JP2022057328A - Harvester - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a harvester, the working condition of which is adjusted in consideration of a difference from the standard height of a planted crop.SOLUTION: A harvester comprises: a harvesting part 15 that harvests a planted crop in a farm field; a crop height detection unit 21 that detects the actual height of the preharvest planted crop planted anteriorly in a traveling direction of a machine body; a reference height acquisition part 32 that acquires the reference height of the planted crop in the farm field; and a control unit 3 that adjusts a control parameter for determining a working condition of the machine body on the basis of the ratio of the actual height to the reference height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a harvester provided with a harvesting section for harvesting planted crops in the field.

The height of the planted crop from the field scene at the time of harvest varies depending on the variety and degree of growth of the crop. In particular, for planted crops such as rice and wheat, when they fall down due to over-fruiting or wind, their height becomes considerably lower than the standard height.

For example, the combine according to Patent Document 1 is a television that photographs the grain culm in front of the cutting section in order to control the planted culm in the collapsed state differently from the planted culm in the upright state in the harvesting operation. It is equipped with a camera and an image processing device. The image processing device compares the image from the television camera with the image showing the planting state of various grain culms stored in advance, and detects the planting state of the grain culm. When it is detected that a part of the grain culm in front of the cutting section is lying down, the scraping reel is tilted downward. This improves the cutting performance of the fallen grain culm.

In the combine according to Patent Document 2, the degree of lodging of the planted culm is determined before cutting from the power spectrum distribution obtained based on the captured image acquired at the time of cutting work. The threshing load is adjusted by controlling the vehicle speed and the like in a timely manner according to the degree of lodging determined through image processing. This enables smooth threshing work even for a fallen grain culm.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-155340 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-304734

In the combine according to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a fallen grain culm is detected by an image processing technique, and the working state of the combine is adjusted based on the detection result. However, the height of planted crops such as rice and wheat varies depending on the variety, overgrowth, and strong winds. Therefore, in order to achieve better harvesting work, it is necessary to adjust the working condition of the harvester in consideration of the difference from the standard height of the planted crop to be harvested.

In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a harvester in which the working condition of the harvester is adjusted in consideration of the difference from the standard height of the planted crop.

The harvester according to the present invention includes a harvesting section for harvesting planted crops in the field, a crop height detection unit for detecting the actual height of the planted crops before harvesting planted in front of the traveling direction of the machine, and a crop height detection unit in the field. It includes a reference height acquisition unit that acquires the reference height of the planted crop, and a control unit that adjusts control parameters that determine the working state of the aircraft based on the ratio of the actual height to the reference height. ..

According to the present invention, the actual height of the planted crop before harvest is detected by the crop height detection unit. Further, the ratio of the actual height to the reference height is calculated, and the working state of the machine is appropriately adjusted based on the ratio. The reference height is managed by the reference height setting unit according to the crop variety, crop growth characteristics, field characteristics, statistical values of actual height in the same field, and the like.

In order to simplify the control process based on the ratio, it is preferable to classify the calculated ratio and perform the control process in class units. From this, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the ratio is classified into a plurality of ratio ranges, and the control parameter is derived based on the ratio range.

Although the actual height of the planted crop is detected by the crop height detection unit, it is difficult to detect characteristic data other than the height, for example, the posture and color of the planted crop. Characteristic data of such planted crops can be obtained by image processing the photographed images of the planted crops. From this, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a camera that photographs a region in front of the traveling direction of the machine including at least the detection target range of the crop height detection unit in the field and acquires a captured image. A unit and a feature data generation unit that generates feature data of the planted crop from the photographed image are provided, and the control parameter is derived based on the ratio and the feature data.

In the harvesting work in the field where the fallen planted crop exists, the lodging direction of the fallen planted crop is important characteristic data. Even if the machine is tilted to the same degree and its actual height is the same, it is preferable to change the working state of the machine depending on the tilting direction. From this, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the characteristic data includes the lodging direction of the planted crop.

In the present invention, the control parameters that determine the working state of the machine are adjusted based on the ratio of the actual height to the reference height. As equipment that affects the working condition of the aircraft, the harvesting section is equipped with equipment that adjusts the height and front-back position of the suction reel that scrapes the planted crops, and equipment that adjusts the harvest height. In addition, vehicle speed also affects the working conditions of the aircraft. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the control parameters include a reel height parameter for adjusting the height of the suction reel, a reel front-rear position parameter for adjusting the front-rear position of the suction reel, and a harvest height parameter for adjusting the harvest height. Includes vehicle speed parameters to adjust the vehicle speed. Good harvesting work results are obtained by the control unit changing each control parameter based on the ratio of the actual height to the reference height. The relationship between the ratio of the actual height to the reference height and the degree of change in the control parameters is obtained experimentally and empirically. Suitable examples are listed below.
(1) When the ratio is low, the reel height parameter is adjusted so that the suction reel is lowered. Conversely, as the ratio increases, the reel height parameter is adjusted so that the suction reel rises.
(2) When the ratio is low, the reel front-rear position parameter is adjusted so that the suction reel moves forward. On the contrary, when the ratio is high, the reel front-rear position parameter is adjusted so that the suction reel moves backward.
(3) When the ratio is low, the harvest height parameter is adjusted so that the harvest height of the harvest part decreases. Conversely, the higher the ratio, the higher the harvest height parameter is adjusted so that the harvest in the harvest area increases.
(4) When the ratio is low, the vehicle speed parameter is adjusted so that the vehicle speed decreases. On the contrary, if the ratio is high, the vehicle speed parameter is adjusted so that the vehicle speed increases.

As the crop height detection unit, an ultrasonic measurement method, a stereo matching measurement method, and a ToF (Time of flight) measurement method can be used. The ultrasonic measurement method has low measurement accuracy, but is inexpensive. In the stereo matching measurement method and the ToF measurement method, the height (spatial position) of the planted culm can be obtained by processing the point cloud data obtained by the measurement. LiDAR, which is a kind of object position measuring instrument adopting the ToF measuring method, is used for collision prevention of automobiles and is widely distributed. From this, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the crop height detection unit is the actual object from the object position measuring device for measuring the spatial position of the object and the point cloud data from the object position measuring device. It has a crop actual height calculation unit that calculates the height. Furthermore, by combining the point cloud data from the object position measuring instrument with the color information obtained from the captured image, it is possible to obtain the height of the planted crop more accurately.

It is an overall side view of a harvester. It is the whole plan view of the harvester. It is a functional block diagram which shows the control system of a harvester. It is a schematic diagram which shows the process which the control parameter is derived from the actual height and the reference height. It is a side view of the main part which shows the working state of a harvesting part. It is a side view of the main part which shows the working state of a harvesting part. It is a schematic diagram explaining zigzag mowing.

An embodiment of the combine as an example of the harvester according to the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, when the front-rear direction of the machine 1 is defined, it is defined along the traveling direction of the machine in the working state. The direction indicated by reference numeral (F) in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the front side of the aircraft, and the direction indicated by reference numeral (B) in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the rear side of the aircraft. The direction indicated by the reference numeral (U) in FIG. 1 is the upper side of the machine, and the direction indicated by the reference numeral (D) in FIG. 1 is the lower side of the machine body. The direction indicated by the reference numeral (L) in FIG. 2 is the left side of the aircraft, and the direction indicated by the reference numeral (R) in FIG. 2 is the right side of the aircraft. When defining the left-right direction of the aircraft 1, the left-right direction is defined as viewed from the direction of travel of the aircraft.

[Basic configuration of harvester]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a normal combine harvester, which is a form of a harvester, is provided with a machine 1 and a pair of left and right crawler type traveling devices 11. The machine 1 is provided with a boarding unit 12, a threshing device 13, a grain tank 14, a harvesting unit 15, a transport device 16, and a grain discharging device 18.

The traveling device 11 is provided in the lower part of the combine. The traveling device 11 has a pair of left and right crawler traveling mechanisms, and the combine can travel in the field by the traveling device 11. The boarding unit 12, the threshing device 13, and the grain tank 14 are provided above the traveling device 11, and these are configured as the upper part of the machine body 1. A passenger of the combine harvester and an observer who monitors the work of the combine harvester can board the boarding unit 12. A drive engine (not shown) is provided below the boarding section 12. The grain discharge device 18 is connected to the rear lower portion of the grain tank 14.

The harvesting unit 15 harvests the planted crops in the field. The planted crop is, for example, a planted culm such as rice or wheat, but may be soybean or corn. Then, the combine can be run by the traveling device 11 while harvesting the planted crops in the field by the harvesting unit 15. The transport device 16 is provided adjacent to the rear side of the harvesting section 15. The harvesting section 15 and the transport device 16 are supported on the front portion of the machine body 1 so as to be able to move up and down. The harvesting section 15 and the transport device 16 are integrally swung up and down by being moved up and down by the header actuator 15H capable of expanding and contracting.

The harvesting section 15 is provided with a harvesting header 15A, a scraping reel 15B, a lateral feed auger 15C, and a hair clipper-shaped cutting blade 15D. The harvest header 15A divides the front planted crop into a harvest target and a non-harvest target, and accepts the harvest target among the front planted crops.

The scraping reel 15B is located above the harvest header 15A. The reel support arm 15K is swingably supported by the harvest header 15A, and the reel support arm 15K is swing-operated by a first reel actuator 15J capable of expanding and contracting. The rotary shaft core portion of the suction reel 15B is supported by the free end region of the reel support arm 15K. For this reason, the suction reel 15B is configured to be able to swing up and down by the expansion and contraction operation of the first reel actuator 15J.

The scraping reel 15B is configured to be rotatable around the lateral axis of the machine while being supported by the reel support arm 15K. Further, the rotation shaft core portion of the suction reel 15B is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction by the second reel actuator 15L in the free end region of the reel support arm 15K. That is, the scraping reel 15B is configured so that the height can be raised and lowered with respect to the harvest header 15A, and the front and rear positions can be changed with respect to the harvest header 15A.

The scraping reel 15B is provided with a plurality of tines 15T, and the tines 15T act on the planted crop. When the planted crop is harvested from the field, the scraping reel 15B scrapes the portion of the planted crop near the tip with the tine 15T toward the rear.

The cutting blade 15D cuts the root side of the planted crop that has been scraped backward by the scraping reel 15B. The lateral feed auger 15C is rotationally driven to the lateral axis of the machine body, laterally feeds the harvested crops cut by the cutting blade 15D to the middle side in the left-right direction, collects them, and sends them to the rear transport device 16.

In order to reduce the threshing load in the threshing device 13, the ground height CH (harvest height: see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the harvest header 15A is set high, and the planted crop may be harvested only on the tip side. .. At this time, the culm of the planted culm after cutting is cut by a clipper-type culm processing unit 19 provided behind the harvesting unit 15 so that the culm of the planted grain stick is not left in the field in a tall state. Ru.

The crop (for example, the harvested culm) harvested by the harvesting unit 15 is transported to the threshing device 13 by the transport device 16. The harvested crop is threshed by the threshing device 13. The threshing device 13 has a threshing unit 13A, a sorting processing unit 13B, and a wall insert 13C. Although the threshing section 13A is shown as a handling cylinder in FIG. 1, the handling chamber for accommodating the handling cylinder, the dust feed valve arranged at the upper part of the handling chamber, and the periphery of the lower region of the handling cylinder. The located net and also included in the threshing section 13A. The dust valve guides the processed crops sent to the handling room to the rear. The threshing unit 13A threshes the crops sent to the handling room by the transport device 16, that is, the processed crops to be processed by the threshing device 13. The sorting processing unit 13B is provided below the threshing unit 13A, and while receiving the processed crops that have been threshed by the threshing unit 13A and rocking and transporting them backward, the processed crops are sieved into harvested and non-harvested products. do.

Although not shown because it is a known technique, the sorting processing unit 13B is provided with a chaf sheave, and the chaf sheave has a plurality of chaf flips. Each of the chaflip extends laterally to the fuselage. The plurality of chaflip are arranged along the transport direction (front-back direction) in which the processed crop is transported, and each of the plurality of chaflip is arranged in an inclined posture toward the rear end side and diagonally upward. The leakage opening of each chaflip can be changed. The fact that the leakage opening can be changed means that the tilted posture is changed. Specifically, the closer the chaflip is parallel to the front-rear direction, the smaller the leakage opening degree, and the closer the chaflip is parallel to the vertical direction, the larger the leakage opening degree. The treated crop is rocked backwards over the chaflip and the crop grain leaks downward through the gaps between the chaflip. The wall insert 13C supplies the sorting wind to the sorting processing unit 13B.

The grains obtained by the threshing treatment are stored in the grain tank 14. The grains stored in the grain tank 14 are discharged to the outside of the machine by the grain discharging device 18 as needed. The grain discharging device 18 is configured to be swingable around the vertical axis core at the rear of the machine body. That is, the free end portion of the grain discharge device 18 protrudes to the lateral outside of the machine body 1 so that the crop can be discharged, and the free end portion of the grain discharge device 18 is within the range of the machine width of the machine body 1. The grain discharging device 18 is configured so as to be switchable between the stored storage state and the positioned storage state. When the grain discharging device 18 is in the stored state, the free end portion of the grain discharging device 18 is located on the front side of the boarding section 12 and above the harvesting section 15.

A first object detector 21A constituting a crop height detection unit 21 for detecting the actual height of the pre-harvest planted crop to be planted in front of the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 is provided on the front upper part of the boarding unit 12. There is. The first object detector 21A is an object position measuring instrument that measures the spatial position of an object. An ultrasonic measurement method, a stereo matching measurement method, a ToF (Time of flight) measurement method, or the like is used as the measurement method of the crop height detection unit 21, and the first object detector 21A is a ToF measurement method. Dimensional scan LiDAR. A three-dimensional scan LiDAR may be used in place of the two-dimensional scan LiDAR. By calculating the point cloud data from the first object detector 21A, the height (spatial position) of the planted culm behind the machine body can be obtained. In this embodiment, in order to detect the cutting trace of the planted grain stick behind the traveling direction of the machine 1 and the actual height of the surrounding planted crops, the second object detector 21B similar to the first object detector 21A is used. Is provided in the upper region of the machine body 1 between the threshing device 13 and the grain tank 14. The second object detector 21B is also an object position measuring instrument that measures the spatial position, and constitutes the crop height detecting unit 21. Of course, the second object detector 21B can be omitted.

Further, a first camera 22A is provided on the front upper part of the boarding unit 12. The first camera 22A constitutes a camera unit 22 that captures a region in front of the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 including at least the detection target range of the first object detector 21A in the field and acquires a captured image including color information. .. The characteristic data of the planted crop is generated from the photographed image acquired by the first camera 22A. Since the photographed image contains color information, it is possible to generate feature data including color information and posture of the planted crop by using an image recognition technique for recognizing the planted crop. In this embodiment, a second camera 22B similar to the first camera 22A is provided in a region above the machine body 1 between the threshing device 13 and the grain tank 14. The second camera 22B constitutes a camera unit 22 that captures a region behind the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 including at least the detection target range of the second object detector 21B in the field and acquires a captured image including color information. .. Of course, the second camera 22B can also be omitted.

Examples of planted crops detected by the crop height detection unit 21 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this example, a standard planted crop group with a standard height is indicated by the symbol Z0, a short crop group whose height is lower than the standard planted crop group is indicated by the symbol Z1, and a lodging planted crop group is indicated by the symbol Z0. It is shown by Z2.

A satellite positioning module 80 is provided on the ceiling of the boarding unit 12. The satellite positioning module 80 receives a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signal (including a GPS signal) from the artificial satellite GS and acquires the position of the own vehicle. In addition, in order to complement the satellite navigation by the satellite positioning module 80, an inertial navigation unit incorporating a gyro acceleration sensor and a magnetic orientation sensor is incorporated in the satellite positioning module 80. Of course, the inertial navigation unit may be arranged at a place different from the satellite positioning module 80 in the combine.

[Control unit configuration]
The control unit 3 shown in FIG. 3 is a core element of the control system of the combine, and is shown as an aggregate of a plurality of ECUs. As the functional unit related to the height detection of the planted crop, the control unit 3 is provided with a feature data generation unit 30, a crop actual height calculation unit 31, a reference height acquisition unit 32, and a ratio calculation unit 33. The control unit 3 is provided with a control parameter adjusting unit 34, a traveling control unit 35, a work control unit 36, and a vehicle position calculation unit 37 as functional units related to the traveling and work of the combine.

The image data output from the first camera 22A and the second camera 22B, the point group data output from the first object detector 21A and the second object detector 21B, and the positioning data output from the satellite positioning module 80 are. , Is input to the control unit 3. Harvest height data output from the harvest height detection unit 23, reel height data output from the reel height detection unit 24a, reel front / rear position data output from the reel front / rear position detection unit 24b, auger height detection unit. The auger height data output from 25 is also input to the control unit 3.

As described above, the harvesting section 15 and the transport device 16 (see FIG. 1 and the like) are configured to swing up and down, and the harvest height detecting section 23 is provided at the swing shaft core portion of the transport device 16. The harvest height detecting unit 23 is configured to be able to detect the ground height: CH (see FIGS. 5 and 6) at the lower end portion of the harvesting unit 15 by detecting the swing angle of the transport device 16. The reel height detection unit 24a can detect the height position RH (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the suction reel 15B with respect to the harvest header 15A by detecting the swing angle of the reel support arm 15K with respect to the harvest header 15A. It is configured in. The reel front-rear position detection unit 24b is configured to be able to detect the front-rear position: RL (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the suction reel 15B by detecting the front-rear slide position of the suction reel 15B with respect to the reel support arm 15K. Has been done. The auger height detection unit 25 detects the height position of the lateral auger 15C: OH (see FIGS. 5 and 6) by detecting the vertical position of an actuator (not shown) that raises and lowers the lateral auger 15C up and down. It is configured to be possible.

The feature data generation unit 30 uses techniques such as image recognition including a neural network from image data including color information sent from the camera unit 22 to produce unharvested planted crops and harvested planted crops in the field. Generate characteristic data such as area division and lodging direction of fallen planted crops.

In this embodiment, the crop height detection unit 21 of the present invention includes a first object detector 21A and a crop actual height calculation unit 31. Using the point cloud data from the first object detector 21A, the actual height of the pre-harvest planted crop to be planted in front of the traveling direction of the machine body 1 can be obtained. When the second object detector 21B is included in the crop height detection unit 21, the pre-harvest planted crop to be planted behind the traveling direction of the aircraft 1 using the point group data from the second object detector 21B. The actual height of can be calculated. Further, the actual height of the pre-harvest planted crop behind the aircraft 1 obtained based on the point group data from the second object detector 21B was obtained by using the first object detector 21A before harvesting. It can also be used as reference data or alternative data for the actual height of the standing crop. Further, when the actual height using the first object detector 21A and the actual height using the second object detector 21B are acquired, the average value (including the weight average value) of these is finally determined. It is also possible to set the actual height. Further, the crop actual height calculation unit 31 can also use the feature data generated by the feature data generation unit 30, for example, color information. By analyzing the point-like data to which the color information is given, the height of the tip (tip, etc.) of the planted crop can be obtained more accurately.

Although detailed description is omitted, the point cloud data from the first object detector 21A and the second object detector 21B can also be used for obstacle detection.

The reference height acquisition unit 32 acquires the reference height of the planted crop to be harvested in the field. A predetermined value can be set as the reference height by default, but an arbitrary value can be set by the observer. Further, a reference height suitable for the varieties of the field and the planted crop may be downloaded from the server 2 at a remote location through the communication unit 38 and set in the reference height acquisition unit 32. Further, statistical values such as an average value and an intermediate value of the actual height calculated over time by the crop actual height calculation unit 31 during the harvesting work may be adopted as the reference height. The ratio calculation unit 33 calculates and outputs the ratio of the actual height output by the crop actual height calculation unit 31 to the reference height read from the reference height acquisition unit 32.

The control parameter adjusting unit 34 adjusts the control parameters that determine the working state of the machine body 1 based on the ratio output from the ratio calculation unit 33. In this embodiment, the control parameter adjusting unit 34 includes a classification unit 34a and a class / parameter table 34b. The classification unit 34a classifies the input ratio into a plurality of ratio ranges. The class / parameter table 34b includes a table in which the classes (ratio range) classified by the classification unit 34a and the control parameters that determine the working state of the traveling device 11 and the equipment constituting the harvesting unit 15 are related to each other. ing. That is, the class / parameter table 34b has a function corresponding to a look-up table that outputs control parameters based on the input class.

When the lodging direction of the planted crop that has fallen down is output as feature data from the feature data generation unit 30, the control parameter adjusting section 34 can adjust the control parameters with reference to this feature data as well. That is, the class / parameter table 34b has a plurality of modes determined by the lodging direction.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the flow of data in a process in which control parameters are derived based on the detected actual height and feature data. In this example, first, the ratio of the actual height to the reference height is obtained from the actual height and the reference height. Then, the ratio is classified into one of class 1, class 2, class 3, and class 4. If the cause of the decrease in actual height is the lodging of planted crops, class 1 is "upright", class 2 is "slightly lodging", class 3 is "falling", and class 4 is "sticky (tip)". Is in a state of lying down so as to be in contact with the field scene) ”.

The class / parameter table 34b has a reel height parameter (abbreviated as reel height in FIG. 4) and a reel front-rear position parameter (abbreviated as reel front-rear in FIG. 4) as control parameters for each of the four classes. The parameter values of the harvest height parameter (abbreviated as the harvest height in FIG. 4) and the vehicle speed parameter (abbreviated as the vehicle speed in FIG. 4) are related. Further, the control parameter group for each of the four classes is set for each of three modes (mode A, mode B, mode C), for example. In this embodiment, one of three modes is selected depending on the lodging direction.

Although the control parameter value is not specified in FIG. 4, the relationship with the ratio (class) is as follows.
(1) When the ratio is low, the control parameter value (reel height parameter value) is such that the suction reel 15B is lowered. On the contrary, when the ratio becomes high, the control parameter value becomes such that the suction reel 15B rises.
(2) When the ratio is low, the control parameter value (front-back position parameter value) is such that the suction reel 15B moves forward. On the contrary, when the ratio becomes high, the control parameter value becomes such that the suction reel 15B moves backward.
(3) When the ratio is low, the control parameter value (harvest height parameter) is such that the harvest height of the harvesting unit 15 is reduced. On the contrary, when the ratio becomes high, the control parameter value becomes such that the harvest height of the harvesting unit 15 increases.
(4) When the ratio is low, the control parameter value (vehicle speed parameter value) is adjusted so that the vehicle speed decreases. On the contrary, if the ratio is high, the control parameter value becomes such that the vehicle speed increases.
In FIG. 4, as the control parameters derived when the mode A is selected and the class 1 is input, as shown by P [h1, d1, c1, v1], among the above (1) to (4). Everything is output. Of course, any one of the above (1) to (4) may be output, or a control parameter value for adjusting another device may be additionally added.

As shown in FIG. 3, the travel control unit 35 includes a vehicle speed control unit 35A and a vehicle height control unit 35B. The control parameters of the current traveling control unit 35 are adjusted based on the control parameters output from the control parameter adjustment unit 34. If the control parameter output from the control parameter adjusting unit 34 is a vehicle speed parameter, the vehicle speed control unit 35A adjusts the vehicle speed.

The travel control unit 35 has an engine control function, a steering control function, a vehicle speed control function, a vehicle height control function, and the like, and gives a travel control signal to the travel device 11 based on control parameters. In the case of manual steering, the travel control unit 35 generates a control signal and controls the travel device 11 based on the operation by the passenger.

This combine can also be automatically steered. The own vehicle position calculation unit 37 calculates the own vehicle position based on the positioning data from the satellite positioning module 80. In the case of automatic steering, the travel control unit 35 steers based on the target travel route given by the automatic travel control module (not shown) of the control unit 3 and the vehicle position calculated by the vehicle position calculation unit 37. And the vehicle speed are controlled for the traveling device 11.

The work control unit 36 includes a header control unit 36A, a reel control unit 36B, and an auger control unit 36C. The control parameters of the current work control unit 36 are adjusted based on the control parameters output from the control parameter adjustment unit 34.

The control unit 3 can communicate with the server 2 at a remote location via the communication unit 38. For example, crop height information, lodging information, work condition information, etc. in a small section of a field are transmitted to a field server 2 via a wireless communication network and recorded in field map information managed by the server 2. Ru. As a result, the farm manager can utilize the crop height information, lodging information, work condition information, etc. for the next year's agricultural plan.

[Working status changed by ratio]
An example of changing the working state according to the ratio of the actual height of the planted crop to be harvested in front of the machine 1 to the reference height will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
The working state of the harvesting unit 15 mainly depends on the ground height of the harvest header 15A, which is the harvest height: CH, the height position of the scraping reel 15B: RH, and the front-rear position of the scraping reel 15B: RL. Ground height of harvest header 15A: CH can be adjusted by harvest height parameter, height position of scraping reel 15B: RH can be adjusted by reel height parameter, front and rear position of scraping reel 15B. : RL can be adjusted by the reel front-rear position parameter.

Height position of the scraping reel 15B: If the RH is too high, it becomes difficult for the scraping reel 15B to scrape the crop. Further, if the height position of the scraping reel 15B: RH is too low, the crop is likely to be entangled with the scraping reel 15B. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the crop in the field is harvested by the harvesting unit 15, the rotation locus of the tine 15T so that the tine 15T of the scraping reel 15B scrapes the tip from the front upper part to the rear. Should overlap with the tip area of the crop.

In the present invention, the work control unit 36 uses each parameter adjusted by the control parameter adjustment unit 34 based on the ratio calculated by the ratio calculation unit 33, and the work control unit 36 determines the target ground height: CH, height position. : RH, front-back position: Generates a control signal to realize RL.

Furthermore, the working condition in harvesting can also be changed by the vehicle speed. Therefore, using the vehicle speed parameter, the travel control unit 35 generates a control signal for achieving the target vehicle speed.

In addition to the ground height: CH, height position: RH, and front-back position: RL, other factors that affect the working condition of the harvesting unit 15 include the rotation speed of the suction reel 15B, the rotation trajectory of the tine 15T, and the lateral feed auger 15C. Height (indicated by OH in FIGS. 5 and 6) and the like. A configuration may be adopted in which at least one of these factors is adjusted by the ratio of the actual height to the reference height.

Further, the working state of the threshing device 13 may be changed depending on the ratio of the actual height of the planted crop to the reference height. The working state of the threshing device 13 can be changed by adjusting the rotation speed of the wall insert 13C and the leakage opening degree of the chaff sheave in the sorting processing unit 13B. In that case, the control parameters include the wall insert velocity parameter and the leak opening degree parameter.

When the actual height of the planted crop becomes extremely low by lying down near the field, and the direction of the lodging is toward the harvesting part 15, the harvesting work is called head-cutting, which is a normal straight line. Harvesting is difficult when driving. In such a harvesting operation, zigzag cutting in which the machine body 1 is run in a zigzag manner is effective. The zigzag running is performed for a predetermined distance or a predetermined time set based on the facing area. FIG. 7 shows an example of zigzag cutting. In FIG. 7, the target traveling line that is the traveling target of the machine body 1 is indicated by the symbol BL, the harvest width (cutting width) by the harvesting unit 15 is indicated by the reference numeral W, and the overlap values set at both ends of the harvest width. Is indicated by the reference numeral L. If the distance between adjacent target traveling lines is D, then D = W-2L is established. In zigzag mowing, the machine body 1 runs in a zigzag manner. In the zigzag running, the steering is performed alternately on the left and right in a short cycle, and the running locus is given a reference numeral Z in FIG. 7 and is shown by a thick line. In the zigzag traveling, the aircraft 1 travels while shifting from the target traveling line so as to vibrate laterally to the left and right. In FIG. 7, the maximum left-side displacement amount of this lateral displacement is indicated by dL, and the maximum right-side displacement amount is indicated by dR. The steering amount is set so that the maximum deviation amount does not exceed the overlap value in order to avoid leftovers (leftovers) in the harvesting work in zigzag running. By including this steering amount in the control parameters, automatic zigzag running based on the ratio and characteristic data becomes possible. By proceeding with lateral displacement in this way, the machine body 1 (resulting in the harvesting section 15) plunges into the planted grain culm in an oblique posture, and the cutting performance in the facing cutting is improved. The maximum deviation amount on the left side: dL and the maximum deviation amount on the right side: dR may be the same or may be different depending on the lodging state.

[Another Embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the configuration exemplified in the above-described embodiment, and the following will exemplify another typical embodiment of the present invention.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the crop actual height calculation unit 31 uses not only the point cloud data but also the color information as the feature data from the feature data generation unit 30 in order to calculate the crop height. However, the crop height may be calculated only from the point cloud data.

(2) Each functional part of the functional block diagram of FIG. 3 is divided mainly for the purpose of explanation, and in reality, any functional part can be freely integrated or separated. For example, the crop actual height calculation unit 31 and the feature data generation unit 30 may be configured as an external unit of the control unit 3. Alternatively, it may be composed of a feature data generation unit 30, a crop actual height calculation unit 31, a ratio calculation unit 33, and one integrated unit.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the traveling device 11 is configured as a crawler type, but the traveling device 11 may be configured as a wheel type.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the class / parameter table 34b has a plurality of modes determined by the lodging direction, but different modes may be prepared depending on the cultivar of the planted crop and the field. At that time, the mode to be used is determined by the intention of the observer or the like. The class / parameter table 34b may be configured to derive the control parameter only by the ratio, or may be configured to derive the control parameter directly from the ratio without classifying the ratio.

The configuration disclosed in the above embodiment (including another embodiment, the same shall apply hereinafter) can be applied in combination with the configuration disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Moreover, the embodiment disclosed in the present specification is an example, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the object of the present invention.

The present invention is applicable not only to ordinary combine harvesters but also to general harvesters for harvesting crops (for example, corn harvesters and carrot harvesters) such as head-feeding combine harvesters.

1: Aircraft 3: Control unit 30: Feature data generation unit 31: Crop actual height calculation unit 32: Reference height acquisition unit 33: Ratio calculation unit 34: Control parameter adjustment unit 34a: Classification unit 34b: Class / parameter table 11: Traveling device 15: Harvesting unit 15A: Harvesting header 15B: Scraping reel 21: Crop height detection unit 21A: First object detector (object position measuring instrument)
21B: Second object detector (object position measuring instrument)
22: Camera unit 22A: 1st camera 22B: 2nd camera 23: Harvest height detection unit 24a: Reel height detection unit 24b: Reel front / rear position detection unit 25: Ogre height detection unit

Claims (9)

The harvesting department that harvests the planted crops in the field,
A crop height detection unit that detects the actual height of pre-harvest planted crops that are planted in front of the aircraft in the direction of travel,
The standard height acquisition section that acquires the standard height of planted crops in the field,
A harvester provided with a control unit that adjusts control parameters that determine the working state of the machine based on the ratio of the actual height to the reference height. The harvester according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is classified into a plurality of ratio ranges, and the control parameter is derived based on the ratio range. A camera unit that captures a captured image by photographing an area in front of the traveling direction of the aircraft including at least the detection target range of the crop height detection unit in the field.
A feature data generation unit that generates feature data of the planted crop from the photographed image is provided.
The harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control parameter is derived based on the ratio and the feature data. The harvester according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic data includes the lodging direction of the planted crop. The harvesting section is equipped with a scraping reel for scraping planted crops.
The control parameter includes a reel height parameter that adjusts the height of the suction reel.
The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit adjusts the reel height parameter so that the suction reel is lowered when the ratio is low. The harvesting section is equipped with a scraping reel for scraping planted crops.
The control parameter includes a reel front-rear position parameter for adjusting the front-rear position of the suction reel.
The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit adjusts the reel front-rear position parameter so that the suction reel moves forward when the ratio is low. The control parameters include a harvest height parameter that adjusts the harvest height of the harvest section.
The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit adjusts the harvest height parameter so that the harvest height decreases when the ratio is low. The control parameter includes a vehicle speed parameter for adjusting the vehicle speed.
The harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit adjusts the vehicle speed parameter so that the vehicle speed decreases when the ratio is low. The claim that the crop height detecting unit has an object position measuring device for measuring the spatial position of an object and a crop actual height calculating unit for calculating the actual height from point cloud data from the object position measuring device. The harvester according to any one of 1 to 8.

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