JP2020184883A - Automation system of agricultural work machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automation system that has a navigational function for assisting multiple fields.SOLUTION: An automation system of an agricultural work machine includes a control mechanism for switching the display to a navigation mode on occasion when all work defined in the work map data has been completed or stop-work instruction operation is made in a predetermined field or an area in the field to be worked, selecting one of the fields where the work is not completed or the area in the field from the multiple fields or the area in the field stored in the list, and displaying the information for guiding the agricultural work machine toward the selected field or the area in the field in the navigational mode on the display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a system for automating an agricultural work machine.

In recent years, remote sensing technology has been developed, and technology for fertilizing and controlling pests at required positions in the field has been put into practical use. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that fertilization work is performed by a tractor equipped with an automatic variable fertilizer application machine equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS.
Therefore, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to analyze the growth situation from images using helicopters and satellites and create image data called a fertilization map linked to GNSS coordinates where fertilization is required. 0045] to [0048] are described.
Such an automation system to which GNSS is connected is miniaturized as shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2, and is provided with a display for displaying various information. By connecting to an agricultural work machine, the agricultural work machine is automated. You can do it.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-254711 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-229886

In recent years, work in many fields is increasing, such as undertaking farm work. When going around the fields that could not be reached, a car navigation system was separately installed on the farm work machine to assist the guidance in order to go to the fields to be worked on. In addition, since work is carried out in a large number of fields in one day, it is necessary to take time and effort such as deleting the worked fields from the work list of the day.
An object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural work machine automation system having a navigation function for assisting a tour of a plurality of fields.

The present invention provides a display, a GNSS receiver, a storage unit that stores work map data in which work information is superimposed on a field map or image on which work should be performed, and a list of a plurality of fields or areas within the field on which work should be performed. In the storage unit to be stored and the automated system for issuing a work command to the agricultural work machine, the work is performed so as to perform the work content and / or the work amount specified in the work information using the GNSS positioning information based on the work map data. Navigation mode when all the work specified in the work map data is completed or the work stop instruction operation is performed in the predetermined field or area in the field where the command is issued and the work should be performed. The display is switched to, and one field or area in the field where the work has not been completed is selected from the plurality of fields or areas in the field stored in the list.
In the navigation mode, the problem is solved by providing an automation system characterized by having a control mechanism for displaying information for guiding the agricultural work machine toward the selected field or an area in the field on the display. did.

According to the present invention, by providing the navigation mode using the GNSS receiving device provided in the automation system, it is not necessary to separately mount the car navigation system on the agricultural work machine. Furthermore, by equipping the automation system with a judgment mechanism that determines that the work has been completed, the screen automatically switches to the navigation mode, and one field or area within the field where the work has not been completed is automatically selected. By providing navigation, it has become possible to help all the fields to be worked on.

Conceptual diagram explaining the process of creating map data from aerial images Conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the automation system of the present invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Example 1]
This embodiment is an embodiment in which the agricultural work machine is a fertilizer application machine.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of creating work map data 45 from aerial photograph 40. Aerial photography is performed by airplane, drone, helicopter, satellite, etc., and image analysis is performed. The thin portion of the aerial photograph in FIG. 1 is the region 41 where the crop growth is delayed, and the dark portion is the region 42 where the crop growth is good.
By image analysis, these areas are analyzed, and work map data 45 in which image data, position information, and fertilizer application amount information are superimposed is created. In the work map data 45, the amount of work (the amount of fertilizer input to the ground, etc.) and the type of work (the place where different work is performed, the place where work is performed, and the place where work is not performed) are converted into data for each position. Has been done. In the aerial photograph 40, the region 41 in which the growth of the crop is delayed is assigned to the region 46 in which a large amount of fertilizer is applied in the work map data 45. In the aerial photograph 40, the region 42 in which the crop grows well is assigned the region 47 to be fertilized less in the work map data 45.
The work map data 45 only needs to have data associated with the position information necessary for the agricultural work machine to reach the field, and if necessary, the external shape data of the field, fertilizer application amount information, and the like can be obtained. Overlaid.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the automation system 1 of the present invention. The automation controller (automation system) 1 has a very compact structure, is smaller than a tablet PC, and can be installed in the driver's seat of the agricultural work machine 30 via an accessory (not shown).
Further, in the center, a display 11 for displaying various information such as various settings and working conditions is provided.
The display contents can be switched and various settings can be made by using the soft keys of the display 11. However, a hard key (not shown) is provided in the automation controller (automation system) 1 to switch the display contents and make various settings. It may be.

The automation controller (automation system) 1 includes a connection terminal 12. The GNSS receiver 20 provided with the GNSS antenna 21 can be connected to the GNSS connection terminal 13 via the connection cable 16. GPS is a typical example of GNSS, but a GNSS receiver 20 capable of receiving QZSS (nicknamed "MICHIBIKI") in addition to GPS may be connected to the GNSS connection terminal.

Further, the connection cable 16 includes an agricultural work machine controller connection terminal 14, can be connected to the agricultural work machine controller 31 provided in the agricultural work machine 30, and sends a work command issued by the automation controller (automation system) 1 to the agricultural work machine controller 31. be able to.
The agricultural work machine controller 31 controls the running control (vehicle speed, steering, etc.) of the agricultural work machine 30, and also controls the operation of the agricultural work device such as a fertilizer application device. However, the agricultural work machine controller 31 does not have to be a single controller. In an agricultural work machine 30 such as a fertilizer application device towed by a tractor, a controller for controlling the running control (vehicle speed, steering, etc.) of the agricultural work machine 30 is placed on the tractor side, and the operation of the agricultural work device is controlled on the fertilizer application side. Controllers may be placed and they are interconnected for communication. It is common to have a plurality of controllers suitable for the purpose of control.
Even if a plurality of controllers are provided on the farm work machine 30 side, all the controls required for the control performed by the automation controller (automation system) 1 are required as long as they are connected to the farm work machine controller connection terminal 14 using the connection cable 16. The connection with the agricultural work machine controller 31 is completed.
In this embodiment, CAN (Control Area Network) communication that enables such a connection is used, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The automation controller (automation system) 1 is provided with a USB terminal 15 so that information such as work map data 45 (FIG. 1) for determining the amount of fertilizer applied can be taken in. However, in order to capture such information, it can also be captured via the net, and the USB terminal 15 is not indispensable.

In the work mode, the display 11 displays information necessary for the work. The GNSS positioning information output from the GNSS receiver 20 is input to the automation controller (automation system) 1, and the work command is output to the farm work controller 31 using the work map data 45 read into the work map data storage unit. To do.

A list of a plurality of fields or areas within the fields to be worked on (hereinafter referred to as "field list") is created in advance, and the field list is stored in the automation system 1 in advance.
The field list includes field location information as essential data, and includes various data such as the field owner and the type of crop planted in the field, in addition to the data that identifies the field position. Does not interfere.
In addition, the "area in the field" includes the case where the owners are different and the time when the crops are planted is different even in the field of one section. Even in a field in one section, when working in areas in a plurality of fields, the areas may be divided and registered in the list.

The automation controller (automation system) 1 is provided with a work stop key 17 so that the worker can stop the work in the middle.
In the predetermined field, the automation controller (automation system) 1 determines that all the work defined by the work map data 45 has been completed, or the worker presses the work stop key 17 to give a work stop instruction. When sent to the automation controller (automation system) 1, the control mechanism of the automation controller (automation system) 1 automatically switches the display of the display 11 to the navigation mode.

When the automation controller (automation system) 1 determines that all the work specified in the work map data has been completed, or when the worker sends a work stop instruction to the automation controller (automation system) 1 and finishes the work, it is automated. The control mechanism of the controller (automation system) 1 selects a field for which work has not been completed from the field list.

Based on the GNSS positioning information from the GNSS receiver 20, the control mechanism of the automation controller (automation system) 1 selects the field closest to the current position of the agricultural work machine 30 and the work has not been completed from the field list. Select.
In addition, instead of selecting the field that has not completed the nearest work, the location information data of the field listed in the field list is regarded as a traveling salesman problem, and the shortest route that can tour the field listed in the field list. May be calculated and the field where the next work has not been completed may be selected.

When a field for which work has not been completed is selected from the field list, the control mechanism of the automation controller (automation system) 1 is based on GNSS positioning information indicating the current position and navigation information such as a wide area map. , Guidance information such as a road route to a selected field from the field list is derived and displayed on the display 11.
Further, instead of the road route, guidance information that combines the direction and distance of the selected field or the area within the field may be displayed on the display 11.

For the fields where the work has been completed, data indicating that the work has been completed has been added to the field list so that the fields are not selected from the field list. Further, the worker may press the work stop key 17 for some reason to stop the work, that is, to add data indicating that the work has been interrupted for the field that has been interrupted. Fields for which work has been interrupted are not selected from the field list.

(Individual aspect)
Although the work stop key is a hard key in the aspect of FIG. 2, it can be displayed as a soft key on the display 11. In addition, it is not necessary to explicitly display the "work stop instruction operation" key, and if it can be a work stop instruction such as the "fertilizer application stop" key, the name of the key is It doesn't matter.

In the embodiment, the work map data 45, the field list, and the navigation information are stored in the storage device of the automation controller (automation system) 1, but these storage units may exist on the network.
By providing a storage unit on the network, the cost of the automation controller (automation system) 1 can be reduced.

In addition, by storing the field list on the network, the manager can grasp the fields where the work has been completed. The manager can grasp the work progress of a plurality of agricultural work machines 30, and when there is an agricultural work machine 30 whose work is delayed for some reason, the manager can promptly contact the worker of the agricultural work machine 30 and so on. It will also be possible to respond. In addition, the manager can finish the work of the contracted field as scheduled by moving the field to be worked from the field list of the farm work machine 30 whose work is stagnant to another farm work machine 30.

Further, although the automation controller (automation system) 1 has been described as being compact and freely mountable, it may be incorporated in the driver's seat of the agricultural work machine 30.

(Summary)
As described above, the present invention does not merely incorporate the navigation function into the automation system 1. When all the work specified in the work map data scheduled in the specified field is completed, or when the work is instructed to stop and the work is completed, the screen automatically switches to the navigation mode and the screen is automatically switched. By automatically selecting one field or area within the field where the work has not been completed and performing navigation, it is possible to eliminate the operation of the operator and to operate multiple fields compared to the case where the car navigation system is installed separately. It has become possible to assist around.

1 Automation controller (automation system)
11 Display 12 Connection terminal 13 GNSS connection terminal 14 Agricultural work machine controller connection terminal 15 USB terminal 16 Connection cable 17 Work stop key 20 GNSS receiver 21 GNSS antenna 30 Agricultural work machine 31 Agricultural work machine controller 40 Aerial photograph 41 Delayed growth of crops Area 42 Area with good crop growth 45 Work map data 46 Area with high fertilizer 47 Area with low fertilizer

Claims (2)

A display, a GNSS receiver, a storage unit that stores work map data in which work information is superimposed on a field map or image on which work should be performed, and a list of multiple fields or areas within the field on which work should be performed. In an agricultural work machine automation system that has a storage unit and issues work commands to agricultural work machines
Based on the work map data, the work command is issued so as to perform the work content and / or the work amount specified in the work information using the GNSS positioning information.
When all the work specified in the work map data is completed or the work stop instruction operation is performed in the predetermined field or the area in the field where the work should be performed, the display is set to the navigation mode. Switch the display,
From the plurality of fields or areas in the fields stored in the above list, one area in the field or field in which the work has not been completed is selected.
In the navigation mode, information for guiding the farm work machine toward the selected field or an area within the field is displayed on the display.
Agricultural work machine automation system characterized by having a control mechanism. Agricultural work machine equipped with the automation system.

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