JP2020058053A - Remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a remote control system that allows an operator to operate a work vehicle during autonomous driving without delay at the time of emergency.SOLUTION: A remote control system includes: a work vehicle 1 including a vehicle driving control unit for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle body 2, an imaging unit for outputting image data, and a vehicle side communication unit; a radio communication terminal device 70 including instruction signal creation means for creating a driving control instruction signal according to manual operation; a terminal side communication unit for transmitting the driving control instruction signal to the vehicle side communication unit by a first radio communication method, and receiving the image data, and a display unit for displaying the image data; and a stop remote control 72 including stop instruction operation means for creating a stop instruction signal by manual operation and a remote control side communication unit for transmitting the stop instruction signal to the vehicle side communication unit by a second radio communication method with smaller data transmission amount than the first radio communication method. The vehicle driving control unit controls autonomous driving of the vehicle body 2 according to the driving control instruction signal and stops the vehicle body 2 according to the stop instruction signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control system that is operated when a work vehicle is caused to travel autonomously.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an autonomous traveling system for autonomously traveling an unmanned work vehicle in which an operator has not appeared has been developed in order to efficiently and easily perform agricultural work in a field (see Patent Document 1). The autonomous traveling system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is remotely operated by a server device installed in a house or the like distant from a work vehicle, so that the work state of a tractor cannot be visually observed, and it is difficult to respond in an emergency. . Therefore, an autonomous traveling system using an operation terminal of a wireless communication terminal device has been developed in order to operate an autonomous traveling of a work vehicle in a workplace such as a field (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2011-254704 A JP-A-2006-095658

  However, in an autonomous driving system using an operation terminal operated by a touch panel such as a tablet-type personal computer, it is necessary to visually search for operation buttons on the touch panel, and there is a possibility that a delay may occur in an emergency response operation. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and has a technical problem to provide a remote control system that allows an operator to operate a work vehicle that is autonomously traveling without delay in an emergency.

The remote control system of the present invention is a work vehicle including a vehicle traveling control unit that controls autonomous traveling of the body of the vehicle, an imaging unit that outputs image data, and a vehicle-side communication unit that transmits and receives signals to and from the outside. ,
A signal is transmitted and received by a first wireless communication method between an instruction signal generating means for generating a travel control instruction signal in response to a manual operation, and the vehicle-side communication unit, and the travel control instruction signal is transmitted to the vehicle-side communication. A terminal-side communication unit that transmits the image data and receives the image data, and a display unit that displays the image data,
A stop instruction operating means for generating a stop instruction signal by manual operation; and transmitting the stop instruction signal to the vehicle-side communication unit in a second wireless communication system having a smaller data transmission amount than the first wireless communication system. A remote controller for stopping, comprising: a remote controller side communication unit;
The vehicle traveling control unit controls autonomous traveling of the aircraft body according to the traveling control instruction signal input via the vehicle-side communication unit, and stops the aircraft body according to the stop instruction signal. is there.

  In the above remote control system, the display unit and the instruction signal creating unit may be configured by a display operable on a touch panel.

  According to the remote control system of the present invention, since the work vehicle, the wireless communication terminal device, and the stop remote control are provided, the operator can quickly recognize the emergency stop button by using the stop remote control and reliably operate it. Emergency stop operation can be performed without delay in an emergency. Further, according to the present invention, since each of the wireless communication terminal device and the stop remote controller executes wireless communication with the work vehicle through a wireless communication network having a different communication method, a plurality of wireless communication networks function as fail-safe, Safety can be improved. Also, an appropriate communication method can be selected according to the data capacity of the communication performed by the wireless communication terminal device and the data capacity of the communication performed by the stop remote controller.

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a robot tractor according to an embodiment. It is a top view of a robot tractor. It is a functional block diagram of a robot tractor. It is the front view, top view, and right side view of a remote control device. It is a rear view of a remote control device. It is a front view, a plan view, a bottom view, a left side view, and a right side view of an example of an emergency stop remote controller. It is a front view of one embodiment of a wireless communication terminal device. It is the front view and top view for demonstrating the attachment / detachment state of the remote control for emergency stop. It is the front view, top view, and right side view which show an example of the cover of a wireless communication terminal device. It is the front view, top view, and right side view of other examples of the remote control for emergency stop. It is the front view and right side view of other embodiment of a wireless communication terminal device. It is a rear view of the same embodiment. It is the front view, top view, and left side view of another example of the remote control for emergency stop. It is a front view of other embodiment of a wireless communication terminal device. It is the front view and top view for demonstrating the attachment / detachment state of the remote control for emergency stop.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a description will be given of a robot tractor 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a “tractor”), which is an example of a work vehicle according to the present invention. The tractor 1 includes a body 2 that autonomously travels in a field. The machine body 2 is detachably provided with a working machine 3 shown by a chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2. The working machine 3 is used for agricultural work. The working machine 3 includes, for example, various working machines such as a cultivator, a plow, a fertilizer, a mower, a seeder, and the like. Can be attached to The machine body 2 is configured to be able to change the height and posture of the mounted work machine 3.

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

  In the following description, a tractor that performs autonomous traveling and autonomous work may be referred to as an “unmanned tractor” or a “robot tractor”, and a tractor that performs work by directly operating by an operator may be referred to as a “manned tractor”. . When a part of the farm work is performed by the unmanned tractor in the field, the remaining farm work is performed by the manned tractor. Sharing agricultural work by an unmanned tractor and a manned tractor in a single field may be referred to as cooperative work, follow-up work, and accompanying work of farm work. In addition, the above-mentioned cooperative work may include performing an unmanned tractor in a certain field and performing an agricultural work in another field at the same time.

  In the present embodiment, the difference between an unmanned tractor and a manned tractor is the presence or absence of an operator's direct operation, and the configuration as a tractor is common between unmanned and manned. That is, even an unmanned tractor can be directly operated by the operator getting on (riding) (in other words, it can be used as a manned tractor). Further, even with a manned tractor, the operator can get off and perform autonomous traveling and autonomous work (in other words, it can be used as an unmanned tractor).

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

  A hood 9 is arranged at the front of the body 2. The hood 9 accommodates an engine 10 as a drive source of the tractor 1, a fuel tank (not shown), and the like. The engine 10 can be constituted by, for example, a diesel engine, but is not limited to this, and may be constituted by, for example, a gasoline engine. Further, an electric motor may be used as a drive source in addition to or instead of the engine.

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

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

  The monitor device is configured to be able to display various information of the tractor 1. The throttle lever sets the rotation speed of the engine 10. The main transmission lever is used to change the transmission ratio of the transmission case 22. The elevating lever operates to raise and lower the height of the work implement 3 mounted on the machine body 2 within a predetermined range. The PTO switch disconnects power transmission to a PTO shaft (power take-out shaft) that projects outward from the rear end side of the transmission case 22. That is, when the PTO switch is ON, power is transmitted to the PTO shaft, the PTO shaft rotates, and the work machine 3 is driven. On the other hand, when the PTO switch is OFF, power to the PTO shaft is cut off. The PTO shaft does not rotate, and the work machine 3 stops. The PTO speed change lever is used to change the power input to the work implement 3 and, specifically, to change the rotation speed of the PTO shaft. The hydraulic shift lever switches the hydraulic external take-out valve.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a chassis 20 constituting the skeleton is provided at a lower portion of the body 2. The chassis 20 includes a body frame 21, a transmission case 22, a front axle 23, a rear axle 24, and the like.

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

  As shown in FIG. 3, the tractor 1 is a vehicle serving as a control unit for controlling the operation of the body 2 (forward, backward, stop, turn, etc.) and the operation of the work implement 3 (elevation, drive, stop, etc.). An engine control device 15, a transmission control device 16, and a work implement control device 17 that can communicate with each other via a bus line 18 are provided. The engine control device 15 is electrically connected to a common rail device 41 as a fuel injection device provided in the engine 10, and the transmission control device 16 includes a hydraulic transmission for shifting power from the engine 10, and the like. The transmission 42 is electrically connected. The work implement control device 17 is electrically connected to the work implement elevating actuator 44.

  The common rail device 41 injects fuel into each cylinder of the engine 10. In this case, the fuel injection valve of the injector for each cylinder of the engine 10 is controlled to be opened and closed by the control device 4, so that the high-pressure fuel pumped from the fuel tank to the common rail device 41 by the fuel supply pump is supplied from each injector to the engine 10. The injection pressure, injection timing, and injection period (injection amount) of the fuel injected into each cylinder and supplied from each injector are controlled with high accuracy.

  The transmission 42 is, for example, a hydraulic swash plate type continuously variable transmission, and is provided in the transmission case 22. By controlling the transmission 42 by the control device 4 and appropriately adjusting the angle of the swash plate, the gear ratio of the transmission case 22 can be set to a desired gear ratio.

  The lifting actuator 44 moves the working machine 3 to a retracted position (a position where farm work is not performed) or a work position (a position where farm work is performed), for example, by operating a three-point link mechanism connecting the work machine 3 to the body 2. Either raise or lower. By controlling the lifting / lowering actuator 44 by the control device 4 to appropriately raise / lower the work implement 3, it is possible to perform agricultural work with the work implement 3 at a desired height in a field area, for example.

  The engine control device 15 includes a rotation speed sensor 31 for detecting the rotation speed of the engine 10, a vehicle speed sensor 32 for detecting the rotation speed of the rear wheel 8, and a steering angle for detecting the turning angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel 12. Sensors such as the sensor 33 are also electrically connected. The detection values of these sensors are converted into detection signals and transmitted to the engine control device 15.

  The tractor 1 including the control devices 15 to 17 described above communicates with each other via the vehicle bus line 18 based on various operations performed by an operator boarding the cabin 11, and By controlling each part (the machine body 2, the working machine 3, etc.), it is configured to be able to perform the agricultural work while traveling in the field. In addition, the tractor 1 of the embodiment can autonomously travel based on a predetermined control signal output from the remote control device 46, for example, without an operator boarding.

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

  Next, the configuration of the tractor 1 for autonomous traveling will be described in detail. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tractor 1 includes an autonomous traveling control device 51, a steering control device 52, a positioning and surveying device 53, a wireless communication router (low power data communication device) 54, and a remote control receiver. (Specific low power wireless device) 55, steering actuator 43, positioning antenna 6, wireless communication antenna unit 48, and the like.

  The autonomous traveling control device 51 and the steering control device 52 are configured to be able to communicate with each of the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the work implement control device 17 via the vehicle bus line 18. In addition, the autonomous traveling control device 51 includes a positioning and surveying device 53, a wireless communication router 54, and an autonomous traveling bus line 56 in an autonomous traveling communication system that is different from the steering communication system using the vehicle bus line 18. The remote control receiver 55 can communicate with each other.

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

  The positioning antenna 6 receives a signal from a positioning satellite constituting a positioning system such as a satellite positioning system (GNSS), for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the positioning antenna 6 is arranged on the upper surface of the roof 14 in the cabin 11. The signal received by the positioning antenna 6 is input to the positioning surveying device 53 shown in FIG. 3, and the positioning surveying device 53 converts the position information of the tractor 1 (strictly speaking, the positioning antenna 6) into, for example, latitude / longitude information. Is calculated. The position information calculated by the positioning and surveying device 53 is obtained by the autonomous traveling control device 51 and used for controlling the tractor 1.

  The positioning and surveying device 53 is electrically connected to the first wireless communication antenna 48a in the wireless communication antenna unit 48, and through a first wireless communication network using specific low-power wireless (for example, a 920 MHz band wireless communication network). It communicates with a reference station (portable reference station) 60 described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication antenna unit 48 is arranged on the upper surface of the roof 14 in the cabin 11. The positioning surveying device 53 communicates with the reference station 60 at a position near the field via the first wireless communication antenna 48a, thereby correcting the satellite positioning information of the tractor 1 (mobile station) using the correction information from the reference station 60, The current position of the tractor 1 is obtained. For example, various positioning methods such as DGPS (differential GPS positioning) and RTK positioning (real-time kinematic positioning) can be applied.

  In the present embodiment, for example, RTK positioning is applied, and in addition to having the positioning antenna 6 in the tractor 1 on the mobile station side, a reference station 60 having a reference station positioning antenna 61 is provided. The reference station 60 is disposed at a position (reference point) that does not hinder the traveling of the tractor 1, such as around a field. Position information of a reference point that is an installation position of the reference station 60 is set in advance. The reference station 60 is provided with a reference station communication device 62 capable of communicating via a first wireless communication network constructed between the positioning surveying device 53 of the tractor 1 and a communication device using the first wireless communication antenna 48a.

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

  In this embodiment, a high-precision satellite positioning system using the GNSS-RTK method is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another positioning system may be used as long as high-precision position coordinates can be obtained. You may. The GNSS-RTK is a positioning method in which the accuracy is improved by correcting based on information of a reference station whose position is known, and there are a plurality of methods depending on the method of distributing information from the reference station. Since the present invention does not depend on the GNSS-RTK method, details of the present embodiment are omitted.

  The positioning surveying device 53 can measure not only the position information of the tractor 1 (body 2) by satellite positioning but also the inclination angle information of front, rear, left and right by inertial measurement. The tilt angle information measured by the positioning surveying device 53 is acquired by the autonomous traveling control device 51 in a state where it is associated with position information (latitude / longitude information), and is used for controlling the tractor 1. In addition, the positioning surveying device 53 can also measure the height position of the positioning antenna 6 with respect to the field scene, and thus the vehicle height of the tractor 1 (body 2).

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

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

  The remote control device 70 is specifically configured as a tablet-type personal computer having a touch panel. The operator can confirm by referring to information displayed on the touch panel of the remote control device 70 (for example, information on a field necessary for performing autonomous traveling). Further, the operator operates the remote control device 70 to transmit a control signal for controlling the tractor 1 to the autonomous traveling control device 51 of the tractor 1. Note that the remote control device 70 of the embodiment is not limited to a tablet-type personal computer, but may be configured by, for example, a notebook-type personal computer. Alternatively, when a manned tractor (not shown) travels along with the unmanned tractor 1, a monitor device mounted on the manned tractor may be a remote control device.

  The autonomous traveling control device 51 calculates a traveling route in a field area (traveling area) based on an instruction of an operator using the remote operation device 70. Then, the autonomous traveling control device 51 checks the position of the tractor 1 on the traveling route by comparing the calculated traveling route with the position information of the tractor 1, and performs steering of the tractor 1 in consideration of the inclination angle information and the like. The angle and the traveling speed are calculated and communicated with the control devices 15 to 17 and 52 via the vehicle bus line 18. Thereby, the tractor 1 can perform the agricultural work by the work implement 3 while autonomously traveling along the traveling route. As described above, a route in the field area (traveling area) in which the tractor 1 autonomously travels may be referred to as a “traveling path” in the following description. In the field area (running area), an area (work area) to be subjected to the agricultural work by the work machine 3 of the tractor 1 is determined as an area excluding the headland and the allowance from the entire field area. Are set based on these registered points and the working width of the tractor 1 when the registered point is registered.

  The emergency stop remote control 71 is a remote control switch for urgently stopping the tractor 1, and is owned by an operator who operates the remote control device 70. When an operator operates the switch, the emergency stop remote control 71 sends an emergency stop control signal. Send. The emergency stop remote controller 71 has an emergency stop button 72 protruding from the surface of the remote controller main body, and transmits an emergency stop control signal when the operator presses the emergency stop button 72. Further, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is configured to be detachable from the remote control device 70 and configured to be attachable to a strap (a string-shaped member) so as to be tightly attached to a body such as hanging on an operator's neck.

  The autonomous traveling control device 51 stops the fuel injection in the common rail device 41 by communicating with the engine control device 15 based on the operation of the emergency stop button 72 on the emergency stop remote control 71 by the operator, and the transmission control device. The transmission 42 is brought into a neutral state by communication with the transmission 16, and a braking operation by the brake device 26 described later is applied. At this time, the autonomous traveling control device 51 controls the steering actuator 43 so that the steering wheel 12 is set to the neutral position by communicating with the steering control device 52, and directs the left and right front wheels 7, 7 in the straight traveling direction. It may be.

  The autonomous traveling control device 51 communicates with the reference station 60 in the positioning and surveying device 53 (communication state in the first communication network), and communicates with the remote control device 70 in the wireless communication router 54 (communication state in the second communication network). And the communication state (communication state in the third communication network) of the remote control receiver 55 with the emergency stop remote controller 71 is confirmed via the autonomous traveling bus line 56. When confirming that the communication state in any one of the first to third communication networks has been interrupted, the autonomous traveling control device 51 communicates with the engine control device 15, the transmission control device 16, and the like to thereby control the tractor 1 Emergency stop of autonomous driving. When each of the positioning / measuring device 53, the wireless communication router 54, and the remote control receiver 55 does not receive a signal from a communication partner for a predetermined period or more, it determines that communication with the communication partner has been interrupted.

  Further, the tractor 1 is provided with a pair of left and right brake devices 26, 26 for applying brakes to the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by two systems of operation and automatic control of a brake pedal and a parking brake lever. That is, both the left and right brake devices 26, 26 are configured to apply a brake to both the left and right rear wheels 8, 8 by operating the brake pedal (or the parking brake lever) in the braking direction. Further, when the rotation angle of the handle 12 becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined angle, the brake device 26 for the rear wheel 8 on the inside of the turning automatically performs a braking operation according to a command of the transmission control device 16 (see FIG. So-called autobrake).

  Further, the tractor 1 is provided with an obstacle sensor 35 for detecting whether there is an obstacle in front, side or rear. The obstacle sensor 35 includes a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like, and recognizes an obstacle existing in front, side, and rear of the tractor 1 and generates a detection signal. Further, the tractor 1 is provided with a camera 36 for photographing the front, side, and rear. The obstacle sensor 35 and the camera 36 are configured to be capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication router 54, and transmit an obstacle detection signal and an image signal to the autonomous traveling control device 51 via the wireless communication router 54 and the autonomous traveling bus line 56. I do. Then, the wireless communication router 54 transmits an image signal from the camera 36 to the remote control device 70 through the second wireless communication network, so that the remote control device 70 can display an image around the tractor 1. The obstacle sensor 35 and the camera 36 may be connected to the autonomous traveling control device 51 via an autonomous traveling bus line 56 by wire.

  The portable reference station 60 includes a reference station wireless communication antenna 64 that wirelessly communicates with the tractor (working vehicle) 1 that autonomously travels, a reference station positioning antenna 61 that receives a signal from the positioning satellite 63, a wireless communication antenna 64, and the positioning antenna 61, respectively. And a reference station communication device 62 electrically connected to the reference station communication device 62. The portable reference station 60 is installed at a reference point in specifying the position of the tractor (work vehicle) 1 serving as a mobile station. The portable reference station 60 is configured to be disassembled into a plurality of members, and each disassembled member is configured to have a size that can be transported by the tractor 1.

  After assembling the disassembled member, the portable reference station 60 installed at the reference point sends a signal from the positioning satellite 63 received by the reference station positioning antenna 61 to the reference station communication device 62, and the satellite positioning information measured by the reference station communication device 62. And correction information including position information of the reference point and the like. Then, the portable reference station 60 transmits the correction information generated by the reference station communication device 62 from the reference station wireless communication antenna 64 that is connected to the first wireless communication network that can communicate with the first wireless communication antenna 48a of the tractor 1.

  Next, an embodiment of the wireless communication terminal device 88 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8, as a wireless communication terminal device 88 that operates the unmanned tractor 1 that is an autonomous traveling work vehicle, a remote operation device (terminal device main body) 70 that executes wireless communication with the tractor 1 and a remote controller 71 for emergency stop are provided. Have. The remote control device 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 each communicate with the tractor 1 through wireless communication networks having different communication systems. The remote control device 70 includes a display 74 that can be operated with a touch panel. The emergency stop remote control 71 is configured to be detachable from the outer frame of the remote control device 70. Further, the emergency stop remote control 71 includes an emergency stop button 72 for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 and a start button (start button) 73 for starting wireless communication with the tractor 1.

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

  As shown in FIG. 6, the emergency stop remote controller 71 includes an emergency stop button 72, a start button 73, and a state of the tractor 1 on a front surface 71 a having an outer edge defined by two large and small circles and two tangents. Is provided to constitute a notifying unit for notifying the user. The emergency stop button 72 is disposed at the wide end of the front surface 71a, the start button 73 is disposed at the center of the front surface 71a, and the lamp 81 is disposed at a position near the narrow end of the front surface 71a. The lamp 81 notifies the state of the tractor 1 by, for example, turning off, turning on, blinking, or changing colors. Further, the emergency stop remote controller 71 has a function of notifying the state of the tractor 1 by voice. When the operator carries the emergency stop remote controller 71 alone, the operator can recognize the state of the tractor 1 by the notification by the lamp 81 and the voice even in a situation where the tractor 1 is slightly away from the autonomously traveling tractor 1, thereby improving safety.

  A suspending member attaching portion 83 to which a suspending member 82 such as a strap can be attached is provided on a wide end surface 71 b of the emergency stop remote controller 71. On one side surface 71c of the emergency stop remote controller 71, a mounting groove 84 is provided to engage with the ridge 80 of the remote controller mounting portion 79. The mounting groove 84 is formed from the middle part of the one side surface 71c to the other end surface 71d having a narrow width, has a tapered shape that becomes narrower toward the one side surface 71c side when viewed from the other end surface 71d side, and has an end on the other end surface 71d side. Has been released.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is configured such that the mounting groove 84 is engaged with the ridge portion 80 of the remote controller mounting portion 79 mounted on the remote controller 70, whereby the remote controller 70 is stopped. Removably attached to. The emergency stop remote controller 71 is attached to the remote controller attachment unit 79 so that the front surface 71a faces the same direction as the front surface 70a of the remote control device 70.

  In addition, an emergency stop button image 86 for stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is displayed on the upper right portion of the display 74 of the remote control device 70, and a start or stop button image for starting or stopping the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 is displayed. 87 is displayed in the upper left part of the display 74. In this way, the emergency stop button image 86 is displayed near the mounting position of the emergency stop remote controller 71 on the display 74, so that the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 can be arranged collectively. When the operator wants to stop the tractor 1 urgently, the positions of the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 can be easily recognized, so that delay and erroneous operation of the emergency stop operation can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the start of the wireless communication with the tractor 1 is not performed urgently, the start button 73 and the start or stop button image 87 are mutually moved while the emergency stop remote control 71 is attached to the remote control device 70. Even if they are arranged at distant positions, the risk of erroneous operation is low, and there is no particular problem.

  Further, since the operation of the emergency stop button image 86 is to press (touch) the touch panel display 74, the operator does not feel the pressing operation, but since the emergency stop button 72 can be pressed firmly, the operator needs to The feeling of a push operation is obtained. The operator may use either the emergency stop button 72 or the emergency stop button image 86 when urgently stopping the tractor 1.

  The emergency stop remote controller 71 has a configuration capable of increasing the number of remote controllers. An operator other than the operator monitoring the autonomously traveling tractor 1 and working in the same field carries the emergency stop remote control 71 to change the state of the tractor 1 by a lamp 81 or sound notification. The emergency stop button 72 of the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be operated in an emergency, so that the monitoring system of the tractor 1 that travels autonomously can be improved, and the safety of workers in the field can be improved.

  Next, another embodiment of the wireless communication terminal device 88 will be described with reference to FIGS. The wireless communication terminal device 88 of this embodiment includes a case 90 that can accommodate the remote control device 70 and can attach and detach the emergency stop remote controller 71. As shown in FIG. 9, the case 90 includes a main body case portion 91 that houses the remote control device 70 and a remote control case portion 92 that holds the emergency stop remote controller 71. The main body case portion 91 includes a remote control device housing portion 93 that stores the remote control device 70 therein. The main body case portion 91 has a display opening 94 on the front surface 91a corresponding to the position of the display 74 of the remote control device 70, and corresponds to the position of the terminal cover 76 of the power connection terminal on the right side surface 91b. A power supply connection opening 95 is provided, an external device connection opening 96 is provided on the left side surface 91c corresponding to the position of the terminal cover 77 of the external connection terminal, and a camera opening is provided on the back surface 91d corresponding to the position of the camera 75. A part 97 is provided. The main body case 91 holds the outer edge of the remote control device 70 over the entire circumference. Note that the case 90 may not include the camera opening 97.

  The remote control case portion 92 has a vertically long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is integrally formed at a lower right portion of the main body case portion 91 so as to protrude rightward and rearward. The remote control case portion 92 includes a remote control housing portion 98 for detachably housing the emergency stop remote control 71. The remote control accommodating portion 98 is formed by a hollow portion slightly larger than the outer shape of the vertically long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped emergency stop remote control 71 (see FIG. 10), and is opened by an opening provided on the upper surface 92 c of the remote control case portion 92. The emergency stop remote controller 71 is formed so as to be able to be inserted into and removed from the remote controller housing 98 through the opening. The remote control case 92 includes a button opening 99 for exposing the buttons 72, 72 and the lamp 81 of the emergency stop remote control 71 on the front surface 92a, and an emergency stop remote control 71 in the remote control housing 98 on the right side surface 92b. A take-out opening 100 for sliding up and down with a finger is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the case 90 is configured to be half-split at the side surface portion, and the case front surface portion 90 a and the case back surface portion 90 b are provided so as to be openable and closable about the lower end side as a pivot, and the upper surface 91 e of the case 90. And is fixed by a slidable lock mechanism 101 provided in the camera. After the remote operation device 70 is housed in the remote operation device housing 93 with the case front 90a and the case back 90b opened, the lock mechanism 101 is fixed by closing the case front 90a and the case back 90b. Thus, the remote control device accommodating portion 93 is securely held in the main body case portion 91.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the emergency stop remote controller 71 has a vertically long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a notification lamp 81, an emergency stop button 72, and a start button 73 on a front surface 71a in this order from the upper end side. A suspending member attaching portion 83 to which the suspending member 82 can be attached is provided at the upper end portion on the back side of the emergency stop remote controller 71.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is attached to the remote controller attachment unit 79 such that the front surface 71 a faces the same direction as the front surface 70 a of the remote operation device 70. In this embodiment, an emergency stop button image 86 is displayed on the upper right portion of the display 74 of the remote control device 70, and a start or stop button image 87 is displayed on the upper left portion of the display 74, as in the above-described embodiment. When the operator wants to stop the tractor 1 in an emergency, the positions of the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 are easily recognized.

  Further, since the rear surface of the remote control case portion 92 is provided so as to protrude from the rear surface 91d of the main body case portion 91, the remote control case portion 92 has a shape that can be easily gripped by the operator. The operator can easily operate the buttons 72 and 73 with the thumb of the right hand while holding the remote control case portion 92 with the right hand, so that the operation of starting and stopping the wireless communication with the tractor 1 and the operation of the emergency stop can be performed by using the case 90. It can be executed with one hand (right hand).

  Next, another embodiment of the wireless communication terminal device 88 will be described with reference to FIGS. The emergency stop remote controller 71 of the wireless communication terminal device 88 of this embodiment has a vertically long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes an emergency stop button 72, a start button 73, and a lamp 81 on a front surface 71a. A suspending member attaching portion 83 to which a suspending member 82 can be attached is provided on one end surface 71b of the emergency stop remote controller 71, and an attaching groove 84 is provided on one side surface 71c for engaging with the protruding ridge portion 80 of the remote controller attaching portion 79. Can be The emergency stop button 72 is disposed at a position on the other end surface 71d opposite to the one end surface 71b, the start button 73 is disposed at the center of the front surface 71a, and the lamp 81 is closer to the one end surface 71b than the start button 73. Placed on the site.

  As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the emergency stop remote controller 71 is provided with a ridge of the remote controller mounting portion 79 mounted on the remote controller 70 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment described with reference to FIGS. When the mounting groove 84 is engaged with the portion 80, the mounting portion 84 is detachably mounted on the remote control device 70. Further, the emergency stop button image 86 is displayed on the display 74 near the mounting position of the emergency stop remote controller 71, and the position of the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 when the operator wants to emergency stop the tractor 1 is displayed. It is easy to recognize.

  In this embodiment, in the emergency stop remote controller 71, the emergency stop button 72 is arranged at a position opposite to the hanging member 82. Accordingly, when the operator takes the emergency stop remote control 71 from the state where the operator suspends the emergency stop remote control 71 by hanging the hanging member 82 on the neck, the emergency stop remote control 71 in hand is viewed from the operator. The emergency stop remote controller 71 is located at the front end (the end opposite to the hanging member mounting portion 83). Therefore, the operator can easily recognize the position of the emergency stop remote controller 71, and delay and erroneous operation of the emergency stop operation can be suppressed.

  According to the above-described embodiment, when the display 74 that can operate the touch panel is provided as the wireless communication terminal device 88 that operates the tractor 1 as the autonomously traveling work vehicle, the remote operation device (device main body) 70 and the autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 The emergency stop remote control 71 provided with the emergency stop button 72 for stopping the emergency stop allows the operator to quickly recognize and operate the emergency stop button 72 quickly by using the emergency stop remote control 71. Can be performed without delay.

  In addition, since the remote control device 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 each perform wireless communication with the tractor 1 by using wireless communication networks having different communication methods, a plurality of wireless communication networks function as fail-safe and improve safety. it can. Further, an appropriate communication method can be selected according to the data capacity of the communication performed by the remote operation device 70 and the data capacity of the communication performed by the emergency stop remote controller 71.

  Further, since the emergency stop remote controller 71 is provided detachably on the outer peripheral portion of the remote operation device 70, the operator cannot operate the remote operation device 70 and the emergency stop remote controller 71 in a relatively fixed position. One of the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 having the same function can be used. In addition, the operator operates the emergency stop button 72 of the emergency stop remote control 71 in an emergency while operating other devices with both hands by separating and carrying the emergency stop remote control 71 from the remote control device 70. Thus, the emergency stop operation of the tractor 1 that travels autonomously can be performed without delay. Further, the operator carrying the remote control device 70 can flexibly use the remote control device 70 and the emergency stop remote control 71 according to the situation, for example, by holding the emergency stop remote control 71 by another worker.

  Further, the emergency stop remote controller 71 includes a start button (start button) 73 for starting wireless communication with the tractor 1, and an emergency stop button image 86 for stopping autonomous traveling of the tractor 1 on a display 74 of the remote control device 70. Is displayed near the mounting position of the emergency stop remote controller 71, and the start or stop button image (start button image) 87 for starting the wireless communication with the tractor 1 is urgent with respect to the mounting position of the emergency stop remote controller 71. Since the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button image 86 are displayed at a position farther than the stop button image 86, the emergency stop button 72 and the emergency stop button 72 can be arranged when the operator wants to emergency stop the tractor 1. Since the position of the emergency stop button image 86 can be easily recognized, delay of the emergency stop operation and misoperation It can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, a main body case portion 91 for holding the outer edge of the remote control device 70 over the entire circumference and a remote control case portion 92 for detachably holding the emergency stop remote controller 71 are provided. Since the case 90 attached to the case portion 91 is provided, the remote control device 70 can be firmly held and protected, while the emergency stop remote controller 71 can be easily attached and detached.

  In addition, since the emergency stop remote control has the lamp 81 and a sound output function as a notification unit for notifying the state of the tractor 1, the operator can control the emergency stop remote control 71 alone by notifying the lamp 81 and the sound. The state of the tractor 1 can be recognized even in a situation slightly away from the traveling tractor 1, and safety can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be embodied in various forms. The configuration of each unit is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

(Note)
(Appendix 1)
A wireless communication terminal device that operates a work vehicle that autonomously travels,
An apparatus body including a touch panel operable display, and an emergency stop remote control that includes an emergency stop button for stopping the autonomous traveling of the work vehicle and is detachable with respect to an outer peripheral portion of the apparatus body.
Each of the device main body and the emergency stop remote controller executes wireless communication with the work vehicle through a wireless communication network having a different communication method,
The emergency stop remote control includes a start button for starting the autonomous traveling of the work vehicle, and an emergency stop button image for stopping the autonomous travel of the work vehicle is displayed on the display of the apparatus main body. A start button image for starting autonomous traveling with the work vehicle is displayed near the position, and a start button image for starting the autonomous traveling with the work vehicle is displayed at a position further away from the emergency stop button image with respect to the mounting position of the emergency stop remote control. Communication terminal device.

(Appendix 2)
A main body case portion that holds an outer edge portion of the apparatus main body over the entire circumference; and a remote control case portion that detachably holds the emergency stop remote controller is attached to the main body case portion. 2. The wireless communication terminal device according to 1.

(Appendix 3)
3. The wireless communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the emergency stop remote controller includes a notification unit that notifies a state of the work vehicle.

  According to the wireless communication terminal device described in Supplementary Note 1, there is provided a wireless communication terminal device that operates a work vehicle that autonomously travels, the device body including a display that can operate a touch panel, and an emergency that stops autonomous travel of the work vehicle. Since the emergency stop remote controller having the stop button is provided, the operator can quickly recognize and operate the emergency stop button by using the emergency stop remote controller, and can perform the emergency stop operation without delay in an emergency. Further, in the present invention, since each of the device main body and the emergency stop remote controller performs wireless communication with the work vehicle through a wireless communication network having a different communication method, a plurality of wireless communication networks function as fail-safe, Performance can be improved. Further, an appropriate communication method can be selected according to the data capacity of the communication performed by the apparatus main body and the data capacity of the communication performed by the emergency stop remote controller.

1 Robot tractor (work vehicle)
70 Remote control device (device main body)
71 Remote controller for emergency stop 72 Emergency stop button 73 Start button (start button)
74 Display 81 Lamp (Notification part)
86 Emergency stop button image 87 Start or stop button image (start button image)
91 body case part 92 remote control case part 90 case

Claims (2)

A vehicle traveling control unit that controls autonomous traveling of the aircraft body,
An imaging unit that outputs image data;
A vehicle-side communication unit that executes transmission and reception of signals with the outside,
A working vehicle comprising:
Instruction signal creating means for creating a travel control instruction signal in response to a manual operation;
Between the vehicle-side communication unit, a terminal-side communication unit that transmits and receives signals in a first wireless communication system, transmits the traveling control instruction signal to the vehicle-side communication unit, and receives the image data.
A display unit for displaying the image data,
A wireless communication terminal device comprising:
A stop instruction operating means for generating a stop instruction signal by manual operation,
For the vehicle-side communication unit, a remote control-side communication unit that transmits the stop instruction signal in a second wireless communication system having a smaller data transmission amount than the first wireless communication system,
A remote control for stopping comprising:
The vehicle travel control unit controls autonomous travel of the body main body according to the travel control instruction signal input via the vehicle side communication unit, and stops the body main body according to the stop instruction signal. And remote control system. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit and the instruction signal creating unit are configured by a display that can be operated by a touch panel.

Images