JP2022075714A - Work vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work vehicle which can properly wait until satellite positioning data becomes in a normal state again.

SOLUTION: There is provided a work vehicle which can automatically travel along a set travel path, the work vehicle comprising: an engine for supplying power to a travel unit; a satellite positioning module for outputting satellite positioning data; an engine stop control part for stopping the engine; brake means for stopping travel of a vehicle body; and an automatic steering control part for outputting automatic steering data on the basis of the satellite positioning data. The satellite positioning module is coupled to a battery by a two-system feeder cable formed of a basic feeder cable and a bypass feeder cable, and when the engine is stopped, electrification to the basic feeder cable is blocked, and electrification through the bypass feeder cable is started, and in the stop of the engine, at least power feeding to the satellite positioning module is maintained.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle capable of automatically traveling along a set travel path.

The work vehicle according to Patent Document 1 is provided with a GPS module that outputs positioning data indicating the position of the aircraft and a gyro sensor that outputs orientation data indicating the attitude and orientation of the aircraft, and is subject to target travel based on the positioning data or orientation data. Automatic driving is performed along the route. When an abnormality related to the positioning data is detected during the automatic driving, the automatic driving is switched to the manual driving or the driving is stopped after the driving for a predetermined distance or a predetermined time from the time when the abnormality is detected.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-136015

Positioning data (own vehicle position data) output using radio waves from GNSS satellites, when reception failure occurs due to radio interference such as trees and buildings, the satellite positioning data becomes abnormal and the correct own vehicle position is obtained. You will not be able to. Since such reception interference is resolved when the satellite radio wave passes through the area blocked by the radio wave obstacle, the vehicle travels for a predetermined distance or a predetermined time in that state. Nevertheless, if the reception problem cannot be resolved, the automatic driving is switched to the manual driving or the driving is stopped. When switching from automatic driving to manual driving, there arises a problem that highly accurate work driving cannot be performed unless the driver is skilled in maneuvering. To avoid this problem, it is preferable to stop the vehicle and wait for the satellite to move and the reception interference to be resolved. It causes new problems such as consumption and CO2 emission.
Therefore, even if the positioning data becomes abnormal, there is a demand for a work vehicle that can appropriately stand by until the satellite positioning data becomes normal again.

The work vehicle according to the present invention is a work vehicle that can automatically travel along a set travel route, and performs an engine that supplies power to a travel device, a satellite positioning module that outputs satellite positioning data, and an engine stop. The engine stop control unit, the braking means for stopping the vehicle body running, the automatic steering control unit that outputs automatic steering data based on the satellite positioning data, and the satellite positioning module have two systems, a basic feeder and a detour feeder. When the engine is stopped by being connected to the battery by the feeder line of the above, the energization of the basic feeder is cut off and the energization via the bypass feeder is started, and at least in the engine stop. A work vehicle that sustains power supply to the satellite positioning module.
Further, the work vehicle according to the present invention is a work vehicle that can automatically travel along a set travel route, and has an engine that supplies power to a travel device, a satellite positioning module that outputs satellite positioning data, and inertial measurement. Based on the inertial measurement module that outputs data, the engine pause control unit that temporarily stops the engine, the braking means that stops the vehicle body running, and the satellite positioning data and the inertial measurement data. When an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data during automatic driving, the automatic steering control unit that outputs steering data and automatic driving as monitoring driving for a certain distance or a certain period of time are continued, and the engine after the monitoring driving. The temporary stop control unit is provided with an automatic driving management unit that commands the execution of the engine temporary stop.

According to this configuration, even if monitoring driving is performed for a certain distance or a certain period of time after abnormal satellite positioning data is generated during automatic driving, if the satellite positioning data is not normal, the engine is temporarily stopped. Therefore, wasteful consumption of fuel and emission of CO2 are suppressed. In addition, this monitoring run is an automatic steering run that is performed without relying on satellite positioning data, which may cause anxiety to the operator. Therefore, stopping the monitoring run for a certain distance or a certain time also has an effect of removing such anxiety of the operator. This engine temporary stop is a temporary engine stop, which is also called an idling stop, and can be canceled by a simple operation of the driver, and the notification function to the driver is maintained even during the engine stop. It is possible. Abnormalities in satellite positioning data are caused by a decrease in the number of satellites that can be captured, a decrease in the reception sensitivity of satellite radio waves, a poor communication with a base station, and the like, leading to a decrease in the accuracy of satellite positioning data.

A work vehicle traveling on a work area such as a field does not always stop even if the engine is stopped. If the work area is a slope or a slippery swamp such as a paddy field, unintended movement of the vehicle body will occur. In order to solve this problem, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the stopping of the vehicle body running by the braking means is executed together with the engine temporary stop executed after the monitoring running.

Even if an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data, the monitoring run will be performed for a while, but since the satellite positioning data is not used in this monitoring run, the driver needs to pay close attention to the movement.
Further, when such an abnormality is resolved, normal automatic driving is resumed, and the driver needs to know that. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the satellite positioning data is provided with an abnormality and a notification unit for notifying the resolution of the abnormality.

When the satellite positioning data becomes normal, the engine suspension is completed and the automatic work running is resumed. If the satellite positioning data does not become normal within a predetermined time, the engine suspension is terminated and the vehicle shifts to manual work driving. In any case, if the engine pause is terminated and the engine drive is resumed when the driver is not aware of it, the driver may be in a hurry. Therefore, it is preferable that the engine drive is restarted while the driver is aware of it. In one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the return from the engine suspension is performed by the driver operating the artificial operating tool.

When the power supply to the satellite positioning module is stopped during the engine suspension, the power supply to the satellite positioning module must be supplied in some way every time the satellite positioning data is checked. In order to avoid such annoying control, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, at least the power supply to the satellite positioning module is maintained during the engine suspension.

If the data related to the equipment for automatic steering becomes abnormal during automatic driving, the vehicle body will deviate significantly from the target driving route in a short time, so it is necessary to stop immediately.
Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the data related to the device for automatic steering during automatic driving, the automatic driving is stopped, the engine is temporarily stopped, and the vehicle body is driven by the braking means. The stopping of the vehicle body running by the braking means for which the stop is executed is also executed.

Further, even if an abnormality occurs in the inertial measurement data capable of detecting a sudden change in the posture of the vehicle body due to slipping of the vehicle body or the like, the vehicle body is greatly deviated from the target traveling route in a short time. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the inertial measurement data during automatic driving, automatic driving is stopped, the engine is temporarily stopped, and vehicle body running is stopped by the braking means. To. Abnormalities in inertial measurement data are caused by cumulative errors such as drift errors and measurement defects due to abnormal running such as slipping, leading to a decrease in the accuracy of inertial measurement data.

It is an overall side view of a rice transplanter. It is an overall plan view of a rice transplanter. It is a front view of a rice transplanter. It is a figure which shows the steering unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the feeding circuit. It is a functional block diagram of a control system. It is explanatory drawing of the plan view of the whole field surface which shows the operation of the automatic steering control. It is explanatory drawing which shows the automatic steering control using an inertial measurement unit. It is a screen view of the liquid crystal display which is one of the display devices. It is a flowchart which shows the data abnormality check routine.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, as an example of the work vehicle of the present invention, a passenger-type rice transplanter (hereinafter, simply referred to as a rice transplanter) will be described as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the arrow F is the front of the traveling aircraft C, the arrow B is the rear of the traveling aircraft C, the arrow L is the left side of the traveling aircraft C, and the arrow R. Is pointing to the right side of the traveling aircraft C.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the rice transplanter has a traveling machine C having a pair of left and right steering wheels 10 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 11 as traveling devices, and planting seedlings in a field. A seedling planting device W is provided as a possible working device. The pair of left and right steering wheels 10 are provided on the front side of the traveling machine C so that the direction of the traveling machine C can be changed and operated, and the pair of left and right rear wheels 11 are provided on the rear side of the running machine C. Has been done. The seedling planting device W is movably connected to the rear end of the traveling machine body C via a link mechanism 21 that moves up and down by the expansion and contraction operation of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 20.

An openable bonnet 12 is provided at the front portion of the traveling machine body C. At the tip position of the bonnet 12, a rod-shaped center mascot 14 as a guide for traveling along the index line drawn in the field by the marker device 33 is provided. The traveling machine body C is provided with a machine body frame 15 extending in the front-rear direction, and a support support column frame 16 is erected at the front portion of the machine body frame 15.

The engine 13 is provided in the bonnet 12. Although not described in detail, the power of the engine 13 is transmitted to the steering wheels 10 and the rear wheels 11 via an HST (hydrostatic continuously variable transmission) (not shown) provided in the machine body, and the power after shifting is electric. It is transmitted to the seedling planting device W via a motor-driven planting clutch (not shown).

The seedling planting apparatus W plants seedlings taken out from the mat-shaped seedlings for planting placed on the seedling stand 26 in the field. Although this seedling planting device W is configured as an eight-row planting type, it may be a four-row planting type, a six-row planting type, a seven-row planting type, or a ten-row planting type. ..

A plurality of (for example, four) normal spare seedling stands 28 and spare seedling stands 29 are provided on the left and right sides of the bonnet 12 in the traveling machine C. On the left and right sides of the bonnet 12 in the traveling machine C, a pair of left and right spare seedling frames 30 as tall frame members supporting each normal spare seedling stand 28 and the spare seedling stand 29 are provided, and left and right spare seedlings are provided. The upper parts of the frames 30 are connected to each other by the connecting frame 31.

A driving unit 40 for performing various driving operations is provided in the central portion of the traveling machine body C. The driver unit 40 is provided with a driver's seat 41, a steering handle 43, a main shift lever 44, and an operation lever 45. The driver's seat 41 is provided in the central portion of the traveling machine body C, and is configured so that the driver can sit down. The steering handle 43 is configured so that the steering wheel 10 can be steered by an artificial operation. The main shift lever 44 is configured to be capable of switching forward / backward and changing the traveling speed. The raising and lowering of the seedling planting device W and switching between the left and right marker devices 33 are performed by the operation lever 45. The steering handle 43, the main shift lever 44, the operation lever 45, and the like are provided on the upper part of the control tower 42 located at the front portion of the driver's seat 41. A boarding step 46 is provided at the foot of the driving unit 40. The boarding step 46 extends to both the left and right sides of the bonnet 12. Below the driver's seat 41, a battery 17 that is charged by the rotation of the engine 13 is arranged.

When the main shift lever 44 is operated, the angle of the swash plate in HST (not shown) is changed, and the power of the engine 13 is changed steplessly. Although not shown, the swashplate angle of the HST is controlled by a hydraulic unit equipped with a servo hydraulic control device. A known hydraulic pump, hydraulic motor, or the like is used as the servo hydraulic control device.

When the operation lever 45 is operated to the ascending position, the planting clutch (not shown) is disengaged to cut off the transmission to the seedling planting device W, and the lifting hydraulic cylinder 20 is operated to raise the seedling planting device W. , The left and right marker devices 33 are operated in the retracted posture. When the operation lever 45 is operated to the descending position, the seedling planting device W descends and touches the ground surface to stop. When the operation lever 45 is operated to the right marker position in this lowered state, the right marker device 33 changes from the retracted posture to the working posture. When the operation lever 45 is operated to the left marker position, the left marker device 33 changes from the retracted posture to the working posture.

When starting the rice planting work, the driver operates the operation lever 45 to lower the seedling planting device W and starts the transmission to the seedling planting device W to start the rice planting work. Then, when the rice planting work is stopped, the operation lever 45 is operated to raise the seedling planting device W and cut off the transmission to the seedling planting device W.

As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 47 at the top of the control tower 42 of the driving unit 40 is provided with a touch panel type liquid crystal display 48 capable of displaying various information as one of the notification devices 73 (see FIG. 6). ing. A push-operated start / end point setting switch 91 is provided on the right side of the liquid crystal display 48, and a push-operated target setting switch 92 is provided on the left side of the liquid crystal display 48. The start point / end point setting switch 91 may be provided on the left side of the liquid crystal display 48, and the target setting switch 92 may be provided on the right side of the liquid crystal display 48.

The grip portion of the main shift lever 44 is provided with a push-operated automatic steering switch 93. The automatic steering switch 93 is an automatic return type, and commands switching of on / off of automatic steering control each time a push operation is performed. The automatic steering switch 93 is arranged at a position where the grip portion of the main shift lever 44 can be pressed by, for example, the thumb while being gripped by the hand. The functions of the start point / end point setting switch 91, the target setting switch 92, and the automatic steering switch 93 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the traveling machine body C is provided with a steering mechanism U capable of automatically steering the left and right steering wheels 10. The steering mechanism U includes a steering operation shaft 64, a pitman arm 61, left and right connecting mechanisms 62 interlocked with the pitman arm 61, a steering motor 66, and a gear mechanism 63. The steering operation shaft 64 is interlocked with the steering handle 43 via the clutch 67. The pitman arm 61 is configured to swing with the rotation of the steering operation shaft 64. The gear mechanism 63 interlocks and connects the steering motor 66 to the steering operation shaft 64.

The steering operation shaft 64 is interlocked and connected to the left and right steering wheels 10 via the pitman arm 61 and the left and right connecting mechanisms 62, respectively. A steering angle sensor 65 composed of a rotary encoder is provided at the lower end of the steering operation shaft 64, and the amount of rotation of the steering operation shaft 64 is detected by the steering angle sensor 65.

When the steering mechanism U is automatically steered, the steering motor 66 is driven, the steering operation shaft 64 is rotated by the driving force of the steering motor 66, and the steering angle of the steering wheel 10 is changed. There is. When the automatic steering is not performed, the steering mechanism U can be rotated by the artificial operation of the steering handle 43.

Next, a configuration for performing automatic steering control will be described.
This rice transplanter includes a satellite positioning module 81 and an inertial measurement module 82 as the positioning unit PS. The satellite positioning module 81 receives radio waves from satellites and detects the position of the aircraft (GNSS: Global Navigation).
As an example of the Satellite System, it has a satellite positioning function that obtains the position of the aircraft by using GPS (Global Positioning System), which is a well-known technique. In this embodiment, DGPS (Differential GPS: relative positioning method) is adopted as satellite positioning, but other methods such as RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinetic GPS: interference positioning method) can also be adopted. be. The inertial measurement module 82 includes a 3-axis gyro sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer. The satellite positioning module 81 needs initial processing (warm-up processing) for setting satellite acquisition information and correction information from a base station when the power is turned on. Similarly, the inertial measurement module 82 also needs initial processing for setting various correction values for error correction (drift correction, etc.) when the power is turned on.

As shown in FIG. 1, the satellite positioning module 81 including the satellite positioning antenna is attached to the connecting frame 31 via a plate-shaped support plate.

The inertial measurement module 82 has a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, can detect the angular velocity of the turning angle of the traveling machine body C, and can obtain the angular displacement of the machine body orientation by integrating the angular velocity. The inertial measurement module 82 can measure the angular velocity of the turning angle of the traveling machine C, the left-right tilt angle of the traveling machine C, the angular velocity of the front-back tilt angle of the traveling machine C, and the like. The inertial measurement module 82 is located at a lower position on the rear side of the driver's seat 41 and at a lower position in the center of the traveling machine C in the lateral width direction. The inertial measurement module 82 may be arranged at the same position as the satellite positioning module 81.

Since the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 constituting the positioning unit PS require initial processing (warm-up processing) when the power is turned on, the initial processing is performed every time the power supply is stopped for a short time. Built-in controls to avoid. That is, the circuit configuration is such that power can be temporarily continued to be supplied to the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 even when the main key 22 is turned off or the engine is temporarily stopped (idling stop). The feeding circuit SC for this purpose is schematically shown in FIG.

The battery 17 and the positioning unit PS are connected by two feeding lines, a basic feeding line E1 and a detour feeding line E2. The basic feeder line E1 is interposed with a first switch 23 that cuts off (OFF) and connects (ON) the basic feeder line E1, and the detour feeder line E2 is connected to the detour feeder line E2. Two switches 24 are interposed. ON / OFF of the first switch 23 and the second switch 24 is performed by a control signal from the control device CU. ON / OFF of the first switch 23 is also performed by operating the main key 22. The main key 22 has an ON position (accessory position) for supplying power to electrical components, an ignition position for starting an engine, and the like. At the ON position of the main key 22, the first switch 23 is turned ON, the basic power supply line E1 is energized, and power can be supplied from the battery 17 to the positioning unit PS through the basic power supply line E1. At the OFF position of the main key 22, the first switch 23 is turned off and the basic power supply line E1 is cut off, so that power can be supplied from the battery 17 to the positioning unit PS through the basic power supply line E1.

This rice transplanter has an engine temporary stop function (so-called idling stop function) that automatically temporarily stops the engine 13 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. As an example of predetermined conditions, for example, (1) an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data and automatic driving is performed for a certain distance or a certain time, (2) an abnormality occurs in the inertial measurement data, and (3). Examples include a predetermined abnormality of the specific sensor, (3) operation by the driver on the operation tool for suspending the engine, and the like.
When this engine suspension is executed, the first switch 23 is turned off and the basic power supply line E1 is cut off. As a result, the power supply to the engine control device 25 such as the igniter is stopped, and the engine 13 is stopped. When the engine temporary stop is released by the recovery of satellite positioning data or the driver's operation (for example, depressing the brake) on the engine temporary stop release operation tool, the first switch 23 is turned on and the basic power supply line E1 is energized. Will be. Further, the starter is driven by the starter drive signal, and the engine 13 is started.

In response to the engine suspension, the first switch 23 is turned off by the control signal from the control device CU, so that the basic power supply line E1 is cut off. At the same time, the second switch 24 is turned on by the control signal from the control device CU, the detour feeder line E2 is energized, and the battery 17 can supply power to the positioning unit PS through the detour feeder line E2. As a result, even if the engine is temporarily stopped or the power supply by the basic feeder line E1 is stopped, the backup power supply by the detour feeder line E2 is realized, and the positioning unit PS operates without any trouble. In addition to the positioning unit PS, an electronic sensor that requires power supply even when the engine is temporarily stopped is connected to both the basic feeder line E1 and the detour feeder line E2.

In this embodiment, even when the main key 22 is operated to the OFF position, it is possible to supply power using the detour feeder line E2 to a special electronic device such as the positioning unit PS using the detour feeder line E2. be. If the main key 22 is turned off when the rice transplanter is stored in a barn or the like, the rice transplanter will not be used for a long time, so that the backup power supply will be wasted and the battery 17 may be wasted. Will be higher. Therefore, when the main key 22 is turned off, the backup power supply is also stopped at a predetermined time.

Of course, the battery 17 is not charged even while the engine is temporarily stopped. Therefore, if the engine is temporarily stopped for a long time, the battery 17 is insufficiently charged due to the power supply to the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 by the detour feeder line E2. Therefore, the backup power supply is stopped after a predetermined time.

FIG. 6 shows a part of the control system in the rice transplanter in the form of a functional block diagram. The control device CU includes an input / output processing unit 50 as an input / output interface. The input / output processing unit 50 is connected to various devices such as a traveling state detector 74, a working state detector 75, and a manual operation unit 90. Further, the above-mentioned power feeding circuit SC is also connected. In this functional block diagram, the positioning unit PS described above is connected to the control device CU via an in-vehicle LAN. The engine control device 25 for driving the engine 13 receives a control signal from the engine control unit 71 connected to the control device CU via the vehicle-mounted LAN. The notification device 73 receives a notification signal from the notification unit 72 connected to the control device CU via the vehicle-mounted LAN.

The traveling state detector 74 includes sensors for detecting the traveling state, such as a vehicle speed sensor, an engine rotation speed sensor, a brake pedal detection sensor, and a parking brake detection sensor. The working state detector 75 includes a sensor for detecting the state of various members constituting the seedling planting device W and a sensor for detecting the amount of seedlings on the seedling mounting table 26.

The manual operation unit 90 including a switch, a button, a volume, and the like gives a control command by manual operation by the driver, and the operation command is input to the control device CU.
The manual operation unit 90 includes the above-mentioned start point / end point setting switch 91, target setting switch 92, automatic steering switch 93, and the like.

The control device CU includes a vehicle position calculation unit 80, a travel control unit 51, a work control unit 52, an automatic steering control unit 53, a travel mode management unit 54, an engine temporary stop control unit 55, a backup power supply control unit 56, and a backup power supply. A management unit 57, an automatic driving management unit 59, and the like are provided.

The own vehicle position calculation unit 80 calculates the map coordinates (own vehicle position) of the traveling machine C and the direction (direction) of the traveling machine C based on the positioning data sequentially sent from the positioning unit PS. At that time, the position of the own vehicle can be converted to the position of a specific location of the traveling machine C (for example, the center of the machine or the work center of the seedling planting device W).

The travel control unit 51 gives a steering signal and a vehicle speed signal to the steering mechanism U and the traveling equipment group. Since this rice transplanter can perform rice planting work by automatic traveling or manual traveling, the traveling control unit 51 includes an automatic traveling control unit 511 and a manual traveling control unit 512. Further, a braking control unit 513 for automatically stopping the traveling machine body C when a specific state occurs is provided. As an example of this specific state, (1) after an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data during automatic driving, the traveling machine C automatically travels for a certain distance or a certain period of time as monitoring driving, and (2) an abnormality during automatic driving. Generation of inertial measurement data, (3) Abnormality in a specific sensor that detects the state of various operating devices related to automatic steering (for example, a specific sensor output by a specific sensor that detects the rotation direction, angle, and force of the steering mechanism U) Abnormal data), etc. By the command from the braking control unit 513, the operation of the brake and the neutral operation of the HST which is the traveling electric mechanism are executed, and the traveling machine body C is stopped. The function of stopping the rice transplanter by a command from the braking control unit 513 is the braking means in the present invention.

The work control unit 52 controls the raising and lowering of the seedling planting device W and the drive of the seedling planting device W as the traveling machine C travels.

An automatic driving mode is set for automatic driving, and a manual driving mode is set for manual driving. Such a traveling mode is managed by the traveling mode management unit 54. When the automatic driving mode is set, the automatic driving control unit 511 receives automatic steering data (steering amount) from the automatic steering control unit 53.

The automatic steering control unit 53 includes a teaching path calculation unit 531, a route setting unit 532, a deviation amount calculation unit 533, and a steering amount calculation unit 534. The teaching route calculation unit 531 calculates the data of the reference route defined through the teaching run. The route setting unit 532 sets a target travel route that is a target of automatic travel based on the data of the reference route. The deviation amount calculation unit 533 calculates the positional deviation and the directional deviation of the traveling machine C with respect to the target traveling route. The steering amount calculation unit 534 calculates the steering amount so that the positional deviation and the directional deviation are reduced.

The engine temporary stop control unit 55 temporarily stops the engine 13 when a predetermined condition (engine temporary stop condition) is satisfied. The condition elements of the engine pause condition are that the shift lever is held in the neutral position, the brake is operating, the engine 13 is idling, and the remaining amount of seedlings on the seedling stand 26 is below the specified value. It includes the fact that the driver is not seated in the driver's seat 41. If at least one of the elements of the engine suspension condition or a combination thereof is satisfied for a predetermined time or more, the engine suspension processing is executed. In this engine suspension process, in order to suspend the engine, the first switch 23 is turned off to shut off the basic power supply line E1 from the battery 17 to the engine control device 25. At the same time, the fuel supply to the engine 13 is stopped through the engine control unit 71.

When an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data during automatic driving, the automatic driving management unit 59 causes the automatic driving to continue as monitoring driving for a certain distance or a certain period of time, and after this monitoring driving, the engine temporary stop control unit 55 temporarily causes the engine. Command the execution of stop processing. Further, the automatic driving management unit 59 stops automatic driving, pauses the engine, and brakes when an abnormality occurs in the inertial measurement data during automatic driving or when an abnormality occurs in the automatic steering data during automatic driving. The vehicle body is stopped by means.

In response to the engine suspension, the backup power supply control unit 56 performs backup power supply to supply power to the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 using the detour feeder line E2.

When the main key 22 is operated to the OFF position or the engine pause control unit 55 executes the engine pause process, the first switch 23 is turned off and the basic power supply line E1 is cut off, so that the basic power supply line is cut off. Through E1, the power supply to the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 is stopped. However, as described with reference to FIG. 5, the satellite positioning module 81 and the inertial measurement module 82 are backed up by using the detour feeder line E2 that bypasses the basic feeder line E1 even if the power supply by the basic feeder line E1 is stopped. Will be done.

Since the battery 17 is not charged while the engine is stopped, the battery 17 becomes insufficiently charged when the engine stop time is long. Therefore, if the engine is stopped for a long time, it is necessary to stop the backup power supply. The backup power supply management unit 57 determines whether or not such backup charging is necessary. The backup power supply management unit 57 determines that the engine is stopped for a long time based on the detection results of the traveling state detector 74 and the working state detector 75, the position of the rice planting machine in the field, the current time, the time from the start of work, and the like. It is also possible to determine the backup power supply time by determining whether the situation is such that the engine is stopped for a short time. Further, when the main key 22 is turned off during the warm-up process, the backup power supply is stopped because it is regarded as a full-scale stop by the operation of the main key 22 from the temporary stop of the engine. In addition, if an engine pause occurs during the warm-up process that is executed when the engine is started at the start of the seedling planting work, such an engine pause condition is considered to be canceled immediately, so that the warm-up process is performed. Continues to the end.

As shown in FIG. 7, this rice transplanter moves along a linear route to a work run involving seedling planting work and a straight route for the next seedling planting work run near the ridge. The turning run for the purpose is repeated alternately. At that time, the first linear path is a manually steered teaching path, and the subsequent linear path is based on the teaching path information so as to be parallel along the teaching path by the route setting unit 532. , The target traveling routes LM (1) to LM (6) to be set.

In starting the seedling planting work, the driver positions the traveling machine C at the start point position Ts at the ridge in the field and operates the start point end point setting switch 91. At this time, the control device CU is set to the manual steering mode. Then, while the driver manually controls, the traveling machine C is driven from the start point position Ts along the linear shape of the ridge on the side side, moved to the end point position Tf near the ridge on the opposite side, and then the start point end point. Operate the setting switch 91 again. As a result, the teaching process is executed. That is, a teaching path connecting the start point position Ts and the end point position Tf is set from the position coordinates of the start point position Ts and the position coordinates of the end point position Tf based on the positioning data acquired by the satellite positioning module 81. The direction along this teaching path is set as the reference target direction LA. The position coordinates at the end point position Tf include not only the positioning data by the satellite positioning module 81 but also the distance from the start point position Ts based on the vehicle speed sensor (not shown) and the directional information of the traveling machine C based on the inertial measurement module 82. , May be the configuration calculated based on. Further, the traveling of the traveling machine C over the start point position Ts and the ending point position Tf may be a work traveling accompanied by rice planting work or may be a traveling in a non-working state.

After the setting of the teaching route is completed, 180-degree turning is performed in order to shift to the starting point position Ls where the first target traveling route LM (1) adjacent to the teaching route is set.
The turning running is performed by the driver manually operating the steering wheel 43.

When the target traveling route 92 is operated at the stage where the turning travel is completed and the route is adjusted to the next route, the target traveling route LM (1) is set by the route setting unit 532. Next, when the automatic steering switch 93 is operated, automatic steering running along the set target travel path LM (1) is started. If the target traveling path LM (1) is too far from or too close to the teaching path by the operation of the target setting switch 92 and normal seedling planting is not performed, a warning is notified through the notification device 73. Further, if the traveling machine C position or direction at the stage when the automatic steering switch 93 is operated is inappropriate for automatic steering, the transition to automatic steering traveling is prohibited and a warning is notified through the notification device 73. Rudder. The target setting switch 92 and the automatic steering switch 93 may be shared and configured as a single switch.

As adverse conditions for automatic steering driving, the directional deviation of the own aircraft azimuth NA with respect to the target azimuth LA is remarkably large, the direction of the steering wheel 10 is greatly displaced to the left and right, and the vehicle speed of the traveling aircraft C is high. It is exemplified that it is too late or too late. Further, the fact that the number of navigation satellites that can be captured by the satellite positioning module 81 is smaller than the preset number is also exemplified as an adverse condition for automatic steering control.

When the automatic steering running is permitted, the running mode is switched from the manual steering mode to the automatic steering mode, and the automatic steering along the target traveling path LM (1) is started. The target travel path LM (1) is a target travel path LM that is set along the direction of the target direction LA in a state adjacent to the teaching path, and the traveling machine C first performs a work traveling after the teaching process.

When the target setting switch 92 is operated at an arbitrary timing after the work run on the target travel path LM (1) is completed, the next target travel route LM (2) is changed to the previous target travel route LM (2) by the route setting unit 532. It is set adjacent to the unworked area side of 1). Next, by operating the automatic steering switch 93, automatic steering traveling is started along the newly set target traveling path LM (2), and the traveling aircraft C automatically travels.

After the traveling machine C reaches the end point position Lf (2) of the target traveling route LM (2), the target traveling route LM (3), LM (4), LM (5), LM (6) is carried out by the same process. In the order of, the setting of the target travel path LM after the turning travel and the work travel are repeated.

During the automatic steering control, the satellite positioning module 81 acquires information on the position of the aircraft over time. Further, the vehicle speed is calculated, and as shown in FIG. 8, the relative directional change angle ΔNA by the inertial measurement module 82 is measured over time. The deviation amount calculation unit 533 calculates the azimuth NA from the point where the automatic steering is started over time by integrating the directional change angle ΔNA. Then, the deviation amount calculation unit 533 calculates the azimuth deviation between the own azimuth NA and the target azimuth LA. The steering amount calculation unit 534 calculates the steering amount so that the own azimuth NA matches the target azimuth LA, and gives it to the automatic traveling control unit 511. The automatic traveling control unit 511 drives the steering motor 66 based on the given steering amount. As a result, the traveling machine C automatically travels along the target traveling path LM with high accuracy.

As shown in FIG. 9, the state of the aircraft is displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display 48.
On this screen, a plurality of display areas such as a work information area 100, a position shift information area 101, and a vehicle speed information area 102 are separately arranged. The work information area 100 displays the work date and time, work results, and the like at the left end on the upper side of the screen. The misalignment information area 101 displays the amount of misalignment of the traveling machine C with respect to the target traveling path LM in the center on the upper side. The vehicle speed information area 102 displays the vehicle speed at the upper right end. The large area other than the upper side of the screen is the position information area 104, and the position information area 104 indicates the position of the traveling machine C in the field. The small area at the left end of the position information area 104 is the steering state information area 103, and the steering state information area 103 is the driving mode executed by the control device CU, that is, the automatic driving mode (automatic steering) or the manual driving mode (automatic driving mode). Manual steering) is displayed. A touch panel operation type software button group 120 is arranged at the right end of the position information area 104. A physical button group 121 is arranged on the right side of the liquid crystal display 48.

In the position information area 104, the working state of the field around the traveling machine C, the target traveling path LM, and the machine symbol SY indicating the position of the own machine are displayed. Of the target travel paths LM, the target travel path LM during work travel is drawn with a thick solid line for the sake of clarity.
Furthermore, the areas where rice planting has already been completed are displayed by stippling each planted seedling. As a result, the existing work area and the unworked area are visually clearly distinguished. In addition to the pointillism, the display of the planted seedling trace may be a line indicating a linear planting strip.

An example of traveling control when an abnormality occurs in the satellite positioning data and the inertial measurement data will be described. The flowchart of FIG. 10 shows a data abnormality check routine executed when the automatic driving mode is selected and automatic driving by automatic steering is started.

In this rice transplanter, either the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode can be set manually or automatically, and the set driving mode is written in the memory. Therefore, first, the current driving mode is read out (# 01), and it is checked whether the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode is set as the driving mode (# 02).
If the setting of the driving mode has not been changed and the driving mode is still in the automatic driving mode (automatic driving branch in # 02), it is first checked whether the inertial measurement data is normal or abnormal (# 03).
If the inertial measurement data is normal (normal branch at # 03), then it is checked whether the satellite positioning data is normal or abnormal (# 04). If the satellite positioning data is also normal (normal branch at # 04), the process returns to step # 01.

If the inertial measurement data is abnormal in the check of step # 03 (abnormal branching at # 03), the abnormality of the inertial measurement data is notified through the notification device 73 such as the display, buzzer, speaker voice, and lamp ( # 05). In this notification, if the cause (including the error code) that the inertial measurement data is abnormal is detected, the cause and the like are also notified. Further, the engine is temporarily stopped (# 06), and the traveling machine C is completely stopped by the operation of the brake or the neutral operation of the HST (# 07). Since automatic steering is not possible, the driving mode is forcibly set to the manual driving mode (# 08), and the process returns to step # 01.

If the satellite positioning data is abnormal in the check of step # 04 (abnormal branch in # 04), it is notified that the satellite positioning data is abnormal through the notification device 73 such as the display, buzzer, speaker voice, and lamp. (# 11). Even in this notification, if the cause of abnormal satellite positioning data (such as insufficient sensitivity of received radio waves or insufficient number of available satellites) is detected, the cause (including error code) is also notified. .. However, in order to see whether the satellite positioning data is restored normally, automatic driving is continued as monitoring driving (# 12). In the surveillance run, the vehicle is automatically steered using only the inertial measurement data without using the satellite positioning data. The monitoring run is performed only for a certain distance or for a certain period of time. In this monitoring run, the vehicle speed may be set to a low speed. During the surveillance run, satellite positioning data is checked (# 13). In the check of step # 13, if the satellite positioning data remains abnormal (abnormal branch at # 13), it is further checked whether or not this monitoring run has been performed for a certain distance or for a certain period of time (# 14). .. In the check of step # 14, if the monitoring run is completed for a certain distance or for a certain period of time (Yes branch in step # 14), the notification device 73 indicates that the abnormality of the satellite positioning data is not recovered. Notified through (# 15). Further, the engine is temporarily stopped (# 16), and the traveling machine C is completely stopped by the operation of the brake or the neutral operation of the HST (# 17). Since automatic steering is not possible, the driving mode is forcibly set to the manual driving mode (# 18), and the process returns to step # 01.

If the satellite positioning data is recovered normally in the check of step # 13 (normal branch in # 13), the transition from the monitoring run to the normal automatic run (# 21) is notified through the notification device 73. (# 22), return to step # 01.

If the driving mode has been changed to the manual driving mode in the check of step # 02 (manual driving branch in # 02), the process shifts to the manual driving control routine. The temporary stop of the engine may be released by a specific operation (operation on an artificial operation tool) by the driver, or may be automatically performed when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

In the teaching process, a teaching path connecting the start point position Ts and the end point position Tf is set from the position coordinates of the start point position Ts and the position coordinates of the end point position Tf. The start point position Ts, the end point position Tf, and the shoreline position are also stored in the memory after the data is acquired, but after a predetermined time (for example, 8 hours) elapses, or across days, or the control device CU. If it is stopped for a long time, it will be automatically erased. This eliminates the inconvenience of automatic steering with the previous data.

On the screen of the liquid crystal display 48, the accuracy reduction rate (DOP) in the satellite positioning module 81, particularly the satellite positioning level (GPS level) based on the horizontal accuracy reduction rate (HDOP) can be displayed. At that time, the number of captured satellites can be displayed. The satellite positioning level is also lowered when the number is reduced. As a result, the driver can grasp whether or not the abnormality of the satellite positioning data is likely to occur.

[Another Embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and the following will illustrate other typical embodiments of the present invention.

[1] In FIG. 10, inertial measurement data and satellite positioning data are taken up as data anomalies, but in addition, anomalous signals of sensors related to motors such as power steering and each constituting a control system including a control device CU are taken up. Similar notification processing, engine pause processing, and braking processing of the traveling machine C may be executed even when an abnormal signal or the like is generated from the ECU (computer unit). At that time, the engine suspension process may be skipped and the traveling machine C may be immediately braked to stop the vehicle.

[2] In the feeder circuit SC shown in FIG. 5, the basic feeder line E1 and the detour feeder line E2 are completely independent of each other, but this is a schematic form and the upstream feeder side is common. It may be configured by the feeding line of. In addition, this feeding circuit SC can be implemented in various forms for achieving the object of the present invention.

[3] The engine suspension is not only automatically performed when a predetermined condition is satisfied, but may also be manually performed by the operation of the driver.

[4] In the above-described embodiment, the positioning unit PS is taken up as an electronic device that receives backup power supply when the engine is temporarily stopped. An abnormality in the electronic sensor that requires initial processing for more than several tens of seconds at the time of startup may be treated as a trigger for engine suspension processing or braking processing for the traveling machine C.

11: Rear wheel (traveling device)
17: Battery 22: Main key 23: 1st switch 24: 2nd switch 25: Engine control device 43: Steering handle 44: Main shift lever 45: Operation lever 47: Operation panel 48: Liquid crystal display 53: Automatic steering control unit 54 : Driving mode management unit 55: Engine temporary stop control unit 56: Backup power supply control unit 57: Backup power supply management unit 59: Automatic driving management unit 72: Notification unit 73: Notification device 81: Satellite positioning module 82: Inertivity measurement module 91: Start point / end point setting switch 92: Target setting switch 93: Automatic steering switch 511: Automatic driving control unit 512: Manual driving control unit 513: Braking control unit 534: Steering amount calculation unit CU: Control device PS: Positioning unit

Claims (3)

It is a work vehicle that can automatically travel along the set travel route.
The engine that powers the traveling equipment and
A satellite positioning module that outputs satellite positioning data, and
The engine stop control unit that stops the engine and
Braking means to stop the vehicle body running and
An automatic steering control unit that outputs automatic steering data based on the satellite positioning data,
The satellite positioning module is connected to the battery by two feeders, a basic feeder and a detour feeder.
When the engine stop is executed, the energization of the basic feeder is cut off and the energization via the detour feeder is started.
A work vehicle in which power supply to at least the satellite positioning module is maintained even when the engine is stopped. The engine stop is an engine stop in which the engine is temporarily stopped.
The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the engine is temporarily stopped, power supply to at least the satellite positioning module is maintained by energization via the detour feeder line. The work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the engine is not restarted within a predetermined time from the engine stop, the power supply to the satellite positioning module via the detour feeder is stopped.

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