JP2015222503A - Autonomous travel working vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause an autonomously travelling autonomous travel work vehicle to undergo a system check prior to a working start, and to enable prevention of a possible accident and the like from occurring by finding out apparatuses with abnormality.SOLUTION: In an autonomous travel work vehicle 1 comprising location calculation means positioning a location of a vehicle body using a satellite positioning system, and a control device 30 causing the vehicle body to automatically travel or work along a set travelling route R, and an accompanying work vehicle capable of operating the autonomous travel working vehicle 1 by a remote operation device 112 loaded in an adjoint travel work vehicle 100 working as travelling and accompanying by the autonomous travel work vehicle 1, when an autonomous travel start operation is performed, a sensor and actuator are checked prior to the autonomous travel, and whether the sensor and actuator are normal or abnormal is displayed. When abnormality is displayed, the control device 30 is configured to not permit the autonomous travel.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for checking whether a sensor, an actuator, or the like in an autonomous traveling work vehicle that allows autonomous traveling along a set traveling route using a satellite positioning system operates normally.

  Conventionally, when the automatic traveling machine travels, the controller determines the position of the automatic traveling machine in a specific area by checking the position of the automatic traveling machine in response to signals from GPS satellites, and determines whether or not the automatic traveling machine is malfunctioning. And the technique of stopping an automatic traveling machine in the case of a malfunction is known (for example, refer patent document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-212539

  In the above technique, whether or not there is a malfunction during automatic traveling is checked, but it is not checked whether there is any abnormality in the sensors before automatic traveling. Therefore, it is not used when the automatic running is started, but if the actuator is operated during the operation, if the operation is abnormal, the operation must be stopped during the operation, and the work efficiency is deteriorated. In particular, if the sensor or actuator related to the stop is abnormal, it may not be able to stop even if it tries to stop after the start of traveling, which may lead to an accident.

  The present invention has been made in view of the situation as described above, and an autonomous traveling work vehicle that autonomously travels is checked for abnormalities before starting work, and an abnormal apparatus is detected by detecting abnormal equipment. So that it can be prevented.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

  In other words, in claim 1, an autonomous traveling work comprising position calculating means for positioning the position of the aircraft using a satellite positioning system and a control device for automatically traveling and working along a set traveling route. In a parallel running work vehicle in which the autonomous traveling work vehicle can be operated by a remote control device mounted on the vehicle and the accompanying traveling work vehicle that performs work while traveling accompanying the autonomous traveling work vehicle, the control device performs an automatic traveling start operation. If it is detected, the sensor and the actuator are checked before the automatic travel, and it is displayed whether the sensor is normal or abnormal, and if there is an abnormality, the abnormal location is displayed and automatic travel is not permitted.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, an alarm is issued when there is an abnormality in the sensor or actuator.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the check is performed, an operation check is also performed.

  By using the means as described above, it will be possible to easily recognize whether there are any abnormalities in the autonomous traveling work vehicle before work, so that operations and work can be performed with peace of mind, and accidents can be prevented in advance. it can.

The schematic side view which shows an autonomous traveling work vehicle, a GPS satellite, and a reference station. Control block diagram. The figure which shows the state of the work by an autonomous traveling work vehicle and an accompanying traveling work vehicle. The figure which shows a control flowchart.

  An embodiment will be described in which an autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 capable of autonomous traveling using a satellite positioning system is used as a tractor, and a rotary tiller 24 is mounted as a work implement at the rear of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. However, the work vehicle is not limited to a tractor, and may be a combine. The work machine is not limited to a rotary tiller. A vertical machine, a mower, a rake, a seeder, a fertilizer, a wagon, etc. It may be.

  1 and 2, an overall configuration of a tractor that becomes an autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 will be described. An engine 3 is installed in the hood 2, a dashboard 14 is provided in a cabin 11 at the rear of the hood 2, and a steering handle 4 serving as a steering operation means is provided on the dashboard 14. The steering wheel 4 is rotated to rotate the front wheels 9 and 9 through the steering device. The steering direction of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is detected by the steering sensor 20. The steering sensor 20 is composed of an angle sensor such as a rotary encoder, and is disposed at the rotation base of the front wheel 9. However, the detection configuration of the steering sensor 20 is not limited as long as the steering direction is recognized, and the rotation of the steering handle 4 may be detected or the operation amount of the power steering may be detected. The detection value obtained by the steering sensor 20 is input to the control device 30.

  A driver seat 5 is disposed behind the steering handle 4, and a mission case 6 is disposed below the driver seat 5. Rear axle cases 8 and 8 are connected to the left and right sides of the transmission case 6, and rear wheels 10 and 10 are supported on the rear axle cases 8 and 8 via axles. The power from the engine 3 is shifted by a transmission (a main transmission or an auxiliary transmission) in the mission case 6 so that the rear wheels 10 and 10 can be driven. The transmission is constituted by, for example, a hydraulic continuously variable transmission, and the movable swash plate of a variable displacement hydraulic pump is operated by a transmission means 44 such as a motor so that the transmission can be changed. The speed change means 44 is connected to the control device 30. The rotational speed of the rear wheel 10 is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 27 and is input to the control device 30 as the traveling speed. However, the vehicle speed detection method and the arrangement position of the vehicle speed sensor 27 are not limited.

  The transmission case 6 houses a PTO clutch, a PTO transmission, and a braking device 46. The PTO clutch is turned on and off by a PTO on / off means 45, and the PTO on / off means 45 is connected to the control device 30 to power the PTO shaft. It is possible to control the connection / disconnection. The braking device 46 is connected to the control device 30, and can be braked during an operator's operation or automatic traveling. The control device 30 includes a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device 30m such as a RAM and a ROM, an interface, and the like, and a program and data for operating the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 are stored in the storage device 30m.

  A front axle case 7 is supported on a front frame 13 that supports the engine 3, front wheels 9 and 9 are supported on both sides of the front axle case 7, and power from the transmission case 6 can be transmitted to the front wheels 9 and 9. It is configured. The front wheels 9, 9 are steered wheels, and can be turned by turning the steering handle 4, and the front wheels 9, 9 can be turned left and right by a steering actuator 40 comprising a power steering cylinder as a steering drive means. It is possible. The steering actuator 40 is connected to the control device 30 and is driven by automatic traveling control.

  An engine controller 60 serving as engine rotation control means is connected to the control device 30, and an engine rotation speed sensor 61, a water temperature sensor, a hydraulic pressure sensor, and the like are connected to the engine controller 60 so that the state of the engine can be detected. The engine controller 60 detects the load from the set rotational speed and the actual rotational speed and controls it so as not to be overloaded, and transmits the state of the engine 3 to the remote operation device 112 described later so that it can be displayed on the display 113. Yes.

  The fuel tank 15 disposed below the step is provided with a level sensor 29 for detecting the fuel level and is connected to the control device 30. The display means 49 provided on the dashboard of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 has a fuel supply. A fuel gauge for displaying the remaining amount is provided and connected to the control device 30. Then, information regarding the remaining amount of fuel is transmitted from the control device 30 to the remote operation device 112, and the remaining fuel amount and workable time are displayed on the display 113 of the remote operation device 112.

  On the dashboard 14, display means 49 for displaying an engine tachometer, a fuel gauge, a hydraulic pressure, etc., an abnormal monitor, a set value, and the like are arranged.

  Further, a rotary tiller 24 is installed as a work machine behind the tractor body via a work machine mounting device 23 so as to be able to move up and down to perform the tilling work. An elevating cylinder 26 is provided on the transmission case 6, and the elevating arm 26 constituting the work implement mounting device 23 is rotated by moving the elevating cylinder 26 to extend and lower the rotary tiller 24. The lift cylinder 26 is expanded and contracted by the operation of the lift actuator 25, and the lift actuator 25 is connected to the control device 30.

  A mobile communication device 33 constituting a satellite positioning system is connected to the control device 30. A mobile GPS antenna 34 and a data receiving antenna 38 are connected to the mobile communication device 33, and the mobile GPS antenna 34 and the data receiving antenna 38 are provided on the cabin 11. The mobile communicator 33 is provided with a position calculating means for transmitting latitude and longitude to the control device 30 so that the current position can be grasped. In addition to GPS (United States), high-precision positioning can be performed by using a satellite positioning system (GNSS) such as a quasi-zenith satellite (Japan) or a Glonus satellite (Russia). In this embodiment, GPS is used. explain.

The autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 includes a gyro sensor 31 for obtaining attitude change information of the airframe, and an orientation sensor 32 for detecting a traveling direction, and is connected to the control device 30. However, since the traveling direction can be calculated from the GPS position measurement, the direction sensor 32 can be omitted.
The gyro sensor 31 detects an angular velocity of a tilt (pitch) in the longitudinal direction of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, an angular velocity of a tilt (roll) in the lateral direction of the aircraft, and an angular velocity of turning (yaw). By integrating and calculating the three angular velocities, it is possible to obtain the tilt angle in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction and the turning angle of the body of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. Specific examples of the gyro sensor 31 include a mechanical gyro sensor, an optical gyro sensor, a fluid gyro sensor, and a vibration gyro sensor. The gyro sensor 31 is connected to the control device 30 and inputs information relating to the three angular velocities to the control device 30.

  The direction sensor 32 detects the direction (traveling direction) of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. A specific example of the direction sensor 32 includes a magnetic direction sensor. The direction sensor 32 is connected to the control device 30 and inputs information related to the orientation of the aircraft to the control device 30.

  In this way, the control device 30 calculates the signals acquired from the gyro sensor 31 and the azimuth sensor 32 by the attitude / azimuth calculation means, and the attitude of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 (orientation, forward / backward direction of the body, left / right direction of the body, turning direction). )

Next, a method for acquiring the position information of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 using the GPS (global positioning system) will be described.
GPS was originally developed as a navigation support system for aircraft, ships, etc., and is composed of 24 GPS satellites (four on six orbital planes) orbiting about 20,000 kilometers above the sky. It consists of a control station that performs tracking and control, and a user communication device that performs positioning.
As a positioning method using GPS, there are various methods such as single positioning, relative positioning, DGPS (differential GPS) positioning, RTK-GPS (real-time kinematics-GPS) positioning, and any of these methods can be used. However, in this embodiment, an RTK-GPS positioning method with high measurement accuracy is adopted, and this method will be described with reference to FIGS.

  RTK-GPS (real-time kinematics-GPS) positioning is performed by simultaneously performing GPS observations on a reference station whose position is known and a mobile station whose position is to be obtained. Is transmitted in real time, and the position of the mobile station is obtained in real time based on the position result of the reference station.

  In the present embodiment, a mobile communication device 33 serving as a mobile station, a mobile GPS antenna 34, and a data receiving antenna 38 are arranged in the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, and a fixed communication device 35 serving as a reference station, a fixed GPS antenna 36, and a data transmission antenna. 39 is disposed at a predetermined position that does not interfere with the work in the field. In the RTK-GPS (real-time kinematic-GPS) positioning of the present embodiment, phase measurement (relative positioning) is performed at both the reference station and the mobile station, and data measured by the fixed communication device 35 of the reference station is transmitted from the data transmission antenna 39. Transmit to the data receiving antenna 38.

  The mobile GPS antenna 34 arranged in the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 receives signals from GPS satellites 37, 37. This signal is transmitted to the mobile communication device 33 for positioning. At the same time, signals from GPS satellites 37, 37... Are received by a fixed GPS antenna 36 serving as a reference station, measured by a fixed communication device 35, transmitted to the mobile communication device 33, and the observed data is analyzed and moved. Determine the station location. The position information obtained in this way is transmitted to the control device 30.

  Thus, the control device 30 in the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 includes automatic traveling means for automatically traveling. The automatic traveling means receives radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellites 37, 37. The position information of the aircraft is obtained at time intervals, the displacement information and the orientation information of the aircraft are obtained from the gyro sensor 31 and the orientation sensor 32, and along the set route R preset by the aircraft based on the position information, the displacement information, and the orientation information. The steering actuator 40, the speed change means 44, the lifting / lowering actuator 25, the PTO on / off means 45, the engine controller 60, etc. are controlled so as to automatically run and work automatically. In addition, the positional information on the outer periphery of the field H which becomes a work range is also set in advance by a known method and stored in the storage device 30m.

  Further, the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is provided with an obstacle sensor 41 and a camera 42 as obstacle detection means and is connected to the control device 30 so as not to contact the obstacle. For example, the obstacle sensor 41 is composed of an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, and is arranged at the front, side, or rear part of the aircraft and connected to the control device 30, and there are obstacles at the front, side, or rear of the aircraft. If an obstacle is detected, an alarm is issued and control is performed to reduce or stop the traveling speed.

  In addition, the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is mounted with a camera 42 for photographing the front and the work implement and is connected to the control device 30. The video imaged by the camera 42 is displayed on the display 113 of the remote control device 112 provided in the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100.

  The remote control device 112 sets the set travel route R of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, remotely operates the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, monitors the traveling state of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, and the operating state of the work implement. Or work data.

  In the present embodiment, an operator gets on the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 and operates it, and the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 can be operated by mounting the remote operation device 112 on the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 travels while working diagonally behind the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, and monitors and operates the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. However, there is a case in which the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 travels behind the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 to perform work depending on the work mode, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Since the basic configuration of the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 is substantially the same as that of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, detailed description thereof is omitted. The accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 may include a GPS mobile communication device 33 and a mobile GPS antenna 34.

  The remote operation device 112 can be attached to and detached from an operation unit such as a dashboard of the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. The remote control device 112 can be operated while attached to the dashboard of the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100, or can be taken out of the accompanying traveling work vehicle 100 to be carried and operated, or attached to the dashboard of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. Can be operated. The remote operation device 112 can be configured by, for example, a notebook or tablet personal computer. In this embodiment, a tablet computer is used.

  Further, the remote operation device 112 and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other wirelessly, and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and the remote operation device 112 are provided with transceivers 110 and 111 for communication, respectively. ing. The transceiver 111 is configured integrally with the remote operation device 112. The communication means is configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wireless LAN such as WiFi. The remote operation device 112 is provided with a display 113 as a touch panel type operation screen that can be operated by touching the screen on the surface of the housing, and a transceiver 111, a CPU, a storage device, a battery, and the like are housed in the housing.

  The autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 can be remotely operated by a remote operation device 112. For example, the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 can be operated for emergency stop, temporary stop, re-start, change of vehicle speed, change of engine speed, raising / lowering of the work machine, turning on / off of the PTO clutch, and the like. That is, the operator can easily operate the autonomous traveling work vehicle by controlling the accelerator actuator, the shifting means 44, the braking device 46, the PTO on / off means 45, etc. from the remote control device 112 via the transceiver 111, the transceiver 110, and the control device 30. 1 can be remotely controlled.

  The display 113 can display surrounding images taken by the camera 42, the state of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, the state of work, information on GPS, an operation screen, and the like so that the operator can monitor.

  The state of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 includes a traveling state, an engine state, a working machine state, and the like. The traveling state includes a shift position, a vehicle speed, a fuel remaining amount, a battery voltage, and the like. Is the engine speed, load factor, etc., and the state of the work machine is the type of work machine, PTO rotation speed, work machine height, etc., which are displayed on the display 113 with numbers, level meters, etc.

The work status includes: work route (target route or set travel route R), work process, current position, distance to the headland calculated from the process, remaining route, number of processes, current work time, remaining Working hours, etc. The remaining paths can be easily recognized by filling the existing work paths from the entire work paths. Further, by displaying the next stroke from the current position with an arrow, it is possible to easily recognize the next stroke such as the turning direction from the current time.
The information regarding GPS includes longitude and latitude at which the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is actually located, the number of satellites supplemented, radio wave reception intensity, an abnormality in the positioning system, and the like.

Next, control for checking whether or not the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 can automatically travel will be described with reference to FIG.
Before the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 automatically travels, it is checked whether there are any abnormalities in sensors, actuators, or the like. This abnormality check is performed by the remote operation device 112. However, the display unit 49 or the like provided on the dashboard 14 of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 may be used. The abnormality check is performed by operating an automatic travel start switch 119 provided in the remote control device 112. However, when the engine 3 is started by operating the key switch 62 or before the automatic driving is started by operating the check switch 118 provided in the vicinity of the remote control device 112 or the driver's seat, the abnormality check is automatically performed. You can also

  First, when the automatic travel start switch 119 is pressed (S1), it is checked whether communication is possible between the remote control device 112 and the control device 30 of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 (S2). If the communication is abnormal, a message to that effect is displayed on the display 113 (S3), prompting that the remote operation device 112 cannot be set or operated on the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and that repair is necessary, and the process proceeds to step S4. Transition. If the communication is normal, the process proceeds to step 4.

  In step S4, sensors are checked (S4). The sensors check whether a predetermined output voltage is output (whether an abnormal voltage is not output), whether the sensor is short-circuited or not disconnected, and the like. If there is an abnormality, the sensor name and abnormality content are displayed on the display 113 (S5), and the process proceeds to step S6. Examples of the sensor include a steering sensor 20, a vehicle speed sensor 27, a level sensor 29, a gyro sensor 31, an orientation sensor 32, an obstacle sensor 41, a camera 42, a shift position of a main shift lever, a shift position of a sub shift lever, and a PTO. These include a position sensor that detects the shift position of the shift lever, a position sensor that detects the height of the rotary tiller 24, and a battery voltage detection sensor. A rotation sensor, a water temperature sensor, a hydraulic pressure sensor, and the like provided in the engine 3 are detected as an engine abnormality via the engine controller 60, and are displayed if there is an abnormality. If there is no abnormality in the sensors, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S6, it is checked whether there is any abnormality in the actuator (S6). The actuator is checked for short-circuits, disconnections, and currents exceeding the set value. If there is an abnormality, the actuator name and the content of the abnormality are displayed on the display 113 (S7), and the process proceeds to step S8. Examples of the actuator include the lift actuator 25, the steering actuator 40, the speed change means 44, the actuator of the braking device 46, and the like. Even if there is no abnormality in the actuator, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, it is checked whether the satellite positioning system is normally performed (S8). If satellite positioning is not possible, a message to that effect is displayed (S9), and the process proceeds to step 10. Also when the satellite positioning system is normal, the process proceeds to step S10.
In step S10, if any abnormality is not displayed, it is displayed that there is no abnormality (S11). If any abnormality is displayed, all abnormalities are displayed and automatic driving is not permitted and stopped. (S12). At this time, an alarm may be issued by the speaker 151 or a lamp.

  In this way, it is possible to check whether there is an abnormality before the automatic running is performed, so that it is possible to prevent malfunction due to sensor failure or actuator failure. In particular, if the braking device 46, the speed change means 44, the obstacle sensor 41, the vehicle speed sensor 27, the engine controller 60, etc. involved in the stop output abnormal values or the actuator does not operate, there is a risk of runaway and an accident. It is also important to check for abnormalities before work. In addition, when the engine 3 is started or when the automatic travel start switch 119 is operated, the abnormality check is automatically performed, so that the operator's operation and confirmation work can be omitted, thereby preventing the check operation from being forgotten. can do.

  Then, after checking the abnormality of the sensor and the actuator, it is possible to further check whether or not it actually moves. In this operation check, the actuator to be operated is displayed on the display 113, and the actuators are operated one by one in order to check whether the actuator moves normally. Although this confirmation is confirmed using a sensor, the operator may confirm it visually. If the actuator does not move normally, the actuator is displayed on the display 113. At this time, an alarm may be issued. In this way, it is possible to find anomalies that can be recognized only after actual movement. This operation check can be selected by the selection means.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Autonomous traveling working vehicle 30 Control apparatus 100 Accompanying traveling working vehicle 112 Remote operation apparatus 113 Display 118 Check switch 130 Control apparatus 151 Speaker

Claims (3)

  An autonomous traveling work vehicle comprising position calculating means for positioning the position of the aircraft using a satellite positioning system, and a control device for automatically traveling and working along a set traveling route, and the autonomous traveling work vehicle In a side-by-side operation vehicle that enables an autonomous traveling work vehicle to be operated by a remote control device mounted on an accompanying traveling work vehicle that performs work while traveling along with the vehicle, the control device performs an automatic traveling start operation before automatic traveling. An autonomous traveling work vehicle characterized in that a sensor and an actuator are checked to display whether it is normal or abnormal, and if there is an abnormality, the abnormal part is displayed and automatic traveling is not permitted.   The autonomous traveling work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an alarm is issued when the sensor or the actuator is abnormal. The autonomous traveling work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the check is performed, an operation check is also performed.

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