JP6953340B2 - Autonomous driving system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic traveling system for automatically traveling a work vehicle.

Conventionally, there is known an automatic traveling system that acquires the current position of a working vehicle using a satellite positioning system and automatically travels the working vehicle along a target traveling route generated in advance (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ..
In the automatic traveling system described in Patent Document 1, the traveling condition display unit that displays the traveling condition of the work vehicle to the surroundings in order to alert the surrounding people during the automatic traveling of the work vehicle. It is installed in the work vehicle. Further, the traveling status display unit can be easily removed from the work vehicle for the purpose of maintenance or the like.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-94093

In the automatic traveling system described in Patent Document 1, when the traveling status display unit is removed from the work vehicle, the traveling status display unit is naturally in an invisible state in which the traveling status cannot be displayed to the surroundings. Then, if automatic driving is performed while the traveling status display unit is in the invisible state, the attention to the surroundings may not be alerted. Further, if the traveling status display unit cannot be removed from the work vehicle in order to solve such a problem, the traveling status display unit becomes unnecessary, for example, the convenience during driving on a public road or during maintenance is impaired. Problems arise.

In view of this situation, a main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving system capable of giving sufficient attention during automatic driving without impairing the convenience of the traveling status display unit.

The first feature configuration of the present invention includes a control unit capable of executing automatic traveling control for automatically traveling a work vehicle, and a control unit capable of executing automatic traveling control.
An automatic traveling system provided on the work vehicle and provided with a traveling status display unit that displays the traveling status of the work vehicle to the surroundings.
The traveling status display unit is configured so that the state can be changed between a displayable state in which the traveling status can be displayed and a displayable state in which the travel status is not displayable.
A display unit state determination unit capable of determining whether the state of the traveling status display unit is in the displayable state or the display impossible state, and
When the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the travel status display unit is in the undisplayable state, the display unit includes a travel check control unit that executes an automatic travel check process for restraining the start of the automatic travel. There is a point.

According to this configuration, the state of the driving status display unit can be appropriately changed between the displayable state and the non-displayable state, so that the driving status display unit cannot be displayed during driving on a public road or during maintenance. The state can be changed to ensure the convenience of the traveling status display unit.
Further, when the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the travel status display unit cannot be displayed, the start of automatic driving is restrained by the automatic travel check processing. Therefore, when the automatic traveling of the work vehicle is started, it is possible to urge the traveling status display unit to change the state to the displayable state.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an automatic driving system capable of giving sufficient attention during automatic driving without impairing the convenience of the traveling status display unit.

The second characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the non-displayable state is a state in which the traveling status display unit is removed from the work vehicle and the traveling status display unit is stored in the storage unit.

According to this configuration, the traveling status display unit can be changed from a displayable state to a non-displayable state by removing the traveling status display unit from the work vehicle and storing the traveling status display unit in the storage unit. Then, the display unit state determination unit can determine whether the travel status display unit is in a displayable state or a non-displayable state in a form of detecting the state change of these travel status display units.

The third characteristic configuration of the present invention is a case where the traveling check control unit determines that the state of the traveling status display unit is the undisplayable state at the time of inputting the start instruction of the automatic driving as the automatic driving check process. The point is to execute the automatic driving prohibition process for prohibiting the execution of the automatic driving control.

According to this configuration, when the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the traveling status display unit cannot be displayed, the automatic driving prohibition process prohibits the execution of the automatic driving control. Therefore, when the automatic traveling of the work vehicle is started, it is possible to substantially forcibly change the state of the traveling status display unit to the displayable state, and to more sufficiently call attention during the automatic traveling.

A fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the travel check control unit executes a notification process for notifying the user when the execution of the automatic travel control is prohibited by the automatic travel prohibition process.

According to this configuration, when the execution of the automatic traveling control is prohibited by the automatic traveling prohibition process, the user of the work vehicle is notified by the notification process. Therefore, the user can surely recognize that the execution of the automatic driving control is prohibited even though the start of the automatic driving is ordered. Therefore, the user can surely change the state of the driving status display unit from the non-displayable state to the displayable state, and then command the start of automatic driving again to cause the control unit to execute the automatic driving control. ..

The fifth feature configuration of the present invention includes a control unit capable of executing automatic traveling control for automatically traveling a work vehicle, and a control unit capable of executing automatic traveling control.
An automatic traveling system provided on the work vehicle and provided with a traveling status display unit that displays the traveling status of the work vehicle to the surroundings.
The traveling status display unit is configured so that the state can be changed between a displayable state in which the traveling status can be displayed and a displayable state in which the travel status is not displayable.
A display unit state determination unit capable of determining whether the state of the traveling status display unit is in the displayable state or the display impossible state, and
A public road determination unit that determines whether or not the current position of the work vehicle measured by the satellite positioning system is on a public road,
When the public road determination unit determines that the current position of the work vehicle is on a public road, and the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the traveling status display unit is in the displayable state, the display is described. It is equipped with a travel check control unit that executes a public road travel prohibition process that prohibits the travel of work vehicles.

According to this configuration, the state of the driving status display unit can be appropriately changed between the displayable state and the non-displayable state. Therefore, the driving status display unit can be changed to the undisplayable state at the time of maintenance or the like. While ensuring the convenience of the traveling status display unit, it is possible to change the state of the traveling status display unit to a displayable state during automatic driving to give sufficient attention.
Further, when the public road determination unit determines that the current position of the work vehicle is on a public road and the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the traveling status display unit can be displayed, the vehicle travels on the public road. The prohibition process prohibits the driving of the work vehicle, for example, by the user. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the work vehicle from traveling on a public road even though the state of the traveling status display unit is in a displayable state in which the traveling status can be displayed with respect to the surroundings. Violations of laws and regulations on public roads can be prevented.
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an automatic driving system capable of giving sufficient attention during automatic driving without impairing the convenience of the traveling status display unit.

The figure which shows the schematic structure of the automatic driving system Block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the autonomous driving system Diagram showing the target driving route Perspective view of the tractor The figure which shows the displayable state (a) and the non-displayable state (b) of the traveling situation display part Cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the traveling status display unit Diagram showing control flow

An embodiment of a work vehicle to which the automatic traveling system according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this automatic traveling system, as shown in FIG. 1, the tractor 1 is applied as the work vehicle according to the present invention, but other than the tractor, a passenger rice transplanter, a combine, a passenger mower, a wheel loader, a snowplow, etc. And unmanned work vehicles such as unmanned mowers can be applied.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this automatic traveling system includes an automatic traveling unit 2 mounted on a tractor 1 and a mobile communication terminal 3 set to communicate with the automatic traveling unit 2. As the mobile communication terminal 3, a tablet-type personal computer, a smartphone, or the like having a touch-operable display unit 51 (for example, a liquid crystal panel) or the like can be adopted.

The tractor 1 includes left and right front wheels 5 that function as driveable steering wheels, and a traveling machine body 7 that has left and right rear wheels that can be driven. A bonnet 8 is arranged on the front side of the traveling machine body 7, and an electronically controlled diesel engine (hereinafter, referred to as an engine) 9 equipped with a common rail system is provided in the bonnet 8. A cabin 10 forming a boarding-type driving unit is provided behind the bonnet 8 of the traveling machine body 7.

The tractor 1 can be configured to the rotary tillage specification by connecting the rotary tillage device, which is an example of the work device 12, to the rear part of the traveling machine body 7 via a three-point link mechanism 11 so as to be able to move up and down and roll. can. Instead of the rotary tiller, a working device 12 such as a plow, a sowing device, a spraying device, etc. can be connected to the rear part of the tractor 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 1 includes an electronically controlled transmission 13 that shifts power from the engine 9, a fully hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 that steers the left and right front wheels 5, and left and right rear wheels 6. Left and right side brakes for braking (not shown), electronically controlled brake operation mechanism 15 that enables hydraulic operation of the left and right side brakes, work clutch that interrupts transmission to work devices 12 such as rotary tillers (Fig.) (Not shown), an electronically controlled clutch operating mechanism 16 that enables hydraulic operation of the work clutch, an electrohydraulic control type lifting drive mechanism 17 that lifts and lowers the work device 12 such as a rotary tiller, automatic running of the tractor 1, etc. The vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 having various control programs related to the above, the vehicle speed sensor 19 for detecting the vehicle speed of the tractor 1, the steering angle sensor 20 for detecting the steering angle of the front wheels 5, and the current position and current orientation of the tractor 1 are measured. The positioning unit 21 and the like are provided.

An electronically controlled gasoline engine equipped with an electronic governor may be adopted as the engine 9. As the transmission 13, a hydraulic mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMT), a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission (HST), a belt type continuously variable transmission, or the like can be adopted. As the power steering mechanism 14, an electric power steering mechanism 14 or the like provided with an electric motor may be adopted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cabin 10 includes a cabin frame 31 that forms the framework of the cabin 10, a windshield 32 that covers the front side, and a pair of left and right doors 34 that can be swung open and closed around an axial center along the vertical direction. And a roof 35 on the ceiling side, it is configured in a box shape. The cabin frame 31 includes a pair of left and right front columns 36 arranged at the front end and a pair of left and right rear columns 37 arranged at the rear end. In a plan view, the front columns 36 are arranged at the left and right corners on the front side, and the rear columns 37 are arranged at the left and right corners on the rear side. The cabin frame 31 is supported on the traveling machine body 7 via a vibration-proof member such as an elastic body, and anti-vibration measures are taken to prevent vibration from the traveling machine body 7 or the like from being transmitted to the cabin 10. In the state, the cabin 10 is provided.

Inside the cabin 10, as shown in FIG. 1, a steering wheel 38 that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 5 via a power steering mechanism 14 (see FIG. 2), a driver's seat 39 for the user, and a touch panel type. The display unit and various operation tools are provided. Both lateral sides of the front side portion of the cabin 10 are provided with step 41 for getting on and off the cabin 10 (driver's seat 39).

As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 includes a speed change control unit 181 that controls the operation of the speed change device 13, a braking control unit 182 that controls the operation of the left and right side brakes, and a work device 12 such as a rotary tiller. The work device control unit 183 that controls the operation, the steering angle setting unit 184 that sets the target steering angles of the left and right front wheels 5 during automatic driving and outputs them to the power steering mechanism 14, and the preset target driving for automatic driving. It has a non-volatile vehicle-mounted storage unit 185 and the like for storing the path P (see, for example, FIG. 3) and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning unit 21 is a satellite that measures the current position and the current orientation of the tractor 1 by using GPS (Global Positioning System), which is an example of a satellite positioning system (NSS). It is equipped with a navigation device 22, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 23 and the like that have a three-axis gyroscope, a three-direction acceleration sensor, and the like to measure the attitude and orientation of the tractor 1. Positioning methods using GPS include DGPS (Differential GPS: relative positioning method) and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinetic GPS: interference positioning method). In this embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for positioning of a moving body is adopted. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a reference station 4 that enables positioning by RTK-GPS is installed at a known position around the field.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 1 and the reference station 4 are connected to the GPS antennas 24 and 61 that receive radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellite 71 (see FIG. 1), and between the tractor 1 and the reference station 4. Communication modules 25, 62 and the like that enable wireless communication of various data including positioning data in the above are provided. As a result, in the satellite navigation device 22, the GPS antenna 24 on the tractor side receives the positioning data obtained by receiving the radio waves from the GPS satellite 71, and the GPS antenna 61 on the base station side receives the radio waves from the GPS satellite 71. Based on the obtained positioning data, the current position and current orientation of the tractor 1 can be measured with high accuracy. Further, the positioning unit 21 is provided with the satellite navigation device 22 and the inertial measurement unit 23 to measure the current position, the current direction, and the attitude angle (yaw angle, roll angle, pitch angle) of the tractor 1 with high accuracy. Can be done.

The GPS antenna 24, the communication module 25, and the inertial measurement unit 23 provided in the tractor 1 are housed in the antenna unit 80 as shown in FIG. The antenna unit 80 is arranged at an upper position on the front side of the cabin 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 has positioning data between the terminal electronic control unit 52 having various control programs for controlling the operation of the display unit 51 and the like, and the communication module 25 on the tractor side. A communication module 55, etc., which enables wireless communication of various data including the above is provided. The terminal electronic control unit 52 includes a travel route generation unit 53 that generates a target travel route P (for example, see FIG. 3) for travel guidance for automatically traveling the tractor 1, and various input data input by the user. It has a non-volatile terminal storage unit 54 and the like that stores the target travel route P and the like generated by the travel route generation unit 53.

When the travel route generation unit 53 generates the target travel route P, a user such as a driver or an administrator can use the work vehicle or the like according to the input guide for setting the target travel route displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. Vehicle body data such as the type and model of the work device 12 is input, and the input vehicle body data is stored in the terminal storage unit 54. The travel area S (see FIG. 3) for which the target travel route P is to be generated is set as a field, and the terminal electronic control unit 52 of the mobile communication terminal 3 acquires field data including the shape and position of the field and is a terminal storage unit. I remember it in 54.

Explaining the acquisition of field data, when a user or the like drives and actually runs the tractor 1, the terminal electronic control unit 52 obtains the shape and position of the field from the current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21. It is possible to acquire the position information for specifying the above. The terminal electronic control unit 52 specifies the shape and position of the field from the acquired position information, and acquires the field data including the traveling area S specified from the shape and position of the specified field. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the rectangular traveling region S is specified.

When the field data including the shape and position of the specified field is stored in the terminal storage unit 54, the traveling route generation unit 53 uses the field data and the vehicle body data stored in the terminal storage unit 54 to target. The travel path P is generated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the travel path generation unit 53 divides and sets the inside of the travel region S into a central region R1 and an outer peripheral region R2. The central region R1 is set in the central portion of the traveling region S, and is a reciprocating work region in which the tractor 1 is automatically traveled in the reciprocating direction in advance to perform a predetermined work (for example, work such as tilling). .. The outer peripheral region R2 is set around the central region R1 and is a circumferential work region in which the tractor 1 is automatically driven in the circumferential direction following the central region R1 to perform a predetermined work. The travel path generation unit 53 is, for example, based on the turning radius, the front-rear width, the left-right width, etc. of the tractor 1 included in the vehicle body data, the space for turning traveling required for the tractor 1 to be swiveled at the shore of the field, etc. Seeking. The travel path generation unit 53 divides the travel region S into a central region R1 and an outer peripheral region R2 so as to secure a space or the like obtained on the outer circumference of the central region R1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the travel route generation unit 53 generates the target travel route P by using the vehicle body data, the field data, and the like. For example, the target travel path P includes a plurality of work paths P1 having the same straight-line distance in the central region R1 and arranged in parallel with a certain distance corresponding to the work width, and the start ends of adjacent work paths P1. It has a connecting path P2 that connects the ends and a circular path P3 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure) that orbits in the outer peripheral region R2. The plurality of work paths P1 are routes for performing a predetermined work while traveling the tractor 1 in a straight line. The connecting path P2 is a U-turn path for changing the traveling direction of the tractor 1 by 180 degrees without performing a predetermined operation, and connects the end of the work path P1 and the start end of the next adjacent work path P1. ing. The orbital path P3 is a path for performing a predetermined operation while orbiting the tractor 1 in the outer peripheral region R2. The circuit path P3 switches the traveling direction of the tractor 1 by 90 degrees by switching the tractor 1 between forward traveling and reverse traveling at positions corresponding to the four corners of the traveling region S. Incidentally, the target travel route P shown in FIG. 3 is just an example, and what kind of target travel route is set can be changed as appropriate.

The target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 53 can be displayed on the display unit 51, and is stored in the terminal storage unit 54 as route data associated with vehicle body data, field data, and the like. The route data includes the azimuth angle of the target travel route P, the set engine rotation speed and the target travel speed set according to the travel mode of the tractor 1 on the target travel route P, and the like.

In this way, when the travel route generation unit 53 generates the target travel route P, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transfers the route data from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the tractor 1, so that the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 of the tractor 1 However, the route data can be acquired. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 automatically travels the tractor 1 along the target travel route P while acquiring its own current position (current position of the tractor 1) by the positioning unit 21 based on the acquired route data. Can be done. The current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 is transmitted from the tractor 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, in a cycle of several seconds), and the mobile communication terminal 3 grasps the current position of the tractor 1. ing.

Regarding the transfer of the route data, the entire route data can be transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 at once before the tractor 1 starts the automatic traveling. Further, for example, the route data including the target travel route P can be divided into a plurality of route portions for each predetermined distance with a small amount of data. In this case, in the stage before the tractor 1 starts the automatic traveling, only the initial route portion of the route data is transferred from the terminal electronic control unit 52 to the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18. After the start of automatic driving, every time the tractor 1 reaches a route acquisition point set according to the amount of data or the like, the route data of only the subsequent route portion corresponding to that point is electronically controlled by the terminal electronic control unit 52. It may be transferred to the unit 18.

When starting the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, for example, when the user or the like moves the tractor 1 to the starting point and various automatic traveling start conditions are satisfied, the user displays the display unit 51 on the mobile communication terminal 3. By instructing the start of automatic traveling, the mobile communication terminal 3 transmits the instruction to start automatic traveling to the tractor 1. As a result, in the tractor 1, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 receives an instruction to start automatic driving, and while the positioning unit 21 acquires its own current position (current position of the tractor 1), the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 sets the target traveling path P. The automatic running control for automatically running the tractor 1 along the line is started. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 automatically travels the tractor 1 along the target travel path P in the travel area S based on the positioning information of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 (corresponding to the satellite positioning system). It is configured as an automatic driving control unit that performs driving control.

The automatic running control includes automatic shift control that automatically controls the operation of the transmission 13, automatic braking control that automatically controls the operation of the brake operation mechanism 15, automatic steering control that automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5, and a rotary tiller. The automatic control for work, etc., which automatically controls the operation of the work device 12 such as the above, and the like are included.

In the automatic shift control, the shift control unit 181 determines the tractor 1 on the target travel path P based on the route data of the target travel path P including the target travel speed, the output of the positioning unit 21, and the output of the vehicle speed sensor 19. The operation of the transmission 13 is automatically controlled so that the target traveling speed set according to the traveling mode or the like can be obtained as the vehicle speed of the tractor 1.

In the automatic braking control, the braking control unit 182 sets the left and right side brakes behind the left and right in the braking region included in the route data of the target traveling path P based on the target traveling path P and the output of the positioning unit 21. The operation of the brake operating mechanism 15 is automatically controlled so as to properly brake the wheels 6.

In the automatic steering control, the steering angle setting unit 184 sets the target of the left and right front wheels 5 based on the route data of the target travel path P and the output of the positioning unit 21 so that the tractor 1 automatically travels on the target travel path P. The steering angle is obtained and set, and the set target steering angle is output to the power steering mechanism 14. The power steering mechanism 14 automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5 based on the target steering angle and the output of the steering angle sensor 20 so that the target steering angle is obtained as the steering angles of the left and right front wheels 5.

In the automatic work control, the work device control unit 183 performs work such as the start end of the work path P1 (see, for example, FIG. 3) by the tractor 1 based on the route data of the target travel path P and the output of the positioning unit 21. A predetermined work (for example, tilling work) by the work device 12 is started as the start point is reached, and the tractor 1 reaches the work end point such as the end of the work path P1 (for example, see FIG. 3). Along with this, the operations of the clutch operating mechanism 16 and the elevating drive mechanism 17 are automatically controlled so that the predetermined work by the working device 12 is stopped.

In this way, in the tractor 1, the transmission 13, the power steering mechanism 14, the brake operation mechanism 15, the clutch operation mechanism 16, the elevating drive mechanism 17, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18, the vehicle speed sensor 19, the steering angle sensor 20, and the positioning. The automatic traveling unit 2 is composed of the unit 21, the communication module 25, and the like.

In this embodiment, it is possible not only to automatically drive the tractor 1 without the user or the like boarding the cabin 10, but also to automatically drive the tractor 1 with the user or the like boarding the cabin 10. Therefore, not only can the tractor 1 be automatically driven along the target traveling path P by the automatic traveling control by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 without the user or the like boarding in the cabin 10, but also the user or the like can be boarded in the cabin 10. Even in this case, the tractor 1 can be automatically driven along the target traveling path P by the automatic traveling control by the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18.

When a user or the like is on board the cabin 10, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 switches between an automatic driving state in which the tractor 1 is automatically driven and a manual driving state in which the tractor 1 is driven based on the driving of the user and the like. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state while the target traveling route P is automatically traveling in the automatic driving state, and conversely, the manual driving is performed while the vehicle is traveling in the manual driving state. It is possible to switch from the state to the automatic driving state. Regarding switching between the manual driving state and the automatic driving state, for example, a switching operation unit for switching between the automatic driving state and the manual driving state can be provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat 39, and the switching operation unit is carried. It can also be displayed on the display unit 51 of the communication terminal 3. Further, when the user operates the steering wheel 38 during the automatic driving control by the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18, the automatic driving state can be switched to the manual driving state.

Since the tractor 1 can automatically travel without the user or the like boarding the cabin 10, the user or people around the tractor 1 can grasp the traveling condition of the tractor 1. It is desired to display the traveling status of the tractor 1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 1 is provided with a traveling condition detection unit 120 that detects the traveling condition of the tractor 1 and a state display according to the traveling condition of the tractor 1 detected by the traveling condition detection unit 120. A traveling status display unit 110 is provided.
Further, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 has a display control unit 122 that controls the status display of the traveling status display unit 110, a display unit status determining unit 123 that determines the status of the traveling status display unit 110, and the current position of the tractor 1. It has a public road determination unit 124 for determining whether or not the tractor is on a public road, and a travel check control unit 125 for restraining or prohibiting the travel of the tractor 1 according to the determination result of the display unit state determination unit 123 or the like.
Incidentally, in FIG. 1, the traveling status display unit 110 is omitted.

The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 grasps what kind of traveling state the tractor 1 is in, such as whether it is in an automatic traveling state or a manual traveling state, and when the traveling state is in the automatic traveling state. Also knows what kind of state it is in the automatic driving state. Therefore, the traveling state detection unit 120 detects the state of the tractor 1 according to the grasping state of the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18.

The traveling condition detection unit 120 detects what kind of traveling state the tractor 1 is in, such as whether it is in an automatic traveling state or a manual traveling state, and the traveling state is an automatic traveling state. In that case, it is detected what kind of state it is in the automatic driving state. The traveling condition detection unit 120 is, for example, in a state in which automatic traveling is prepared, in a state in which automatic traveling is started, in a state in which automatic traveling is in progress, or in a state in which automatic traveling is temporarily stopped. Or, it is detected whether the automatic driving is in an emergency stop state.

Regarding the temporary stop of automatic driving, the user or the like can temporarily stop the automatic driving of the tractor 1 by operating the mobile communication terminal 3, and for example, it is difficult to obtain the current position of the tractor 1 when an obstacle is detected. In this case, the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 can suspend the automatic traveling of the tractor 1. Therefore, the traveling status detection unit 120 identifies whether the automatic traveling is suspended by the operation of the mobile communication terminal 3 or the automatic traveling is suspended by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18. Is being detected.

Regarding the emergency stop of automatic driving, the user or the like can operate the mobile communication terminal 3 to make an emergency stop of the automatic driving of the tractor 1, and for example, a failure of the device provided in the tractor 1 or a deviation from the target traveling path P. When the amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 can make an emergency stop of the automatic traveling of the tractor 1. Therefore, the traveling condition detection unit 120 identifies whether the automatic traveling is in an emergency stop state by the operation of the mobile communication terminal 3 or the automatic traveling is in an emergency stop state by the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18. Is being detected.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the traveling status display unit 110 includes, for example, a plurality of indicator lights 110a to 110c (for example, three indicator lights) having different lighting colors. The traveling status display unit 110 is arranged in the order of indicator lights 110a to 110c from the upper side.

The display control unit 122 causes the traveling status display unit 110 to turn on which of the plurality of indicator lamps 110a to 110c in the traveling status display unit 110 according to the traveling condition of the tractor 1. Controls the status display.

For example, when the traveling status detection unit 120 detects a situation in which the vehicle is in a manual traveling state, the display control unit 122 turns off all of the plurality of indicator lights 110a to 110c in the traveling status display unit 110. When the driving status detection unit 120 detects a status in which automatic driving is ready in the automatic driving state, the display control unit 122 lights all of the plurality of indicator lights 110a, 110b, 110c in the driving status display unit 110. Let me. When the traveling status detection unit 120 detects a situation in which the vehicle is automatically traveling in the automatic traveling state, the display control unit 122 selects a specific indicator light 110a, 110b, 110c among the plurality of indicator lights 110a, 110b, 110c in the traveling status display unit 110. Turn on only one indicator light. When the driving status detection unit 120 detects a situation in which automatic driving is temporarily stopped in the automatic driving state, the display control unit 122 among the plurality of indicator lights 110a, 110b, 110c in the driving status display unit 110. , Turn on only one other specific indicator light. In this way, the display control unit 122 changes the status display of the travel status display unit 110 according to the travel status of the tractor 1 detected by the travel status detection unit 120, so that the travel status of the tractor 1 is changed. It is possible for the user or the like to recognize such a situation.

The traveling status display unit 110 is configured to not only visually display the user or the like but also provide auditory notification. The traveling status display unit 110 includes, for example, a notification unit such as a notification buzzer. The display control unit 122 not only changes the status display of the travel status display unit 110 according to the travel status of the tractor 1 detected by the travel status detection unit 120, but also changes the notification method of the notification unit. The user or the like can recognize what kind of situation the running condition of the tractor 1 is. As the notification method of the notification unit, for example, various methods such as a method of notifying the notification unit only once, a method of intermittently notifying the notification unit a predetermined number of times, a method of continuously notifying the notification unit, and the like. Can be applied.

Hereinafter, the arrangement position of the traveling status display unit 110 will be described with reference to FIG.
Various locations can be applied to the arrangement position of the traveling status display unit 110, but the traveling status display unit 110 is at least diagonal to the tractor 1 (corresponding to the diagonal of the work vehicle body) in a plan view. A pair is arranged in. Incidentally, in FIG. 4, the antenna unit 80, the three-point link mechanism 11, and the like are omitted in order to mainly explain the arrangement position of the traveling status display unit 110.

In FIG. 4, as the traveling status display unit 110, the first traveling status display unit 110A arranged at a position corresponding to the left front corner of the cabin 10 and the traveling status display unit 110 are arranged at a position corresponding to the right rear corner of the cabin 10. It also has a second traveling status display unit 110B. As described above, the first traveling status display unit 110A and the second traveling status display unit 110B are arranged at positions corresponding to the diagonals of the cabin 10.

The first traveling status display unit 110A is arranged near the left front support column 36 at a position corresponding to the left front corner of the cabin 10. On the front side of the cabin 10, a muffler is arranged at a position corresponding to the right front corner of the cabin 10 in a vertically extending state, so that the first traveling status display unit 110A is located in the left-right direction of the cabin 10. It is arranged on the opposite side of the muffler and on the front side of the cabin 10. The first traveling status display unit 110A is arranged at a position lower than the roof 35 and corresponding to the upper region of the windshield 32 in the vertical direction. For example, when a user or the like seated in the driver's seat 39 (see FIG. 1) in the cabin 10 looks at the first traveling status display unit 110A, the left front support column 36 is at least a part of the first traveling status display unit 110A. The first traveling status display unit 110A can be arranged so that at least a part of the first traveling status display unit 110A is hidden by the front support column 36 on the left side.

Since the handrail 43 extending in the vertical direction is attached to the front support column 36 on the left side, the first traveling status display unit 110A is provided in an upright posture extending upward by using the handrail 43. In this way, the first traveling status display unit 110A is attached to the left front support column 36 of the cabin frame 31 via the handrail 43. Therefore, the first traveling status display unit 110A is attached to the cabin frame 31 constituting the cabin 10 provided with anti-vibration measures, and the vibration from the engine 9 or the like is transmitted to the first traveling status display unit 110A. Is being prevented.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second traveling status display unit 110B is arranged at a position corresponding to the right rear corner of the cabin 10 and in the vicinity of the right rear support column 37. For example, when a user or the like seated in the driver's seat 39 in the cabin 10 sees the second traveling status display unit 110B, the rear support column 37 on the right side overlaps with at least a part of the second traveling status display unit 110B. The second traveling status display unit 110B can be arranged so that at least a part of the second traveling status display unit 110B is hidden by the rear support column 37 on the right side.

The second traveling status display unit 110B is provided in an upward standing posture using the rear support column 37 on the right side. Therefore, the second traveling status display unit 110B is attached to the cabin frame 31 constituting the cabin 10 provided with anti-vibration measures, and the vibration from the engine 9 or the like is transmitted to the second traveling status display unit 110B. Is being prevented.

As shown in FIG. 5, these traveling status display units 110 are configured as columnar ones in which indicator lights 110a to 110c are arranged in order from the upper side, and are fixed to the front side column 36 and the rear side column 37 side. It is supported in a state where it can be manually moved in the vertical direction with respect to a bottomed cylindrical casing 112 (an example of a storage portion).
As shown in FIG. 5A, the traveling status display unit 110 moves upward and projects upward from the cylindrical casing 112 so that the indicator lights 110a to 110c can be visually recognized from the surroundings, and the indicator lights 110a When ~ 110c is lit, it becomes a displayable state in which the traveling status can be displayed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, the traveling status display unit 110 moves downward and is stored inside the cylindrical casing 112, so that the indicator lights 110a to 110c cannot be visually recognized from the surroundings. That is, the state in which the traveling status display unit 110 is stored in the cylindrical casing 112 is a non-displayable state in which the traveling status cannot be displayed to the surroundings.
In this way, the traveling status display unit 110 is configured to be able to change the state between the displayable state and the undisplayable state in a form in which the user or the like manually moves the traveling status display unit 110 up and down. ..

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, an L-shaped stay 114 that supports the bottom surface of the traveling status display unit 110 is provided inside the cylindrical casing 112. Further, a vertically long elongated hole 114a is formed in the stay 114, and a connecting tool 115 such as a bolt fixed to the tubular casing 112 is inserted through the elongated hole 114a. With this configuration, the stay 114 to which the traveling status display unit 110 is fixed is in a state of being movable in the vertical direction inside the cylindrical casing 112.
Further, a proximity switch 113 is provided on the lower side inside the cylindrical casing 112. The proximity switch 113 is in a state in which the stay 114 moves upward and the traveling status display unit 110 fixed to the stay 114 is exposed above the cylindrical casing 112 (the state shown in FIG. 5A). ), The stay 114 moves downward, and the traveling status display unit 110 fixed to the stay 114 is housed inside the cylindrical casing 112 (state shown in FIG. 5B). Turns on.
Then, the display unit state determination unit 123 of the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 determines whether the state of the traveling status display unit 110 is in the displayable state shown in FIG. 5A by the output signal of the proximity switch 113. It is possible to determine whether or not the display impossible state shown in (b) is present.

Further, the public road determination unit 124 of the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 refers to the current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 with the map information in which the position of the public road is identified, and the current position of the tractor 1 is determined. It is configured to determine whether or not it is on a public road.

Hereinafter, a control flow for determining a check or prohibition for running executed by the travel check control unit 125 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

First, when the public road determination unit 124 determines that the current position of the tractor 1 is within the traveling area S instead of on the public road (No in step # 1), an instruction to start automatic traveling from the mobile communication terminal 3 is given. (Yes in step # 2), it is determined whether or not the tractor 1 can automatically travel.
That is, when the start of automatic driving is instructed (Yes in step # 2) and the display unit state determination unit 123 determines that the state of the traveling status display unit 110 is in a displayable state (Yes in step # 3). In the automatic driving allowance process, which allows the execution of automatic driving control, assuming that the vehicle is in a state where safe automatic driving is possible while making the surrounding people recognize the driving condition of the tractor 1 by the display of the driving status display unit 110. Is executed (step # 4).
On the other hand, when the display unit state determination unit 123 determines that the state of the traveling status display unit 110 cannot be displayed (No in step # 3), the start of automatic driving is restrained and attention is given. As an automatic driving check process for restraining the start of automatic driving, an automatic driving prohibition process for prohibiting execution of automatic driving control is executed (step # 5).

When the public road determination unit 124 determines that the current position of the tractor 1 is on a public road (Yes in step # 1), it is determined whether or not the tractor 1 can be manually driven by the user, for example.
That is, when the display unit state determination unit 123 determines that the state of the traveling status display unit 110 is in a displayable state (Yes in step # 6), for example, the engine 9 is used to prevent violation of laws and regulations. The public road travel prohibition process for prohibiting manual travel by the user's operation is executed by stopping the vehicle or operating the brake by the brake operation mechanism 15 (step # 7).
On the other hand, when the display unit state determination unit 123 determines that the state of the travel status display unit 110 cannot be displayed (No in step # 6), for example, the user is allowed to drive manually on a public road. The process is executed (step # 8).

Further, when the automatic driving prohibition process is executed in step # 5 and when the public road driving prohibition process is executed in step # 7, the user is made to recognize that the automatic driving and manual driving of the tractor 1 are prohibited. Therefore, a notification process for notifying the user is executed by displaying the fact on the display unit provided on the mobile communication terminal 3 or the driver's seat 39 or outputting a notification voice (step # 9). ..
Then, the user can surely recognize that the automatic driving or the manual driving is prohibited. Therefore, after changing the state of the driving status display unit 110 to a normal one, the automatic driving or the manual driving is restarted. Can be made to.

[Another Embodiment]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the configurations of the respective embodiments described below are not limited to being applied independently, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments.

(1) The configuration of the work vehicle can be changed in various ways.
For example, the work vehicle may be configured to have a hybrid specification including an engine 9 and an electric motor for traveling, or may be configured to have an electric specification including an electric motor for traveling instead of the engine 9. ..
For example, the work vehicle may be configured as a semi-crawler specification in which left and right crawlers are provided instead of the left and right rear wheels 6 as a traveling portion.
For example, the work vehicle may be configured with rear wheel steering specifications in which the left and right rear wheels 6 function as steering wheels.

(2) In the above embodiment, the state in which the traveling status display unit 110 is stored in the cylindrical casing 112 is set to an undisplayable state in which the traveling status cannot be displayed to the surroundings, and the traveling status display unit 110 is supported. The traveling state display unit 120 is configured to determine whether the traveling state display unit 120 is in the displayable state or the non-displayable state based on the output signal of the proximity switch 113 that detects the movement of the stay 114.
However, in another form, the traveling status display unit 110 may be set as an undisplayable state and the state may be determined. For example, the state in which the traveling status display unit 110 is removed from the tractor 1 can be set to the above-mentioned non-displayable state. In this case, in the form of detecting the removal of the traveling status display unit 110, it is possible to determine whether the traveling status display unit 120 is in a displayable state or a non-displayable state.
Further, in the field, when the power supply to the traveling status display unit 110 is stopped in order to determine whether or not the status of the traveling status display unit 110 can be displayed in order to perform safe automatic driving. , It can also be configured to determine that it is not in a displayable state. However, even when the power supply to the running status display unit 110 is stopped, the running status can be displayed to the surroundings as long as the power supply is available because the running status display unit 110 is exposed to the outside. In this case, it is possible to prevent violation of laws and regulations on public roads by executing a public road driving prohibition process that prohibits manual driving by the user's driving.

(3) In the above embodiment, when the display unit state determination unit 123 determines that the state of the travel status display unit 110 cannot be displayed, it is automatically performed as an automatic travel check process for restraining the start of automatic driving. It is configured to execute an automatic driving prohibition process that prohibits the execution of driving control. However, as an automatic driving check process that is executed when it is determined that the vehicle cannot be displayed, a notification process that only notifies the voice output or display that calls attention while allowing the execution of automatic driving control is performed. It may be configured to run.

1 Tractor (working vehicle)
18 In-vehicle electronic control unit (control unit)
52 Terminal electronic control unit (control unit)
110 Driving status display unit 112 Cylindrical casing (storage unit)
120 Driving status display unit 123 Display unit Status determination unit 124 Public road judgment unit 125 Driving check control unit

Claims (3)

A control unit that can execute automatic driving control to automatically drive a work vehicle,
An automatic traveling system provided on the work vehicle and provided with a traveling status display unit that displays the traveling status of the work vehicle to the surroundings.
The traveling status display unit is configured so that the state can be changed between a displayable state in which the traveling status can be displayed and a displayable state in which the travel status is not displayable.
When the control unit is instructed to start automatic driving, the display unit state determination unit capable of determining whether the state of the traveling status display unit is the displayable state or the display impossible state, and the display unit state determination unit.
When the display unit state determination unit determines that the state of the travel status display unit is in the undisplayable state, the display unit includes a travel check control unit that executes an automatic travel check process for restraining the start of the automatic travel. ,
When the travel check control unit determines that the state of the travel status display unit is in the undisplayable state at the time of inputting the automatic travel start instruction as the automatic travel check process, the execution of the automatic travel control is prohibited. An automatic driving system that executes automatic driving prohibition processing. The automatic traveling system according to claim 1, wherein the undisplayable state is a state in which the traveling status display unit is removed from the work vehicle and the traveling status display unit is stored in the storage unit. The automatic driving system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the traveling check control unit executes a notification process for notifying the user when the execution of the automatic driving control is prohibited by the automatic driving prohibition process.

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