JP2018174890A - Work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work vehicle capable of avoiding contact with an obstacle at a rear portion of a vehicle body. An electronic control system 51 for automatic driving that automatically drives a vehicle body is provided, and the electronic control system 51 includes an obstacle detection module 64 for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle and an obstacle detection module 64 for obstacles. The vehicle body is equipped with a traveling suppression control unit 30D that suppresses the traveling of the vehicle body when the detection is detected, and the obstacle detection module 64 is provided with a plurality of obstacle explorers 68 that detect obstacles existing in the search target area. As the object explorer 68, a pair of left and right first obstacle explorers 68A whose exploration target area is on the side of the rear end portion of the main body of the vehicle body are provided. [Selection diagram] Fig. 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a work vehicle provided with an electronic control system for automatic driving that automatically drives a vehicle body.

  An example of the work vehicle is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. The work vehicle described in the same document is provided at the front of the vehicle body with obstacle detection means capable of detecting an obstacle present in front of the vehicle body. In this work vehicle, when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection means, the automatic driving (autonomous traveling) of the vehicle body is stopped to prevent the vehicle body from contacting the obstacle existing in front of the vehicle body. It has become.

JP, 2008-92818, A

  However, in the above-mentioned prior art, only the obstacle which exists in front of the vehicle body can be detected by the obstacle detecting means, and the obstacle which is present on the rear side of the vehicle body is not detected. There was a possibility that an obstacle could touch the device etc.

  In view of the above situation, it is desirable to be able to avoid an obstacle coming into contact with the rear of the vehicle body.

The work vehicle of the present invention is
It is equipped with an electronic control system for automatic operation that drives the vehicle automatically.
The electronic control system is provided with an obstacle detection module that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and a traveling suppression control unit that suppresses traveling of the vehicle body when the obstacle detection module detects an obstacle.
The obstacle detection module is provided with a plurality of obstacle searchers for detecting obstacles present in a search target area,
The obstacle locator includes a pair of first obstacle locators on the left and right sides with the side of the rear end portion of the main body of the vehicle as the search target area.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect an obstacle present in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the main body of the vehicle body by the pair of left and right first obstacle locators. When an obstacle is detected by the pair of left and right first obstacle searchers, traveling of the vehicle body is suppressed. For this reason, for example, it is possible to avoid the transition of the vehicle body from the stop state to the traveling state in the state where an obstacle is present between the work device located at the rear end of the vehicle body and the body of the vehicle body. As a result, for example, inconveniences such as hitting an obstacle with a working device can be avoided, and the reliability of automatic driving can be enhanced.

  Thus, according to the present invention, an obstacle can be prevented from contacting the rear of the vehicle body.

In the present invention,
Preferably, the first obstacle probe is attached to the rear of the rear fender.

  According to the above configuration, the obstacle located near the rear end portion of the rear wheel located below the rear fender can be detected with high accuracy by the first obstacle search device.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that a pair of left and right second obstacle probes be provided as the search target area as a side of the front and rear center portion of the vehicle body as the obstacle probe.

  According to the above configuration, the obstacle located on the side of the front and rear central portion of the vehicle body can be accurately detected by the second obstacle search device.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the second obstacle probe be attached to the front of the rear fender.

  According to the above configuration, the obstacle located near the front end of the rear wheel located below the rear fender can be detected with high accuracy by the second obstacle probe.

In the present invention,
The obstacle detection module is provided with an obstacle detector for detecting an obstacle present in a detection target area by a detection method different from that of the obstacle searcher,
It is preferable that the search target area of the obstacle searcher includes an area located below the detection target area of the obstacle detector.

  According to the above configuration, the area under the obstacle searcher's detection target area is covered with the obstacle searcher's search target area, thereby reducing the blind spot area where the obstacle can not be detected, and the automatic operation It is possible to detect obstacles that exist around the vehicle body that can be an obstacle to leakage without leaking.

In the present invention,
Preferably, the obstacle searcher is an ultrasonic sonar.

  According to the above configuration, the overall cost increase can be suppressed by using a relatively inexpensive ultrasonic sonar for detecting an obstacle.

It is a left side view of a tractor showing arrangement of an obstacle search device, an obstacle detector, etc. It is a top view of a tractor showing arrangement of an obstacle search device, an obstacle detector, etc. It is a perspective view of a tractor showing arrangement of an obstacle search device, an obstacle detector, etc. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of a control system. It is a schematic diagram of the left side view showing the search object area by an obstacle search device, and the detection object area by an obstacle detector. It is a schematic diagram of the upper surface view which shows the search object area | region by an obstacle search device, and the detection object area | region by an obstacle detector. It is a schematic diagram of the front view which shows the detection object area | region by an obstacle detector.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment which is an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The direction of the arrow of symbol F shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is “front”, the direction of the arrow of symbol U shown in FIG. 1 is “upper”, and the arrow of symbol R shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 Direction is "right".

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, a tractor (an example of a “working vehicle”) includes a vehicle body frame 1 extending to the front and rear ends of the vehicle body, left and right traveling devices 2 disposed on the left and right of the vehicle body frame 1, and a vehicle body frame 1 A driving unit 3 disposed on the front side of the vehicle, a cabin 4 disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body frame 1, and a working device W attached to the rear end of the vehicle body frame 1 so as to be movable up and down (FIGS. 5 and 6) 3 point link mechanism 5 grade for connecting (refer) is provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a weight 1 </ b> A is attached to the front end of the vehicle body frame 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, the vehicle body frame 1 extends from the lower portion of the engine 6 disposed in the prime mover 3 to the front side of the vehicle body, and from the lower rear end portion of the engine 6 to the vehicle rear side A case unit 8 or the like that also serves as an extending rear frame is provided. Although illustration is omitted, inside the case unit 8, a pedal-operated main clutch for connecting and disconnecting the power from the engine 6, and a shift transmission for shifting the power via the main clutch into a travel and an operation. A unit and left and right side brakes acting on the left and right traveling devices 2 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, etc., the left and right traveling devices 2 are provided with left and right front wheels 9 functioning as drivable steerable wheels, and left and right rear wheels 10 functioning as drive wheels. . The left and right front wheels 9 are drivably supported at both left and right end portions of the wheel support member 11 rotatably supported by the front frame 7. The wheel support member 11 is a front axle case internally provided with a transmission shaft or the like for driving the front wheel. The left and right rear wheels 10 are drivably supported by the case unit 8, and the upper side of each rear wheel 10 is covered by the left and right rear fenders 12 disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the motive power unit 3 has a water-cooled engine 6 disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the motive power unit 3 located downstream of the motive power unit 3 in the cooling direction. A cooling fan 13 disposed on the front side of the vehicle body, a radiator 14 disposed on the front side of the vehicle than the cooling fan 13, a battery (not shown) disposed on the front side of the vehicle on the radiator 14 An exhaust treatment device (not shown) disposed, an air cleaner (not shown) disposed above the front of the engine 6, a rocking-type bonnet 16 etc. covering the engine 6 and the radiator 14 from above are provided. It is equipped. The engine 6 employs an electronically controlled diesel engine provided with a common rail system. Inside the exhaust gas treatment apparatus, DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst), DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and the like are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, the cabin 4 forms an operation unit 17 and a boarding space on the rear side of the vehicle body. The driver 17 has a clutch pedal 18 that enables the operation of the main clutch, a left and right brake pedal (not shown) that enables the operation of the left and right side brakes, and a manual that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 9. A steering wheel 19 for steering, a shuttle lever 20 for forward / backward switching, a driver seat 22 having an armrest 21 for the right arm, and a display unit 23 having a liquid crystal panel or the like that can be touch-operated are provided. The steering wheel 19 is linked to the left and right front wheels 9 via a steering mechanism 25 having a full hydraulic power steering unit (hereinafter referred to as a PS unit 24). The arm shift 21 includes a main shift lever 26 (see FIG. 4), an elevation lever 27 (see FIG. 4) for setting the height position of the work device W, and an elevation switch 28 for instructing elevation of the work device W (see FIG. 4). Reference) is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the three-point link mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 etc. is driven to swing up and down by the operation of an electro-hydraulic control lift drive unit 29 provided in the vehicle body. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, various working devices W such as a rotary tilling device, a plow, a disc harrow, a cultivator, a subsoiler, a sowing device, and a spraying device can be connected to the three-point link mechanism 5. When the work device W connected to the three-point link mechanism 5 is a rotary tiller driven by power from the vehicle body, the work power extracted from the transmission unit is transmitted through the external transmission shaft. It is transmitted to the work device W.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a main electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as a main ECU 30) and an electronic control unit for an engine (hereinafter referred to as an engine ECU 31) are mounted on the vehicle body. The main ECU 30 includes an electronic hydraulic control type elevation drive unit 29 described above, an electronic control unit for an engine (hereinafter referred to as an engine ECU 31), an electronically controlled main transmission 32 provided in the transmission unit, and forward / reverse switching. Device area 33 and PTO clutch 34, electro-hydraulic brake operation unit 35 for enabling automatic operation of left and right side brakes, in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36 for acquiring in-vehicle information including vehicle speed, etc. Etc.) are communicably connected via an in-vehicle LAN or communication line. The main ECU 30 and the engine ECU 31 are provided with a microprocessor having a CPU, an EEPROM, and the like. The main ECU 30 is provided with a travel control unit 30A that performs control related to traveling of the vehicle body, and a work control unit 30B that performs control related to the work apparatus W.

  The main transmission 32 employs a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission that continuously shifts the power for traveling. The forward / reverse switching device 33 doubles as a traveling clutch that intermittently connects or disconnects the traveling power. Although not shown, the gear shift transmission unit includes the main transmission 32 and the like, an auxiliary transmission that changes the driving power in steps, and a PTO transmission that changes the working power in steps. It is equipped.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36 includes a rotation sensor 37 for detecting the output rotational speed of the engine 6, a vehicle speed sensor 38 for detecting the output rotational speed of the auxiliary transmission as a vehicle speed, and an operation of the main shift lever 26. A first lever sensor 39 for detecting the position, a second lever sensor 41 for detecting the operation position of the auxiliary transmission lever 40 provided in the driving unit 17, a third lever sensor 42 for detecting the operation position of the shuttle lever 20, an elevating lever The fourth lever sensor 43 for detecting the operation position of 27, the elevating switch 28 described above, the swing raising switch 44, the reverse raising switch 45, the PTO switch 46, and the left and right lift arms in the raising and lowering drive unit 29 Height sensor 47 that detects the vertical swing angle of the work device W as the height position of the work device W, and detects the steering angle of the front wheel 9 Various sensors and switches such as the steering angle sensor 48 is included to.

  The travel control unit 30A has various control programs and the like that enable control related to traveling of the vehicle body. The traveling control unit 30A detects the engine speed and the main shift lever 26 based on the output of the rotation sensor 37, the output of the vehicle speed sensor 38, the output of the first lever sensor 39, and the output of the second lever sensor 41. The vehicle speed control for operating the trunnion shaft (not shown) of the main transmission 32 is performed to reach the control target vehicle speed obtained from the operation position and the operation position of the auxiliary transmission lever 40. Thereby, the driver can change the vehicle speed to any speed by operating the main shift lever 26 to any operation position.

  The traveling control unit 30A performs forward / backward switching control to switch the forward / backward switching device 33 to a transmission state corresponding to the operation position of the shuttle lever 20 based on the output of the third lever sensor 42. Thus, the driver can set the traveling direction of the vehicle body to the forward direction by operating the shuttle lever 20 to the forward position. The driver can set the traveling direction of the vehicle body to the reverse direction by operating the shuttle lever 20 to the reverse position.

  The work control unit 30B includes various control programs and the like that enable control related to the work device W. The work control unit 30B raises and lowers the drive unit 29 so that the work device W is positioned at the height position according to the operation position of the lift lever 27 based on the output of the fourth lever sensor 43 and the output of the height sensor 47. Position control to control the operation of Thereby, the driver can change the height position of the work apparatus W to any height position by operating the lift lever 27 to any operation position.

  In the work control unit 30B, when the elevation switch 28 is switched to the elevation instruction state by the manual operation of the elevation switch 28, the work device W is preset based on the elevation instruction from the elevation switch 28 and the output of the height sensor 47. An elevation control is performed to control the operation of the elevation drive unit 29 so as to ascend to the upper limit position. Thus, the driver can automatically raise the work device W to the upper limit position by switching the lift switch 28 to the elevation command state.

  When the lifting switch 28 is switched to the lowering command state by the manual operation of the lifting switch 28, the work control unit 30B is based on the lowering command from the lifting switch 28, the output of the fourth lever sensor 43, and the output of the height sensor 47. Thus, the lowering control for controlling the operation of the elevation drive unit 29 is performed so that the work device W is lowered to the work height position set by the elevation lever 27. Thus, the driver can automatically lower the work device W to the work height position by switching the lift switch 28 to the lowering instruction state.

  The work control unit 30B selects the steering angle of the front wheel 9 based on the output of the steering angle sensor 48 that detects the steering angle of the front wheel 9 when execution of the swing interlocking rise control is selected by the manual operation of the turning climb switch 44. When it is detected that the set angle for turning only has been reached, the above-described elevation control is automatically performed. Thus, the driver can automatically raise the work apparatus W to the upper limit position in conjunction with the start of turning only by selecting execution of the turn interlocking rise control.

  Operation control unit 30B detects the manual operation of shuttle lever 20 to the reverse position based on the output of third lever sensor 42 when the execution of reverse interlock interlocking control is selected by the manual operation of reverse lift switch 45. When it does, the above-mentioned rise control is done automatically. Thereby, the driver can automatically raise the work apparatus W to the upper limit position in conjunction with switching to reverse travel by selecting execution of reverse interlock interlocking rise control.

  When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the ON position by the manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the operation control unit 30B transmits work power to the work device W based on the switching to the ON position. A clutch engagement control is performed to switch the PTO clutch 34 to the on state. Thus, the driver can operate the work device W by operating the PTO switch 46 to the on position.

  When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the off position by the manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the operation control unit 30B prevents the power for operation from being transmitted to the work device W based on the switching to the off position. A clutch release control is performed to switch the clutch 34 to the release state. Thus, the driver can stop the work device W by operating the PTO switch 46 to the off position.

  When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the automatic position by the manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the operation control unit 30B automatically performs the above-described clutch release control in conjunction with the execution of the above-described lift control. The clutch engagement control described above is automatically performed in conjunction with the execution of the above-described lowering control. Thus, the driver can stop the work device W in conjunction with the automatic raising of the work device W to the upper limit position by operating the PTO switch 46 to the automatic position. The work device W can be operated in conjunction with the automatic lowering to the work height position of.

  As shown in FIG. 4, this tractor has a selection switch 50 which enables selection of a manual operation mode, an automatic operation mode, etc. in the operation mode, and an automatic operation which automatically operates the vehicle body when the automatic operation mode is selected. An electronic control system 51 is provided. The electronic control system 51 includes the main ECU 30 described above, an automatic steering unit 52 that enables automatic steering of the left and right front wheels 9, a positioning unit 53 that measures the position and orientation of the vehicle body, and a monitoring unit 54 that monitors the surroundings of the vehicle body. Etc are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the automatic steering unit 52 is configured by the PS unit 24 described above. When the manual operation mode is selected, the PS unit 24 steers the left and right front wheels 9 based on the turning operation of the steering wheel 19. Further, when the automatic driving mode is selected, the PS unit 24 steers the left and right front wheels 9 based on a control command from the main ECU 30.

  That is, the left and right front wheels 9 can be steered automatically without providing a steering unit dedicated to automatic steering. In addition, when a failure occurs in the electric system of the PS unit 24, it is possible to easily switch to manual steering by the passenger, and the driving of the vehicle body can be continued.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the positioning unit 53 uses the well-known GPS (Global Positioning System), which is an example of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), to determine the position and orientation of the vehicle body. A satellite navigation device 60 to measure is provided. Positioning methods using GPS include DGPS (Differential GPS), RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic GPS), etc. In this embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for positioning of a mobile body is adopted. .

  The satellite navigation device 60 is an antenna unit 61 for satellite navigation that receives radio waves transmitted from GPS satellites (not shown) and positioning data transmitted from a reference station (not shown) installed at a known position. Is equipped. The reference station transmits positioning data obtained by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites to the satellite navigation device 60. The satellite navigation device 60 obtains the position and orientation of the vehicle based on the positioning data obtained by receiving the radio waves from the GPS satellites and the positioning data from the reference station.

  The antenna unit 61 is attached to the roof 62 of the cabin 4 located at the top of the vehicle body so that the reception sensitivity of the radio wave from the GPS satellite is high. Therefore, the position and orientation of the vehicle body measured using the GPS include a positioning error caused by the positional deviation of the antenna unit 61 caused by yawing, pitching or rolling of the vehicle body.

  Therefore, the vehicle body has a 3-axis gyroscope (not shown) and a 3-direction acceleration sensor (not shown) to enable correction to remove the above-mentioned positioning error, and the yaw angle of the vehicle body , And an inertial measurement unit 63 (IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit) that measures a pitch angle, a roll angle, and the like. The inertial measurement device 63 is provided inside the antenna unit 61 in order to easily obtain the positional deviation amount of the antenna unit 61 described above. The antenna unit 61 is attached to the left and right center of the front upper surface of the roof 62 of the cabin 4 so as to be located at the central portion of the wheel base L at the central portion of the tread T in the vehicle body in top view ).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the main ECU 30 is provided with an automatic operation control unit 30C having various control programs and the like that enable automatic operation of the vehicle body. The autonomous driving control unit 30C runs the vehicle based on the target traveling route, the positioning result of the positioning unit 53, etc. so that the vehicle automatically travels while properly working at the set speed on the target traveling route of the field set in advance. Various control commands are transmitted to the control unit 30A and the work control unit 30B at appropriate timing. The traveling control unit 30A appropriately applies various control instructions to the main transmission 32 and the forward / reverse switching device 33 based on various control commands from the automatic driving control unit 30C and various acquisition information of the in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36, and the like. It transmits at proper timing to control the operation of the main transmission 32 and the forward and reverse switching device 33 and the like. The work control unit 30B appropriately sets various control commands to the lift drive unit 29, the PTO clutch 34, and the like based on various control commands from the automatic driving control unit 30C, various acquired information of the in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36, and the like. To control the operation of the elevation drive unit 29, the PTO clutch 34, and the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, in the monitoring unit 54, when the obstacle detection module 64 for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle and the obstacle detection module 64 detect an obstacle, travel suppression control for suppressing the traveling of the vehicle body The travel suppression control unit 30D that performs (contact avoidance control to avoid contact with an obstacle), four monitoring cameras 66 that capture the surroundings of the vehicle body, and an image processing device 67 that processes an image captured by the monitoring camera 66 It is equipped.

  In the obstacle detection module 64 shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of obstacle detectors 65 for detecting obstacles present in the area to be searched Y, and a plurality of obstacles for detecting obstacles present in the area to be detected X Device 68 and two search information processing devices 69 for determining whether an obstacle has approached within a close distance to the vehicle based on the search information from each obstacle search device 68 There is. The obstacle detector 65 detects the approach of an obstacle at a short distance (for example, within 10 m) to the vehicle body. Each obstacle locator 68 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle within a close distance (for example, within 1 m) to the vehicle body. That is, the obstacle detection module 64 is provided with an obstacle detector 65 which detects an obstacle present in the detection target area X by a detection method different from the obstacle searcher 68.

  5 to 7 schematically show the detection target area X of the obstacle detector 65 and the search target area Y by the obstacle searcher 68. As shown in FIG. An area to be searched Y of the obstacle searcher 68 includes an area located below the detection area X of the obstacle detector 65. In FIGS. 5 to 7, the detection target area X and the search target area Y are omitted to some extent for convenience of illustration.

  The detection target area X and the search target area Y shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 are respectively changed according to the vehicle speed. Specifically, the detection target area X and the search target area Y increase as the vehicle speed increases.

  Each obstacle search device 68 employs an ultrasonic sonar that uses ultrasonic waves for distance measurement as an example of a distance measurement sensor. The eight obstacle locators 68 are distributed in the front end portion and the left and right end portions of the vehicle body so that the front and the left and right sides of the vehicle body become the search target area Y. Each obstacle locator 68 has a substantially conical exploration target area Y. Each obstacle searcher 68 transmits the search information obtained by the search to the corresponding search information processor 69.

  Each exploration information processing device 69 performs processing to determine whether an obstacle has approached within a close distance to the vehicle based on the time from transmission to reception of ultrasonic waves in the corresponding obstacle search unit 68, The determination result is output to the travel suppression control unit 30D.

  As a result, when an obstacle abnormally approaches within a close distance to the vehicle body at the front or right and left lateral sides of the vehicle body during automatic driving, the obstacle detection module 64 detects the approach of the obstacle.

  Incidentally, in the obstacle detection module 64, for example, when the vehicle body is traveling toward the heel by automatic driving, or when the vehicle body is traveling along the ridge by the automatic driving, the heel is the vehicle body. In the case of an abnormal approach within a close distance to the camera, this eyelid is detected as an obstacle. In addition, when the moving body approaches abnormally within the close distance to the vehicle body, the moving body is detected as an obstacle.

[About an obstacle detector]
Each obstacle detector 65 employs a laser scanner having a planar detection area X and having a detection angle of about 270 degrees at the maximum. Each obstacle detector 65 is provided with a detection unit for detecting an obstacle and a processing unit for processing detection information from the detection unit. The detection unit irradiates a laser beam to the detection target area X and receives the reflected light. The processing unit determines whether an obstacle is approaching at a short distance to the vehicle based on the time from irradiation of the laser beam to light reception, and outputs the determination result to the traveling suppression control unit 30D.

  In the obstacle detector 65 on the front side, the area on the front side of the vehicle body is set as a detection target area X. A pair of left and right obstacle detectors 65 for detecting an obstacle existing in the first detection target area X1 is provided with the front and the side of the body of the vehicle body as the first detection target area X1. Further, a rear obstacle detector 102 is provided, which is located behind the working device W of the vehicle body as a second detection target area X2 and detects an obstacle present in the second detection target area X2.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the first detection target area X1 and the second detection target area X2 are, for example, even if the vehicle has some degree of rolling or pitching in accordance with the ups and downs of the field while traveling. It is set in the range which does not detect the field ground.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 4 etc., each obstacle detector 65 is attached to a support frame extending along the vertical direction. Here, the support frame is a front pillar 73 provided in the cabin 4.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, each obstacle detector 65 is disposed between the outer end of the bonnet 16 and the outermost position M of the body of the vehicle body in the left-right direction. Each obstacle detector 65 is disposed between the upper end of the hood 16 and the upper end of the front wheel 9 in the vertical direction. Further, each obstacle detector 65 is disposed at the front and rear middle portion of the main body of the vehicle body. Here, the front and rear intermediate portion of the body of the vehicle body means an area having a certain extent of expansion and contraction centered on the front and rear center portion of the body of the vehicle body.

  Each obstacle detector 65 is disposed between the front axle 9A of the front wheel 9 and the rear axle 10A of the rear wheel 10 in the front-rear direction. As a result, it is possible to set the first detection target area X1 so that an obstacle can be detected favorably in response to the inclination of the vehicle body in a complicated terrain.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first detection target areas X1 of the obstacle detectors 65 are set to be inclined back and forth and left and right with respect to the horizontal plane. To add to the explanation, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection target area X of each obstacle detector 65 is inclined so as to fall forward and backward. Further, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is set to pass through the front upper side of the front wheel 9 respectively. Further, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is set to pass through the front upper side of the weight 1A. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is inclined downward from the inside side of the airframe to the outside side of the airframe.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the rear obstacle detector 102, an area behind the work apparatus W on the rear side of the vehicle body is set as a second detection target area X2. The second detection target area X2 of the rear obstacle detector 102 is set to have an inclination angle to the rear. The second detection target area X2 is set to be wider than the lateral width of the work device W in the left-right direction.

  Here, the travel suppression control unit 30D illustrated in FIG. 4 has a control program or the like that enables execution of the travel suppression control. The travel suppression control unit 30D controls the automatic driving control unit 30C when the approach of the obstacle at a short distance to the vehicle body is confirmed based on the determination result of each obstacle detector 65 and the rear obstacle detector 102. The travel suppression control is started prior to the automatic operation based on the operation. Then, the travel suppression control unit 30D performs the travel suppression control based on the determination results of the obstacle detectors 65, the rear obstacle detectors 102, and the search information processing devices 69.

  In the travel suppression control, the travel suppression control unit 30D outputs a deceleration command to the travel control unit 30A with the start of the travel suppression control. Thus, the travel suppression control unit 30D decelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A, and reduces the vehicle speed from the setting speed for normal traveling to the setting speed for contact avoidance. When the traveling suppression control unit 30D confirms the approach of the obstacle within the close distance to the vehicle body based on the determination result of one of the search information processing devices 69 in this low speed traveling state, the traveling control unit 30A and The emergency stop command is output to the work control unit 30B. Accordingly, the travel suppression control unit 30D switches the forward / backward switching device 33 to the neutral state by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A, and operates the left and right brakes by the operation of the brake operation unit 35, The rear wheel 10 is braked. Further, the travel suppression control unit 30D switches the PTO clutch 34 to the off state by the operation of the work control unit 30B and stops the operation of the work device W. As a result, the traveling stop of the vehicle body and the operation stopping of the working device W can be quickly performed based on the approach of the obstacle into the close distance to the vehicle body, and the possibility of the vehicle body contacting the obstacle can be avoided. When it is confirmed in the low speed traveling state that there is no obstacle in the short distance to the vehicle body based on the discrimination results of the obstacle detectors 65, the traveling suppression control unit 30D increases the number to the traveling control unit 30A. The speed command is output, and then the travel suppression control is ended. Thus, the travel suppression control unit 30D accelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A to increase the vehicle speed from the contact avoidance setting speed to the normal travel setting speed. The automatic operation based on the control operation of the automatic operation control unit 30C is resumed.

  As each monitoring camera 66 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, a wide-angle visible light CCD camera is adopted. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the front of the vehicle body, and this surveillance camera 66 is in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is facing forward and downward. Installed in One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the right side of the vehicle body, and these surveillance cameras 66 are at the right end of the upper end of the cabin 4 in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is the lower right direction. It is installed with a predetermined interval in front and back. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the left side of the vehicle body, and these surveillance cameras 66 are at the left end of the upper end of the cabin 4 in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is the lower left direction. It is installed with a predetermined interval in front and back. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the rear of the vehicle body, and this surveillance camera 66 is in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is directed rearward and downward. It is installed in the place. Thereby, the surroundings of the vehicle body can be photographed without omission.

  The image processing device 67 shown in FIG. 4 processes the video signal from each monitoring camera 66 and looks down from directly above the vehicle body, the vehicle body front side image, the vehicle body right side image, the vehicle body left side image, the vehicle body rear side image Such a bird's-eye view image etc. are produced | generated and it transmits to display unit 23 grade | etc.,. The display unit 23 includes a control unit 23B that switches an image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 23A based on an artificial operation or the like of various operation switches (not shown) displayed on the liquid crystal panel 23A.

  According to the above configuration, during manual driving, the driver can easily visually recognize the peripheral situation and the working situation of the vehicle body in operation by displaying the image from the image processing device 67 on the liquid crystal panel 23A. Thus, the driver can easily drive a good vehicle according to the type of work and the like. In addition, when the manager gets on the vehicle body at the time of automatic driving, the manager can easily display the image from the image processing device 67 on the liquid crystal panel 23A, thereby facilitating the peripheral condition and the working condition of the vehicle during automatic driving. It is visible to When the administrator visually recognizes an abnormality around the vehicle body during automatic driving, work conditions, and the like, the administrator can promptly take appropriate measures according to the type and degree of the abnormality.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic control system 51 includes a coordination control unit 70 that causes the vehicle body to automatically travel in coordination with another vehicle of the same specification when the coordination operation mode is selected by the manual operation of the selection switch 50. It is done. The cooperative control unit 70 performs a cooperative operation control that performs cooperative driving control based on the information from the other module, and the communication module 71 that wirelessly communicates with the other vehicle information related to the other vehicle including the position information of the vehicle. A control unit 30E is provided. The coordinated driving control unit 30E is provided in the main ECU 30 with a control program or the like that enables the execution of coordinated driving control.

  In the cooperative driving mode, the automatic driving control unit 30C causes the vehicle target to travel in parallel with the preset target traveling route at the set speed while automatically traveling at the set speed. The various control commands are transmitted to the traveling control unit 30A, the work control unit 30B, and the like at appropriate timings based on the positioning result and the like. The cooperative driving control unit 30E is based on the target traveling route for the own vehicle, the positioning result of the positioning unit 53, the target traveling route for the other vehicle, the position information of the other vehicle, etc. It is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction between the vehicle and the vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction between the preceding other vehicle and the vehicle are appropriate. Then, when one of the inter-vehicle distances is not appropriate, the cooperative operation control is started prior to the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C so that the inter-vehicle distance becomes appropriate.

  In the coordinated driving control, the coordinated driving control unit 30E outputs a deceleration command to the traveling control unit 30A when the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction is shorter than the appropriate distance. Thereby, the cooperative driving control unit 30E decelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, and restores the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E resumes the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction returns to the appropriate distance, so that the vehicle speed is for normal traveling. Increase the speed to the set speed and maintain the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction at an appropriate distance.

  When the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction is longer than the appropriate distance, the cooperative operation control unit 30E outputs an acceleration command to the travel control unit 30A. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E accelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, and restores the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E resumes the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction returns to the appropriate distance, so that the vehicle speed is for normal traveling. Reduce the speed to the set speed and maintain the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction at an appropriate distance.

  When the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction is longer than the appropriate distance, the cooperative driving control unit 30E outputs a steering command to the traveling control unit 30A to the other vehicle side. As a result, the coordinated driving control unit 30E steers the left and right front wheels 9 to the other vehicle side by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, and restores the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction to an appropriate distance. Then, the coordinated driving control unit 30E resumes the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction returns to the appropriate distance, and the traveling direction of the vehicle body is normally Return to the traveling direction of travel and maintain the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel direction at an appropriate distance.

  When the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction is shorter than the appropriate distance, the cooperative operation control unit 30E outputs a steering command to the traveling control unit 30A to the side away from the other vehicle. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E steers the left and right front wheels 9 away from other vehicles by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, and restores the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction to an appropriate distance. Then, the coordinated driving control unit 30E resumes the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction returns to the appropriate distance, and the traveling direction of the vehicle body is normally Return to the traveling direction of travel and maintain the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel direction at an appropriate distance.

  As a result, the own vehicle can be automatically made to run side by side automatically while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction and the inter-vehicle distance in the co-traveling direction as correction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, the cabin 4 supports a roof frame 72 that supports the roof 62 and the like, left and right front pillars 73 that support the front end of the roof frame 72, and front and rear intermediate portions of the roof frame 72 Left and right center pillars 74, left and right rear pillars 75 supporting the rear side of the roof frame 72, a front panel 76 forming the front of the cabin 4, and left and right door panels 77 supported swingably on the left and right center pillars 74. The left and right side panels 78 forming the rear side surface of the cabin 4 and the rear panel 79 supported by the roof frame 72 so as to be capable of opening and closing are provided.

  The left and right front pillars 73 are disposed forward of the central portion of the wheel base L in the main body of the vehicle body. The front pillars 73 on the left and right sides are located on the left and right center side of the vehicle body toward the upper side of the upper half in front view, and on the front and rear center side of the vehicle body on the upper side of the upper half in side view. The part is curved. The left and right front pillars 73 each support a turn signal indicator 100 (a blinker). Further, on the upper side of the left and right front pillars 73 with respect to the direction indicator 100, there is supported a rearview mirror 101 which can be adjusted to rotate about its vertical axis and which can adjust its mirror surface back and forth and left and right.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cabin 4 is provided with an auxiliary frame 90 extending rearward from the upper end portions of the left and right rear pillars 75. The auxiliary frame 90 supports the rear obstacle detector 102 and a surveillance camera 66 for rear shooting.

[About obstacle searcher]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, each obstacle locator 68 is installed at a position above at least the front wheels 9 on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. Thereby, for example, even if any obstacle prober 68 approaches the ground of the field by rolling or pitching the vehicle body according to the ups and downs of the field, etc., during work travel, The separation distance of each obstacle locator 68 from the ground can be maintained longer than the search distance of each obstacle locator 68.

  That is, even when the vehicle is rolling or pitching according to the ups and downs of the field during work traveling, the obstacle ground of the field gets into the search distance of each obstacle locator 68 while each obstacle locator 68 It is located at an appropriate height that can avoid fear. As a result, it is possible to avoid the possibility that each obstacle locator 68 erroneously detects the ground of the field as an obstacle due to rolling or pitching of the vehicle body during work travel.

  The search target area Y of the obstacle search device 68 includes a first search target area Y1, a second search target area Y2, a third search target area Y3, and a fourth search target area Y4.

  As the obstacle searcher 68, a pair of left and right first obstacle searchers 68A in which the side of the rear end portion in the main body of the vehicle body is the first search target area Y1, the side of the front and rear central portion in the vehicle body is the second search target A pair of left and right second obstacle locators 68B in the area Y2 and a third pair of left and right middle parts in the front and rear center of the vehicle body in front of the second obstacle locator 68B are the third search target area Y3. An obstacle searcher 68C and a pair of left and right fourth obstacle searchers 68D whose front side of the vehicle body is the fourth search target area Y4 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, two first obstacle locators 68 </ b> A are attached to the rear of the rear fender 12. If it adds in explanation, each 1st obstacle prober 68A is attached to a site behind the rear axle 10A of rear wheel 10 on either side in rear fender 12 on either side. Each first obstacle locator 68A is capable of detecting an obstacle present in the first search target area Y1. The first search target area Y1 is set to extend laterally outward from the first obstacle search device 68A.

  Two second obstacle locators 68 B are attached to the front of the rear fender 12. Each second obstacle locator 68B can detect an obstacle present in the second area to be searched Y2. The second search target area Y2 is set to extend laterally outward from the second obstacle search device 68B.

  The two third obstacle locators 68 </ b> C are attached to the left and right front pillars 73 located at the front and rear middle portions of the vehicle body in the cabin 4. Each third obstacle locator 68C can detect an obstacle present in the third area to be searched Y3. The third region to be searched Y3 is set to extend laterally outward from the third obstacle locator 68C.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the left and right pair of fourth obstacle locators 68 </ b> D among the eight obstacle locators 68 described above are located at the top and bottom center of the front end of the bonnet 16 in the left and right direction. It is attached at a predetermined interval. Each fourth obstacle locator 68D can detect an obstacle present in the fourth search target area Y4. The left and right fourth obstacle locators 68D can widen the search target area Y in front of the vehicle body in the left and right direction. The fourth search target area Y4 is set to extend laterally outward from the fourth obstacle searcher 68D.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the third obstacle locator 68C and the obstacle detector 65 are disposed below the rearview mirror 101.

  The first search target area Y1 by the first obstacle search device 68A and the second detection target area X2 by the rear obstacle detector 102 shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 respectively correspond to the type and the width of the work device W It is designed to be optimally adjusted.

  Further, in order to prevent detection of the ground, not an obstacle, the detection target area X has a limit set on the outer edge of the area. In addition, although the end part in the left-right direction of the 1st detection object area | region X1 is linear in FIG. 6, for convenience of illustration, this is showing typically.

  With the above attachment, the left and right sides of the rear side of the vehicle body on which the left and right rear fenders 12 and the like are disposed become the first search target area Y1 of the left and right first obstacle locators 68A, and the left and right rear fenders 12 and the like The front side of the rear wheel 10 in the body of the vehicle body on which the vehicle is disposed is the second search target area Y2 of the left and right second obstacle locators 68B, and the front and rear center sides of the vehicle body on which the left and right front pillars 73 are disposed The left and right sides become the third search target area Y3 of the left and right third obstacle locators 68C. That is, with the first obstacle probe 68A on the left and right, the second obstacle probe 68B on the left and right, and the third obstacle probe 68C on the left and right, the wide area in the vehicle lateral side wide in the front and rear direction is searched It can be in the area Y. As a result, it is possible to search for an obstacle present at a close distance at the side of the vehicle lateral to the vehicle without leakage.

  As a result, based on the search of each obstacle search device 68, it is avoided that an obstacle (such as an animal or a thing rolling on the wind) moving to the vehicle body in the stopped state shifts to the traveling state while approaching the vehicle body. It is possible to more reliably prevent the vehicle body from coming into contact with an obstacle during automatic driving.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right first obstacle locators 68A are attached to the left and right rear fenders 12 via the left and right support members. That is, the left and right first obstacle locators 68A are disposed above the lateral outer ends of the left and right rear wheels 10 respectively. Thereby, the search for an obstacle by the left and right first obstacle search devices 68A can be favorably performed without being blocked by the left and right rear wheels 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the left and right third obstacle locators 68 </ b> C are attached to the left and right front pillars 73. That is, the left and right third obstacle locators 68C are respectively disposed between the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10. Thereby, the area between the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 can be included in the search target area Y of the left and right third obstacle locators 68C, and the left and right front wheels 9 and left and right rear wheels 10 The presence or absence of an obstacle in between can be detected by the left and right third obstacle locators 68C.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the attachment posture of the first obstacle locator 68A on the left side is set to the left downward posture in which the transmission / reception surface is directed leftward. The mounting posture of the first obstacle locator 68A on the right side is set to the right-down posture in which the transmission / reception surface is downward to the right. The attachment posture of the second obstacle locator 68B on the left side is set to the left-handed posture in which the transmission / reception surface is turned leftward. The mounting posture of the second obstacle locator 68B on the right side is set to the right posture in which the transmission / reception surface is turned to the right. The mounting posture of the left third obstacle locator 68C is set to the left-down posture in which the transmission / reception surface is downward to the left. The mounting posture of the right side third obstacle locator 68C is set to the right-down posture in which the transmission / reception surface is downward to the right. The attachment postures of the left and right fourth obstacle locators 68D are respectively set to the forward posture in which the transmission and reception surfaces are forward.

  An area indicated by a bold dotted line in FIG. 6 indicates an area where the obstacle detector 65 can detect an obstacle present at a position lower than a predetermined height. Further, the area indicated by the thin dotted single-dotted line in FIG. 6 indicates an area where the obstacle detector 65 can not detect an obstacle present at a position lower than a predetermined height.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first search target area Y1 of the first obstacle search device 68A, the second search target area Y2 of the second obstacle search device 68B, and the third of the third obstacle search device 68C. The search target area Y3 covers the side area of the vehicle not included in the detection target area X of the obstacle detector 65 (the area which becomes the blind spot of the obstacle detector 65), so that the obstacle can be detected. There is.

  Thus, by covering the area not included in the detection target area X of each obstacle detector 65 with the search target area Y of each obstacle locator 68, a blind spot where no obstacle is detected around the vehicle body It is possible to reduce the area. Thus, an obstacle around the vehicle body can be accurately detected in the traveling state, and the traveling of the vehicle body can be stopped before contacting the obstacle. In addition, when an obstacle (for example, an animal, moving by wind, etc.) moving in the vicinity of the vehicle body moves in the stopped state, the obstacle is accurately detected and the state is not shifted from the stopped state to the traveling state By doing this, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience such as stepping on an obstacle with the traveling device 2 or the working device W.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, another embodiment in which the above embodiment is modified will be described. Each different embodiment can be applied to the above-described embodiment in combination as long as no contradiction arises. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents shown in each embodiment.

(1) The obstacle detectors 65 may not be provided in pairs. Specifically, the first detection target area X1 by the left obstacle detector 65 and the first detection target area X1 by the right obstacle detector 65 may be left-right asymmetric. Also, the obstacle detector 65 may be provided on only one of the left and right sides.

(2) The obstacle detector 65 may not be attached to the front pillar 73. For example, the obstacle detector 65 may be attached to the rearview mirror 101. Also, for example, the obstacle detector 65 may be attached to a frame in the vicinity of the turn indicator 100. By arranging the obstacle detector 65 in the vicinity of the turn indicator 100, the harness for the obstacle detector 65 and the harness for the turn indicator 100 can be wired together.

(3) Instead of the cabin 4, a gate-shaped lops frame may be provided which is located behind the driver's seat 22 and has a beam portion connecting a pair of left and right support portions and upper end portions of the left and right support portions. . In this case, the obstacle detector 65 may be attached to the lops frame. Specifically, the obstacle detector 65 can be attached to the support of the ropes frame or to the beam of the ropes frame.

(4) The driving unit 17 may be provided with an extending frame provided from the tip of the footing on which the passenger's foot is located to the hood 16. In this case, the obstacle detector 65 can be attached to the extension frame.

(5) The first obstacle locator 68A and the second obstacle locator 68B may be attached to a member other than the rear fender 12.

(6) The obstacle detector 65 may be a device other than a laser scanner.

(7) The obstacle detector 65 may be disposed at a position deviated from the outer end of the hood 16 and the outermost position M of the body of the vehicle body in the left-right direction.

(8) The obstacle detector 65 may be disposed at a position other than the front and rear intermediate portion in the main body of the vehicle body.

(9) The first detection target area X1 of the obstacle detector 65 may be set to be inclined only back and forth with respect to the horizontal surface, or may be set to be inclined only to the left and right with respect to the horizontal surface .

(10) The obstacle locator 68 may be a device other than an ultrasonic sensor. For example, an infrared distance measuring sensor or the like may be employed as the obstacle searcher 68.

(11) The left and right first obstacle locators 68 </ b> A may be disposed at the front end of the hood 16 at a position above the headlights 107.

(12) The number of obstacle locators 68 may be 10 or more, and the total number of obstacle locators 68 may be 6 or less if the total length of the work vehicle is short.

(13) Instead of the rear wheels 10 on the left and right sides, a semi crawler type may be configured in which crawlers on the left and right sides are provided.

(14) The left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 may be replaced with a left and right crawler, and may be of a full crawler type.

(15) A two-wheel drive system may be used in which one of the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 is driven.

(16) The electric specification may be configured such that an electric motor is provided instead of the engine 6.

(17) The engine 6 and the electric motor may be configured in a hybrid specification.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a work vehicle provided with an electronic control system for automatic operation that automatically drives a vehicle body. For example, in addition to the tractor, a riding grass mower, a combine, a riding rice planter, a wheel loader, etc. Available.

12: rear fender 30D: traveling suppression control unit 51: electronic control system 64: obstacle detection module 65: obstacle detector 68: obstacle probe 68A: first obstacle probe 68B: second obstacle probe X: Detection area Y: search area

Claims (6)

It is equipped with an electronic control system for automatic operation that drives the vehicle automatically.
The electronic control system is provided with an obstacle detection module that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and a traveling suppression control unit that suppresses traveling of the vehicle body when the obstacle detection module detects an obstacle.
The obstacle detection module is provided with a plurality of obstacle searchers for detecting obstacles present in a search target area,
A work vehicle provided with a pair of left and right first obstacle locators, wherein as the obstacle locators, a side of a rear end portion of a main body of the vehicle body is the search target area.   The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first obstacle probe is attached to a rear portion of a rear fender.   3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a pair of left and right second obstacle locators that set the side of the front and rear center portion of the vehicle body as the obstacle target area as the obstacle locator. 4.   The work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the second obstacle probe is attached to a front portion of a rear fender. The obstacle detection module is provided with an obstacle detector for detecting an obstacle present in a detection target area by a detection method different from that of the obstacle searcher,
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the search target area of the obstacle searcher includes an area located below the detection target area of the obstacle detector.   The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the obstacle searcher is an ultrasonic sonar.

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