JP7677104B2 - Work vehicle condition judgment system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for determining the condition of a work vehicle.

A known work vehicle has a work implement attached to the rear of the vehicle body that can be raised and lowered, and is equipped with a vehicle body positioning device that measures the position of the vehicle body and a work implement positioning device that measures the position of the work implement. When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a road, the work implement is raised and lowered based on the detection values of each positioning device so that the position of the work implement relative to the vehicle body is a predetermined safe position (Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, when driving on the road with a work machine attached, there are regulations regarding the attachment of reflective materials, etc., to ensure safe driving. Therefore, in order to use the above technology, in addition to the above-mentioned predetermined positions, it is also necessary to consider appropriate positions where the work machine does not block the reflective materials, etc.

Figures 10(A), (B), 11(A), and (B) are explanatory diagrams of an example of such regulations (from the "Guidebook for Driving Tractors with Work Machines on Public Roads" by the Japan Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association). Various lighting devices (including reflectors, etc.) are required to be visible under certain conditions. Here, 50 is the tractor, 51 is the width light, 52 is the direction indicator, 53 is the headlight, 54 is the tail light, 55 is the brake light, 56 is the rear reflector, 57 is the number plate light, and 58 is the reverse light.

Figures 10(A) and (B) show the front and rear of the tractor 50, and Figures 11(A) and (B) show the side with a work implement such as a power shovel or cultivator attached. In Figure 11, each number indicates the line of sight to the corresponding part.

JP 2021-36786 A

However, the task of determining the appropriate unobstructed position was done by the worker's visual inspection, which was tedious and sometimes inaccurate.

The present invention aims to provide a condition judgment system for a work vehicle that can be safely driven on the road even with a work machine attached.

The first aspect of the present invention is
A state judgment system for a work vehicle including a traveling vehicle body having a lighting device that is determined in advance to be necessary to ensure visibility from the outside when traveling on a road, a work machine that is mounted on the traveling vehicle body so as to be able to rise and fall, and an information terminal having a built-in camera,
The traveling vehicle body has a control device,
The information terminal transmits a start signal to the control device,
The control device receives the start instruction signal, moves the working machine to the uppermost position or the lowermost position, and transmits a signal indicating completion of the movement to the information terminal.
Upon receiving the movement end signal, the information terminal takes an image of the traveling vehicle body from the work machine side with the camera and displays the image on a screen,
The worker specifies the position of the lighting device in the image, and stores the image with the specified position in the information terminal;
After storing the image, the information terminal transmits a temporary lift position signal to the control device so as to lift the working machine to a predetermined temporary lift position during road travel;
The control device receives the temporary lifting position signal, raises and lowers the working machine to the temporary lifting position in accordance with the signal, and when the lifting and lowering is completed, transmits a temporary lifting position end signal to the information terminal;
The information terminal receives the temporary lifting position end signal, and while the work machine is in the temporary lifting position, takes an image of the traveling vehicle body from the work machine side with the camera, and compares the image with the added image,
The information terminal is a work vehicle condition judgment system that, if the result of the comparison is that the small area image at the specified position has not changed, sends a signal to the control device to store the tentative lifted position as the lifted position when driving on the road, and if the small area image at the specified position has changed, does not send or store a signal to the control device to store the tentative lifted position as the lifted position when driving on the road, and displays a warning of the location of the lighting device corresponding to the changed small area image.
The second aspect of the present invention is
Equipped with a mode selection switch to switch between work driving mode and road driving mode,
The control device automatically raises and lowers the working machine to the on-road traveling lift position if the on-road traveling lift position is stored when the on-road traveling mode is switched to the on-road traveling mode,
In the first aspect of the present invention, the work vehicle state judgment system displays a notice regarding the work implement lifting position on a panel of the traveling vehicle body if the lifting position during on-road travel has not been stored.
The third aspect of the present invention is
The information terminal has a function for measuring its own position and height, the work vehicle has a function for measuring its own position,
The information terminal is a second work vehicle status judgment system of the present invention, which determines whether the information terminal is at a predetermined distance and direction from the work vehicle and at a predetermined height above the ground based on its own position and height and the position of the work vehicle, and issues a warning to that effect if it is not present.
The first invention related to the present invention is
A running vehicle body,
A work machine that is mounted on the traveling vehicle body so as to be capable of ascending and descending;
Equipped with lighting devices that are determined to be necessary to ensure visibility from the outside when traveling on the road,
The system for determining the condition of a work vehicle is characterized by comprising an information terminal that analyzes images taken by a camera from outside the work vehicle and determines whether the lighting device is visible.

According to a first aspect of the present invention , it is possible to determine whether or not a vehicle body equipped with a work implement is in a state in which it can be driven on a road, and thus to safely drive the vehicle even with a work implement attached.

The second invention related to the present invention is
A control device for controlling the elevation position of the working machine;
A sensor for detecting a lifting position of the work implement,
the control device has a communication device that communicates with the information terminal,
The information terminal displays a screen on which a position of the lighting device can be specified in an image captured by the camera with the work machine at its lowest or highest position,
After the position of the lighting device is specified, the information terminal displays a screen prompting the user to raise or lower the work machine to a predetermined temporary raising or lowering position during road travel;
the information terminal displays an image taken after the work machine is elevated to the temporary elevation position together with the designated position;
If the image displayed together with the specified position is a screen in which the lighting device can be recognized at the specified position of the lighting device,
The information terminal transmits a signal to the control device to store the tentative lifted position as a lifted position during on-road travel, which is a work vehicle state determination system of a first invention related to the present invention .

This allows the visibility of the lighting device to be reliably checked using images, and the appropriate lifted/lowered position to be stored as the lifted/lowered position for on-road driving, allowing safe driving even with work equipment attached.

The third invention related to the present invention is
A control device for controlling the elevation position of the working machine;
A sensor for detecting a lifting position of the work implement,
the control device has a communication device that communicates with the information terminal,
The information terminal displays a screen on which a position of the lighting device can be specified in an image captured by the camera with the work machine at its lowest or highest position,
After the position of the lighting device is specified, the information terminal displays a screen prompting the user to raise or lower the work machine to a predetermined temporary raising or lowering position during road travel;
The information terminal compares an image taken by the camera when the work machine is in the temporary lifted position with an image in which the position of the lighting device is specified, and if the small area image at the specified position has not changed, it sends a signal to the control device to store the temporary lifted position as the lifted position when driving on the road.This is a work vehicle condition judgment system of the first invention related to the present invention .

This allows the visibility of the lighting equipment to be checked reliably through image analysis, and the appropriate lift position can be stored as the lift position for on-road driving, allowing safe driving even with work equipment attached.

The fourth invention related to the present invention is
A control device for controlling the elevation position of the working machine;
A sensor for detecting a lifting position of the work implement,
the control device has a communication device that communicates with the information terminal,
The information terminal has a function of sending a maximum-up or minimum-down signal to the control device to bring the working machine into a maximum-down or maximum-up state,
The control device raises and lowers the working machine in accordance with the top-up and bottom-down signal, and when the raising and lowering is completed, sends the top-up and bottom-down end signal to the information terminal.
When the information terminal receives the end signal for maximum raising or minimum lowering, the information terminal displays a screen on which the position of the lighting device can be specified in an image captured by the camera with the work machine at the maximum lowering or maximum raising state,
After the position of the lighting device is specified, the information terminal sends a temporary lift position signal to the control device so as to lift and lower the working machine to a predetermined temporary lift position during road travel;
The control device raises and lowers the working machine to the temporary lifting position in accordance with the temporary lifting position signal, and when the lifting and lowering is completed, sends a temporary lifting position end signal to the information terminal;
When the information terminal receives the temporary lifted position end signal, it takes an image using the camera while the work machine is in the temporary lifted position, compares the taken image with an image in which the position of the lighting device is specified, and if the small area image at the specified position has not changed, sends a signal to the control device to store the temporary lifted position as the lifted position for driving on the road.This is a work vehicle status judgment system of the first invention related to the present invention .

This allows the visibility of the lighting equipment to be checked reliably through image analysis, and the appropriate lift position can be stored as the lift position for on-road driving, allowing safe driving even with work equipment attached.

The fifth invention related to the present invention is
The information terminal is a work vehicle condition judgment system of a second invention related to the present invention, which, if the lighting device cannot be recognized at the specified lighting device position, displays a warning of the location of the lighting device that cannot be recognized.

This allows the location of unrecognized lighting devices to be displayed, allowing the driver to determine whether to raise or lower the work equipment.

The sixth invention related to the present invention is
The information terminal is a work vehicle condition judgment system of the third or fourth invention related to the present invention, which, if the small area image at the specified position has changed, displays a warning indicating the location of the lighting device corresponding to the changed position.

This allows the location of unrecognized lighting devices to be displayed, allowing the driver to determine whether to raise or lower the work equipment.

The seventh invention related to the present invention is
Equipped with a mode changeover switch to switch between work driving mode and road driving mode,
The control device automatically raises and lowers the working machine to the on-road traveling lift position if the on-road traveling lift position is stored when the on-road traveling mode is switched to the on-road traveling mode,
This is a work vehicle condition judgment system of any of the second to sixth inventions related to the present invention, which displays warnings regarding the work implement lifting position on a panel of the traveling vehicle body if the lifting position during on-road driving is not memorized.

This allows the work equipment to be raised or lowered to an appropriate lift position when traveling on the road, allowing the vehicle to travel safely even with the work equipment attached. If the lift position for traveling on the road has not been memorized, a warning message regarding the lift position for the work equipment can be displayed to draw attention to the vehicle, and the message can be displayed each time to encourage the vehicle to set the lift position for traveling on the road.

The eighth invention related to the present invention is
The information terminal has a function for measuring its own position and height, the work vehicle has a function for measuring its own position,
The information terminal is a work vehicle status judgment system of any of the first to seventh inventions related to the present invention, which determines whether the information terminal is at a predetermined distance and direction from the work vehicle and at a predetermined height above the ground based on its own position and height and the position of the work vehicle, and issues a warning to that effect if it is not present.

This allows information terminals to be placed at positions and heights determined by regulations.

The present invention makes it possible to determine whether a vehicle equipped with a work machine is in a state in which it can be driven on the road, allowing the vehicle to be driven safely even with a work machine attached.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a state in which a work implement of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of the work vehicle state determination system of the present invention is lowered; FIG. 1 is a side view of the work vehicle with the work implement raised; Block diagram focusing on the control device of the work vehicle A flowchart showing the operation of the work vehicle condition determination system. A flowchart showing the operation of the work vehicle condition determination system. A flowchart showing the operation of the work vehicle condition determination system. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of a work vehicle state determination system according to another embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing the operation of a work vehicle state determination system according to another embodiment. A flowchart showing the operation of a work vehicle state determination system according to another embodiment. (A) and (B) An explanatory diagram of the rules for driving work vehicles on the road. (A) and (B) An explanatory diagram of the rules for driving work vehicles on the road.

The following describes in detail the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First, the overall configuration of a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a work vehicle 1 according to an embodiment, and is a schematic left side view of the work vehicle 1. In the following, a tractor will be used as an example of the work vehicle 1.

The tractor 1, which is a work vehicle, is an agricultural tractor that performs work in fields and the like while traveling on its own. In addition to being operated by a driver (also called an operator) while traveling in a field and performing a specified task, the tractor 1 also performs the specified task while traveling automatically in the field, with each part controlled by a control system centered on the control device 40 (see Figure 3), which will be described later.

In the following, the forward/rearward direction refers to the direction of travel of the tractor 1 when traveling straight, with the forward side of the traveling direction being defined as "front" and the rear side being defined as "rear." The traveling direction of the tractor 1 is the direction from the driver's seat 8 (described below) toward the steering wheel 9 when traveling straight.

The left-right direction is the direction that is horizontally perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In the following, left and right are defined as facing "forward." In other words, when the operator of the tractor 1 is seated in the operator's seat 8 and facing forward, the left hand side is "left" and the right hand side is "right."

The up-down direction is a direction parallel to the vertical direction. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are perpendicular to each other. Note that each direction is defined for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to these directions. In addition, hereinafter, the tractor 1 may be referred to as the "machine body."

As shown in FIG. 1, the tractor 1 includes a running body 2 and a work implement W. The running body 2 includes a body frame 3, front wheels 4, rear wheels 5, a bonnet 6, an engine E, a steering unit 7, and a transmission case 10. The body frame 3 and the transmission case 10 form the main frame of the running body 2.

The front wheels 4 are a pair, one on the left and one on the right, and are primarily used for steering (steered wheels). The rear wheels 5 are a pair, one on the left and one on the right, and are primarily used for driving (drive wheels). The tractor 1 may be configured to be switchable between two-wheel drive (2WD) in which the rear wheels 5 are driven, and four-wheel drive (4WD) in which both the front wheels 4 and the rear wheels 5 are driven. In the case of four-wheel drive, both the front wheels 4 and the rear wheels 5 are driven wheels. The traveling body 2 may be equipped with a crawler device instead of the wheels (front wheels 4 and rear wheels 5). In this case, the traveling crawlers are the drive wheels.

The bonnet 6 is provided at the front of the vehicle body 2 so as to be freely opened and closed.
The bonnet 6 can be rotated (opened or closed) in the vertical direction with the rear part as the rotation center. When closed, the bonnet 6 covers an engine E mounted on the body frame 3. The engine E is a drive source for the tractor 1, and is a heat engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

The control section 7 includes a cockpit 8 and a steering wheel 9. The control section 7 is covered by a cabin 7a provided on the top of the traveling vehicle body 2.

The cockpit 8 is the seat of the driver. The steering wheel 9 is operated by the driver when steering the front wheels 4, which are the steered wheels. The steering section 7 is provided in front of the steering wheel 9 with a meter panel 11 (display section) that displays various information.

The control unit 7 also includes various operation levers 14, such as a forward/reverse lever, an accelerator lever, a main shift lever, and an auxiliary shift lever, as well as various operation pedals, such as a clutch pedal 18, a brake pedal 15, and an accelerator pedal 19.

The transmission case 10 houses the transmission (gear change mechanism). The transmission appropriately reduces the speed of the power (rotational power) transmitted from the engine E and transmits it to the rear wheels 5, which are the driving wheels, and to the PTO (Power Take-off) shaft 16.

A work machine W that performs work in the field is connected to the rear of the traveling body 2, and a PTO shaft 16 that transmits the power to drive the work machine W protrudes rearward from the transmission case 10. The PTO shaft 16 transmits the rotational power that has been appropriately reduced by the transmission to the work machine W that is attached to at least the rear of the traveling body 2.

A lifting device 12 for raising and lowering the work machine W is provided at the rear of the traveling body 2. The lifting device 12 raises the work machine W to move it to a non-working position. The non-working position is a position where the work machine W is raised when, for example, the traveling body 2 moves backwards or turns. The lifting device 12 lowers the work machine W to move it to a ground work position. The lifting device 12 includes a hydraulic lifting cylinder 121, a lift arm 122, a lift rod 123, a lower link 124, and a top link 125.

When hydraulic oil is supplied to the lift cylinder 121, the lift arm 122 rotates around the axis P, which serves as the pivot point, to raise the working machine W, and when hydraulic oil is discharged from the lift cylinder 121, the lift arm 122 rotates around the axis P to lower the working machine W. A lift arm sensor 26 that detects the rotation angle of the lift arm 122 is provided at the base (near the axis P) of the lift arm 122. The height of the working machine W is calculated based on the detection result of the lift arm sensor 26 and a comparison between the height of the working machine W obtained by the working machine positioning device 31 attached to the working machine W and the height of the traveling body 2 obtained by the vehicle body positioning device 30 attached to the traveling body 2. The vehicle body positioning device 30 and the working machine positioning device 31 are, for example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antennas, and can receive radio waves from navigation satellites S orbiting in the sky to perform positioning and timing. It is also possible to calculate the speed of movement from the history of positioning results and the Doppler effect of radio waves.

The lift arm 122 is also connected to the lower link 124 via the lift rod 123. In this way, the lifting device 12 connects the work machine W to the traveling vehicle body 2 via the lower link 124 and the top link 125 so that the work machine W can be raised and lowered. The lower link 124 is attached to the rear of the transmission case 10, and the load on the lower link 124 is detected by the draft sensor 27. By detecting this load, it is possible to determine whether or not the work machine is attached.

The working machine W is a machine that performs work in a farm field. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the working machine W is a rotary tiller that performs tilling work in a farm field. The rotary tiller tills the farm land (soil) by rotating the tilling tines 61 using power transmitted from the PTO shaft 16.

The tractor 1 also includes a control device 40 (see FIG. 3). The control device 40 controls the engine E and the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 2. The control device 40 also controls the lifting and lowering of the work implement W.

In addition, the tractor 1 allows the operator to operate an information terminal (mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal) 100 to set various tasks in a specific field. The control device 40 is equipped with a communication device T for this communication (see Figure 3).

The information terminal 100 includes a storage unit configured, for example, by a hard disk, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and a display unit and an operation unit configured by a touch panel. Note that various keys, buttons, and the like may also be provided separately as the operation unit.

The tractor 1 also includes an obstacle sensor 20. The obstacle sensor 20 includes a front sensor 21 and a rear sensor 22. The front sensor 21 is disposed at the front of the traveling body 2, for example, by being attached to a sensor mounting stay 13 provided in front of the bonnet 6, and detects obstacles (people or objects) that exist in front of the traveling body 2.

The rear sensor 22 is disposed at the upper rear of the traveling vehicle body 2, for example, attached to the top of the cabin 7a, and detects obstacles present at the rear of the traveling vehicle body 2. The rear sensor 22 can change its angle relative to the cabin 7a, i.e., the traveling vehicle body 2, by a motor (not shown).

Furthermore, both the front sensor 21 and the rear sensor 22 are mid-range sensors, preferably infrared sensors. The front sensor 21 and the rear sensor 22 emit infrared beams and detect the light reflected from an obstacle. The front sensor 21 has a detection area that extends forward. Furthermore, the rear sensor 22 has a detection area that extends backward.

The front sensor 21 and rear sensor 22 can detect the distance to an obstacle by, for example, measuring the time it takes to detect the reflected light from an obstacle after emitting an infrared beam. The front sensor 21 and rear sensor 22, which are infrared sensors, detect obstacles two-dimensionally, with a detection area of, for example, several meters to several tens of meters. Note that as the obstacle sensor 20, other mid-range sensors such as sonar or millimeter wave radar other than infrared sensors can also be used, or they can be used in combination.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a case where the working machine according to the embodiment is raised to the height of the provisional lifting position. In this embodiment, the tractor 1 calculates the position H of the working machine W relative to the traveling vehicle body 2 from the position H1 of the traveling vehicle body 2 obtained by the vehicle body positioning device 30 and the position H2 of the working machine W obtained by the working machine positioning device 31. In the example shown in Figure 2, the working machine positioning device 31 is raised and lowered so as to be located at a predetermined position H relative to the vehicle body positioning device 30. The predetermined position H is set, for example, so that the lower end position of the working machine W is a lifting position (corresponding to a provisional lifting position described later) located at a position of about 20 cm from the ground. It is also possible to adjust the lower end position of the working machine W to a height of about 20 cm from the ground by raising and lowering the lift arm sensor 26 that detects the angle of the lift arm 122 so that the detection value of the lift arm sensor 26 becomes a predetermined value.

Next, the control system will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

The lifting position setting means (lifting height dial) 90 is a dial that adjusts the lifting cylinder 121, which is a hydraulic cylinder, to set the predetermined position H of the work implement W relative to the traveling vehicle body 2 when the public road traveling button 91 is pressed. The predetermined position H of the work implement W relative to the traveling vehicle body 2 corresponds to a predetermined temporary lifting position for on-road traveling, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, the tractor 1 is configured to be manually switched between a field mode (work driving mode) for driving in a field and a road mode for driving on a road by the mode selection switch 223. The field mode is a control mode selected when working in a field, and is controlled, for example, so that the vehicle travels only at a low speed (1 to 10 km/h). The road mode is a control mode selected, for example, when driving on a road to a field, and is controlled, for example, so that the vehicle travels at a high speed (15 km/h or higher).

The control device 40 according to the embodiment uses the detection status of the lift arm sensor 26 or the vehicle body positioning device 30 and the work machine positioning device 31 when automatically raising or lowering the work machine W to the height of the provisional lift position. Specifically, when the detection status of the lift arm sensor 26 or the vehicle body positioning device 30 and the work machine positioning device 31 is a predetermined status, the control device 40 determines that the lift position of the work machine W is at the height of the specified provisional lift position. This point will be explained again with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a case where the working machine W is raised to the height of the temporary lifting position. In Figure 2, the height of the traveling body 2 is H1, and the lifting position of the rotary tiller, which is the working machine W, is height H2. When the working machine W is a rotary tiller, the control device 40 detects the situation shown in Figure 2 as a specific situation and determines that the working machine W is at the height of the temporary lifting position. For example, when the position H of the working machine W relative to the traveling body 2 is within a predetermined range based on the difference between the height H1 of the traveling body 2 obtained from the vehicle body positioning device 30 and the height H2 of the working machine W obtained from the working machine positioning device 31, or when the angle of the lift arm 122 is within a predetermined range, the specific situation is determined, and the working machine W is determined to be at the specified height.

Then, when the control device 40 determines that the work machine W is at the specified height, it automatically stops the raising and lowering of the work machine W. This allows the worker to stop the work machine W at the specified position.

In other words, when the position H of the work machine W relative to the traveling vehicle body 2 or the angle of the lift arm 122 is in a specific situation, the control device 40 according to the embodiment can raise and lower the work machine W to a desired position by determining that the lift position of the work machine W is at the height of the provisional lift position.

It is also possible to raise and lower the work machine W to its highest or lowest position.

In addition, in FIG. 2, the working machine W is a rotary cultivator, but for example, the working machine W may be a harrow (soil crusher), a broadcaster (fertilizer applicator), a towing machine, etc.

Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the work vehicle (tractor) 1 centered on the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 40 includes an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 41, a traveling system ECU 42, and a work implement lifting system ECU 43. The engine ECU 41 controls the rotation speed of the engine E. The traveling system ECU 42 controls the rotation of the drive wheels to control the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1). The work implement lifting system ECU 43 controls the lifting device 12 to control the lifting and lowering of the work implement W. T is a communication device with the information terminal 100.

The control device 40 is capable of controlling each part through electronic control, and includes a processing unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory unit that stores necessary data such as various programs and the planned travel route of the traveling vehicle body 2 that is preset for each field.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 40 is connected to various sensors such as a vehicle body positioning device 30, a work equipment positioning device 31, an obstacle sensor 20 (front sensor 21 and rear sensor 22), a lift arm sensor 26, and various switches such as a mode selection switch 223, a public road driving button 91, and a lift height dial 90.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the worker issues a start command using the information terminal 100 (s1). In response, the information terminal 100 obtains the position information of the work vehicle 1 (vehicle body positioning device 30) from the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1, and compares it with its own GPS information, etc. to check the distance and direction from the work vehicle 1 to the camera of the information terminal 100. It also checks the height from the ground (s2). As a result, it checks whether the camera is directly behind the traveling vehicle body 2 at a predetermined distance, for example, 50 m behind the traveling vehicle body 2. It also confirms that the height from the ground is 1.5 m.

If the result is not appropriate, the information terminal 100 displays a warning to that effect. In response, the worker changes the position of the information terminal 100 to make it appropriate.

If the information terminal 100 confirms that it is appropriate, it sends a start signal to the work vehicle 1, and the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1 receives the start signal and moves the work machine W to a predetermined uppermost position (highest position) or lowermost position (lowest position) (s3).

After completing the movement to the top or bottom position, the control device 40 transmits a message to the information terminal 100 (s3).

When the information terminal 100 receives the signal indicating the end of movement, it takes an image of the work vehicle 1 and displays the captured image on the screen (s4).

The worker specifies the positions of predetermined lighting devices 44 that require visibility, such as width lights, direction indicators, headlights, tail lights, brake lights, rear reflectors, license plate lights, and back-up lights, on the displayed image (s5). Lighting devices 44 are not limited to lighting devices in the narrow sense, but are components that require visibility as described above, and the types of components are predetermined.

After storing the image with the specified position, the information terminal 100 sends a tentative lift position signal to the control device 40 so as to raise and lower the work machine W to a predetermined tentative lift position for on-road travel (s6).

After receiving the temporary lift position signal, the control device 40 raises and lowers the work machine W to the temporary lift position accordingly, and when the lift is complete, sends the temporary lift position end signal to the information terminal 100 (s7).

When the information terminal 100 receives the temporary lift position end signal, it takes an image with the camera while the work machine W is in the temporary lift position, and then compares the captured image with an image annotated with the designated position of the lighting device 44 (s8).

The information terminal 100 checks whether the small area image at the specified position has changed based on the comparison result (s9).

If there is no change, the information terminal 100 transmits a signal to the control device 40 to store the provisional lift position as the lift position during on-road driving (s10).

The control device 40 stores the received lift position while traveling on the road (s11).

On the other hand, if there is a change in step s9, the information terminal 100 recognizes that the work machine W has blocked the lighting device 44, and does not transmit a signal to the control device 40 to store the above-mentioned tentative lifted position as the lifted position when traveling on the road, and does not store it (s12).

The information terminal 100 also displays a warning of the location of the lighting device 44 that corresponds to the changed position (s13). The worker sees the warning, confirms the location of the lighting device 44 in question, and sends a signal to the control device 40 to appropriately raise or lower the work machine W, making the necessary adjustments. The raising or lowering is within a range that observes the height limit of the work machine W from the ground.

Meanwhile, the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1 determines whether the mode has been switched to road driving mode (s14).

If the lifted position is stored (s15), the control device 40 automatically lifts and lowers the work machine W to the lifted position for on-road travel (s16). This ensures that on-road travel complies with regulations.

In response to this, if the lift position has not been stored (s15), the control device 40 displays a notice regarding the lift position of the work implement on the meter panel 11 of the traveling vehicle body 2 (s17). This allows the work implement W to be lifted to an appropriate lift position when traveling on the road, and allows safe traveling even with the work implement W attached.

Next, another embodiment will be described using Figures 7, 8, and 9.

First, as shown in FIG. 7, the worker issues a start command using the information terminal 100 (s1). In response, the information terminal 100 obtains the position information (vehicle body positioning device 30) of the work vehicle 1 from the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1, and compares it with its own GPS information, etc. to check the distance and direction from the work vehicle 1 to the camera of the information terminal 100. It also checks the height from the ground (s2). As a result, it checks whether the camera is directly behind the traveling vehicle body 2 at a predetermined distance, for example, 50 m behind the traveling vehicle body 2. It also confirms that the height from the ground is 1.5 m.

If the result is not appropriate, the information terminal 100 displays a warning to that effect. In response, the worker changes the position of the information terminal 100 to make it appropriate.

If the information terminal 100 confirms that it is appropriate, it sends a start signal to the work vehicle 1, and the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1 receives the start signal and moves the work machine W to a predetermined uppermost or lowermost position (s3).

After completing the movement to the top or bottom position, the control device 40 transmits a message to the information terminal 100 (s3).

The information terminal 100 receives the signal indicating the end of movement and displays that fact (s4).

The worker then knows that the movement has ended and takes an image of the work vehicle 1 (s5). The information terminal 100 displays the captured image on its screen (s6).

The worker specifies the positions of predetermined lighting devices 44 that require visibility, such as width lights, direction indicators, headlights, tail lights, brake lights, rear reflectors, license plate lights, and back-up lights, on the displayed image (s7). Lighting devices 44 here are not limited to lighting devices in the narrow sense, but are components that require visibility as described above, and the types of components are predetermined.

After storing the image with the specified position, the information terminal 100 sends a tentative lift position signal to the control device 40 so as to raise and lower the work machine W to a predetermined tentative lift position for on-road travel (s8).

After receiving the temporary lift position signal, the control device 40 raises and lowers the work machine W to the temporary lift position accordingly, and when the lift is complete, sends the temporary lift position end signal to the information terminal 100 (s9).

When the information terminal 100 receives the temporary lift position end signal, it displays that fact (s10).

After checking the display, the worker uses the camera to take a picture of the work machine W in the temporary lifting position (s11).

The information terminal 100 displays the image together with the position of the specified lighting device (s12).

The worker judges whether the lighting device can be recognized at the specified lighting device position in the displayed image (s13). To facilitate this judgment, it is desirable to display a mark such as a red dot at the position where the lighting device should be, even if it is blocked by the work machine W, as described below.

If the operator can recognize the position, the information terminal 100 transmits a signal to the control device 40 to store the tentative lift position as the lift position for on-road driving (s14).

The control device 40 stores the received lift position while traveling on the road (s15).

On the other hand, if the worker cannot recognize it, he or she determines that the work machine W has blocked the lighting device 44, and does not transmit a signal to the control device 40 by the information terminal 100 to store the above-mentioned tentative lifted position as the lifted position when traveling on the road, and does not store it (s16).

The information terminal 100 also displays a warning of the location of the corresponding lighting device 44 that should be recognized (s17). The worker looks at the display, confirms the location of the lighting device 44 in question, and sends a signal to the control device 40 to appropriately raise or lower the work machine W, making the adjustment. The raising or lowering is within a range that observes the height limit of the work machine W from the ground.

Meanwhile, the control device 40 of the work vehicle 1 determines whether the mode has been switched to road driving mode (s18).

If the lifted position is stored (s19), the control device 40 automatically lifts and lowers the work machine W to the lifted position for on-road driving (s20). This ensures that on-road driving complies with regulations.

In response to this, if the lift position has not been stored (s19), the control device 40 displays a notice regarding the lift position of the work implement on the meter panel 11 of the traveling vehicle body 2 (s21). This allows the work implement W to be lifted to an appropriate lift position when traveling on the road, and allows safe traveling even with the work implement W attached.

The program of the invention related to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the operations of the embodiments of the present invention described above, and is a program that operates in cooperation with a computer.

The recording medium of the invention related to the present invention is a recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute all or part of the operations of the above-described embodiments of the present invention is recorded, and is a computer-readable recording medium in which the read program is used in cooperation with the computer.

In addition, one mode of use of the program of the invention related to the present invention may be a mode in which it is transmitted through a transmission medium such as the Internet, light, radio waves, or sound waves, read by a computer, and operates in cooperation with the computer.

In addition, recording media include ROM (Read Only Memory) and the like.

In addition, a computer is not limited to pure hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include firmware, an OS (Operating System), and even peripheral devices.

As mentioned above, the configuration of the present invention may be realized in either software or hardware.

The work vehicle condition judgment system of the present invention determines whether the vehicle body equipped with a work implement is in a state in which it can be driven on the road, allowing the vehicle to travel safely even with a work implement attached, and is useful for work vehicles such as tractors equipped with tillers.

1. Tractor (work vehicle)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 2 Traveling vehicle body 3 Vehicle body frame 4, 5 Front wheels, rear wheels 7 Control section 8 Cockpit 9 Steering wheel 10 Transmission case 11 Meter panel 12 Lifting device 26 Lift arm sensor 30 Vehicle body positioning device 31 Work machine positioning device 40 Control device 44 Lighting device 90 Lift height dial 91 Public road driving button 100 Information terminal 223 Mode selection switch E Engine S Navigation satellite W Work machine

Claims (3)

A state judgment system for a work vehicle including a traveling vehicle body having a lighting device that is determined in advance to be necessary to ensure visibility from the outside when traveling on a road , a work machine that is mounted on the traveling vehicle body so as to be able to rise and fall , and an information terminal having a built-in camera,
The traveling vehicle body has a control device,
The information terminal transmits a start signal to the control device,
The control device receives the start instruction signal, moves the working machine to the uppermost position or the lowermost position, and transmits a signal indicating completion of the movement to the information terminal.
Upon receiving the movement end signal, the information terminal takes an image of the traveling vehicle body from the work machine side with the camera and displays the image on a screen,
The worker specifies the position of the lighting device in the image, and stores the image with the specified position in the information terminal;
After storing the image, the information terminal transmits a temporary lift position signal to the control device so as to lift the working machine to a predetermined temporary lift position during road travel;
The control device receives the temporary lifting position signal, raises and lowers the working machine to the temporary lifting position in accordance with the signal, and when the lifting and lowering is completed, transmits a temporary lifting position end signal to the information terminal;
The information terminal receives the temporary lifting position end signal, and while the work machine is in the temporary lifting position, takes an image of the traveling vehicle body from the work machine side with the camera, and compares the image with the added image,
A system for determining the condition of a work vehicle, in which, if the result of the comparison is that the small area image at the specified position has not changed, the information terminal transmits a signal to the control device to store the tentative lifted position as the lifted position when traveling on the road, and if the small area image at the specified position has changed, the information terminal does not transmit a signal to the control device to store the tentative lifted position as the lifted position when traveling on the road, and does not store it, and displays a warning of the location of the lighting device corresponding to the changed small area image . Equipped with a mode selection switch to switch between work driving mode and road driving mode,
The control device automatically raises and lowers the working machine to the on-road traveling lift position if the on-road traveling lift position is stored when the on-road traveling mode is switched to the on-road traveling mode,
2. The system for determining a state of a work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: if the lifted/lowered position during on-road travel has not been stored, a notice regarding the lifted/lowered position of the work implement is displayed on a panel of the traveling vehicle body . The information terminal has a function for measuring its own position and height, the work vehicle has a function for measuring its own position,
The work vehicle status judgment system of claim 2, wherein the information terminal determines whether the information terminal is located at a predetermined distance and direction from the work vehicle and at a predetermined height above the ground based on its own position and height and the position of the work vehicle, and if not, issues a warning to that effect .

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