JP2023143991A - Route generating system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a route generating system capable of generating a travel route through which harvesting work can be performed properly to the last.SOLUTION: An automatic traveling system includes a route generating part 101 for generating a travel route for causing a combine (work vehicle) 1 to automatically travel, which has a reaping part 3 (implement) capable of harvesting crops. The route generating part 101 generates a travel route based on row spacing information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a route generation system.

Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a combine harvester that generates a travel route in a field and performs harvesting work while automatically traveling along the generated travel route. By the way, when performing harvesting work with a combine harvester, if the field width (number of rows in the field) is not divisible by the harvest width (number of reaped rows), the number of rows in the final process will be smaller than the harvest width. At that time, if the number of remaining rows is extremely small compared to the harvest width, unharvested grain culms (uncut) may occur, unharvested stocks may be taken in, or waste straw discharged to the field after harvesting and threshing may occur. There is a risk that it may incorporate (cut straw).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-170223

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a route generation system that can generate a travel route that allows harvesting work to be carried out appropriately until the end.

A route generation system according to the present invention is a route generation system including a route generation unit that generates a travel route for automatically traveling a combine harvester having a work machine capable of harvesting crops, the system comprising:
The route generation unit is capable of generating, as the travel route, a first travel route in which the harvesting target width is equal to the working width of the working machine, and a second travel route in which the harvesting target width is narrower than the working width,
The route generation unit does not generate, as the second travel route, a travel route in which the harvesting target width is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the working width.

According to this configuration, since a travel route with an extremely narrow harvesting target width (less than a predetermined ratio) is not generated, it is possible to suppress the generation of uncut leaves and the intake of waste straw, and it is possible to perform the harvesting operation appropriately until the end. A driving route can be generated.

Left side view showing the overall configuration of the combine harvester Block diagram showing the control configuration of the combine Block diagram showing route generation system Diagram showing the travel route of a combine harvester Diagram showing a driving route according to conventional technology A diagram showing a driving route according to the present embodiment Diagram showing a driving route according to another embodiment

FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of the combine 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the combine 1. The combine harvester 1 is a combine harvester (autonomous combine harvester) that can run and work autonomously.

The combine harvester 1 is a self-removal type combine harvester. The combine 1 includes a running section 2, a reaping section 3, a threshing section 4, a sorting section 5, a storage section 6, a straw processing section 7, a power section 8, and a control section 9.

The combine 1 is run by a traveling part 2, and a threshing part 4 threshes grain culms that are harvested by a reaping part 3 (corresponding to a working machine), and the grains are sorted by a sorting part 5 and stored in a grain tank in a storage part 6. Save it to 11. The grains stored in the grain tank 11 are discharged by a discharge auger 12. Moreover, the waste straw after threshing is processed by the waste straw processing section 7. Power is supplied from the engine 13 of the power section 8 to the traveling section 2, the reaping section 3, the threshing section 4, the sorting section 5, the storage section 6, and the waste straw processing section 7. The control section 9 includes a cabin 16 in which operating tools such as a driver's seat 14 and a steering wheel 15 are housed.

The combine 1 includes a positioning unit 20 that receives signals from positioning satellites and performs positioning. Positioning unit 20 has a mobile positioning antenna 22 and a data receiving antenna 23. The mobile positioning antenna 22 and the data receiving antenna 23 are arranged in the cabin 16. On the other hand, a fixed positioning antenna 32 and a data communication antenna 33 are arranged at predetermined positions. The combine 1 acquires location information using the RTK-positioning method.

The control device 40 of the combine 1 includes a processing section 41 consisting of a computer such as a CPU, and a storage section 42 such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, flash memory, etc. The processing unit 41 can read a program or the like stored in the ROM onto the RAM and then execute it. The storage unit 42 stores various specification information of the combine 1 such as the capacity of the grain tank 11 and the width of the reaping unit 3.

The control device 40 controls the operation of various components by having the processing unit 41 execute a control program. Specifically, it transmits and receives information during communication, controls various input/outputs, and controls arithmetic processing. The control device 40 also includes a communication unit 43 for data communication with the outside. The control device 40 is capable of communicating with external components such as other work vehicles (such as a combine harvester and a truck that transports harvested products) and a mobile terminal through the communication unit 43 .

The combine 1 includes a positioning unit 20, an engine rotation sensor 51 that detects the rotation speed of the engine 13, a travel speed sensor 52 that detects the travel speed of the combine 1, and a travel speed sensor 52 that detects the travel speed of the combine 1. A gyro sensor 53 detects acceleration in three directions as displacement information of the aircraft, a direction sensor 54 detects the traveling direction of the combine 1, a steering sensor 55 detects the rotation angle of the steering handle 15, and the fuel stored in the grain tank 11 and a grain sensor 56 that detects the amount of grains.

The configuration of the output side of the control device 40 includes a traveling section 2, a reaping section 3, a threshing section 4, a sorting section 5, a storage section 6, a straw processing section 7, a power section 8, and a control section 9. That is. The control device 40 operates based on the input position information from the positioning unit 20 and the operating conditions detected by various sensors (for example, the operating condition of the engine 13, the attitude and orientation of the aircraft, the amount of grain in the grain tank 11, etc.). , appropriately controls the traveling section 2, the reaping section 3, the threshing section 4, the sorting section 5, the storage section 6, the straw processing section 7, the power section 8, and the control section 9. In this way, the combine 1 is controlled to autonomously travel and perform work along a predetermined route.

The route generation system will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. The route generation system 100 includes a route generation section 101 and a communication section 102. In this embodiment, the route generation system 100 is included in a tablet 103 provided outside the combine 1.

The route generation unit 101 generates a travel route on which the combine harvester 1 automatically travels. The route generation unit 101 stores a route generation program for generating a travel route. The communication unit 102 can communicate with the communication unit 43 of the combine 1.

The tablet 103 is a mobile terminal provided outside the combine harvester 1, and has application software for controlling the combine harvester 1 installed therein. By communicating with the communication unit 43 of the combine harvester 1, the tablet 103 can acquire and display the position information and operating status of the combine harvester 1. Further, the tablet 103 can transmit a control signal to the control device 40 to operate the combine harvester 1.

Pk (k=1, 2, . . . , n-1, n) in FIG. 4 indicates a travel route. The combine harvester 1 travels in the order of travel routes P1, P2, . . . , Pn-1, Pn.

The route generation procedure will be explained. The route generation unit 101 registers the shape of the field F, which is the harvest target area. For example, by manually operating the combine harvester 1 and making one lap around the outer circumference of the field F using the positioning unit 20, the route generation unit 101 generates travel routes P1 to P4 and acquires the shape of the field F. do. When generating the driving routes P1 to P4, the discharge position (truck position), the entrance/exit position of the field F, etc. are taken into consideration. Note that there is no particular limitation on the traveling route when the combine 1 moves from the end point of the traveling route Pk to the starting point of the next traveling route Pk+1.

Next, the route generating unit 101 generates running routes P5 to Pn in a spiral shape from the outer circumferential side toward the center inside the running routes P1 to P4. In this embodiment, n=19, and the combine harvester 1 travels straight on each of the traveling routes P1 to P19 until the harvesting work of the entire field F is completed.

The route generating unit 101 generates a first traveling route in which the harvesting target width W1 is equal to the cutting width W2 (corresponding to the working width) of the reaping unit 3, and a first traveling route in which the harvesting target width W1 is narrower than the cutting width W2 as the traveling routes P1 to Pn. It is possible to generate two travel routes. The harvesting width W1 and the cutting width W2 can be determined by the number of rows. For example, in the case of a combine harvester 1 that cuts 6 rows, the cutting width W2 is 6 rows, the harvesting width W1 is 6 rows on the first travel route, and the harvesting width W1 is 5 rows on the second travel route. minutes or less.

Normally, the route generation unit 101 generates travel routes P1 to Pn-1 as the first travel route, and generates travel route Pn (P19 in this embodiment) as the second travel route. However, among the traveling routes P1 to P19, if the number of grain culms C (uncut grain culms) to be harvested on the final traveling route P19 is one row, as shown in FIG. 5, that is, the harvest target width W1 is one row, 6 When you try to harvest one row of grain culm C with the row mowing combine 1, the posture of the grain culm C will not be stable, and there will likely be some uncut material. I end up having to import it.

Therefore, the route generation unit 101 is configured not to generate, as the second travel route, a travel route in which the harvesting target width W1 is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the cutting width W2. For example, in the case of a combine harvester 1 that cuts six rows, a travel route whose harvest target width W1 is less than three rows is not generated as the second travel route. That is, in the case of the combine harvester 1 that cuts 6 rows, the width W1 to be harvested is 3 to 5 rows on the second travel route.

Preferably, in the case of a combine harvester 1 that cuts four or less rows, a travel route whose harvesting target width W1 is less than two rows is not generated as the second travel route. Preferably, in the case of a combine harvester 1 that cuts five or more rows, a travel route whose harvest target width W1 is less than three rows is not generated as the second travel route.

In this embodiment, in addition to the driving route P19, the route generation unit 101 also generates the adjacent driving route P17 as the second driving route. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the route generation unit 101 sets the harvesting width W1 to three strips on the final traveling route P19, and the harvesting width W1 to four strips on the adjacent traveling route P17. A driving route P19 and a driving route P17 are generated.

By increasing the number of rows to be cut, it is possible to suppress the generation of uncut leaves and the intake of waste straw. The reason why the intake of waste straw can be suppressed is that although waste straw is spread over the entire width of the combine 1, it tends to be more concentrated at the center of the machine than at both ends of the machine, and between the ends of the cutting width W2 of adjacent travel routes Pk. This is because less straw is taken in in areas where the numbers overlap.

As described above, the route generation system of this embodiment is a route generation system 100 that includes a route generation unit 101 that generates a travel route Pk for automatically traveling a combine harvester 1 having a reaping unit 3 capable of harvesting crops,
The route generating unit 101 can generate, as the traveling route Pk, a first traveling route in which the harvesting target width W1 is equal to the reaping width W2 of the reaping unit 3, and a second traveling route in which the harvesting target width W1 is narrower than the reaping width W2. can be,
The route generation unit 101 does not generate, as the second travel route, a travel route Pk in which the harvesting target width W1 is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the reaping width W2.

According to this configuration, since a traveling route with an extremely narrow harvesting width W1 (less than a predetermined ratio) is not generated, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uncut leaves and the intake of waste straw, and it is possible to perform the harvesting work appropriately until the end. A travel route can be generated.

The route generation unit 101 may generate the travel route Pk based on the shape information of the field F, the cutting width W2, and the row spacing setting information of the transplanter. The row spacing of the transplanter is, for example, 30 cm or 33 cm. The route generation unit 101 generates the travel route Pk based on the row spacing information of the transplanter (rice transplanter) in addition to the shape information of the field F and the cutting width W2, so that the harvest target width W1 is extremely narrow. A travel route that does not include the second travel route (less than a predetermined proportion) can be appropriately generated.

For example, if the field F is rectangular with a width of 24 m and a depth of 24 m, and the row spacing of the transplanter is 30 cm, the number of rows in the width direction is 80. When reaping this field F with combine harvester 1 with 6-row mowing, 80/6 = 13 remainder 2, so the first travel route for 6-row mowing is generated as the travel route for 12, and the remaining 2 3-row mowing and 5-row mowing second travel routes are respectively generated as the travel routes of . In addition, as the remaining two travel routes, a 4-row mowing and a 4-row mowing second travel route may be generated, respectively.

Further, the control device 40 may tilt the posture of the reaping section 3 in the left-right direction when the combine harvester 1 automatically travels on the second travel route. For example, in FIG. 6, when the combine harvester 1 automatically travels along the travel route P17, by tilting the reaping section 3 so that the left side is lower and the right side is higher, it is possible to effectively suppress the intake of waste straw on the right side. . When the combine 1 performs reaping work while turning leftward, the left side of the reaping part 3 is lowered, and when it performs reaping work while turning rightward, the right side of the reaping part 3 is lowered.

In the embodiment described above, the route generation unit 101 generates the travel routes P1 to P4, acquires the shape of the field F, and then creates a spiral shape inside the travel routes P1 to P4 from the outer circumference toward the center. Although an example of generating travel routes P5 to Pn has been shown, the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 7, the route generation unit 101 may generate the travel routes P1 to P4, and then generate the travel routes P5' to Pn so as to reciprocate inside the travel routes P1 to P4.

In the embodiment described above, the tablet 103 has the function of the route generation system 100, but the control device 40 of the combine 1 may have the function of the route generation system 200. Alternatively, the route generation system 100 may be implemented on an external server or the like.

In this embodiment, an example of a self-removal type combine harvester is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be a normal type combine harvester. In that case, the cutting width W2 of the reaping unit 3 corresponds to the interval between the left and right weeding tools, and the second running route is not generated, for example, if the harvesting width W1 is less than 1/3 of the cutting width W2. .

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various improvements and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Combine harvester 3 Reaping section Pk Travel route W1 Harvesting target width W2 Reaping width 40 Control device 100 Route generation system 101 Route generation section

Claims (2)

A route generation system comprising a route generation unit that generates a travel route for automatically traveling a work vehicle having a work machine capable of harvesting crops, the route generation system comprising:
The route generation system is configured such that the route generation unit generates the travel route based on row spacing setting information. A route generation method for generating a travel route for automatically traveling a work vehicle having a work machine capable of harvesting crops, the method comprising:
A route generation method that generates the travel route based on row spacing setting information.