JP2020080676A - Device for supporting travel of work vehicle and work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a device for supporting travel of a work vehicle that is likely to avoid pressurizing soil locally.SOLUTION: A device for supporting travel of a work vehicle includes a route determination unit 2 for determining a target travel route on the basis of a grounding planned region that is a region where a travel device is planned to be grounded on the ground in a farm field.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a travel support device used for a work vehicle that travels in a field.

As the driving support device as described above, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is already known. This travel support device includes a display unit (“display” in Patent Document 1) that displays a target travel route.

JP, 2008-113942, A

By the way, when a work vehicle travels in a field, soil in a region where a traveling device such as a tire or a crawler is in contact with the ground will be compacted. Then, the soil in the field where the traveling device is grounded a plurality of times is likely to be locally compressed. When the soil is locally compressed, deterioration of drainage, deterioration of nutrient penetration, and poor root growth are likely to occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide a traveling assistance device for a work vehicle that makes it easy to avoid locally compressing soil.

A feature of the present invention is to include a route determination unit that determines a target traveling route based on a planned landing region that is a region where the traveling device is planned to ground in the field.

According to the present invention, it is easy to determine the target travel route so that the number of places where the traveling device touches the ground multiple times is relatively small in the field. As a result, it is possible to realize a travel support device for a work vehicle in which it is easy to avoid locally compressing the soil.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the route determination unit determines the target travel route such that a portion of the planned ground contact regions where the planned ground contact regions overlap with each other is reduced.

According to this configuration, when the work vehicle travels along the determined target travel route, there are relatively few places where the traveling device touches the ground a plurality of times in the field. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the soil from being locally compressed.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the route determination unit determines the target travel route such that a predetermined number or less of portions of the planned ground contact areas where the planned ground contact areas overlap each other.

According to this configuration, the work vehicle travels along the target travel route as compared to the configuration in which the target travel route is determined without considering the number of portions of the planned ground contact regions where the scheduled contact regions overlap each other. In this case, it is easy to reduce the number of places where the traveling device touches the ground multiple times in the field. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the soil from being locally compressed.

Further, in the present invention, a compression-related information acquisition unit that acquires compression-related information that is information related to soil compaction due to grounding of the traveling device, and soil expected when the traveling device is grounded in the planned grounding area. An expected compression degree that is a degree of compression of the estimated compression degree based on the compression-related information, and the route determination section sets the estimated compression degree to be equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value. It is preferable to determine the target travel route.

According to this configuration, the degree of soil compaction when the work vehicle travels along the target travel route tends to be small. This makes it easy to suppress the adverse effects of soil compaction.

Further, in the present invention, the compression-related information acquisition unit displays information indicating axle weight, information indicating vehicle speed, information indicating steering angle, information indicating traveling direction, information indicating specifications of the traveling device, and inclination of the ground. It is preferable to acquire at least one of the information shown and the information showing the number of times the traveling device has passed.

Depending on the axle weight, the vehicle speed, the steering angle, the traveling direction, the specifications of the traveling device, the inclination of the ground, and the number of times the traveling device has passed, the degree of soil compaction when the traveling device touches the ground changes.

That is, information indicating the axle weight, information indicating the vehicle speed, information indicating the steering angle, information indicating the traveling direction, information indicating the specifications of the traveling device, information indicating the inclination of the ground, information indicating the number of times the traveling device has passed, Both are compression related information.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, the compression related information acquisition unit can reliably acquire the compression related information. This makes it possible to reliably calculate the expected compression degree.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to include a crushing time prediction unit that predicts a time when subsoil crushing is required based on the predicted compressibility.

According to this configuration, the operator can grasp the time when the subsoil crushing is necessary.

Further, in the present invention, an expected compression degree determining unit that determines whether the estimated compression degree is equal to or more than a predetermined second threshold value, and the estimated compression degree determination unit determines whether the estimated compression degree is equal to or more than the second threshold value. It is preferable to include a warning unit that issues a warning when it is determined that there is.

With this configuration, the operator can surely recognize that the expected compression degree is relatively large.

Further, in the present invention, a display unit that displays the planned grounding area is provided, and the display unit includes a portion of the planned grounding area where the planned grounding areas overlap with each other. It is preferable to display in different display forms depending on the number of planned areas.

According to this configuration, the operator can easily grasp the place where the traveling device is to be grounded a plurality of times in the field. Further, the operator can easily grasp the number of times the traveling device is scheduled to be grounded at those locations.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the display unit can switch and display the planned grounding area and the target travel route.

According to this configuration, the operator can selectively use the display of the planned landing area and the display of the target travel route depending on the scene.

Further, in the present invention, the display unit is capable of displaying a grounded area that is an area where the traveling device is grounded in a field, and the display unit does not yet drive a work vehicle in the target travel route. It is preferable that the portion and the grounded area can be displayed at the same time.

With this configuration, the operator can confirm the grounded area in real time while causing the work vehicle to travel along the target travel route.

Furthermore, in the present invention, a storage unit that stores a grounded region that is a region where the traveling device is grounded in a field is provided, and the route determination unit has a small portion of the planned grounding region that overlaps with the grounded region. It is preferable that the distributed route determination, which is a process of determining the target travel route so that the number of overlapping portions of the planned contact region with the grounded region is equal to or less than a predetermined number, can be executed. Is.

According to this configuration, when the work vehicle travels along the target travel route determined by the distributed route determination, there are relatively few places where the traveling device touches the ground a plurality of times in the field. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the soil from being locally compressed.

Furthermore, in the present invention, a storage unit that stores a grounded region that is a region where the traveling device is grounded in a field is provided, and the route determination unit has many portions that overlap the grounded region in the planned grounding region. It is preferable that the centralized route determination, which is a process of determining the target travel route so that the number of overlapping portions of the planned grounding region with the grounded region is equal to or more than a predetermined number, can be executed. Is.

According to this configuration, when the work vehicle travels along the target travel route determined by the centralized route determination, it becomes difficult for the traveling device to contact the ground in a portion other than the grounded area in the field. This makes it easier to avoid compressing the soil in the field other than the grounded area.

Further, in the present invention, the route determination unit is configured such that a portion of the planned grounding area that overlaps with the grounded area is large, or a portion of the planned ground area that overlaps with the grounded area is predetermined. It is possible to execute centralized route determination, which is a process of determining the target travel route so as to be equal to or more than the number of It is preferable to include a selection unit that selects a process to be executed by the route determination unit from the processes.

According to this configuration, the user can select the process executed by the route determination unit from a plurality of types of processes including the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination.

A work vehicle of the present invention is equipped with the above-mentioned travel support device for a work vehicle.

According to the present invention, it is easy to determine the target traveling route so that the number of places where the traveling device touches down a plurality of times in the field is relatively small. As a result, it is possible to realize a work vehicle in which it is easy to avoid locally compressing the soil.

It is a left side view of a tractor. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a driving assistance device. It is a figure which shows the display content of a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the display content of a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the grounding completed area displayed on a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the grounding completed area displayed on a touch panel. It is a figure which shows a 1st candidate path. It is a figure which shows a 2nd candidate route. It is a figure which shows the display content of a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the scheduled earthing|grounding area displayed on a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the scheduled earthing|grounding area displayed on a touch panel. It is a figure which shows the selection screen displayed on a touch panel. It is an explanatory view of distributed route determination and centralized route determination.

Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-back direction is described as follows unless otherwise specified. That is, the traveling direction on the forward side is "front" and the traveling direction on the reverse side is "rear" when the machine body is traveling. The direction corresponding to the right side is “right”, and the direction corresponding to the left side is “left” with reference to the forward facing posture in the front-rear direction.

[Overall structure of tractor]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tractor 100 (corresponding to a “work vehicle” according to the present invention). The tractor 100 is configured so that work traveling can be performed by automatic driving.

As shown in FIG. 1, a prime mover 20 is provided at the front of the body of the tractor 100. The prime mover 20 has an engine 20a. Further, the tractor 100 includes traveling wheels 30. The traveling wheel 30 has a front left wheel 31, a front right wheel 32, a rear left wheel 33 (corresponding to the "traveling device" according to the present invention), and a right rear wheel 34 (corresponding to "traveling device" according to the present invention). There is.

The power of the engine 20a is transmitted to the traveling wheels 30 via a main clutch (not shown) and the transmission 60. The traveling wheels 30 are driven by this power.

A driving unit 40 is provided behind the driving unit 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the driver 40 includes a driver seat 41, an armrest 42, a support arm 43, a steering wheel 44, a shuttle lever (not shown), a clutch pedal 46, left and right brake pedals (not shown), and an operation. It has a terminal 50. Further, the operation terminal 50 has a touch panel 52 (corresponding to the “display unit” and the “warning unit” according to the present invention). In the driving unit 40, an operator (corresponding to the “user” according to the present invention) can manually perform various driving operations.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operation terminal 50 is supported by the support arm 43. Further, the operator can operate the steering wheel 44 to perform the steering operation of the front left wheel 31 and the front right wheel 32.

Further, the operator can switch the forward/backward movement of the tractor 100 by operating the shuttle lever.

Further, the operator can operate the clutch pedal 46 to perform the on/off operation of the main clutch.

Further, the operator can operate the left and right side brakes by operating the left and right brake pedals.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cultivating device 71 is attached to a rear portion of the tractor 100 via an elevating mechanism 70. The power of the engine 20a is transmitted to the tiller 71 through the PTO shaft 72. Then, this power drives the tilling device 71.

The tractor 100 can perform work traveling by traveling while driving the tilling device 71.

[Structure of driving support device]
As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 100 includes a travel support device A. The travel support device A has a vehicle speed sensor D1, a steering angle sensor D2, an inclination sensor D3, a vehicle azimuth detection device D4, and a vehicle position detection device D5. Further, the operation terminal 50 is included in the driving assistance device A. The operation terminal 50 has the control unit 1.

The present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 1 may be included in an in-vehicle microcontroller located in the tractor 100 other than the operation terminal 50, or may be included in a management center (outside the tractor 100). (Not shown) may be provided.

Further, the control unit 1 includes a route determination unit 2, a first acquisition unit 3, a specification information storage unit 4, a grounded area calculation unit 5, a storage unit 6, a soil compression degree calculation unit 7, a field information acquisition unit 8, and a soil compression. The degree determination unit 9, the expected compression degree determination unit 11, the crushing time estimation unit 12, and the selection unit 27 are included.

The route determination unit 2 includes a route calculation unit 21, a planned landing area calculation unit 22, a travel prediction unit 23, a second acquisition unit 24, an estimated compression degree calculation unit 25, and a route selection unit 26.

The control unit 1 also has a compression related information acquisition unit 13. The first acquisition unit 3 and the second acquisition unit 24 are included in the compression related information acquisition unit 13.

[Display of grounded area]
The host vehicle direction detection device D4 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle over time. The detected traveling direction is sent to the grounded area calculation unit 5.

The vehicle position detection device D5 detects the vehicle position over time. The detected vehicle position is sent to the grounded area calculation unit 5.

Further, as described above, the management center is installed outside the tractor 100. The farm field information acquisition unit 8 acquires various types of information regarding the farm field W in which the tractor 100 is performing work traveling from the management center. This information includes information such as the position of the farm field W and the shape of the farm field W. The information acquired by the field information acquisition unit 8 is sent to the grounded area calculation unit 5.

Then, the grounded area calculation unit 5 is based on the traveling direction received from the own vehicle direction detection device D4, the own vehicle position received from the own vehicle position detection device D5, and the information received from the field information acquisition unit 8. Then, the grounded area P is calculated. The grounded area P is an area in the field W where the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 are in contact with the ground.

As shown in FIG. 2, the grounded area P calculated by the grounded area calculation unit 5 is stored in the storage unit 6.

The grounded area P stored in the storage unit 6 is sent to the touch panel 52. Then, the touch panel 52 displays the grounded area P as shown in FIG.

The grounded area P will be described in detail. The grounded area calculation unit 5 calculates the first grounded area P1 and the second grounded area P2. The first grounded area P1 is the grounded area P corresponding to the left rear wheel 33. The second grounded area P2 is the grounded area P corresponding to the right rear wheel 34.

That is, the storage unit 6 in the present embodiment stores two grounded areas P corresponding to the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34.

However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grounded area calculation unit 5 calculates four grounded areas P corresponding to the left front wheel 31, the right front wheel 32, the left rear wheel 33, and the right rear wheel 34, and the storage unit 6 calculates those grounded areas. It may be configured to store P. Alternatively, the grounded area calculation unit 5 may calculate one grounded area P, and the storage unit 6 may store the grounded area P. That is, the number of grounded areas P stored in the storage unit 6 may be any number of one or more.

In addition, in response to an operation on the touch panel 52 by the operator, the touch panel 52 switches between the grounded area P and the traveling locus T and displays them, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

That is, the touch panel 52 can switch and display the grounded area P and the traveling locus T.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the touch panel 52 displays different portions of the grounded areas P where the grounded areas P overlap each other, depending on the number of overlapping grounded areas P. Display with.

More specifically, the touch panel 52 displays a green portion of the grounded areas P where the grounded areas P do not overlap each other. Further, the touch panel 52 displays, in yellow, a portion of the grounded area P where the two grounded areas P overlap. Further, the touch panel 52 displays, in red, a portion of the grounded area P where the three grounded areas P overlap.

That is, the touch panel 52 displays, in the grounded area P, the portions where the grounded areas P overlap each other in different colors according to the number of overlapping grounded areas P.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the tractor 100 passes through the first region R1 only once. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is in contact with the first region R1 only once.

In addition, the tractor 100 passes through the second region R2 twice. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is grounded twice in the second region R2.

Further, the tractor 100 passes through the third region R3 three times. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is in contact with the third region R3 three times.

At this time, in the first region R1 of the grounded regions P, the grounded regions P do not overlap each other. Therefore, the first region R1 is displayed in green.

Further, in the second region R2 of the grounded region P, the two grounded regions P overlap. Therefore, the second region R2 is displayed in yellow.

In the third region R3 of the grounded region P, three grounded regions P overlap. Therefore, the third region R3 is displayed in red.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the two grounded regions P partially overlap in the fourth region R4. In this case, of the grounded area P, only the fourth area R4 is displayed in yellow, and the other areas are displayed in green.

[Target travel route]
The vehicle speed sensor D1 shown in FIG. 2 detects the vehicle speed of the tractor 100 with time. The detected vehicle speed (corresponding to “information indicating vehicle speed” according to the present invention) is sent to the first acquisition unit 3.

The steering angle sensor D2 detects the steering angles of the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 over time. The detected steering angle (corresponding to “information indicating the steering angle” according to the present invention) is sent to the first acquisition unit 3.

The tilt sensor D3 detects the tilt angle of the machine body over time. The detected inclination angle (corresponding to “information indicating the inclination of the ground” according to the present invention) is sent to the first acquisition unit 3.

In addition, the traveling direction detected by the vehicle direction detection device D4 is sent to the first acquisition unit 3. The traveling direction corresponds to "information indicating the traveling direction" according to the present invention.

The vehicle position detected by the vehicle position detection device D5 is sent to the first acquisition unit 3.

In the first acquisition unit 3, the vehicle speed, the steering angle, the traveling azimuth, and the inclination angle are associated with the vehicle position. Thereby, the 1st acquisition part 3 will acquire the vehicle speed of the tractor 100 corresponding to each position of the farm field W, a steering angle, a traveling direction, and an inclination angle.

The specification information storage unit 4 stores various specification information of the tractor 100. This specification information includes information on the material, shape, and ground contact area of the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 (corresponding to "information indicating the specifications of the traveling device" according to the present invention), and information indicating the axle weight. It is included.

This specification information is sent to the first acquisition unit 3 and the second acquisition unit 24.

In addition, the grounded area calculation unit 5 is based on the grounded area P calculated as described above, information indicating the number of times the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 have passed at each position of the field W (according to the present invention. (Corresponding to "information indicating the number of times the traveling device has passed") is generated. The generated information is sent to the first acquisition unit 3.

As described above, the first acquisition unit 3 acquires various information. Then, such information is compression related information. The compression-related information is information on the soil compaction due to the ground contact of the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34.

The compression related information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3 is sent to the soil compression degree calculation unit 7.

The soil compressibility calculation unit 7 acquires information indicating the grounded area P from the grounded area calculation unit 5. Then, the soil compaction degree calculation unit 7 calculates the soil compaction degree based on the compression related information received from the first acquisition unit 3 and the information indicating the grounded area P received from the grounded area calculation unit 5. To do. The degree of soil compaction is the degree of soil compaction in the grounded area P.

In the present embodiment, the soil compressibility calculating unit 7 calculates the soil compressibility corresponding to each position of the grounded area P. The calculated soil compaction degree is sent to the expected compaction degree calculating unit 25.

The information acquired by the field information acquisition unit 8 is sent to the route determination unit 2.

The information indicating the grounded area P stored in the storage unit 6 is sent to the route selection unit 26.

Then, the route determination unit 2 determines the target traveling route L of the tractor 100. Hereinafter, the determination of the target travel route L will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

When the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L, first, the route calculation unit 21 selects a plurality of candidate routes that are candidates for the target travel route L based on the information received from the field information acquisition unit 8. calculate. In this embodiment, at this time, five different candidate routes are calculated. The calculated plurality of candidate routes are sent to the planned landing area calculation unit 22.

The planned landing area calculation unit 22 calculates a planned landing area Q when the tractor 100 travels along each of the candidate routes calculated by the route calculation unit 21. In addition, the scheduled contact area Q is an area where the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 are scheduled to contact the ground in the field W. Each of the calculated expected ground contact areas Q is sent to the travel prediction unit 23 in a state of being associated with each of the candidate routes.

The traveling predicting unit 23 predicts the behavior of the tractor 100 when the tractor 100 travels along each candidate route, based on each expected contact region Q and each candidate route received from the planned contact region calculating unit 22. Then, the traveling prediction unit 23 generates the compression related information corresponding to each position of the farm field W based on the prediction result in association with each candidate route.

Specifically, at this time, the traveling prediction unit 23, based on the predicted behavior of the tractor 100, the vehicle speed of the tractor 100 at each position of the farm field W (corresponding to “information indicating vehicle speed” according to the present invention), Steering angle (corresponding to "information indicating steering angle" according to the present invention), traveling azimuth (corresponding to "information indicating traveling direction" according to the present invention), inclination angle (information indicating "ground inclination" according to the present invention) The number of passages of the rear left wheel 33 and the rear right wheel 34 (corresponding to “information indicating the number of passages of the traveling device” according to the present invention) is generated.

The compression-related information generated by the travel prediction unit 23 is sent to the second acquisition unit 24.

In this way, the compression related information acquisition unit 13 acquires the compression related information.

The compression-related information acquired by the second acquisition unit 24 is sent to the predicted compression degree calculation unit 25 in a state of being associated with each candidate route and each planned landing area Q.

The predicted compression degree calculation unit 25 calculates the predicted compression degree corresponding to each candidate route based on the compression related information received from the second acquisition unit 24 and the soil compression degree received from the soil compression degree calculation unit 7. To do. The expected compression degree is the degree of soil compression expected when the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 contact the planned contact area Q.

In addition, the predicted compressibility in the present embodiment is a predicted value of the soil compressibility after the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 have contacted the planned contact area Q. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the expected compressibility is the difference between the soil compressibility before the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 contact the ground contact area Q and the soil compressibility after contact with the ground. It may be a corresponding value.

In the present embodiment, the expected compression degree calculation unit 25 calculates the expected compression degree corresponding to each position of the planned grounding area Q. The calculated expected compression degree is sent to the route selection unit 26 in a state of being associated with each candidate route and each planned landing area Q.

The route selection unit 26 extracts, from among the candidate routes, each candidate route that meets the condition that “the corresponding predicted compression degree is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold”.

In addition, in the present embodiment, when each predicted compression degree corresponding to each position of the planned grounding area Q is less than or equal to the first threshold value, it is determined that the predicted compression degree is less than or equal to the predetermined first threshold value. It However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the average value of the predicted compression degrees corresponding to the respective positions of the planned grounding area Q is the first threshold value or less, the predicted compression degree is the predetermined first threshold value or less. The configuration may be determined as.

Next, the route selection unit 26 calculates a region overlapping portion in the corresponding planned grounding region Q for each of the extracted candidate routes based on the information indicating the grounded region P received from the storage unit 6. The area overlapping portion is a general term for a portion of the planned grounding area Q that overlaps with the grounded area P and a portion where the planned grounding areas Q overlap with each other.

Then, the route selection unit 26 selects, from the extracted candidate routes, the candidate route having the smallest area overlapping portion in the corresponding planned grounding area Q. The selected candidate route is determined as the target travel route L.

As described above, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L based on the planned contact area Q. In addition, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L so that a portion of the planned grounding area Q that overlaps with the grounded area P or a portion of the planned grounding areas Q that overlap each other is reduced. In addition, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L such that the predicted compression degree is equal to or lower than the predetermined first threshold value.

The route determination unit 2 may determine the target traveling route L before the tractor 100 starts the work traveling in the field W or after the work traveling starts.

When the target travel route L is determined before the tractor 100 starts the work travel in the field W, the grounded area P does not yet exist. Therefore, in that case, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L so that the portions of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other are reduced.

In addition, the route determination unit 2 may be configured to determine the target travel route L that covers the entire field W. Further, the route determination unit 2 may be configured to sequentially determine the target traveling route L as the work traveling of the tractor 100 progresses.

In the following, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the selection of the candidate route in the route selection unit 26 will be described with a specific example. In this specific example, the first candidate route C1 shown in FIG. 7 and the second candidate route C2 shown in FIG. 8 are candidate routes that meet the condition that “the corresponding predicted compression degree is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold”. And are extracted. Further, in this specific example, it is assumed that the route determination unit 2 determines the target traveling route L that covers the entire field W before the tractor 100 starts the work traveling in the field W.

In both of the first candidate route C1 and the second candidate route C2, the tractor 100 enters the farm field W through the entrance Wa and travels back and forth through the entire farm field W, and then returns from the work completion point Wb to the entrance Wa. It is a route. Then, in the first candidate route C1 and the second candidate route C2, the portions from the entry of the tractor 100 into the field W through the entrance Wa to the arrival of the work completion point Wb are the same.

However, in the first candidate route C1 and the second candidate route C2, the routes returning from the work completion point Wb to the entrance Wa are different from each other.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the first candidate route C1, more than half of the route from the work completion point Wb to the entrance Wa is the portion from the entry Wa into the field W to the first turning. Overlaps with. Note that, in FIG. 7, for the sake of convenience of illustration, the overlapping portions are drawn with a slight offset.

As a result, the planned grounding area Q corresponding to the first candidate route C1 has the first overlapping portion V1, the second overlapping portion V2, and the third overlapping portion V3 as the area overlapping portions. As shown in FIG. 7, the areas of the first overlapping portion V1 and the second overlapping portion V2 are relatively large. The area of the third overlapping portion V3 is relatively small.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the second candidate route C2, the route from the work completion point Wb to the entrance Wa intersects the first turning route and does not overlap with other portions.

As a result, the planned grounding area Q corresponding to the second candidate route C2 has the fourth overlapping portion V4, the fifth overlapping portion V5, and the sixth overlapping portion V6 as the area overlapping portions. As shown in FIG. 8, the areas of the fourth overlapping portion V4, the fifth overlapping portion V5, and the sixth overlapping portion V6 are relatively small.

Then, the route selection unit 26 calculates the sum of the areas of the first overlapping portion V1, the second overlapping portion V2, and the third overlapping portion V3, and the fourth overlapping portion V4, the fifth overlapping portion V5, and the sixth overlapping portion V6. Compare with the sum of each area. In this specific example, the sum of the areas of the fourth overlapping portion V4, the fifth overlapping portion V5, and the sixth overlapping portion V6 is the sum of the areas of the first overlapping portion V1, the second overlapping portion V2, and the third overlapping portion V3. It is smaller than the sum.

Therefore, the route selection unit 26 selects the second candidate route C2 as the candidate route having the smallest region overlapping portion in the corresponding planned grounding region Q among the first candidate route C1 and the second candidate route C2. The selected second candidate route C2 is determined as the target travel route L.

[Regarding display of target travel route and planned ground contact area]
As shown in FIG. 2, the target travel route L determined by the route determination unit 2 is sent to the touch panel 52 together with the calculated planned contact area Q. Then, the touch panel 52 displays the target travel route L as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the touch panel 52 can simultaneously display a portion of the target traveling route L on which the tractor 100 is not traveling and a grounded area P at the same time.

In addition, the touch panel 52 displays a planned grounding area Q as shown in FIG. 9. Note that, as shown in FIG. 9, the touch panel 52 can simultaneously display the grounded area P and the planned grounding area Q.

In detail about the planned grounding area Q, the planned grounding area calculation unit 22 calculates the first planned grounding area Q1 and the second planned grounding area Q2. The first planned contact area Q1 is a planned contact area Q corresponding to the left rear wheel 33. The second planned landing area Q2 is a planned grounding area Q corresponding to the right rear wheel 34.

That is, the planned landing area calculation unit 22 in the present embodiment calculates two planned landing areas Q corresponding to the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34.

However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the planned landing area calculation unit 22 may be configured to calculate four planned landing areas Q corresponding to the front left wheel 31, the front right wheel 32, the rear left wheel 33, and the rear right wheel 34. Further, the planned landing area calculation unit 22 may be configured to calculate one planned landing area Q. That is, the number of the planned ground contact areas Q calculated by the planned ground contact area calculation unit 22 may be any number of one or more.

Further, in response to the operation on the touch panel 52 by the operator, the touch panel 52 switches and displays the planned grounding area Q and the target travel route L as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9.

That is, the touch panel 52 can switch and display the planned ground contact area Q and the target travel route L.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the touch panel 52 displays different portions of the planned grounding areas Q in which the planned grounding areas Q overlap with each other, depending on the number of overlapping planned grounding areas Q. Display with.

More specifically, the touch panel 52 displays, in light blue, portions of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q do not overlap each other. Further, the touch panel 52 displays, in blue, a portion of the planned grounding area Q where the two planned grounding areas Q overlap. Further, the touch panel 52 displays, in black, a portion of the planned grounding area Q where the three planned grounding areas Q overlap.

That is, the touch panel 52 displays the portions of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other in different colors according to the number of overlapping planned grounding areas Q.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the tractor 100 is scheduled to pass through the fifth region R5 only once. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is scheduled to contact the fifth region R5 only once.

In addition, the tractor 100 is scheduled to pass through the sixth region R6 twice. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is scheduled to contact the sixth region R6 twice.

Further, the tractor 100 is scheduled to pass through the seventh region R7 three times. That is, the left rear wheel 33 or the right rear wheel 34 is scheduled to land three times in the seventh region R7.

At this time, in the fifth region R5 of the planned grounding region Q, the planned grounding regions Q do not overlap each other. Therefore, the fifth region R5 is displayed in light blue.

Further, in the sixth region R6 of the planned grounding region Q, the two planned grounding regions Q overlap. Therefore, the sixth region R6 is displayed in blue.

Further, in the seventh area R7 of the planned grounding area Q, the three planned grounding areas Q overlap. Therefore, the seventh region R7 is displayed in black.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the two planned grounding regions Q partially overlap in the eighth region R8. In this case, only the eighth region R8 of the planned grounding region Q is displayed in blue, and the other portions are displayed in light blue.

[Forecasting the crushing time]
As shown in FIG. 2, the soil compaction degree calculated by the soil compaction degree calculating unit 7 is sent to the crushing time prediction unit 12. Further, when the target travel route L is determined by the route determination unit 2, the calculated expected compression degree is sent to the crushing time prediction unit 12.

The crushing time prediction unit 12 predicts the time when subsoil crushing is required, based on the soil compaction degree received from the soil compaction degree calculation unit 7 and the expected compression degree received from the route determination unit 2. The prediction result by the crushing time prediction unit 12 is sent to the touch panel 52. Then, the touch panel 52 displays the time when subsoil crushing is required based on the prediction result by the crushing time prediction unit 12. Further, the touch panel 52 displays a message to that effect when it is time to crush the subsoil.

[About warning display]
As shown in FIG. 2, the soil compaction degree calculated by the soil compaction degree calculator 7 is sent to the soil compaction degree determiner 9.

The soil compaction degree determination unit 9 determines whether the soil compaction degree received from the soil compaction degree calculation unit 7 is equal to or larger than a predetermined second threshold value. When it is determined that the soil compaction degree is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the soil compaction degree determination unit 9 sends a warning signal to the touch panel 52. Upon receiving the warning signal, the touch panel 52 gives a warning by displaying a warning.

This warning display allows the operator to know that the degree of soil compaction has reached a relatively high level.

In the present embodiment, if any of the soil compressibility corresponding to each position of the grounded area P is equal to or more than the second threshold value, the soil compressibility is determined to be equal to or more than the second threshold value. It However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the average value of the soil compressibility corresponding to each position of the grounded area P is the second threshold or more, it is determined that the soil compressibility is the second threshold or more. It may be configured to be.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, when the target traveling route L is determined by the route determination unit 2, the calculated expected compression degree is sent to the estimated compression degree determination unit 11.

The predicted compression degree determination unit 11 determines whether the predicted compression degree received from the route determination unit 2 is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold value. When it is determined that the expected compression degree is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the expected compression degree determination unit 11 sends a warning signal to the touch panel 52. Upon receiving the warning signal, the touch panel 52 gives a warning by displaying a warning.

This warning display allows the operator to know that the expected degree of soil compaction has reached a relatively high level.

It should be noted that in the present embodiment, when any of the predicted compression rates corresponding to the respective positions of the planned ground contact area Q is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the predicted compression degree is determined to be equal to or higher than the second threshold value. It However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the average value of the respective predicted compression degrees corresponding to the respective positions of the planned grounding area Q is equal to or larger than the second threshold value, it is determined that the predicted compression degree is equal to or larger than the second threshold value. It may be configured to be.

[About distributed route determination and centralized route determination]
When the tractor 100 travels in the field W after the work vehicle different from the tractor 100 travels in the field W, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L by the distributed route determination or the concentrated route determination. be able to.

Hereinafter, this work vehicle will be referred to as a preceding work vehicle, and the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination will be described in detail.

When the preceding work vehicle travels in the field W, although not shown in FIG. 2, the traveling position and traveling direction of the preceding work vehicle are sent to the grounded area calculation unit 5. Then, the grounded area calculation unit 5 calculates the grounded area P based on the received position and traveling direction of the preceding work vehicle and the information received from the field information acquisition unit 8.

The grounded area P calculated at this time is an area where the traveling device of the preceding work vehicle is grounded in the field W.

Then, the calculated grounded area P is stored in the storage unit 6. After that, when the tractor 100 starts traveling in the field W, a selection screen is displayed on the touch panel 52 as shown in FIG. A distributed button 52a and a centralized button 52b are displayed on this selection screen.

When the operator touches the distributed button 52a, a predetermined signal is sent from the touch panel 52 to the selection unit 27 as shown in FIG. When the selection unit 27 receives this signal, the selection unit 27 sends an instruction signal for executing the distributed route determination to the route determination unit 2. When receiving the instruction signal, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L by the distributed route determination. That is, the route determination unit 2 can execute the distributed route determination according to the input by the operator.

When the operator touches the centralized button 52b, a predetermined signal is sent from the touch panel 52 to the selection unit 27 as shown in FIG. Then, upon receiving this signal, the selection unit 27 sends an instruction signal for executing the centralized route determination to the route determination unit 2. When receiving the instruction signal, the route determination unit 2 determines the target traveling route L by the centralized route determination. That is, the route determination unit 2 can execute the centralized route determination according to the input by the operator.

Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the route determination unit 2 may be capable of executing processes other than the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination. Then, buttons corresponding to processes other than the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination may be displayed on the selection screen.

That is, the selection unit 27 selects the process executed by the route determination unit 2 from a plurality of types of processes including the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination according to the input by the operator.

In the present embodiment, in the distributed route determination, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L so that the portion of the planned grounding region Q that overlaps with the grounded region P is reduced. Further, in the centralized route determination, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L so that the portion of the planned grounding region Q that overlaps with the grounded region P increases.

Hereinafter, the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination will be described with reference to FIG. In this specific example, the preceding work vehicle enters the field W from the first entrance Wc, makes a U-turn, and then reaches the second entrance Wd. After that, the tractor 100 also enters the field W from the first doorway Wc, makes a U-turn, and then travels to reach the second doorway Wd.

Here, when the tractor 100 starts traveling in the field W, the selection screen is displayed on the touch panel 52 as described above. At this time, the route calculation unit 21 calculates a plurality of candidate routes.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the calculated plurality of candidate routes includes a third candidate route C3 and a fourth candidate route C4. Then, the third candidate route C3 has the smallest overlap between the corresponding planned grounding region Q and the grounded region P among the plurality of calculated candidate routes. In addition, the fourth candidate route C4 has the largest overlap between the corresponding planned grounding region Q and the grounded region P among the plurality of calculated candidate routes.

Actually, as shown in FIG. 13, the planned grounding area Q corresponding to the third candidate route C3 has a seventh overlapping portion V7 and an eighth overlapping portion V8 as overlapping portions with the grounded area P. .. The areas of the seventh overlapping portion V7 and the eighth overlapping portion V8 are relatively small.

Further, the planned grounding area Q corresponding to the fourth candidate route C4 has a ninth overlapping section V9 and a tenth overlapping section V10 as overlapping sections with the grounded area P. The areas of the ninth overlapping portion V9 and the tenth overlapping portion V10 are relatively large.

In this example, the planned grounding area Q corresponding to the fourth candidate route C4 matches the grounded area P. That is, the entire planned grounding area Q corresponding to the fourth candidate route C4 is occupied by the ninth overlapping portion V9 and the tenth overlapping portion V10.

When the operator touches the distributed button 52a, the path determination unit 2 executes distributed path determination. Thereby, the route selection unit 26 selects the third candidate route C3 from the calculated plurality of candidate routes. The selected third candidate route C3 is determined as the target travel route L.

When the operator touches the centralized button 52b, the route determination unit 2 executes centralized route determination. Thereby, the route selection unit 26 selects the fourth candidate route C4 from the calculated plurality of candidate routes. The selected fourth candidate route C4 is determined as the target travel route L.

In the configuration described above, the route calculation unit 21 calculates a plurality of candidate routes before the operator touches the distributed button 52a or the concentrated button 52b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the route calculation unit 21 may calculate a plurality of candidate routes after the operator touches the distributed button 52a or the centralized button 52b.

Further, in the distributed route determination, the route determination unit 2 may determine the target travel route L such that a portion of the planned grounding region Q that overlaps with the grounded region P is equal to or less than a predetermined number. Further, in the centralized route determination, the route determination unit 2 may determine the target travel route L such that a portion of the planned grounding region Q that overlaps with the grounded region P is a predetermined number or more.

Moreover, in the above description, the case where the tractor 100 travels in the field W after the work vehicle different from the tractor 100 travels in the field W has been described. However, even when the tractor 100 travels in the field W again after the tractor 100 travels in the field W, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel in the same manner as described above by the distributed route determination or the centralized route determination. The route L can be determined.

According to the configuration described above, it is easy to determine the target travel route L so that the number of places where the left rear wheel 33 and the right rear wheel 34 contact the ground a plurality of times in the field W is relatively small. As a result, it is possible to realize the travel support device A of the tractor 100 in which it is easy to avoid locally compressing the soil.

[First Embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the route selecting unit 26, among the candidate routes calculated by the route calculating unit 21, each candidate route that meets the condition that “the corresponding predicted compression degree is equal to or lower than the predetermined first threshold”. To extract. Then, the route selection unit 26 selects, from the extracted candidate routes, the candidate route having the smallest area overlapping portion in the corresponding planned grounding area Q. The selected candidate route is determined as the target travel route L.

However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the following, the first different embodiment according to the present invention will be described focusing on the points different from the above-described embodiment. The configuration other than the part described below is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. Further, the same components as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

In the first alternative embodiment according to the present invention, the route selection unit 26 calculates a region overlapping portion in the corresponding planned grounding region Q for each candidate route calculated by the route calculation unit 21.

Next, the route selection unit 26 determines, among the candidate routes, that "the corresponding predicted compression degree is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold value, and the corresponding region overlap portion in the planned grounding region Q is less than or equal to a predetermined number." Each candidate route that matches the condition "."

Then, the route selection unit 26 selects a candidate route having the highest work efficiency from the extracted candidate routes. The selected candidate route is determined as the target travel route L.

As described above, in the first alternative embodiment according to the present invention, in the route determining unit 2, the portion of the planned grounding area Q that overlaps the grounded area P or the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other. The target travel route L is determined so that the number of portions to be subjected is equal to or less than a predetermined number.

The route determination unit 2 may determine the target traveling route L before the tractor 100 starts the work traveling in the field W or after the work traveling starts.

When the target travel route L is determined before the tractor 100 starts the work travel in the field W, the grounded area P does not yet exist. Therefore, in that case, the route determination unit 2 determines the target travel route L such that the planned contact areas Q overlap with each other in a predetermined number or less.

The embodiments described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these and can be appropriately modified.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) The tractor 100 may be configured such that it cannot perform work traveling by automatic operation but only work traveling by manual operation.

(2) The touch panel 52 is configured to display portions of the grounded areas P where the grounded areas P overlap each other with different patterns according to the number of overlapping grounded areas P. It may be. Further, the touch panel 52 is configured to display, in the grounded area P, portions where the grounded areas P overlap each other with different display densities according to the number of overlapping grounded areas P. It may be.

(3) The soil compressibility calculating unit 7 may be configured to calculate one soil compressibility corresponding to the entire grounded area P.

(4) The predicted compression degree calculation unit 25 may be configured to calculate one predicted compression degree corresponding to the entire planned contact area Q.

(5) The route determination unit 2 may be configured to tentatively calculate the travel route and determine the target travel route L by correcting the travel route based on the planned contact area Q.

(6) The touch panel 52 is configured to display the portions of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap with each other in different patterns according to the number of the overlapping planned grounding areas Q. It may be. Further, the touch panel 52 is configured to display a portion of the planned grounding area Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other with different display densities according to the number of the planned grounding areas Q that overlap. It may be.

(7) The travel support device A may be provided outside the tractor 100. For example, the driving support device A may be provided in a management center installed outside the tractor 100 or may be provided in a mobile communication terminal.

(8) A speaker, a lamp, or the like may be provided that issues a warning when the soil compaction determination unit 9 determines that the soil compaction is equal to or higher than the second threshold value. In this case, the speaker, the lamp, and the like correspond to the “warning unit” according to the present invention.

(9) The soil compressibility determination unit 9 may not be provided.

(10) The expected compression degree determination unit 11 may not be provided.

(11) The crushing time prediction unit 12 may not be provided.

(12) The soil compaction degree calculation unit 7 may not be provided.

(13) The compression related information acquisition unit 13 may not be provided.

(14) The predicted compression degree calculation unit 25 may not be provided.

(15) The route determination unit 2 may be configured to determine the target travel route L regardless of the expected compression degree.

(16) The route determination unit 2 may be configured to determine the target travel route L regardless of the area overlapping portion.

(17) The touch panel 52 may be configured so that the target travel route L cannot be displayed.

(18) The touch panel 52 may be configured so that the traveling locus T cannot be displayed.

(19) The touch panel 52 may be configured not to display the planned grounding area Q.

(20) The touch panel 52 displays a part of the grounded areas P where the grounded areas P overlap each other in a uniform display form regardless of the number of overlapping grounded areas P. Is also good. In addition, the touch panel 52 may display, in the same display form, a portion of the grounded area P where the grounded areas P overlap each other and a portion where the grounded areas P do not overlap each other.

(21) The touch panel 52 displays a portion of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap with each other in a uniform display form, regardless of the number of overlapping planned grounding areas Q. Is also good. In addition, the touch panel 52 may display, in the same planned display mode, portions of the planned grounding area Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other and portions where they do not overlap.

(22) Instead of the traveling wheels 30, a crawler type traveling device may be provided. In this case, the crawler type traveling device corresponds to the “traveling device” according to the present invention.

(23) The touch panel 52 may be configured not to display the grounded area P.

(24) The touch panel 52 displays the portions of the grounded areas P where the grounded areas P overlap each other in a state in which different numbers are attached according to the number of overlapping grounded areas P. It may be configured to do. This number may be, for example, a value indicating a rank according to the number of overlapping grounded areas P, or may be a value indicating the number of overlapping grounded areas P themselves.

(25) The touch panel 52 displays the portions of the planned grounding areas Q where the planned grounding areas Q overlap each other with different numbers according to the number of overlapping planned grounding areas Q. It may be configured to do. This number may be, for example, a value indicating a rank according to the number of overlapping planned grounding areas Q, or may be a value indicating the number of overlapping overlapping grounding areas Q itself.

(26) The touch panel 52 may be configured to display, in the grounded area P, portions where the grounded areas P do not overlap each other in a color other than green. Further, the touch panel 52 may be configured to display a portion of the grounded area P where the two grounded areas P overlap each other in a color other than yellow. In addition, the touch panel 52 may be configured to display a portion of the grounded area P where the three grounded areas P overlap in a color other than red.

(27) The touch panel 52 may be configured to display, in the planned grounding area Q, a portion where the planned grounding areas Q do not overlap each other in a color other than light blue. Further, the touch panel 52 may be configured to display a portion of the planned grounding area Q where the two planned grounding areas Q overlap in a color other than blue. Further, the touch panel 52 may be configured to display a portion of the planned grounding area Q where the three planned grounding areas Q overlap in a color other than black.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a self-removing combine, a normal combine, a corn harvester, a rice transplanter, etc. in addition to the tractor.

2 Route determination unit 11 Expected compression degree determination unit 12 Fracture timing prediction unit 13 Compression related information acquisition unit 25 Expected compression degree calculation unit 27 Selection unit 33 Left rear wheel (travel device)
34 Right rear wheel (travel device)
52 Touch panel (display section, warning section)
100 tractor (work vehicle)
A Driving support device L Target traveling route P Grounded area Q Planned grounding area W Field

Claims (14)

A travel assistance device for a work vehicle, comprising a route determination unit that determines a target travel route based on a planned landing region, which is a region where the traveling device is scheduled to contact the ground in a field. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the route determination unit determines the target traveling route so that portions of the planned ground contact areas where the planned ground contact areas overlap each other are reduced. The traveling assistance of the work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the route determination unit determines the target traveling route so that a predetermined number or less of the planned contact areas overlap each other. apparatus. A compression-related information acquisition unit that acquires compression-related information that is information related to soil compaction due to grounding of the traveling device,
An expected compression degree calculation unit that calculates an expected compression degree, which is a degree of compression of soil expected when the traveling device is in contact with the grounding scheduled area, based on the compression related information,
The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the route determination unit determines the target traveling route such that the predicted compression degree is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value. The compression-related information acquisition unit, the information indicating the axle weight, the information indicating the vehicle speed, the information indicating the steering angle, the information indicating the traveling direction, the information indicating the specifications of the traveling device, the information indicating the inclination of the ground, the traveling device The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the information indicating the number of passages of the vehicle is acquired. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a crushing time prediction unit that predicts a time when subsoil crushing is required based on the predicted compression degree. An expected compression degree determination unit that determines whether or not the expected compression degree is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold value;
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising: a warning unit that issues a warning when the predicted compression degree determination unit determines that the predicted compression degree is equal to or higher than the second threshold value. Driving support device. A display unit for displaying the area to be grounded,
8. The display unit displays, in the planned landing areas, portions where the planned ground areas overlap with each other in different display forms according to the number of the planned ground areas that overlap. The traveling support device for a work vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 5. 9. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the display unit is capable of switching and displaying the planned grounding area and the target traveling route. The display unit can display a grounded area, which is an area where the traveling device is grounded in a field,
10. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the display unit is capable of simultaneously displaying a portion of the target travel route on which the work vehicle is not traveling and the grounded area. A storage unit that stores a grounded region that is a region where the traveling device is grounded in a field;
The route determination unit reduces the portion of the planned grounding area that overlaps with the grounded area, or the number of portions of the planned grounding area that overlap with the grounded area to a predetermined number or less. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein distributed route determination, which is a process of determining the target traveling route, can be executed. A storage unit that stores a grounded region that is a region where the traveling device is grounded in a field;
The route determination unit may increase a portion of the planned grounding area that overlaps with the grounded area or a predetermined number or more of the planned ground area that overlaps with the grounded area. The traveling assistance device for a work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a centralized route determination that is a process of determining the target traveling route can be executed. The route determination unit may increase a portion of the planned grounding area that overlaps with the grounded area or a predetermined number or more of the planned ground area that overlaps with the grounded area. It is possible to execute centralized route determination, which is a process of determining the target travel route,
The work vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising a selection unit that selects a process to be executed by the route determination unit from a plurality of types of processes including the distributed route determination and the centralized route determination according to an input by a user. Driving support device. A work vehicle comprising the travel support device for a work vehicle according to claim 1.

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