JP2022002479A - Harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a harvester capable of performing a proper harvesting work according to a field state after work.SOLUTION: A harvester includes a traveling device 11 capable of traveling in a field, a harvesting device 15 for harvesting crops in a field, a field state detection part for detecting a field state after work, while performing work travel, and a state changing part capable of changing a work state of at least either of the traveling device 11 and the harvesting device 15 according to the field state after work.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a harvester provided with a harvesting device for harvesting field crops.

For example, the harvester disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a cutting height sensor that detects an uneven state of a field after work while traveling. The height of the harvesting device (“cutting and transporting unit” in the literature) to the ground is changed according to the unevenness of the field detected by the cutting height sensor.

JP-A-2019-180320

The harvester disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the ground height of the harvester is changed based on the uneven state of the field detected by the cutting height sensor. Since weeds and lodging crops exist in the field, it is possible that the optimum harvesting work may not be performed simply by changing the ground height of the harvesting device according to the unevenness of the field. For this reason, a harvester capable of changing the overall state of the harvesting work according to the state of various fields, not just the uneven state of the field, is desired.

An object of the present invention is to provide a harvester capable of performing suitable harvesting work according to the field condition after the work.

The harvester according to the present invention includes a traveling device capable of traveling in the field, a harvesting device for harvesting crops in the field, a field state detecting unit for detecting the field state after work while traveling, and a field state after the work. It is characterized by being provided with a state changing unit capable of changing the working state of at least one of the traveling device and the harvesting device according to the above.

Various states such as the presence of residual crops can be considered as the state of the field after harvesting, but according to the present invention, the field state detection unit detects the field state after various operations. Further, not only the harvesting device but also the traveling device is configured to be changeable according to the field condition after the work, so that the overall state of the harvesting work can be changed. As a result, a harvester capable of performing suitable harvesting work according to the field condition after the work is realized.

In the present invention, the field state detection unit detects the harvest trace after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device, and the state changing unit determines that the ground height of the harvesting device is too high based on the harvesting trace. , It is preferable to change the height of the harvesting device to the ground to be low.

Even in the same field, for example, the crop height of each crop changes depending on the state of each crop, and therefore, if the ground height of the harvesting device is too high, the harvesting device may not be able to harvest the crop appropriately. According to this configuration, the state of each crop is detectable based on the harvest trace, so even if the height of the harvesting device to the ground is too high, the harvesting device suitablely harvests the crop. can.

In the present invention, the harvesting apparatus is provided with a harvesting header for receiving the planted crop in front and a scraping reel for scraping the planted crop, and the field state detecting unit harvests after the harvesting operation by the harvesting apparatus. It is configured to be able to detect the remaining crops left untreated, and when the remaining crops are detected by the field condition detecting unit, the traveling device is moved backward by a preset distance, and the said The vertical position of the harvest header is positioned in the lowermost region, the position of the scraping reel is positioned in the lowermost region and the frontmost region, and the vehicle speed of the traveling device is set to the residual crop after the completion of the reverse movement. It is preferable to advance the traveling device in a state where the vehicle speed is decelerated from the vehicle speed before the detection.

For example, if residual crops such as fallen crops are left unharvested by the harvesting device, the field condition detection unit may erroneously detect that the ground of the field is raised by the thickness of the residual crops. In this case, the harvesting device is unnecessarily raised and operated according to the thickness of the remaining crop, and there is a risk that the loss of the crop will increase. In this configuration, since the field condition detection unit can detect the residual crop, the condition of the harvesting device is changed so as to be suitable for harvesting the residual crop. Further, in this configuration, after the traveling device moves backward, the state of the harvesting device is changed, and the traveling device moves forward again, that is, so-called retries of the harvesting work are automatically performed. As a result, the remaining crops are harvested without being stepped on by the traveling device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the field state detection unit detects the field state immediately after the harvesting apparatus works as the field state after the work.

With this configuration, it is possible to confirm whether or not the harvesting device has properly harvested the crop by detecting the field condition immediately after the harvesting device has worked. As a result, the state changing unit can quickly change the working state of at least one of the traveling device and the harvesting device based on the field state immediately after the work.

In the present invention, there is a dust sending valve that guides the processed crops harvested by the harvesting apparatus to the rear, and a threshing section for threshing the treated crops and a threshing section below the threshing section are provided and the threshing process is performed. A sorting processing unit that receives the treated crop and swings it backward to sort the treated crop into a harvested product and a non-harvested product, and to sort the treated crop into the harvested product and the non-harvested product. The field condition detection unit is configured to be able to detect the harvested product discharged from at least one of the threshing unit and the sorting processing unit. When the harvested product is detected by the field condition detection unit, the state changing unit controls at least one of the threshing unit, the sorting processing unit, and the Karami, and determines the vehicle speed of the traveling device. It is preferable to control it.

According to this configuration, since the field condition detection unit can detect the crops discharged from at least one of the threshing part and the sorting processing part, the ratio of crop loss is evaluated based on the discharged harvests. Configuration is possible. That is, in the present configuration, the state changing unit is the threshing unit so that the crop loss in the harvested product discharged from at least one of the threshing unit and the sorting processing unit is reduced based on the detection of the field condition detection unit. It is possible to change the state of each of the sorting processing unit and the wall insert, and the vehicle speed. As a result, the loss of crops due to the operating states of the traveling device, the threshing section, the sorting processing section, and the wall insert is reduced.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the field state detection unit is an image pickup device that captures an image of the field state after the work.

With this configuration, it is possible to detect the field state after various operations based on the image pickup data captured by the image pickup device.

It is an overall side view of a harvester. It is the whole plan view of the harvester. It is a functional block diagram which shows the control system of a harvester. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the flow of the generation of recognition output data by a recognition part. It is a side view of the main part which shows the working state of a harvesting apparatus. It is a side view of the main part which shows the working state of a harvesting apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the state change process of the state determination part. It is a schematic plan view which shows the image of the field by the 2nd image pickup apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows that the working state is changed at the time of the detection of a fallen crop. It is explanatory drawing which shows that the working state is changed at the time of the detection of a fallen crop.

An embodiment of the combine as an example of the harvester according to the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, when the front-rear direction of the machine 1 is defined, it is defined along the traveling direction of the machine in the working state. The direction indicated by the reference numeral (F) in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the front side of the machine, and the direction indicated by the reference numeral (B) in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the rear side of the machine body. The direction indicated by the reference numeral (U) in FIG. 1 is the upper side of the machine, and the direction indicated by the reference numeral (D) in FIG. 1 is the lower side of the machine body. The direction indicated by the reference numeral (L) in FIG. 2 is the left side of the machine, and the direction indicated by the reference numeral (R) in FIG. 2 is the right side of the machine body. When defining the left-right direction of the aircraft 1, the left-right direction is defined as viewed from the direction of travel of the aircraft.

[Basic configuration of harvester]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a normal combine harvester, which is a form of a harvester, is provided with a machine 1 and a pair of left and right crawler type traveling devices 11. The machine 1 is provided with a boarding unit 12, a threshing device 13, a grain tank 14, a harvesting device 15, a transport device 16, and a grain discharging device 18.

The traveling device 11 is provided in the lower part of the combine. The traveling device 11 has a pair of left and right crawler traveling mechanisms, and the combine can travel in the field by the traveling device 11. Further, an elevating device is provided for each of the left and right crawler traveling mechanisms. The elevating device, also commonly known as "Monroe", is configured so that the height position of the machine body 1 with respect to each of the left and right crawler traveling mechanisms can be changed separately. From this, the elevating device is configured to be able to roll the machine 1 by changing the height position of the machine 1 with respect to each of the left and right crawler traveling mechanisms.

The boarding unit 12, the threshing device 13, and the grain tank 14 are provided above the traveling device 11, and these are configured as the upper part of the machine body 1. A passenger of the combine harvester and an observer who monitors the work of the combine harvester can board the boarding unit 12. Usually, the passenger and the observer are also used. When the passenger and the observer are different persons, the observer may monitor the work of the combine from outside the combine. A drive engine (not shown) is provided below the boarding section 12. The grain discharge device 18 is connected to the rear lower portion of the grain tank 14.

The harvesting device 15 harvests the crops in the field. The crop is, for example, a planted culm such as rice, but may be soybean, corn, or the like. Then, the combine can be run by the traveling device 11 while harvesting the crops in the field by the harvesting device 15. The transport device 16 is provided adjacent to the rear side of the harvest device 15. The harvesting device 15 and the transporting device 16 are supported on the front portion of the machine body 1 so as to be able to move up and down. The harvesting device 15 and the transporting device 16 are integrally swung up and down by being moved up and down by the header actuator 15H capable of expanding and contracting.

The harvesting device 15 is provided with a harvesting header 15A, a scraping reel 15B, a lateral feed auger 15C, and a hair clipper-shaped cutting blade 15D. The harvest header 15A divides the front planted crop into a harvest target and a non-harvest target, and accepts the harvest target among the front planted crops.

The scraping reel 15B is located above the harvest header 15A. The reel support arm 15K is swingably supported by the harvest header 15A, and the reel support arm 15K is swing-operated by a reel actuator 15J capable of expanding and contracting. The rotation shaft core portion of the suction reel 15B is supported by the free end region of the reel support arm 15K. For this reason, the suction reel 15B is configured to be able to swing up and down by the expansion and contraction operation of the reel actuator 15J.

The scraping reel 15B is configured to be rotatable around the lateral axis of the machine while being supported by the reel support arm 15K. Further, the rotation shaft core portion of the suction reel 15B is configured to be slidable along the front-rear direction in the free end region of the reel support arm 15K. That is, the scraping reel 15B is configured to be swingable up and down with respect to the harvest header 15A, and is configured to be repositionable back and forth with respect to the harvest header 15A.

The scraping reel 15B is provided with a plurality of tines 15T, and the tines 15T act on the planted crop. When the planted crop is harvested from the field, the scraping reel 15B scrapes the portion of the planted crop near the tip with the tine 15T toward the rear.

The cutting blade 15D cuts the root side of the planted crop that has been scraped backward by the scraping reel 15B. The lateral feed auger 15C is rotationally driven to the lateral axis of the machine body, laterally feeds the harvested crops cut by the cutting blade 15D to the middle side in the left-right direction, collects them, and sends them to the rear transport device 16. Although the details will be described later, the lateral feed auger 15C is configured so that the position can be changed in the vertical direction.

In order to reduce the threshing load in the threshing device 13, the ground height H1 (see FIG. 5) of the harvest header 15A is set high, and the planted crop may be harvested only on the tip side. At this time, it is necessary to cut the culm after harvesting so that the culm is not left in the field in a tall state. Therefore, a residual culm processing unit 19 is provided behind the harvesting device 15. The residual culm processing unit 19 has a horizontally long hair clipper-shaped cutting blade extending in the left-right direction of the machine body, and the cutting blade reciprocates left and right to cut the residual culm.

The crop (for example, harvested culm) harvested by the harvesting device 15 is transported to the threshing device 13 by the transporting device 16. The harvested crop is threshed by the threshing device 13. The threshing device 13 has a threshing unit 13A, a sorting processing unit 13B, and a wall insert 13C. Although the threshing section 13A is shown as a handling cylinder in FIG. 1, the handling chamber for accommodating the handling cylinder, the dust feed valve arranged at the upper part of the handling chamber, and the periphery of the lower region of the handling cylinder. The located net and also included in the threshing section 13A. The dust valve guides the processed crop harvested by the harvesting device 15 to the rear. The threshing unit 13A threshes the crops transported by the transport device 16, that is, the processed crops to be processed by the threshing device 13. The sorting processing unit 13B is provided below the threshing unit 13A, and while receiving the processed crops that have been threshed by the threshing unit 13A and rocking and transporting them backward, the processed crops are sieved into harvested and non-harvested products. do.

Although not shown because it is a known technique, the sorting processing unit 13B is provided with a chaf sheave, and the chaf sheave has a plurality of chaf flips. Each of the chaflip extends laterally to the aircraft. The plurality of chaflips are arranged along the transport direction (front-back direction) in which the processed crop is transported, and each of the plurality of chaflips is arranged in an inclined posture toward the rear end side and diagonally upward. The leakage opening of each chaflip can be changed. The fact that the leakage opening can be changed means that the tilted posture is changed. Specifically, the closer the chaflip is parallel to the front-rear direction, the smaller the leakage opening degree, and the closer the chaflip is parallel to the vertical direction, the larger the leakage opening degree. The treated crop is rocked backwards over the chaflip and the crop grain leaks downward through the gaps between the chaflip. The sorting processing unit 13B has a plurality of chaflip arranged along the transport direction of the threshing processed product, and has a chaff sheave capable of changing the leakage opening degree by changing the posture of the plurality of chaflip. The wall insert 13C supplies the sorting wind to the sorting processing unit 13B.

The grains obtained by the threshing treatment are stored in the grain tank 14. The grains stored in the grain tank 14 are discharged to the outside of the machine by the grain discharging device 18 as needed. The grain discharging device 18 is configured to be swingable around the vertical axis core at the rear of the machine body. That is, the free end portion of the grain discharge device 18 protrudes to the lateral outside of the machine body 1 so that the crop can be discharged, and the free end portion of the grain discharge device 18 is within the range of the machine width of the machine body 1. The grain discharging device 18 is configured so as to be switchable between the stored storage state and the positioned storage state. When the grain discharging device 18 is in the stored state, the free end portion of the grain discharging device 18 is located on the front side of the boarding portion 12 and above the harvesting device 15.

A first image pickup device 21A and a distance measuring sensor 22 are provided on the front upper portion of the boarding section 12. The first image pickup apparatus 21A is a color camera capable of capturing visible light, and is, for example, a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. The first imaging device 21A is provided at the front of the machine 1 and at a position higher than the harvesting device 15 so as to look down on the unharvested crops in front of the harvesting device 15. That is, the first image pickup apparatus 21A can take an image from a viewpoint looking down on the front in the traveling direction. The image pickup field of view of the first image pickup apparatus 21A in the front-rear direction is, for example, 15 meters or 25 meters.

The image pickup data acquired by the first image pickup device 21A is converted into image pickup data and sent to the control system of the combine. The first image pickup device 21A images the field at the time of harvesting work. Various objects exist as imaging targets in the field. The combine control system has a function of identifying a specific object from the image pickup data sent from the first image pickup device 21A. As such specific objects, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the normal planted grain group indicated by the reference numeral Z0, the weed group indicated by the reference numeral Z1, and the collapsed crop group indicated by the reference numeral Z2. , Are shown schematically.

The distance measuring sensor 22 is configured to be capable of measuring the distance between the image pickup target and the aircraft 1 in the field existing in front of the aircraft 1. The distance measuring sensor 22 may be a sonar, a radar (millimeter wave), or a LIDAR (for example, a laser scanner or a laser radar). If the distance measuring sensor 22 is a sonar, it is advantageous in terms of cost. If the range-finding sensor 22 is a millimeter-wave radar, it is possible to perform measurements that are not easily affected by the weather, which is advantageous in terms of cost. If the millimeter-wave radar is configured to be able to scan in three dimensions in the vertical direction in addition to the front and left and right, it is possible to have a wider range of range than the millimeter-wave radar of the type that scans in two dimensions. If the distance measuring sensor 22 is LIDAR, the separation distance can be measured accurately. In addition, if the LIDAR is configured to be able to scan in three dimensions in the vertical direction in addition to the front and left and right, it is possible to have a wider range of distance measurement than the type of LIDAR that scans in two dimensions. Further, the range-finding sensor 22 may be configured by a combination of sonar, radar, and LIDAR.

In the present embodiment, the second image pickup device 21B is provided at the lower rear portion of the harvesting device 15. The second image pickup apparatus 21B is a color camera capable of capturing visible light, and is, for example, a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. The second image pickup device 21B can take an image of the harvest trace area S (see FIG. 8) behind the harvest device 15. Therefore, the second image pickup apparatus 21B is configured to be able to detect the field state after the work while the work is running. The second image pickup device 21B is the "imaging device" of the present invention.

A satellite positioning module 80 is provided on the ceiling of the boarding section 12. The satellite positioning module 80 receives a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signal (including a GPS signal) from the artificial satellite GS and acquires the position of the own vehicle. In addition, in order to complement the satellite navigation by the satellite positioning module 80, an inertial navigation unit incorporating a gyro acceleration sensor and a magnetic orientation sensor is incorporated in the satellite positioning module 80. Of course, the inertial navigation unit may be arranged at a place different from the satellite positioning module 80 in the combine.

[Control unit configuration]
The control unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 is a core element of the control system of the combine, and is shown as an aggregate of a plurality of ECUs. The control unit 30 includes a first crop detection unit 31A, a second crop detection unit 31B, a state determination unit 32, a storage unit 33, a notification unit 34, a travel control unit 35, and a work control unit 36. It is prepared. The second crop detection unit 31B is the "field state detection unit" of the present invention. The state determination unit 32 is the "state change unit" of the present invention.

Positioning data output from the satellite positioning module 80, imaging data from the first imaging device 21A, imaging data from the second imaging device 21B, distance data output from the distance measuring sensor 22, and cutting height detection. The height position information output from the unit 23, the height position information output from the reel height detection unit 24, and the height position information output from the auger height detection unit 25 are controlled by a control unit through a wiring network. It is input to 30. As described above, the harvesting device 15 and the transporting device 16 (see FIG. 1 and the like) are configured to swing up and down, and the cutting height detecting unit 23 is provided at the swinging shaft core portion of the transporting device 16. The cutting height detecting unit 23 is configured to be able to detect the ground height H1 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) at the lower end portion of the harvesting device 15 by detecting the swing angle of the transport device 16. The reel height detection unit 24 can detect the height position H2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the suction reel 15B with respect to the harvest header 15A by detecting the swing angle of the reel support arm 15K with respect to the harvest header 15A. It is configured in. The auger height detection unit 25 can detect the height position H3 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the lateral auger 15C by detecting the vertical position of an actuator (not shown) that raises and lowers the lateral auger 15C up and down. It is configured in.

The first crop detection unit 31A is a planted crop based on the imaging data sequentially acquired by the first imaging device 21A and the distance data sequentially acquired by the distance measuring sensor 22 over time. The area where the plant is located is detected and the height of the planted crop is detected. Further, the first crop detection unit 31A determines the type of crop by using, for example, a machine-learned (deep learning) neural network. In other words, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to acquire the type of crop to be harvested by the harvesting device 15. Examples of crop types include rice grains, wheat (barley, wheat, buckwheat), beans (soybeans, adzuki beans, black beans), rapeseed, corn, and the like. Further, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to detect the size and length of the tip of the crop based on the imaging data.

In the present embodiment, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to detect a fallen crop (for example, a fallen grain culm) based on the height of the planted crop. The flow of generation of recognition output data by the first crop detection unit 31A is shown in FIG. The RGB pixel value of the imaging data is input to the first crop detection unit 31A from the first imaging device 21A as an input value. This imaging data is associated with the distance data acquired by the distance measuring sensor 22, and the fallen crop is detected based on the crop height in the area where the planted crop exists. The first crop detection unit 31A is configured to detect a fallen crop based on the crop height of the planted crop and the size of the area where the planted crop spreads at the same crop height. The area of the area where the planted crop spreads at the same crop height may be calculated by area calculation based on at least one of the imaging data and the distance data, and in addition, the area recognized by the imaging data. It may be calculated from the shape. Alternatively, the size of the area where the planted crop spreads at the same crop height may be calculated from at least one of the shape of the area recognized by the image recognition data and the relative size.

Further, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to detect a weed area in which weeds are present mixed with the crop in front of the harvesting device 15, and can acquire the type of weeds (including the size of weeds) in the weed area. It is configured in.

In the example of FIG. 4, lodging crops and weeds are shown in normal planted culms. The weed area in which weeds are present is indicated by a rectangular frame assigned the symbol F1, and the area in which the fallen crop is present is indicated by a rectangular frame assigned the reference numeral F2. Further, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to acquire the weed rate, which is the amount of weeds per unit area in the weed area. As described above, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to discriminate crop lodging and weeds from the field. Since the first imaging device 21A acquires imaging data at predetermined time intervals, for example, at intervals of 0.1 to 0.5 seconds and inputs the imaging data to the first crop detection unit 31A, the first crop detection unit 31A also , Output recognition output data at the same time interval.

In the automatic traveling, the first image pickup device 21A takes an image in front of the machine body, and the distance measuring sensor 22 measures the distance between the machine body 1 and the object in front of the machine body. Then, based on the image pickup data captured by the first image pickup device 21A and the distance data in front of the aircraft measured by the distance measurement sensor 22, the first crop detection unit 31A sets the crop in the field as a specific object. While recognizing, the crop height of the crop in the field is detected.

The second crop detection unit 31B can detect unharvested residual crops such as lodging crops based on the imaging data of the imaging data sequentially acquired by the second imaging device 21B. be. Further, the second crop detection unit 31B determines the type of the remaining crop by using, for example, a machine-learned (deep learning) neural network. Examples of the types of residual crops include rice grains, wheat (barley, wheat, buckwheat), beans (soybeans, adzuki beans, black beans), rapeseed, corn, and the like.

The control unit 30 is provided with a storage unit 33, and the storage unit 33 is provided with a plurality of harvest control patterns and a plurality of travel control patterns. The storage unit 33 is a semiconductor storage element such as an EEPROM.

The harvest control pattern is, for example, depending on at least one of the crop type and the crop height, the ground height H1 of the harvest header 15A, the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B, and the height position H3 of the lateral feed auger 15C. And, are stored in the storage unit 33 as a look-up table for adjusting. That is, the harvest control pattern and the running control pattern corresponding to the type of crop and the height of the crop are selected by the state determination unit 32. Then, the target value is output from the state determination unit 32 to the work control unit 36 according to the selected harvest control pattern and travel control pattern.

The travel control pattern is stored in the storage unit 33 as a look-up table for adjusting the vehicle speed and the vehicle height of the travel device 11, for example, according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height. That is, the traveling control pattern corresponding to at least one of the crop type and the crop height is selected by the state determination unit 32. Then, the target value is output from the state determination unit 32 to the travel control unit 35 according to the selected travel control pattern.

The travel control unit 35 includes a vehicle speed control unit 35A and a vehicle height control unit 35B. The target value of the vehicle speed and the target value of the vehicle height are determined based on the travel control pattern selected by the state determination unit 32. The vehicle speed control unit 35A performs speed adjustment control of the traveling device 11 based on the target value of the vehicle speed. The vehicle height control unit 35B controls the elevating mechanism of the traveling device 11 with reference to the target value of the vehicle height.

That is, the travel control unit 35 has an engine control function, a steering control function, a vehicle speed control function, a vehicle height control function, and the like, and gives a travel control signal to the travel device 11. In the case of manual steering, the travel control unit 35 generates a control signal and controls the travel device 11 based on the operation by the passenger. In the case of automatic steering, the travel control unit 35 controls steering and vehicle speed based on the automatic travel command given by the automatic travel control module of the control unit 30 and the positioning data from the satellite positioning module 80. To do.

The work control unit 36 includes a header control unit 36A, a reel control unit 36B, and an auger control unit 36C. The target value of the ground height H1, the target value of the height position H2, the target value of the front-rear position of the scraping reel 15B, and the target of the height position H3 based on the harvest control pattern selected by the state determination unit 32. The value and is determined. The header control unit 36A controls the raising and lowering of the harvest header 15A with reference to the target value of the ground height H1. The reel control unit 36B adjusts and controls the vertical position and the front-rear position of the suction reel 15B with reference to the target value of the height position H2 and the target value of the front-rear position of the suction reel 15B. Further, the auger control unit 36C adjusts and controls the vertical position of the lateral feed auger 15C with reference to the target value of the height position H3.

That is, the work control unit 36 has a function of controlling devices related to harvesting and threshing of crops in the field, such as a harvesting device 15 and a threshing device 13. In the case of manual steering, the work control unit 36 generates a control signal and controls the harvesting device 15 and the like based on the operation by the passenger. In the case of automatic steering, the work control unit 36 determines the height H1 of the harvesting device 15 and the height of the scraping reel 15B based on the imaging data obtained by the first imaging device 21A and the distance information obtained by the distance measuring sensor 22. The position H2, the front-rear position of the suction reel 15B, the height position H3 of the lateral feed auger 15C, and the like are controlled. In addition, the harvest control pattern also includes parameters relating to the operating speed of the harvest device 15, and the work control unit 36 is a transmission (eg, static) for the harvest device 15 based on the harvest control pattern selected by the state determination unit 32. The hydraulic continuously variable transmission) is configured to be able to control the speed change.

The control unit 30 of the present embodiment is configured to be connectable to a communication network. The control unit 30 is provided with a communication unit 37, and the communication unit 37 can communicate with the management computer 2 via a wired or wireless communication network. For example, crop lodging information, weed information, etc. in the field are transmitted to the field management computer 2 via the wireless communication network together with the position information positioned by the satellite positioning module 80, and the field map information in the management computer 2 is transmitted. Recorded in. As a result, the farm manager can utilize the crop lodging information, weed information, etc. in the field for the next year's agricultural plan.

[About the working condition of the harvesting equipment]
The harvest control pattern will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. The parameters of the harvest control pattern include a target value of the ground height H1 of the harvest header 15A, a target value of the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B, and a target value of the front and rear positions of the scraping reel 15B. If the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B is too high, it becomes difficult for the scraping reel 15B to scrape the crop. Further, if the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B is too low, the crop is likely to be entangled with the scraping reel 15B. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the crop in the field is harvested by the harvesting device 15, the rotation trajectory of the tine 15T is such that the tine 15T of the scraping reel 15B scrapes the tip from the front upper part to the rear side. Should overlap with the tip area of the crop.

In each of the plurality of harvest control patterns, the ground height H1 and the height position H2 are set as different parameters for each harvest control pattern. An appropriate harvest control pattern among a plurality of harvest control patterns is selected by the state determination unit 32 based on the type of crop, the height of the crop, the vertical height of the tip region of the crop, the surface area of the tip region, and the like. Will be done. Then, the target values of the ground height H1 and the height position H2 are read out from the selected harvest control pattern, and the control signal for adjusting the ground height H1 and the height position H2 is transmitted from the state determination unit 32 to the work control unit. Sent to 36. For example, if the crop type is legume, the ground height H1 is set to the lowest region. If the type of crop is buckwheat or rapeseed, the ground height H1 is set lower than that of rice grains and higher than that of beans.

As described above, the state determining unit 32 is configured so that the working state of the harvesting device 15 can be changed by operating the header actuator 15H according to the height of the planted crop. At this time, in the working state of the harvesting device 15, the ground height H1 of the harvesting device 15, the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B, the front-rear position of the scraping reel 15B, the rotation speed of the scraping reel 15B, and so on. The rotation locus of the tine 15T and the like are included. Further, the state determining unit 32 is configured to be able to change the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 in addition to the working state of the harvesting device 15. The ground height H1 of the harvesting apparatus 15 is the “harvesting height” and also the “working height” of the harvesting header 15A. In other words, the state determination unit 32 is configured to be able to change the harvest height of the harvesting device 15 according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height by operating the header actuator 15H. Further, the state determining unit 32 is configured to be able to change the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height by operating the reel actuator 15J.

When the crops in the field are harvested by the harvesting device 15, the harvest control pattern is selected by the state determining unit 32 so that the tine 15T of the scraping reel 15B scrapes the tips from the front upper part to the rearward, and the ground height H1. And the height position H2 is adjusted. When the ground height H1 is adjusted, the lower end portion (the portion where the cutting blade is located) of the harvest header 15A is located below the tip region of the crop. Further, when the height position H2 is adjusted, the front end position of the scraping reel 15B is located above the tip of the crop. As a result, the tip region of the crop is scraped backward by the scraping reel 15B. That is, based on the crop height and the type of crop detected by the first crop detection unit 31A, only the tip region of the crop is efficiently harvested by the harvesting device 15, and the tip region is transported by the rear transport device 16. The crop is threshed by the threshing device 13. Therefore, the transport load of the transport device 16 and the threshing load of the threshing device 13 are reduced, and the harvesting efficiency of the harvesting device 15 is improved, as compared with the configuration in which the harvesting device 15 is used to harvest the crop to the root region.

The lateral feed auger 15C is configured so that the position can be changed in the vertical direction according to the type of crop. Although not shown, the harvest header 15A is provided with an actuator capable of raising and lowering the lateral feed auger 15C in the vertical direction. The actuator may be hydraulic or electric. A harvest control pattern having an appropriate height position H3 target value according to the type of crop is selected by the state determination unit 32. Then, based on the selected harvest control pattern, the target value of the height position H3 is sent from the state determination unit 32 to the work control unit 36, and the lateral feed auger 15C is controlled to move up and down.

The harvested crop whose root is cut by the cutting blade 15D is laterally fed to the side where the transport device 16 is located by the lateral feed auger 15C on the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A. At this time, when the height position H3 of the horizontal feed auger 15C is changed along the vertical direction, the vertical gap between the lower end portion of the horizontal feed auger 15C and the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A changes.

When the type of crop is rice or wheat, the shape of the crop is elongated up and down, and the grain is small and granular. Therefore, in the harvest control pattern when the type of crop is rice or wheat, the target value of the height position H3 is set to the lower height position H31. Therefore, when the rice grain or wheat is harvested, the horizontal feed auger 15C is located lower than the harvest header 15A, and the lower end portion of the horizontal feed auger 15C and the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A are in the vertical direction. The gap becomes narrower. As a result, the tip portion of the rice grain or wheat is efficiently laterally fed by the laterally fed auger 15C.

When the crop type is legumes, the tip portion of the legume has a larger grain than the tip portion of rice grain or wheat. Therefore, when the tip portion of the beans is laterally fed by the laterally-fed auger 15C, if the vertical gap between the lower end of the laterally-fed auger 15C and the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A is too narrow, the beans and the like will be generated. It may be crushed or damaged. Therefore, in the harvest control pattern when the crop type is beans, the target value of the height position H3 is set to the higher height position H32. Therefore, when the bean harvesting operation is performed, the lateral feed auger 15C is located higher than the case of rice grains and wheat. From this, as compared with the case where the type of crop is rice or wheat, the vertical gap between the lower end portion of the horizontal feed auger 15C and the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A becomes wider. As a result, when the tip portion of the beans is laterally fed by the laterally fed auger 15C, the beans and the like are less likely to be damaged.

In this way, the state determining unit 32 changes the vertical width of the transport path in the harvesting device 15 by changing the height position H3 according to the type of crop. That is, the state determining unit 32 sets the vertical width of the transport path to the lower end portion of the horizontal feed auger 15C and the bottom plate 15u of the harvest header 15A by operating an actuator capable of raising and lowering the horizontal feed auger 15C in the vertical direction. Change the vertical width of the gap between.

[Status change processing of the status determination unit]
The processing of the state determination unit 32 is performed based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, and the processing from the start to the end in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is periodically executed. As described above, the first crop detection unit 31A is configured to be able to detect not only the type of crop to be harvested but also weeds and lodging crops. Therefore, the state determination unit 32 executes different processes depending on whether the crop to be harvested is detected, the fallen crop is detected, or the weed is detected.

First, the state determination unit 32 determines the detection result of the second crop detection unit 31B (step # 01). The second crop detection unit 31B detects the harvest trace after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device 15. As shown in FIG. 8, the second image pickup device 21B images a harvest trace area S which is a region behind the harvesting device 15 and in front of the traveling device 11, that is, a region between the harvesting device 15 and the traveling device 11. do. In FIG. 8, the residual culm processing unit 19 is omitted in order to simply show how the second image pickup apparatus 21B captures the harvest trace region S. When the second crop detection unit 31B detects the residual crop in the harvest trace region S based on the image pickup data captured by the second image pickup device 21B, in step # 01, "detection of the uncut portion" is determined. That is, the rear of the harvesting device 15 is imaged by the second image pickup device 21B, and whether or not the image pickup data of the second image pickup device 21B includes a crop (for example, a fallen crop) is determined by the second crop detection unit 31B.

When there is no detection result in the second crop detection unit 31B (step # 01: no detection result), the state determination unit 32 determines the detection result of the first crop detection unit 31A (step # 03). When the crop to be harvested is detected by the first crop detection unit 31A (step # 03: crop to be harvested), the state determination unit 32 sets the harvesting device 15 to efficiently harvest the tip region of the crop. The harvest control pattern is selected according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height (step # 04). Then, the state determination unit 32 outputs a control signal to the travel control unit 35 and the work control unit 36 based on the selected harvest control pattern. That is, the ground height H1 of the harvest header 15A, the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B, and the lateral feed auger 15C so that the tine 15T of the scraping reel 15B scrapes the tip from the front upper part to the rear. The height position H3 of is adjusted.

When the second crop detection unit 31B detects the uncut portion (step # 01: detection of the uncut portion), the state determination unit 32 selects a harvest control pattern when the uncut portion is detected, and this harvest control pattern. The control signal based on the above is output to the travel control unit 35 and the work control unit 36 (step # 02). In step # 02, the harvesting operation is retried in the uncut area.

The second image pickup device 21B is configured to be able to detect residual crops left unharvested after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device 15. As shown in FIG. 9, when the fallen crop is not harvested by the harvesting device 15 and the harvesting device 15 passes above the fallen crop, the fallen crop is subjected to the second imaging device 21B provided below and behind the harvesting device 15. Is imaged, and the presence of the fallen crop is determined by the second crop detection unit 31B (step # 01: detection of uncut portion). Then, based on the process of step # 02, the traveling device 11 reversely operates, and the aircraft 1 retreats by a preset distance. That is, when the residual crop is detected by the second image pickup device 21B, the state determination unit 32 moves the traveling device 11 backward by a preset distance. Since the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is performed periodically, in the state where the harvesting device 15 is separated from the upper side of the fallen crop and the detected fallen crop is located in front of the harvesting device 15, "detection" is performed in step # 01. It switches to the judgment of "no result". As described above, the state determining unit 32 is configured so that the working states of the traveling device 11 and the harvesting device 15 can be changed according to the field state after the work. Then, the fallen crop is detected by the first crop detection unit 31A (step # 03: fallen crop), and the process of step # 05 described later is performed. That is, the state determination unit 32 is configured to change the ground height H1 of the harvesting device 15 to a low level when it is determined that the ground height H1 of the harvesting device 15 is too high based on the harvest trace.

When the fallen crop is detected by the first crop detection unit 31A (step # 03: the fallen crop), the state determination unit 32 selects a harvest control pattern for harvesting the fallen crop and is based on this harvest control pattern. The control signal is output to the travel control unit 35 and the work control unit 36 (step # 05). As shown in FIG. 10, by the process of step # 05, the ground height H1 of the harvest header 15A is adjusted to the lowest region, and the height position H2 of the scraping reel 15B is adjusted to the lowest region. Then, the position of the scraping reel 15B in the front-rear direction is adjusted to the frontmost region. Further, by the process of step # 05, the speed change device for the harvesting device 15 (for example, the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission device) is speed-controlled to the high speed side, and the rotation speed of the suction reel 15B is increased. In addition, the process of step # 05 reduces the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11.

That is, when the first crop detection unit 31A detects a crop in a fallen state, the state determination unit 32 switches to the harvest control pattern for harvesting the fallen crop, and the harvest header 15A has a ground height H1 and the scraping reel 15B. The height position H2 becomes lower. Then, in the collapsed region of the crop in the field, the scraping reel 15B rotates at a higher speed than the normal harvesting operation while the harvester advances at a low speed, and the crop in the collapsed state is scraped into the harvest header 15A by the scraping reel 15B. .. In other words, when the fallen crop is detected, the state determination unit 32 positions the scraping reel 15B in the lowermost region and the frontmost region, increases the rotational speed of the scraping reel 15B, and increases the rotation speed of the scraping reel 15B. The vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 is reduced. As a result, the combine harvests the leftover crops while gradually advancing.

Since the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is performed periodically, when the first crop detection unit 31A does not detect the crop in the collapsed state (step # 03: ≠ collapsed crop), step # 04 or step # described later is performed. The processing of 06 is performed. When the determination in step # 03 is "the crop to be harvested", the process of step # 04 is performed again, and at this time, the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 is increased as compared with the time when the crop in the collapsed state is harvested.

A case where weeds are detected by the first crop detection unit 31A (step # 03: weeds) will be described. Although crops are planted in the field, weeds may be mixed in the crops. In this case, when the planted crops are harvested by the harvesting device 15, weeds are also planted by the scraping reel 15B. It is scraped together and sent to the rear grain removal device 13 by the transport device 16. Therefore, the state determination unit 32 determines the degree of influence on the weed harvesting work in three stages of "small", "medium", and "large" based on the type of crop to be harvested and the type of weed. Judgment (step # 06).

In cases where there are few weeds, small weeds, and cases where weeds do not affect the threshing load and sorting accuracy even if weeds enter the threshing device 13, the state determination unit 32 sets "small" in step # 06. select. In this case, as in step # 04, the state determining unit 32 selects a harvest control pattern according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height so that the harvesting device 15 can efficiently harvest the tip region of the crop. (Step # 07). Then, the state determination unit 32 outputs a control signal to the travel control unit 35 and the work control unit 36 based on the selected harvest control pattern.

If weeds enter the threshing device 13 and affect the threshing load and sorting accuracy, but if the vehicle speed slows down and the degree of influence on the threshing load and sorting accuracy is reduced, the state determination unit 32 may perform step # 06. Select "Medium". In this case, it is determined whether or not the type of crop to be harvested is beans (step # 08).

When the type of crop to be harvested is other than beans (step # 08: other than beans), the state determination unit 32 slows down the vehicle speed and allows the harvesting device 15 to efficiently harvest the tip region of the crop. A harvest control pattern for performing the harvesting operation by the harvesting apparatus 15 is selected according to at least one of the crop type and the crop height (step # 09). Then, the state determination unit 32 outputs a control signal to the travel control unit 35 and the work control unit 36 based on the selected harvest control pattern. That is, the state determination unit 32 changes the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 in the weed region to a lower speed side than the vehicle speed when traveling in a region other than the weed region.

In step # 09, when the weed area is detected in front of the harvesting device 15 and the crop type is other than beans, the state determining unit 32 determines the degree of change in the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 according to the type of weeds. do. Specifically, the state determination unit 32 determines the degree of change in the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 according to the weed rate, which is the amount of weeds per unit area in the weed area. As the weed rate increases, the state determination unit 32 changes the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 to the lower speed side. Further, the state determination unit 32 may have a configuration in which the vehicle speed is gradually changed to the low speed side by prioritizing the determination elements according to the type of crop, the type of weed, the weed rate, and the like.

Further, in step # 09, the state determination unit 32 reduces the leakage opening degree of the chaff sheave provided in the sorting processing unit 13B. The chaff sheave is provided with a plurality of chaflip, and the gap between the plurality of chaflip is narrowed by changing the tilting posture (tilt angle) of the chaflip. Weeds, etc. are often larger than grains, and by narrowing the leakage opening of the chaf sheave, weeds, etc. are less likely to leak from the gaps between the chaflip, and the effect on sorting accuracy is reduced. To. That is, the state determination unit 32 is configured to reduce the leakage opening degree of the chaff sheave according to at least one of the type of crop and the type of weed when selecting the crop harvested in the weed region. ..

In the present embodiment, when the weed area is detected in front of the harvesting device 15 and the crop type is beans (step # 08: beans), the state determining unit 32 stops the traveling device 11 (step # 10). ). Since some beans have high commercial value, if the beans are threshed together with weeds, the beans may become dirty and lose their commercial value due to factors such as weeds adhering to the beans. When the type of crop is beans, such inconvenience can be avoided by stopping the traveling device 11.

For example, when the stem of a weed is thick, the lateral feed auger 15C, the transport device 16, or the threshing device 13 may be clogged. Further, if weeds with thick stems enter the threshing device 13, the sorting accuracy in the threshing device 13 may decrease. When there is a high possibility that these inconveniences will occur, the state determination unit 32 determines "large" in step # 06, selects a harvest control pattern for stopping the traveling device 11, and the aircraft 1 stops (step # 10). .. Then, after the worker manually removes the weeds, the harvesting work by the harvesting device 15 is restarted. Further, the state determination unit 32 may have a configuration in which the determination elements are prioritized according to the type of weed, the weed rate, etc., and the vehicle speed is gradually reduced to stop the traveling device 11.

As described above, the state determining unit 32 is configured to be able to determine the degree of change in the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11 according to the type of weeds.

[Another Embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the configuration exemplified in the above-described embodiment, and the following will exemplify another typical embodiment of the present invention.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the residual culm processing unit 19 is provided behind the harvesting device 15, but the harvester may not be provided with the residual culm processing unit 19.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the second crop detection unit 31B has a neural network that can be learned by using deep learning, but the second crop detection unit 31B does not have to build a neural network. .. In this case, the neural network is constructed on the management computer 2 and other terminals, and input / output in the neural network is performed by communication between the second crop detection unit 31B and the management computer 2 and other terminals. There may be. That is, the second crop detection unit 31B may be configured to detect the field state after the work while the work is running.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the traveling device 11 is configured as a crawler type, but the traveling device 11 may be configured as a wheel type.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the state determination unit 32 retracts the traveling device 11 when the second crop detection unit 31B detects a fallen crop. Further, when the fallen crop is detected by the first crop detection unit 31A after the retreat of the traveling device 11 is completed, the state determination unit 32 positions the vertical position of the harvest header 15A in the lowermost region and scrapes it. The position of the reel 15B is located in the lowermost region and the frontmost region, but is not limited to this embodiment. When the second crop detection unit 31B alone detects a fallen crop, the state determination unit 32 retracts the traveling device 11, and then positions the vertical position of the harvest header 15A in the lower region and the scraping reel 15B. The position of may be positioned in the lower region and the front region. In this case, the configuration may not include the first crop detection unit 31A. Further, when the fallen crop is detected and the retreat of the traveling device 11 is completed, the state determining unit 32 controls to position the vertical position of the harvest header 15A in the lower region and the position of the scraping reel 15B on the lower side. At least one of the control of moving to the region and the control of locating the position of the suction reel 15B in the front region may be possible.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, the second imaging device 21B is provided at the rear lower portion of the harvesting device 15, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the second image pickup device 21B may be provided at at least one of the rear end portion of the threshing device 13 and the rear end portion of the grain tank 14. In this case, the second crop detection unit 31B may be configured to be able to detect the harvested product discharged from at least one of the threshing unit 13A and the sorting processing unit 13B. Then, the state determining unit 32 controls at least one of the threshing unit 13A, the sorting processing unit 13B, and the wall insert 13C based on the amount or ratio of the loss of the crop contained in the discharged harvested product, and further runs. It may be configured to control the vehicle speed of the device 11. That is, when the harvested product is detected by the second crop detection unit 31B, the state determination unit 32 controls at least one of the threshing unit 13A, the sorting processing unit 13B, and the wall insert 13C, and the vehicle speed of the traveling device 11. It may be configured to control. When the state determining unit 32 controls the threshing unit 13A, the rotation speed of the handling cylinder may be controlled, or the angle of the dust feed valve may be adjusted.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the second crop detection unit 31B detects the harvest trace after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device 15 based on the imaging data acquired by the second imaging device 21B. Not limited to. For example, the configuration may not include the second image pickup device 21B. In this case, for example, the second crop detection unit 31B may be configured to detect the harvest trace after the harvesting operation based on the distance data acquired by the sensor as exemplified by the distance measuring sensor 22. As an internal process of the second crop detection unit 31B, for example, a Fourier transform process is performed on the distance data, and a fallen crop or the like is determined from the harvest trace based on the distribution of the frequency component obtained by the Fourier transform process. May be.

(7) In FIGS. 8 to 10, the tip of the fallen crop is on the side where the harvesting device 15 is located, and the tip of the fallen crop is on the side where the harvesting device 15 is located. The fallen crop may fall down while being located on the opposite side.

The configuration disclosed in the above embodiment (including another embodiment, the same shall apply hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configuration disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Moreover, the embodiment disclosed in the present specification is an example, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the object of the present invention.

The present invention is applicable not only to ordinary combine harvesters but also to general harvesters for harvesting crops (for example, corn harvesters and carrot harvesters) such as head-feeding combine harvesters.

11: Traveling device 13: Threshing device 13A: Threshing section 13B: Sorting processing section 13C: Wall insert 15: Harvesting device 15A: Harvest header 15B: Scraping reel 21B: Second image pickup device (imaging device)
31B: Second crop detection unit (field condition detection unit)
32: Status determination unit (status change unit)
H1: Height to ground

Claims (6)

A traveling device that can travel in the field and
A harvesting device that harvests crops in the field,
A field condition detection unit that detects the field condition after work while running,
A harvester provided with a state changing unit capable of changing the working state of at least one of the traveling device and the harvesting device according to the field state after the work. The field condition detection unit detects the harvest trace after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device, and detects the harvest trace.
The harvester according to claim 1, wherein the state changing unit determines that the ground height of the harvesting device is too high based on the harvest trace, and changes the ground height of the harvesting device to a low level. The harvesting device is provided with a harvesting header for receiving the planted crop in front and a scraping reel for scraping the planted crop.
The field condition detection unit is configured to be able to detect residual crops left unharvested after the harvesting operation by the harvesting device.
When the residual crop is detected by the field condition detection unit, the state change unit moves the traveling device backward by a preset distance, and positions the upper and lower positions of the harvest header in the lowermost region. The position of the scraping reel is positioned in the lowermost region and the frontmost region, and the vehicle speed of the traveling device is decelerated from the vehicle speed before the residual crop is detected after the completion of the reverse movement. The harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the traveling device is advanced. The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the field state detection unit detects the field state immediately after the harvesting apparatus has worked as the field state after the work. A threshing section that has a dust valve that guides the processed crops harvested by the harvesting device to the rear and threshs the processed crops.
A sorting processing unit provided below the threshing unit and sorting the processed crop into harvested and non-harvested crops while receiving the threshed processed crop and rocking it backward.
A wall insert that supplies a sorting wind for sorting the processed crop into the harvested product and the non-harvested product to the sorting processing unit is provided.
The field condition detection unit is configured to be able to detect the harvested product discharged from at least one of the threshing unit and the sorting processing unit.
When the harvested product is detected by the field condition detection unit, the state changing unit controls at least one of the threshing unit, the sorting processing unit, and the wall insert, and controls the vehicle speed of the traveling device. The harvester according to claim 1 or 2. The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the field state detection unit is an image pickup device that captures an image of the field state after the work.

Images