waits for a predetermined time T1 (for example, , 1 minute), it is in a standby state until it receives the remote control ID from the emergency stop remote control 71 (STEP36 to STEP38). When the remote control receiver 55 receives the remote control ID from the emergency stop remote control 71 (Yes in STEP 37), the remote control receiver 55 stores the received remote control ID. is generated and transmitted to the emergency stop remote controller 71 (STEP 39 to STEP 41). If no remote controller ID is received for the predetermined time T1 (Yes in STEP38), the pairing mode is terminated (STEP42).

When the wireless communication router 54 receives the pairing request signal from the remote control device 70, if the pairing request from the remote control device 70 is prohibited (restricted) (Yes in SETP33), the wireless communication router 54 notifies the remote controller 70 that the pairing request is restricted (STEP 43). At this time, the remote control receiver 55 does not switch to the pairing mode. Further, when the remote control receiver 55 confirms that deletion of the remote control ID is requested from the received pairing request ("delete" in STEP 35), it corresponds to the remote control number confirmed by the pairing request signal in STEP 34. The memory of the remote controller ID to be used is deleted (STEP 44). In this embodiment, the remote control ID is deleted based on the pairing request signal, but the deletion of the remote control ID may be performed by the pairing deletion request signal.

Next, the details of the pairing registration operation by the emergency stop remote controller 71 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, when the service tool 19 or the remote control device 70 requests the registration of the emergency stop remote control 71 and the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 shifts to the pairing mode, the operator or serviceman makes an emergency stop request. When the stop remote control 71 is operated, the remote control ID is registered in the remote control receiver 55 .

As shown in FIG. 17 , when the start button 73 of the emergency stop remote controller 71 is operated (Yes in STEP 51 ), the emergency stop remote controller 71 starts pairing processing (authentication processing) with the remote controller receiver 55 . Notify (STEP 52). At this time, the control unit 153 notifies that the pairing process is being executed by controlling the lighting/flashing operation of the lamp 81 and the alarm operation of the buzzer 155 . For example, when the lamp 81 continues to light in the third color, it is notified that the pairing process is being performed.

The control unit 153 reads the remote controller ID stored in the memory 154, and transmits the read remote controller ID to the remote controller receiver 55 via the wireless communication antenna 151 and the communication interface 152 (STEP 53). Further, the control unit 153 repeats transmission of the remote control ID for a predetermined time T2 until receiving a response signal from the remote control receiver 55 (STEP53 to STEP55). When the response signal from the remote controller receiver 55 is received by the communication interface 152 (Yes in STEP 54), the controller 153 confirms whether or not the remote controller ID included in the response signal is the same as the remote controller ID of its own device. (STEP56-STEP57).

If the remote control ID included in the response signal matches the remote control ID of the own device (Yes in STEP 57), the control unit 153 acquires the receiver ID of the remote control receiver 55 included in the response signal and stores it in the memory 154b. After that, the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 inform that the pairing is established (STEP58 to STEP60). Further, if the control unit 153 does not receive a response signal including the remote control ID of its own device by the time T2 has elapsed (No in STEP 55), the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 notify that the pairing has failed. (STEP 61). Note that it is not necessary to report that the pairing has failed.

<Autonomous driving control>
Next, details of the autonomous travel determination operation in the tractor 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 18 . As shown in FIG. 18, in the tractor 1, the emergency stop remote controller 71 that received the signal has been paired (authenticated and registered) in the remote controller receiver 55 (Yes in STEP 72). After confirming the establishment of communication with the emergency stop remote control 71 (Yes in STEP 73), when the wireless communication router 54 receives a travel request signal requesting autonomous travel from the remote control device (second remote control communication device) 70 ( If Yes in SETP74), the autonomous traveling control device 51 determines whether there is an abnormality in the tractor 1 based on the presence or absence of error signals from the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work implement control device 17 (STEP75). . When the autonomous travel control device 51 determines that the tractor 1 can normally perform work and travel (Yes in STEP 75), the autonomous travel control device 51 starts autonomous travel following the travel route received from the remote control device 70 (STEP 76). .

As described above, the tractor 1 is permitted to travel autonomously when communication is established with both the remote controller 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 . That is, only when communication between the remote control device 70 and the wireless communication router 54 in the tractor 1 is established and communication between the emergency stop remote control 71 and the remote control receiver 55 in the tractor 1 is established, the work vehicle starts to operate. is permitted to travel autonomously, the remote control of the tractor 1 is not carelessly executed, and the tractor 1 can travel autonomously safely. When a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71 are paired and communication with the emergency stop remote controllers 71 is enabled, when communication with at least one emergency stop remote controller 71 is confirmed, the tractor 1 starts autonomous driving.

When the tractor 1 starts autonomous traveling (STEP 76), when the wireless communication router 54 confirms that an abnormality has occurred in communication with the remote control device 70 (Yes in STEP 77), or when the remote control receiver 55 detects a communication abnormality. When the emergency stop remote controller 71 is confirmed (Yes in STEP 79), or when an emergency stop is requested from the remote control device 70 or the emergency stop remote controller 71 (Yes in STEP 80), or when the tractor 1 is working is completed (Yes in STEP81), the autonomous cruise control device 51 stops the tractor 1 (STEP82).

As described above, the tractor 1 is stopped when communication with at least one of the remote control device 70 and the emergency stop remote control 71 is interrupted while the tractor 1 is autonomously traveling. That is, when the communication with at least one of the remote operation device 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 is lost after the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is started, the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is stopped in order to stop the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1. You can ensure the safety of the time.

Further, by configuring the remote control receiver 55 to be able to communicate with a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71, the tractor 1 can be remotely operated by the emergency stop remote controllers 71, so that a plurality of operators can operate the tractor 1 from various directions. . Therefore, for example, even if one operator cannot confirm the state of the tractor 1, the remaining operators can confirm the state of the tractor 1 and operate it in an emergency.

<Heartbeat (communication confirmation process)>
Next, the communication confirmation process (heartbeat) between the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 and the emergency stop remote control 71 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22. FIG. 19 and 20 show an example in which two emergency stop remote controls 71 can communicate with the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, when the power of the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 is turned on, the remote control receiver 55 transmits a heartbeat signal every predetermined time T3 (for example, 0.1 second) to communicate. The presence of a possible emergency stop remote control 71 is confirmed. At this time, when the two emergency stop remote controllers 71A and 71B become communicable in turn, first, the emergency stop remote controller 71A that becomes communicable first receives the heartbeat signal from the remote controller receiver 55. Thereafter, the emergency stop remote controller 71A transmits a response signal to the remote controller receiver 55, thereby establishing communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71A. Then, after the emergency stop remote controller 71B that has become communicable next receives the heartbeat signal from the remote controller receiver 55, the remote controller receiver 55 receives the response signal from the emergency stop remote controller 71B, thereby Communication with the stop rim 71B is established.

The emergency stop remote controllers 71A and 71B are in a wake-up state for a wake-up time Tx1 (for example, 0.3 seconds), and send and receive heartbeat signals and response signals to and from the remote controller receiver 55. FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, when the emergency stop remote controller 71B becomes communicable, the heartbeat signal and the response signal are transmitted and received between the emergency stop remote controller 71A and the remote controller receiver 55. , the emergency stop remote controller 71B enters a reception standby state.

When the remote control receiver 55 transmits a heartbeat signal after receiving the response signal from the emergency stop remote controller 71A, the emergency stop remote controller 71B in the reception standby state receives the heartbeat signal and then transmits the response signal. It is transmitted to the remote control receiver 55 . At this time, the emergency stop remote controller 71B is in a wakeup state for a period longer than the wakeup time Tx1. Thereafter, the emergency stop remote controller 71B enters a sleep state for a sleep time Tx2 (for example, 0.7 seconds), and then enters a wake-up state. As a result, each of the emergency stop remote controllers 71A and 71B enters a wake-up state of time Tx1 at different timings every predetermined time Tx (for example, one second), and transmits/receives a heartbeat signal and a response signal to/from the remote control receiver 55. I do.

Next, the processing operation of the remote control receiver 55 of the tractor 1 at the time of communication confirmation processing (heartbeat) will be described below with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 21, when the remote control receiver 55 confirms that the predetermined time T3 has elapsed, the remote control receiver 55 receives the operating state of the tractor 1 (running or stopped, etc.) from the autonomous running control device 51, and transmits the information indicating the operating state to the remote controller. A heartbeat signal to which the receiver ID of the receiver 55 is added is generated and transmitted to the emergency stop remote controller 71 (STEP 200 to STEP 203).

The remote controller receiver 55 receives the response signal from the emergency stop remote controller 71 to the heartbeat signal (Yes in STEP 204), and the remote controller ID of the emergency stop remote controller 71 to be confirmed from the response signal has already been paired and registered. When it is confirmed that there is (Yes in STEP 205), it is confirmed whether or not the response signal includes information (stop request information) that requests the tractor 1 to stop (STEP 206). When the remote controller receiver 55 receives a stop request from the emergency stop remote controller 71 , the autonomous traveling control device 51 receives the stop request via the autonomous traveling bus line 56 and brings the tractor 1 to an emergency stop. On the other hand, even when the wireless communication router 54 receives a stop request from the remote operation device 70 , the autonomous traveling control device 51 receives the stop request via the autonomous traveling bus line 56 and causes the tractor 1 to stop urgently.

If the remote control receiver 55 has not received a request to stop the tractor 1 from the emergency stop remote controller 71 registered in pairing (No in STEP 206), it determines whether the emergency stop remote controller 71 has already established communication. (STEP 207). At this time, if communication with the emergency stop remote control 71 that transmitted the response signal has not been established (No in STEP 207), the remote control receiver 55 identifies the remote control ID from the response signal and indicates that communication has been established. Register (STEP 208). On the other hand, if communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 that has transmitted the response signal has been established (Yes in STEP 208), the remote control receiver 55 has normal communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 that has transmitted the response signal. It is determined that there is (STEP 209).

Further, if the remote control receiver 55 does not receive a response signal to the heartbeat signal from the emergency stop remote control 71, the remote control receiver 55 confirms whether or not there is an emergency stop remote control 71 with a communication error (STEP 210). At this time, the remote control receiver 55 confirms whether or not a predetermined time T4 (for example, time Tx1) has passed since the last received response signal to the emergency stop remote control 71 for which establishment of communication has been registered. , the emergency stop remote controller 71 that does not receive the response signal for the predetermined time T4 or longer is determined to have a communication abnormality.

When the remote control receiver 55 confirms that it has received a request to stop the tractor 1 from the remote control device 70 or the emergency stop remote control 71 (Yes in STEP 204), the response signal to the heartbeat signal includes stop request information. (Yes in STEP 206), and if the presence of the emergency stop remote controller 71 that caused the communication error is confirmed (Yes in STEP 210), it is determined that the communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 and the state of the tractor 1 are abnormal. Then, the autonomous driving control device 51 is requested to stop the tractor 1 (STEP 211). As a result, the remote control receiver 55 and the emergency stop remote control 71 can mutually transmit and receive a heartbeat signal and a response signal in order to confirm the communication state at regular intervals. Therefore, the remote control receiver 55 detects a communication abnormality with the emergency stop remote control 71 in real time and stops the tractor 1 in an emergency, so that the tractor 1 can safely operate the autonomous traveling system.

Next, the processing operation at the time of communication confirmation processing (heartbeat) in the emergency stop remote controller 71 will be described below with reference to FIG. 22 . As shown in FIG. 22, when the emergency stop remote controller 71 receives a heartbeat signal from the remote controller receiver 55 (Yes in SETP252) after shifting to the wakeup state (STEP251), the tractor is activated according to the information contained in the heartbeat signal. 1 is confirmed (STEP 253). After that, the emergency stop remote controller 71 generates a response signal including the remote controller ID of its own device, and after transmitting the response signal to the remote controller receiver 55, when the wake-up time elapses for the time Tx1 or longer, the emergency stop remote controller 71 shifts to the sleep state. (STEP254 to STEP257). It should be noted that the emergency stop remote controller 71 in the sleep state shifts to the wakeup state (STEP 251) when the sleep time elapses for the time Tx2 or more (Yes in STEP 258). Note that the remote control receiver 55 does not have to confirm the drive state of the tractor 1 based on the heartbeat signal. , the lamp 81 is caused to emit light in a predetermined manner based on the signal, and the buzzer 155 is caused to sound in a predetermined manner.

When the emergency stop remote controller 71 does not receive the heartbeat signal from the remote controller receiver 55 (Yes in SETP252), it counts the number of times the heartbeat signal is not received (STEP259). If the number of times of impossibility is less than N times (eg, 5 times) (No in STEP 260), the reception of the heartbeat signal is confirmed (STEP 252). On the other hand, when the emergency stop remote control 71 confirms that the number of communication failures has reached N times or more (Yes in STEP 260), the emergency stop remote control 71 notifies that the communication is abnormal by means of the lamp 81 and the buzzer 155 (STEP 261), and enters the sleep state. Move (STEP 257).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various aspects. The configuration of each part is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the autonomous traveling determination operation of the tractor 1, as shown in FIG. In this case, if communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 is enabled before the start of autonomous travel (No in STEP 71), the presence or absence of the emergency stop remote controller 71 registered for pairing is determined (STEP 72). On the other hand, after the start of autonomous travel, if communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 is valid (No in STEP 78), the presence or absence of the emergency stop remote controller 71 with communication abnormality is checked (STEP 79).

That is, when the tractor 1 receives a notification from the remote control device 70 that the communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 is disabled, the tractor 1 can be remotely connected to the tractor 1 regardless of the state of communication with the disabled emergency stop remote controller 71 . the operation is performed. When the power of the emergency stop remote controller 71 is turned off, for example, when the battery of the emergency stop remote controller 71 needs to be replaced by requesting invalidation of communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 from the remote control device 70 However, unnecessary emergency stop of the tractor 1 can be avoided, and the work by the tractor 1 can be continued.

Further, when the remote control receiver 55 establishes communication with a plurality of emergency stop remote controllers 71 while the tractor 1 is traveling autonomously, the remote controller 70 disables the communication with the emergency stop remote controllers. 71 may be designated. At this time, when the wireless communication router 54 of the tractor 1 that is traveling autonomously receives a notification designating the emergency stop remote control 71 to be disabled from the remote control device 70 , the remote control receiver 55 receives the disabled emergency stop remote control 71 . Communication with the stop remote controller 71 is disabled, and even if communication with the emergency stop remote controller 71 designated to be disabled is cut off, the tractor 1 continues to travel autonomously.

<Additional remarks of the invention>
The present invention provides a remote controller capable of communicating with a work vehicle that travels autonomously, comprising a plurality of operation units capable of controlling travel of the work vehicle, and at least an emergency stop of the work vehicle and an emergency stop of the work vehicle according to operation modes of the plurality of operation units. One of the temporary stops of the work vehicle is performed.

In the above-described remote controller, the work vehicle may be restarted from the temporary stop by another operation mode of the plurality of operation units.

In the above remote control, the power may be turned on by another operation mode of the plurality of operation units.

In the remote controller, the plurality of operation units may be an emergency stop button for stopping the autonomous travel of the work vehicle and a start button for restarting the autonomous travel of the work vehicle.

In the above remote controller, the work vehicle may be temporarily stopped by pressing a start button.

The remote controller may include a notification unit that notifies at least one of a communication state with the work vehicle, an operating state of the work vehicle, and a remaining battery level.

In the above remote controller, the notification unit includes a light emitting unit that emits light in a plurality of light emitting modes, and is used to notify either one of the state of communication with the work vehicle, the operating state of the work vehicle, and the remaining battery level. , the notification may be executed by distinguishing between the light emitting modes of the light emitting unit.

According to the present invention, at least one of an emergency stop of the work vehicle and a temporary stop of the work vehicle is executed by operating the remote controller, so that the work vehicle can be safely and autonomously traveled.

1 Robot tractor (work vehicle)
48 Wireless communication antenna unit 48a First antenna 48b Second antenna 48c Third antenna 51 Autonomous traveling control device 52 Steering control device 53 Positioning side measurement device 54 Wireless communication router 55 Remote control receiver 56 Autonomous traveling bus line 70 Remote control device (device body)
71 Emergency stop remote control 72 Emergency stop button 73 Start button (start button)
74 display 81 lamp (notification part)
151 wireless communication antenna 152 communication interface 153 control unit 154 memory 155 buzzer

Claims (4)

A remote control system having a remote controller capable of communicating with an autonomously traveling work vehicle,
The remote control includes an operation unit,
stopping the work vehicle in a state in which it is impossible to resume traveling by the remote controller by a first operation mode of the operation unit;
Remote control system. temporarily stopping the work vehicle in a state in which traveling can be resumed by the remote control according to the second operation mode of the operation unit;
The remote control system according to claim 1. restarting the work vehicle from the temporary stop by a third operation mode of the operation unit;
The remote control system according to claim 2. Aside from the first remote control communication device as the remote controller, the device further includes a second remote control communication device capable of communicating with the work vehicle,
The second remote control communication device is capable of generating a travel route for allowing the work vehicle to travel autonomously.
A remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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