JP7004780B2 - Work vehicle remote control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle remote control system including a parent work vehicle and a child work vehicle capable of exchanging data via wireless communication.

Patent Document 1 includes a work vehicle provided with a control module that controls an operating device by receiving an operation signal based on an operation on an operation device, and a portable information terminal capable of wirelessly remotely controlling the work vehicle. The aerial work platform operation system is disclosed. On the built-in display provided in the mobile information terminal, the pseudo operation device is displayed in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the operation device of the work vehicle. A remote control signal is generated based on the operation on this simulated operation device and sent to the work vehicle. The control module of the work vehicle outputs the corresponding control signal based on the remote control signal, so that the operating equipment of the work vehicle operates. That is, a virtual realistic driving space is created on the display of the mobile information terminal, and the user can remotely control the work vehicle by using the driving space.

Patent Document 2 discloses a work vehicle cooperation system in which a master work vehicle (manned vehicle) and an unmanned maneuverable child work vehicle (unmanned vehicle) imitating the parent work vehicle perform ground work. In this system, a parent position detection module that detects the parent position, which is the position of the parent work vehicle, a child position detection module that detects the child position, which is the position of the child work vehicle, and a child work vehicle from the traveling locus of the parent work vehicle. Based on the child driving target calculation unit that calculates the target driving position of, the parent parameter generation unit that links the parent work driving parameters related to the work operation executed by the parent work vehicle to the parent position, and the parent work driving parameters. It is provided with a child parameter generator that generates child work driving parameters for the child work vehicle linked to the corresponding target travel position of the child work vehicle. As a result, the parent work driving parameter related to the work operation executed by the parent work vehicle is generated in a form linked to the position of the parent work vehicle, and the child corresponding to the position of the parent work vehicle is based on this parent work drive parameter. Child work driving parameters for the child work vehicle linked to the target travel position of the work vehicle are generated. Further, the child work vehicle is provided with a control unit for unmanned operation of the child work vehicle based on the child position, the target traveling position, and the child work operation parameters. The child work vehicle can perform work operation faithfully following the work operation of the work vehicle based on the work operation parameters, the child position, and the target traveling position.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-192740 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-188351

In the work vehicle operation system according to Patent Document 1, the user can remotely control the work vehicle in the virtual realistic driving space displayed on the touch panel of the mobile information terminal, but in the driving space displayed on the touch panel display. It is difficult to remotely control complicated work driving by operating the arranged operation tools. Further, there is a problem that the user has to learn the remote control by the portable information terminal from the beginning even if he / she is skilled in the operation of the work running in the work vehicle, and the initial burden until he / she gets used to the operation is large. ..

The remote control of the child work vehicle from the parent work vehicle according to Patent Document 2 is limited to the control in which the child work vehicle faithfully imitates the work running performed by the parent work vehicle. Therefore, in this work vehicle coordination system, remote control such as the user manipulating the running motion and the working motion of the child work platform is not considered regardless of the movement of the parent work platform.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, there is a demand for a work vehicle remote control system that can remotely control an unmanned work vehicle as if driving the work vehicle on board.

According to the present invention, the work vehicle remote control system including a parent work vehicle and a child work vehicle capable of exchanging data via wireless communication is for the parent work travel operation tool group operated by the user and the work travel of the parent work vehicle. The parent work traveling device group, the parent work traveling control unit that gives an operation control signal to the parent working traveling device group in response to the user operation on the parent working traveling operation tool group, and the user operation on the parent working traveling operation tool group. A parent operation information generation unit that sends parent operation information generated in response to A child work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the child work travel equipment group based on the parent operation information is provided, and the parent operation information is immediately obtained according to the operation content of the parent work travel operation tool group. The child work is generated and immediately sent to the child work vehicle, and the parent work traveling operation tool group has the same operation content as the operation content for the parent work vehicle and does not affect the operation of the parent work vehicle. It is characterized by being configured to enable remote control of the car .

In this configuration, the driver (user) who got into the parent work vehicle operates the parent work driving operation tool group equipped on the parent work vehicle, so that the operation can be handled on the child work vehicle (unmanned vehicle) side. The operation control signal to be performed is given to the child work traveling device group. That is, the parent work vehicle itself can function as an actual remote controller for remotely controlling the child work vehicle to run unmanned work. As a result, the user can remotely control the child work vehicle (automated guided vehicle) by operating the work travel equipment group (parent work travel equipment group) of the boarded work vehicle (parent work vehicle), so that the user has a familiar driving feeling. Therefore, it is possible to remotely control an unmanned work vehicle.
In addition, the phrase "working running" used in the present invention includes working while running, running only, and working only, and a state in which at least one of these is performed. Furthermore, such a temporary stop state of work running is included.
Further, it is preferable that the parent work traveling operation tool group is configured to enable remote control of the child work vehicle with the same operation content as the operation content for the parent work vehicle.

When remotely controlling a child work vehicle traveling away from a stopped parent work vehicle, if the situation around the child work vehicle can be grasped, the child work vehicle can be remotely controlled more appropriately. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, an environment information acquisition unit for acquiring work travel environment information indicating the work travel environment of the child work vehicle is provided, and the parent work vehicle is provided with the environment information acquisition unit. A notification unit for notifying the user of the work driving environment information sent from the child work vehicle is provided. Suitable work driving environment information includes a photographed image of the vicinity of the work vehicle acquired by a photographing camera equipped on the child work vehicle, a meter value notified through a meter of the child work vehicle, etc. (engine rotation speed, vehicle speed, residual fuel). Etc.), environmental sounds collected by the sound collecting microphone installed in the child work vehicle, and the like. Such work driving environment information is sent to the parent work vehicle by communication and reproduced through a notification unit such as a display and a speaker equipped in the parent work vehicle, so that the vehicle is boarded in the parent work vehicle as an actual remote controller. The user can remotely control the child work vehicle with a rich sense of reality.

The parent work vehicle can, of course, perform normal work driving, not as a remote controller for the actual machine. When used as an actual remote controller, the user operation for the parent work driving operation tool group is effective only for the remote control of the work driving of the child work vehicle, and must be invalid for the control of the work driving of the parent work vehicle. .. For this purpose, the work vehicle remote control system comprising a parent work vehicle and a child work vehicle capable of exchanging data via wireless communication according to the present invention includes a parent work traveling operation tool group operated by a user and the parent work vehicle. A parent work travel device group for work travel, a parent work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the parent work travel equipment group in response to a user operation on the parent work travel operation tool group, and the parent work travel operation tool. The parent operation information generation unit that sends the parent operation information generated in response to the user operation to the group to the child work vehicle, the child work travel device group for the work run of the child work vehicle, and the parent work vehicle send the parent operation information. A child work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the child work travel device group based on the parent operation information, and a mode provided in the parent work vehicle to switch between the own vehicle operation mode and the other vehicle operation mode. A switching unit is provided , and in the own vehicle operation mode, it is prohibited to send the parent operation information to the child work vehicle, and in the other vehicle operation mode, the operation control signal is sent to the parent work traveling device group. It is prohibited to give the parent operation information, and the parent operation information is immediately generated according to the operation content of the parent work traveling operation tool group and immediately sent to the child work vehicle . When such a mode switching unit is provided, it is possible to reliably manage the switching between the own vehicle operation mode and the other vehicle operation mode by the mode switching unit. Further, various operation commands can be given to the functional unit of the control system by using this mode switching as a trigger. By adopting a control configuration in which switching between the own vehicle operation mode and the other vehicle operation mode in the mode switching unit is performed by the mode switching operation tool operated by the user, the mode switching is always the user's clear intention. You get the advantage of being done by.

One of the preferred operation commands given to the functional unit of the control system of the parent work vehicle triggered by switching to the operation mode of another vehicle is an engine stop command for stopping the engine of the parent work vehicle. As a result, the inconvenience that the parent work vehicle used as the actual remote controller starts to move unexpectedly is surely avoided. When the parent work vehicle is used as a remote controller for the actual machine, the engine of the child work vehicle must be started when the engine of the parent work vehicle is stopped. Therefore, one of the suitable operation commands given to the functional unit of the control system of the child work vehicle triggered by switching to the operation mode of the other vehicle is an engine start command for starting the engine of the child work vehicle.

When the mode is switched to the own vehicle operation mode, remote control of the child work platform by the parent work vehicle becomes impossible, so it is necessary to avoid unexpected movement of the child work vehicle. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the child work vehicle is stopped at the time of switching to the own vehicle operation mode. The stop of the work platform includes the stop of the engine, the braking operation, the stop of the work device, and the like.

If the parent work vehicle and the child work vehicle have the same specifications, remote control using the actual vehicle as a remote controller can be performed smoothly. However, it must also be taken into consideration that the specifications of the parent work platform and the child work platform are different. That is, when the parent work vehicle and the child work vehicle having different specifications are used, it is not always possible to give the same operation to the child work vehicle as the operation for the parent work vehicle and obtain the same work running result. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a specification matching unit for matching the difference in operation control specifications between the parent work traveling device group and the child work traveling device group is provided, and the parent work traveling device is provided. When the operation control specifications of the group and the child work traveling device group are different, the matched operation control signal is given to the child work traveling device group. Such a specification matching unit may be provided in the parent work vehicle or in the child work vehicle. When the relationship between the parent work platform and the child work platform is uniquely determined, it is advisable to set in advance a table that matches the differences in the operation control specifications. When remote control is performed for multiple child work vehicles with different operation control specifications, a table that matches the differences in operation control specifications for each child work vehicle and a selector that selects the child work vehicle to be remotely controlled are provided. It is preferable that the appropriate table is automatically set for the selected child work vehicle.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the cooperative work running and remote control by a parent work vehicle and a child work vehicle. It is a side view of a tractor which is an example of a work platform. It is a functional block diagram for demonstrating the control system of a work vehicle. It is explanatory drawing explaining the flow of information in the remote control to a child work vehicle by a parent work vehicle.

Hereinafter, one of the embodiments of the work vehicle remote control system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows two work vehicles participating in a coordinated work run in which a plurality of work vehicles capable of exchanging data cooperate to work on a work site. One of the work vehicles is the parent work vehicle 1P on which the driver (user) gets in and travels manned, and the other one is the child work vehicle 1C on which the driver (user) rides unmanned. In this embodiment, the ground work area is a field bounded by ridges, and in a work run such as tillage work, the work width area of the work device is worked as the work vehicle runs. go. In field work, the field is generally divided into a substantially square central area and a peripheral area around the central area, also referred to as a headland defined along the ridges. In the central region, since the ground work is performed by the reciprocating travel, the traveling locus is a repetition of a linear outward traveling and a turning (U-turn) traveling, and a linear returning traveling and a turning (U-turn) traveling. The headland is a turning area in the work run of the central work area. In the peripheral area, the work is performed by repeating linear running and turning running in each corner area. In the work travel example of the central region shown in FIG. 1, the child work vehicle 1C travels unmanned ahead of the parent work vehicle 1P based on the travel route for the central region calculated for unmanned travel. After the child work vehicle 1C travels unmanned, the parent work vehicle 1P travels on the left side thereof so that the work trace of the parent work vehicle 1P overlaps the work trace of the child work vehicle 1C by a predetermined amount. This is an example of cooperative work running between the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C with respect to the central region.

In FIG. 1, the parent work vehicle 1P is located at the starting point SPP of the work run with respect to the central region, and the child work vehicle 1C is located at the entrance / exit IO of the field. From this state, the driver on board the parent work vehicle 1P uses the work vehicle remote control system built into the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C to remotely control the child work vehicle 1C. The work vehicle 1C is moved to the starting point SPC of the work run.

When the child work vehicle 1C reaches the start point SPC, the cooperative work run is started, and the child work vehicle 1C starts running under the automatic work run control. The child work vehicle 1C is set to the automatic traveling mode, and is steered so that the own vehicle position obtained by using the satellite positioning system matches the preset traveling route. After the child work vehicle 1C travels unmanned, the parent work vehicle 1P travels on the left side of the parent work vehicle 1P along the work trace of the child work vehicle 1C while the parent work vehicle 1P follows the work trace of the child work vehicle 1C. do. This follow-up work run may be automatic or manual. In any case, the driver monitors the work running of the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C. If a situation occurs in which the child work vehicle 1C is difficult to automatically steer, such as avoiding obstacles, the child work vehicle 1C is automatically steered and switched to remote control from the stopped parent work vehicle 1P. The work vehicle 1C shifts from automatic driving to remote control driving.

In this embodiment, the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C are tractors for agricultural work, and a side view thereof is shown in FIG. In this tractor, a control portion 20 is provided in the central portion of the vehicle body 1 supported by the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12. The rear part of the vehicle body 1 is equipped with a working device 30 which is a rotary tilling device via a hydraulic elevating mechanism 31. The front wheel 11 functions as a steering wheel, and the traveling direction of the tractor is changed by changing the steering angle by the steering mechanism 13. The steering angle of the front wheels 11 is changed by the operation of the steering mechanism 13. The steering mechanism 13 includes a steering motor 14 for automatic steering. During manual driving, the front wheels 11 can be steered by operating the steering wheel 22 arranged in the control unit 20. A user operation terminal (one of the notification units 73) having a display, a speaker, a touch panel, and operation buttons is arranged in the control unit 20. This user operation terminal has a function of providing information to the driver and a function of inputting information from the driver.

The cabin 21 of the tractor is provided with a satellite positioning module 80 configured as a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) module. As a component of the satellite positioning module 80, a satellite antenna for receiving GNSS signals (including GPS signals) is attached to the ceiling area of the cabin 21. The satellite positioning module 80 can include an inertial navigation module incorporating a gyro acceleration sensor and a magnetic orientation sensor in order to complement satellite navigation. Of course, the inertial navigation module may be provided at a place different from the satellite positioning module 80.

The vehicle body 1 is provided with an environment information acquisition unit 4 for acquiring work travel environment information indicating the surrounding environment during traveling work. In this embodiment, the environmental information acquisition unit 4 includes a photographing camera 40, a sound collecting microphone 41, and an obstacle sensor 42. Four photographing cameras 40 are provided for photographing the surroundings of the vehicle body. The shooting optical axis of each shooting camera 40 is directed downward so that the vehicle body 1 and a part of the work device 30 and the field scene are in the shooting field, and the wide-angle lens is attached to the four shooting cameras 40. The photographed image of the peripheral partial area acquired by can cover the entire peripheral area near the vehicle body. The sound collecting microphone 41 picks up work sounds, running sounds, and engine sounds and converts them into sound signals. The obstacle sensor 42 is a laser scanner that detects obstacles existing in the forward direction and the reverse direction of the vehicle body 1, and is provided in front of and behind the vehicle body 1 in a total of two.

FIG. 3 shows the entire control system of the tractor functioning as the parent work vehicle 1P in the work vehicle remote control system as shown in FIG. 1 and the control system of the tractor functioning as the child work vehicle 1C. Some are shown. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a flow of information in remote control of the child work vehicle 1C by the parent work vehicle 1P.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the control system of the master work vehicle 1P is mainly shown. The parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C function as the parent work vehicle 1P even if the running system specifications (speed change mechanism, engine horsepower, etc.) and work system specifications (work width, etc.) are different. Since the basic configuration of the control system and the control system functioning as the child work vehicle 1C is the same, the explanation of the control system of the parent work vehicle 1P is diverted to the explanation of the control system of the child work vehicle 1C. be able to.

The control unit CU, which is a core element of the control system of the master work vehicle 1P, is provided with an output processing unit 7, an input processing unit 8, and a communication processing unit 9 that function as input / output interfaces.

The output processing unit 7 is connected to a parent work traveling device group 70 including a vehicle traveling device group 71 and a working device device group 72, a notification unit 73 which is a user operation terminal integrated with a display and a speaker, and the like. .. The vehicle traveling device group 71 includes control devices related to vehicle traveling, such as an engine control device, a shift control device, a braking control device, and a steering control device. The working equipment group 72 includes a power control device such as a PTO clutch of the working device 30 which is a rotary tilling device in this embodiment, an elevating cylinder control device of an elevating mechanism 31 for raising and lowering the rotary cultivating device, and the like. ..

The communication processing unit 9 uses wireless communication with the control system of the tractor functioning as the child work vehicle 1C, the management computer built in the management center at a remote location, and the mobile communication terminal of the observer outside the vehicle. Has the function of exchanging.

The input processing unit 8 is connected to a satellite positioning module 80, an automatic / manual switching operation tool 81, a running state detection sensor group 82, a work state detection sensor group 83, a mode switching operation tool 85, an environment information acquisition unit 4, and the like. There is. The automatic / manual switching operation tool 81 is a switch for selecting either an automatic traveling mode in which the vehicle travels by automatic steering or a manual steering mode in which the vehicle travels by manual steering. For example, by operating the automatic / manual switching operation tool 81 while driving in the automatic steering mode, it is possible to switch to driving with manual steering, and by operating the automatic / manual switching operation tool 81 while driving with manual steering. , Can be switched to running with automatic steering. The running state detection sensor group 82 includes a sensor that detects the state of operating tools (components of the parent work running operating tool group 84) such as an engine speed adjuster, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a steering wheel 22. There is. The work state detection sensor group 83 includes a sensor that detects the state of the work operation tool (component of the parent work travel operation tool group 84) that adjusts the drive and posture of the work device 30.

The mode switching operation tool 85 has an other vehicle operation mode in which the parent work vehicle 1P functions as an actual remote controller for driving the child work vehicle 1C by remote control, and a self-driving car that automatically or manually runs as a normal tractor. It is an operation tool operated by the user to switch between the vehicle operation mode and the vehicle operation mode. When functioning as the child work vehicle 1C, in the tractor, the mode switching operation tool 85 serves as an operation tool for switching between the other vehicle operation mode remotely controlled by the other vehicle and the own vehicle operation mode.

The sound collecting microphone 41 included in the environmental information acquisition unit 4 is not required when the tractor is functioning as the master work vehicle 1P, so that the function is stopped.

The control unit CU incorporates a parent work travel control unit 50, an automatic travel control unit AC, a remote control unit RC, and a mode switching unit 60 as functional units constructed by software.

The parent work travel control unit 50 includes a travel control unit 51, a work control unit 52, and an engine control unit 53. The travel control unit 51 controls the vehicle travel equipment group 71. Since the tractor is configured to be capable of traveling in both automatic traveling (automatic steering) and manual traveling (manual steering), the traveling control unit 51 has a manual traveling control function and an automatic traveling control function. When the manual travel control function is executed, the vehicle travel equipment group 71 is controlled based on the operation by the driver. When the automatic driving control function is executed, a steering control signal (a type of operation control signal) generated based on an automatic steering command given from the automatic driving control unit AC is output to the steering motor 14. The work control unit 52 gives a work control signal (a kind of operation control signal) to the work equipment group 72 in order to control the movement of the work equipment 30. The engine control unit 53 gives an engine control signal (a type of operation control signal) to the operation device of the engine.

The automatic travel control unit AC includes a route generation unit 54, a route setting unit 55, a vehicle position calculation unit 56, and an automatic work travel command unit 57.

The route generation unit 54 reads out the external shape data of the field from the input field information, and generates an appropriate traveling route in this field. The generation of this travel route may be performed automatically based on the basic initial parameters input by the driver, or the travel route generated by another computer may be downloaded. In any case, the travel route output from the route generation unit 54 is expanded in the memory and used for automatic travel. Of course, this travel route can be used for guidance for the work vehicle to travel along the travel route even in manual travel.

The route setting unit 55 sequentially reads out the travel routes expanded in the memory and sets them as the travel routes that are the targets of the travel. The own vehicle position calculation unit 56 calculates the position of the vehicle body 1 or the position of the work device 30 based on the positioning data sequentially sent from the satellite positioning module 80. The automatic work travel command unit 57 calculates the directional deviation and the positional deviation between the target travel route and the position of the own vehicle, and gives an automatic steering command to eliminate the directional deviation and the positional deviation to the travel control unit 51.

The remote control unit RC includes a parent operation information generation unit 61, a specification matching unit 62, and an environment information reproduction unit 63. The remote control unit RC operates in another vehicle operation mode in which the parent work vehicle 1P functions as an actual remote controller for driving the child work vehicle 1C by remote control for unmanned work.

The parent operation information generation unit 61 generates parent operation information according to the detection signals from the running state detection sensor group 82 and the working state detection sensor group 83 that detect the user operation on the parent work running operation tool group 84. This parent operation information is the operation content performed by the driver of the parent work vehicle 1P on the parent work traveling operation tool group 84, for example, depressing the accelerator pedal, depressing the brake pedal, and the work device elevating lever. Operation etc. Such operation contents are immediately converted into data as parent operation information and sent to the child work vehicle 1C. On the child work vehicle 1C side that has received the parent operation information, a control operation corresponding to the content of the parent operation information is performed. As a result, remote control of the child work vehicle 1C using the parent work vehicle 1P as the actual remote controller is realized.

The specification matching unit 62 includes a work traveling device group (parent work traveling device group 70) equipped on the parent work vehicle 1P and a work traveling device group (child work traveling device group 70c) equipped on the child work vehicle 1C. If there is a difference in the operation control specifications between, the difference is matched. As a result, the movement of the child work traveling device group 70c corresponding to the movement of the parent working traveling device group 70 realized in the own vehicle operation mode by the user operation with respect to the parent work traveling operation tool group 84 is also realized in the other vehicle operation mode. .. For example, even if the limit climb height of the work device 30 is different between the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C, if the parent work vehicle 1P performs the ascending operation up to the limit rise of the work device 30, the child work The working device 30 of the vehicle 1C rises to the limit climb height.

In the other vehicle operation mode, the environmental information reproduction unit 63 desires the photographed image acquired by the photographing camera 40 of the environment information acquisition unit 4 of the child work vehicle 1C and the environmental sound picked up by the sound collecting microphone 41. In the form of, the notification is made through the notification unit 73. The driver who is on the master work vehicle 1P as the actual remote controller is riding the child work vehicle 1C while watching the captured image displayed on the display of the notification unit 73 and listening to the environmental sound flowing from the speaker. The child work vehicle 1C can be remotely controlled with such a feeling.

The mode switching unit 60 switches the control system from the own vehicle operation mode to the other vehicle operation mode or from the other vehicle operation mode to the own vehicle operation mode in response to the operation of the mode switching operation tool 85.

In the child work vehicle 1C shown in FIG. 3, the environment information acquisition unit 4 including the photographing camera 40, the sound collecting microphone 41, and the obstacle sensor 42 and the child work traveling equipment group 70c are shown as related to the remote control. Further, as the functional unit of the control system, only the own vehicle position calculation unit 56 and the child work travel control unit 50c are shown. Of course, as a tractor, the child work vehicle 1C has almost the same configuration as the parent work vehicle 1P, but if the child work vehicle 1C itself is not used as an actual remote controller, the remote control unit RC and the mode switching unit 60 , The mode switching operation tool 85 becomes unnecessary. Further, when the master work vehicle 1P shown in FIG. 3 is not used as the remotely controlled child work vehicle 1C, the sound collecting microphone 41 of the environmental information acquisition unit 4 becomes unnecessary. However, the photographing camera 40 is necessary for displaying the peripheral photographed image of the own vehicle in normal work traveling on the monitor as a monitoring image.

Next, the flow of information in the other vehicle operation mode and the own vehicle operation mode will be described with reference to FIG.

When the control system is switched to the other vehicle operation mode, the operation command generated by the user operation for the parent work travel operation tool group 84 is not given to the parent work travel control unit 50, but is given to the parent operation information generation unit 61. .. That is, in the other vehicle operation mode, it is prohibited to give the operation control signal to the parent work traveling device group 70. The parent operation information generation unit 61 converts the content of the given operation command into data as the parent operation information, and wirelessly transmits it to the child work vehicle 1C via the communication processing unit 9. When the parent operation information is generated, if there is a difference in specifications between the parent work vehicle 1P and the child work vehicle 1C, the specification matching unit 62 causes the operation command of the parent work vehicle 1P to be the operation command of the child work vehicle 1C. To be consistent with. The operation command sent to the child work vehicle 1C is given to the work travel control unit (child work travel control unit 50c) of the child work vehicle 1C, and the work travel equipment group (child work travel equipment group 70c) of the child work vehicle 1C. Is controlled, and the control operation corresponding to the user operation for the parent work traveling operation tool group 84 is realized by the child work vehicle 1C.

Further, when the control system is switched to the operation mode of another vehicle, the mode switching unit 60 sends a request signal for environmental information to the child work vehicle 1C, and the captured image and the environmental sound are transmitted from the environmental information acquisition unit 4 of the child work vehicle 1C. It receives the work running environment information indicating the working running environment such as, and the own vehicle position (other vehicle position) from the own vehicle position calculation unit 56 of the child work vehicle 1C. The received work running environment information and the own vehicle position of the child work vehicle 1C are given to the environment information reproduction unit 63. The environmental information reproduction unit 63 uses the environmental information to play an environmental sound while displaying a photographed image of the surroundings of the child work vehicle 1C by using the notification unit 73. Further, the environmental information reproduction unit 63 uses the own vehicle position of the child work vehicle 1C to display the current position of the child work vehicle 1C in the field where the work is being carried out together with the field map and the travel route.

When the mode switching unit 60 confirms the switching from the own vehicle operation mode to the other vehicle operation mode, the mode switching unit 60 gives an engine stop command to the engine control unit 53 of the parent work vehicle 1P and the engine sends a start command to the child work vehicle 1C. .. Further, in the own vehicle operation mode, the operation command generated by the user operation for the parent work travel operation tool group 84 is used for outputting the operation signal by the parent work travel control unit 50, and the parent operation information generation unit 61 is used as the operation command. It is prohibited to output the parent operation information based on the above to the child work vehicle 1C.

Although not shown in FIG. 4, the mode switching unit 60 gives a stop command to the child work vehicle 1C when the switching from the other vehicle operation mode to the own vehicle operation mode is confirmed. By this stop command, the child work vehicle 1C is in a stopped state in which the engine is still driven, the transmission is neutral, and the brake is applied. As a result, the child work vehicle 1C is ready to shift from remote control by the parent work vehicle 1P to automatic driving along the set travel route (cooperative work travel with the parent work vehicle 1P).

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, a tractor equipped with a rotary tiller as a work device 30 is taken up as a work vehicle, but other than such a tractor, for example, a rice transplanter, a fertilizer applicator, and a combine harvester are taken up. Various work vehicles such as a farm work vehicle such as, or a construction work vehicle provided with a dozer, a roller, or the like as the work device 30 can also be adopted as an embodiment.
(2) Each functional unit in the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 3 is mainly divided for explanatory purposes. In practice, each functional unit can be integrated with other functional units or divided into a plurality of functional units.
(3) In the above-described embodiment, one master work vehicle 1P is used as an actual remote controller to remotely control one child work vehicle 1C. However, by providing a remote control destination selector, a plurality of child work vehicles can be remotely controlled. It is also possible to selectively control 1C remotely.

The present invention is applicable to a plurality of work vehicles capable of mutual data communication.

1C: Child work vehicle 1P: Parent work vehicle 4: Environmental information acquisition unit 40: Shooting camera 41: Sound collecting microphone 50: Parent work travel control unit 50c: Child work travel control unit 51: Travel control unit 52: Work control unit 56 : Own vehicle position calculation unit 57: Automatic work travel command unit 60: Mode switching unit 61: Parent operation information generation unit 62: Specification matching unit 63: Environmental information reproduction unit 70: Parent work travel equipment group 70c: Child work travel equipment group 71: Vehicle traveling equipment group 72: Working equipment equipment group 73: Notification unit 80: Satellite positioning module 81: Automatic / manual switching operation tool 82: Driving state detection sensor group 83: Working state detection sensor group 84: Parent work driving operation tool Group 85: Mode switching operation tool

Claims (7)

It is a work vehicle remote control system consisting of a parent work platform and a child work platform that can exchange data via wireless communication.
Parent work driving operation tools operated by the user,
The parent work traveling equipment group for the work traveling of the parent work vehicle, and
A parent work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the parent work travel equipment group in response to a user operation on the parent work travel operation tool group.
A parent operation information generation unit that sends parent operation information generated in response to a user operation to the parent work traveling operation tool group to the child work vehicle, and a parent operation information generation unit.
A group of child work traveling equipment for the work running of the child work vehicle, and
A child work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the child work travel equipment group based on the parent operation information sent from the parent work vehicle is provided.
The parent operation information is immediately generated according to the operation content of the parent work traveling operation tool group and immediately sent to the child work vehicle.
The parent work traveling operation tool group has the same operation content as that for the parent work vehicle, and is configured to enable remote control of the child work vehicle without affecting the operation of the parent work vehicle. Work vehicle remote control system. It is a work vehicle remote control system consisting of a parent work platform and a child work platform that can exchange data via wireless communication.
Parent work driving operation tools operated by the user,
The parent work traveling equipment group for the work traveling of the parent work vehicle, and
A parent work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the parent work travel equipment group in response to a user operation on the parent work travel operation tool group.
A parent operation information generation unit that sends parent operation information generated in response to a user operation to the parent work traveling operation tool group to the child work vehicle, and a parent operation information generation unit.
A group of child work traveling equipment for the work running of the child work vehicle, and
A child work travel control unit that gives an operation control signal to the child work travel equipment group based on the parent operation information sent from the parent work vehicle, and a child work travel control unit.
The parent work vehicle is provided with a mode switching unit for switching between the own vehicle operation mode and the other vehicle operation mode .
In the own vehicle operation mode, it is prohibited to send the parent operation information to the child work vehicle .
In the other vehicle operation mode, it is prohibited to give the operation control signal to the parent work traveling device group, and the parent operation information is immediately generated according to the operation content of the parent work traveling operation tool group. A work vehicle remote control system that is immediately sent to the child work vehicle . The work vehicle remote control system according to claim 2 , wherein the engine of the parent work vehicle is stopped when the mode is switched to the other vehicle operation mode. The work vehicle remote control system according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the engine of the child work vehicle is started when the mode is switched to the other vehicle operation mode. The work vehicle remote control system according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the child work vehicle is stopped when switching to the own vehicle operation mode. An environment information acquisition unit for acquiring work driving environment information indicating the working environment of the child work platform is provided.
The work vehicle remote control according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the parent work vehicle is provided with a notification unit for notifying the user of the work travel environment information sent from the child work vehicle. system. A specification matching unit for matching the difference in operation control specifications between the parent work traveling device group and the child work traveling device group is provided, and the operation control specifications of the parent working traveling device group and the child work traveling device group are different. The work vehicle remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the matched operation control signal is given to the child work traveling device group.

Images