KR102496210B1 - Method for adjusting the reference value for straight-line driving of agricultural vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a method of mounting a sensor on a wheel axle of a front wheel of an agricultural vehicle and efficiently adjusting a reference value for determining a center value of the sensor corresponding to straight driving. An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for adjusting a reference value for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle, comprising a step of controlling a wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle according to a first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle; a step of determining whether an update condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on a driving state of the agricultural vehicle; a step of, when the update condition is satisfied, detecting a sensing value of a sensor output when a steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated; and a step of updating the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value.

Description

Method for adjusting the reference value for straight-line driving of agricultural vehicle and its device {Method for adjusting the reference value for straight-line driving of agricultural vehicle}

The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a reference value for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle, and more specifically, to a method for adjusting the reference value, such as setting and updating the reference value so that the agricultural vehicle can go straight without departing from the route, and It relates to an apparatus for implementing the method.

Recently, there is a trend in which autonomous driving functions are installed in agricultural vehicles for work convenience. Unlike general self-driving cars that drive on public roads, the main purpose of agricultural vehicles equipped with self-driving functions is to provide high work convenience and work efficiency. It can be seen that there is more focus on

More specifically, the significance of autonomous driving in agricultural vehicles is to drive straight ahead and curve driving through steering wheel manipulation without driver/worker manipulation. In order to implement and optimize sophisticated self-driving functions, the absolute angle of the wheel of the vehicle can be measured with a sensor in addition to the actual steering wheel operation and steering wheel angle, and it can be used for control.

A module for implementing the autonomous driving function of agricultural vehicles may be implemented by mounting various sensors, controllers, and parts when agricultural vehicles are produced by agricultural vehicle manufacturers, or by manufacturing a separate commercial autonomous driving kit for agricultural vehicles. It can also be implemented in a mounting manner.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0062727 (published on May 31, 2021)

A technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently adjusting a reference value for determining a center value of a sensor corresponding to straight driving by mounting a sensor on a wheel axle of a front wheel of an agricultural vehicle.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the technical problem includes controlling a wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle according to a first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle; determining whether an update condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on a driving state of the agricultural vehicle; detecting a sensing value of a sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated when the update condition is satisfied; and updating the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value.

In the above method, the first reference value may be a value determined while mounting the sensor to the agricultural vehicle.

In the above method, the first reference value may be a value determined while mounting the sensor to a wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle.

In the method, the agricultural vehicle may be a four-wheeled vehicle composed of front and rear wheels, and the sensor may be mounted on a wheel axle of the front wheel.

In the method, in the step of determining whether the update condition is satisfied, when a predetermined input is applied while the power of the agricultural vehicle is turned on and the engine is not started, it can be determined that the update condition is satisfied there is.

In the method, the step of determining whether the update condition is satisfied is performed by applying a predetermined input in a state in which the brake of the agricultural vehicle is turned on, the power of the agricultural vehicle is turned on, and the engine is not started, It may be determined that the renewal condition is satisfied.

In the method, in the step of determining whether the renewal condition is satisfied, the renewal condition may be different depending on whether the handle type of the agricultural vehicle is an electronic type or a hydraulic type.

In the method, in the step of detecting the sensed value of the sensor, a sensed value output when the handle is operated in a predetermined order may be detected.

In the method, in the step of detecting the sensed value of the sensor, the second reference value may be updated using values of the sensor output when the steering wheel is driven in the left direction and the right direction, respectively.

An apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes a first reference value controller controlling a wheel axis of the agricultural vehicle according to a first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle; an update condition determining unit determining whether an update condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on a driving state of the agricultural vehicle; an output voltage detection unit detecting a sensing value of a sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated when the update condition is satisfied; and a second reference value updater configured to update the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value.

An embodiment of the present invention may provide a computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method.

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately adjust a reference value set for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to drastically reduce the installation time and installation difficulty of the sensor mounted on the agricultural vehicle for straight driving of the agricultural vehicle equipped with the autonomous driving function.

1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a system including an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
2(a) and 2(b) are views for explaining an example of controlling an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
3 is a diagram for describing examples of data acquired from a vehicle for farming according to an exemplary embodiment.
4 is a diagram for explaining another example of controlling an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an agricultural vehicle equipped with a work machine according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous agricultural vehicle and a sensor to which a method according to the present invention is applied.
7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the agricultural vehicle described in FIGS. 1 to 6 .
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of modules included in the processor described in FIG. 7 .
9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an agricultural vehicle equipped with a wheel axis position sensor.
10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an output voltage reference range used in a process of updating from a first reference value to a second reference value.
11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method according to the present invention.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. Effects and features of the present invention, and a method of achieving them will become clear with reference to the embodiments described later in detail together with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various forms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and when describing with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. .

In the following embodiments, terms such as first and second are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component without limiting meaning.

In the following embodiments, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have mean that features or elements described in the specification exist, and do not preclude the possibility that one or more other features or elements may be added.

When an embodiment is otherwise embodied, a specific process sequence may be performed differently from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in an order reverse to the order described.

1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a system including an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the system 1 includes a farm vehicle 10 , a server 20 , a worker 30 , and other subjects 40 other than the worker 30 . Hereinafter, the worker 30 and other subjects 40 are not only natural persons or corporations, but also devices (eg, various devices capable of communicating with other devices) used by the worker 30 and other subjects 40, respectively. It can be.

The agricultural vehicle 10 may include a vehicle that can be utilized in agriculture. For example, the agricultural vehicle 10 may perform agricultural work to be performed for agriculture (eg, rice paddy or field work, transportation of agricultural materials, etc.), and the worker 30 moves the farmland, etc. may also be used to For example, the agricultural vehicle 10 may be a tractor, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the agricultural vehicle 10 may not be limited to a vehicle that can be utilized only for agriculture. In other words, the agricultural vehicle 10 may mean a means of transportation that is not limited to those used in agriculture, such as ordinary cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

The agricultural vehicle 10 may perform wired communication and/or wireless communication with the worker 30 and/or other subjects 40 through the server 20 . In addition, the agricultural vehicle 10 may perform wireless communication with the satellite 50 in order to implement various functions using GPS signals.

Data obtained from the agricultural vehicle 10 may be transmitted to the worker 30 and/or other subjects 40 through the server 20 . In addition, the worker 30 and/or other entity 40 may transmit data to the agricultural vehicle 10 . Accordingly, the worker 30 and/or other entity 40 may perform various tasks based on the data related to the agricultural vehicle 10 . In addition, as the agricultural vehicle 10 communicates with the worker 30, the worker 30 may perform various controls related to the operation of the agricultural vehicle 10. For example, the operator 30 may perform driving, parking, agricultural work, and the like of the agricultural vehicle 10 without directly boarding the agricultural vehicle 10 .

For example, a wired communication method may be connected through a wired cable, but is not limited thereto. On the other hand, the method of wireless communication may correspond to NFC (Near Field Communication), ZIGBEE, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication, LTE, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), eCALL, etc., but is not limited thereto. .

Meanwhile, communication may also be performed between modules included in the agricultural vehicle 10 . For example, within the agricultural vehicle 10, communication may be performed by Ethernet, CAN-FD, etc., but is not limited thereto.

In addition, although it is shown in FIG. 1 that the agricultural vehicle 10 communicates with the worker 30 and other subjects 40 through the server 20, it is not limited thereto. For example, the agricultural vehicle 10 and the worker 30 and/or other subjects 40 may be in direct communication connection. Accordingly, the worker 30 and/or other subjects 40 may transmit/receive data related to the agricultural vehicle 10, control the agricultural vehicle 10, and the like without going through the server 20.

The other subject 40 may be any subject related to the agricultural vehicle 10 except for the worker 30 . For example, if the other entity 40 is directly or indirectly related to the agricultural vehicle 10, such as a manufacturer of the agricultural vehicle 10, a seller of the agricultural vehicle 10, a financial institution, or a government agency, the corresponding entity is not limited thereto. It can be. Here, being directly/indirectly related may be, but is not limited to, production, sales, operation, finance, and policy of the agricultural vehicle 10 .

The agricultural vehicle 10 may be a mechanical vehicle. Here, the mechanical vehicle refers to a traditional vehicle in which a mechanical signal is mainly utilized in controlling the agricultural vehicle 10 . In this case, a separate control module is attached to the agricultural vehicle 10, and the attached control module communicates with an external device (eg, the server 20 or the device of the operator 30), thereby enabling the agricultural vehicle ( 10) can be controlled.

Meanwhile, the agricultural vehicle 10 may be an electronic vehicle. Here, the electronic vehicle refers to a vehicle in which electronic signals are mainly utilized in controlling the agricultural vehicle 10 . In this case, the agricultural vehicle 10 may be controlled by communicating with an external device (eg, the server 20 or the device of the worker 30).

Meanwhile, the server 20 may transmit/receive data related to the agricultural vehicle 10 and store the same. In addition, the server 20 may process data stored in a form that the operator 30 or other subjects 40 can use usefully, and transmit the processed data to the operator 30 or other subjects 40 .

As described above, the system 1 may provide the operator 30 or other subject 40 with an environment different from an environment in which the existing agricultural vehicle 10 is used. Specifically, conventionally, the worker 30 directly drives the agricultural vehicle 10 and performs agricultural work. In addition, data that can be obtained from the agricultural vehicle 10 must be directly entered or memorized by the worker 30, and the other subject 40 must rely on the worker 30 to obtain information about the agricultural vehicle 10. do.

However, as the system 1 operates, the agricultural vehicle 10 can operate unmanned, and the worker 30 can freely control the agricultural vehicle 10 in a place separated from the agricultural vehicle 10. . In addition, the worker 30 and other subjects 40 may collect data related to the agricultural vehicle 10 without any extra effort, and may process the collected data from the agricultural vehicle 10 . Alternatively, the operator 30 and other subjects 40 may collect processing results of data related to the agricultural vehicle 10 from the server 20 .

Hereinafter, examples that can be implemented as the system 1 is operated will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 .

2(a) and 2(b) are views for explaining an example of controlling an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2(a) illustrates an example in which an existing agricultural vehicle operates, and FIG. 2(b) illustrates an example in which the agricultural vehicle operates according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 2 , an existing agricultural vehicle is operated and controlled by direct involvement of a worker 30 . Specifically, after the worker 30 gets on the agricultural vehicle, it operates as the worker 30 directly adjusts a steering device, an accelerator, and a deceleration device included in the agricultural vehicle. In addition, the worker 30 performs agricultural work by directly loading a working tool on the agricultural vehicle or connecting the working machine to the agricultural vehicle.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 2 , the agricultural vehicle 10 according to an embodiment may be operated and controlled without a worker 30 directly riding on it. Specifically, the agricultural vehicle 10 may perform autonomous driving and autonomous work according to a control signal transmitted from an external device (eg, the device of the worker 30, the server 20, etc.).

For example, a controller capable of controlling a steering device, an accelerator, and a deceleration device may be installed in the agricultural vehicle 10, and the agricultural vehicle 10 may be operated according to a control signal input to the controller. In particular, the above-described controller can be universally implemented, and as it is installed in the existing agricultural vehicle described above with reference to FIG. 2 (a), autonomous driving and Autonomous tasks can be performed.

3 is a diagram for describing examples of data acquired from a vehicle for farming according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the agricultural vehicle 10 may communicate with an external device 300 . Here, the external device 300 may be a server 20 of FIG. 1 , a device of a worker 30 and/or a device of another subject 40 . The external device 300 may be any device capable of communicating with other devices, calculating or processing data, and storing data without limitation. For example, the external device 300 may correspond to a PC, tablet PC, smart phone, wearable device, etc., but is not limited thereto.

Depending on the operation of the agricultural vehicle 10 and agricultural work, various data may be generated. For example, as the agricultural vehicle 10 is produced, data on the agricultural vehicle 10 itself (eg, model name, horsepower, release year, factory price, transmission type, appearance, specification, etc.) can be created In addition, as the agricultural vehicle 10 is driven, CAN (Controller Area Network) data, accident-related data, failure-related data, and other driving data (eg, engine torque ratio, engine load ratio, engine RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), engine operation hours, cumulative fuel consumption, fuel consumption, engine failure information, engine oil temperature, engine room temperature, coolant temperature, current gear shift, transmission oil temperature, mileage, travel time, etc.) can be created. In addition, as agricultural work is performed with the agricultural vehicle 10 , data related to farming tools, data related to crops, data related to farmland where farming work has been performed, and the like may be generated.

Data generated according to the operation of the agricultural vehicle 10 and agricultural work may be transmitted to the external device 300 . And, the external device 300 may output and store the transmitted data, and may process the transmitted data according to a predetermined standard. Accordingly, various solutions related to the agricultural vehicle 10 may be provided to the worker 30 .

As an example, through the external device 300, the operator 30 manages agricultural work, maintains and repairs the agricultural vehicle 10, remotely diagnoses the agricultural vehicle 10, and manages fuel efficiency of the agricultural vehicle 10. etc. can be performed.

As another example, the worker 30 may track the current location of the agricultural vehicle 10 or monitor the current agricultural work of the agricultural vehicle 10 through the external device 300 . In addition, through the external device 300, the operator 30 can remotely start or turn off the agricultural vehicle 10 and turn on/off the air conditioning system of the agricultural vehicle 10.

As another example, through the external device 300, the worker 30 can prevent theft of the agricultural vehicle 10, start the agricultural vehicle 10 without the key of the agricultural vehicle 10, or can be turned off In addition, through the external device 300, the worker 30 detects an accident of the agricultural vehicle 10 or in an emergency (eg, injury of the worker 30, breakdown of the agricultural vehicle 10, etc.) report can be made.

4 is a diagram for explaining another example of controlling an agricultural vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the external device 400 may output information about the current state of the agricultural vehicle 10 through communication with the agricultural vehicle 10 . For example, the external device 400 may output information about the current location of the agricultural vehicle 10 acquired through a GPS signal. In addition, when the agricultural vehicle 10 is currently driving, the external device 400 may output information about the engine RPM, current speed, fuel efficiency, operation time, and the current number of gear shifts of the agricultural vehicle 10.

Accordingly, the worker 30 can grasp the current state of the agricultural vehicle 10 and remotely control the agricultural vehicle 10 . In other words, the worker 30 checks information output to the external device 400 without boarding the agricultural vehicle 10 and controls various functions of the agricultural vehicle 10 through the external device 400, thereby autonomously Driving and/or autonomous tasks may be implemented.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an agricultural vehicle equipped with a work machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the agricultural vehicle 100 may perform agricultural work or civil engineering work while towing the work machine 500 . The agricultural vehicle 100 may provide a strong traction force to tow a heavy object, and may provide a plurality of shift stages to perform various tasks.

For example, the agricultural vehicle 100 may be a tractor. In addition, the work machine 500 is, for example, a tool for performing various agricultural tasks such as a shovel, a plow, a plow, a harrow, a rake, a rotavator, a baler, and a harvester may include Depending on the type of work machine 500 coupled to the agricultural vehicle 100, the agricultural vehicle 100 may perform various agricultural tasks such as plowing, tillage, disease and pest control, pumping and threshing.

The agricultural vehicle 100 may be coupled to the work machine 500 through the fastening part 140 . For example, the fastening part 140 may be located on the rear of the agricultural vehicle 100, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the fastening part 140 may be positioned so that the work implement 500 is coupled to a position that does not interfere with the operation and operation of the agricultural vehicle 100 .

The fastening part 140 may transfer the traction force of the agricultural vehicle 100 to the working machine 500 by being coupled with the coupling part 520 of the working machine 500 . For example, the fastening unit 140 is a three-point connection device and may include two lower links and one upper link, but is not limited thereto.

The height of the work implement 500 mounted on the fastening unit 140 can be adjusted by raising or lowering the fastening unit 140 according to manual manipulation of the worker 30 or automatic control of the agricultural vehicle 100 .

The work machine 500 may include a body 510 that performs work on land or crops while being towed by the agricultural vehicle 100 and a coupling part 520 coupled to the fastening part 140 .

The coupling part 520 may be disposed in front of the work machine 500 and coupled with the fastening part 140 . Also, the coupling part 520 may include a plurality of coupling points corresponding to the coupling part 140 . For example, when the fastening part 140 is a three-point connection device, the coupling part 520 may include three coupling points, and when the fastening part 140 is a two-point connection device, the coupling part 520 ) may include two bonding points.

The agricultural vehicle 100 according to an embodiment may control components included in the agricultural vehicle 100 so that the coupling part 140 and the coupling part 520 are accurately coupled. Specifically, the processor of the agricultural vehicle 100 configures the agricultural vehicle so that the coupling unit 140 and the coupling unit 520 can be coupled based on the current location of the work machine 500 and the current location and direction of the coupling unit 520. The elements of (100) can be controlled.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the agricultural vehicle 100 may be one vehicle in a group of vehicles. The vehicle cluster may be a cluster including a plurality of agricultural vehicles in order to efficiently perform a series of agricultural tasks. At this time, the agricultural vehicles included in the vehicle cluster are not necessarily limited to the agricultural vehicle 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 and may be all types of vehicles that perform agricultural work. Also, the agricultural vehicles belonging to the vehicle cluster may be agricultural vehicles performing the same task or may be agricultural vehicles performing different tasks. That is, the types of agricultural vehicles belonging to the vehicle cluster may be the same or similar to each other.

Also, according to an embodiment, in a vehicle cluster in which a plurality of agricultural vehicles exist, one vehicle may serve as a master vehicle, and the remaining vehicles excluding the master vehicle may serve as slave vehicles. The master vehicle may control the operation of slave vehicles belonging to the same vehicle cluster. In this way, operations of the slave vehicles are controlled by the master vehicle, and efficient and planned agricultural work may be possible.

6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous agricultural vehicle and a sensor to which a method according to the present invention is applied.

6(A) shows an analog sensor that can be mounted on an agricultural vehicle. The sensor shown in (A) of FIG. 6 may be mounted on a wheel axis extending in the axial direction, and may be a wheel axis position sensor that converts a physical change that varies while the wheel axis operates into a voltage value and outputs it. Although an analog sensor is exemplified in (A) of FIG. 6, in another embodiment of the present invention, a digital sensor operating with a digital algorithm may be employed instead of the analog sensor shown in (A) in FIG.

6(B) schematically shows that an analog sensor is mounted on an agricultural vehicle. The analog sensor may be mounted on the wheel axle of the front wheel of a four-wheeled agricultural vehicle composed of front and rear wheels, and the analog sensor mounted on the wheel axle corresponds to the corresponding It can output the voltage value to be transmitted to the microcontroller unit (MCU) of the agricultural vehicle. The MCU of the agricultural vehicle can determine in which direction and how much the front wheels are bent based on the voltage value transmitted from the analog sensor value.

For example, the analog sensor in the present invention outputs a voltage of 1V when the handle of a agricultural vehicle is bent all the way to the left, outputs 2.5V when the handle is in a neutral state, and outputs a voltage of 4V when the handle is bent all the way to the right can output In this case, the angle of the front wheel when the steering wheel is bent all the way to the left is -45 degrees with respect to the central axis of the agricultural vehicle, and the angle of the front wheels when the steering wheel is bent all the way to the right is +45 degrees with respect to the central axis of the agricultural vehicle. Assuming, the voltage change rate of the analog sensor may be 0.0333V/degree. For example, when receiving a voltage value of 2.833V, the MCU of the agricultural vehicle may determine that the angle of the front wheels of the agricultural vehicle is +10 degrees. Since the numerical values described above are exemplary values and the present invention is not limited thereto, when the present invention is actually implemented, the voltage change rate of the analog sensor with respect to the angle of the front wheel of the agricultural vehicle may vary.

7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the agricultural vehicle described in FIGS. 1 to 6 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , it can be seen that the agricultural vehicle 100 includes a steering device 130, a fastening unit 140, a traveling device 150, and a processor 250, and the agricultural vehicle 100 of FIG. 7 It is considered that the analog sensor described in FIG. 6 is not mounted. In the agricultural vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 7 , only components related to the present embodiment are shown. Therefore, those skilled in the art can understand that other general-purpose components other than the components shown in FIG. 7 may be further included in the agricultural vehicle 100.

The steering device 130 may receive an input for manipulating the agricultural vehicle 100 and the work machine 500 . For example, the steering device 130 may include a lever, a handle, a button, and a touch screen. As an example, the steering device 130 may receive an input related to steering of the agricultural vehicle 100, an input related to the number of gear shifts of the agricultural vehicle 100, and the like from the worker 30. As another example, the agricultural vehicle 100 may perform steering and shifting by automatically controlling the steering device 130 .

The agricultural vehicle 100 may check information about the coupling unit 140 and the coupling unit 520 . As an example, the agricultural vehicle 100 provides information about the manufacturer and model of the coupling unit 140 and the coupling unit 520 from the operator 30 through a user input unit (eg, a button, a keyboard, a touch screen, etc.) , Information on the shapes and values of the coupling unit 140 and coupling unit 520 can be input. As another example, the agricultural vehicle 100 analyzes the image of the work machine 500 photographed by the camera, and provides information about the coupling unit 140 and the manufacturer and model of the coupling unit 520 from the storage unit, the coupling unit 140 ) and information on the shape and value of the coupling part 520 can be read.

The traveling device 150 refers to a device that moves a vehicle body using power transmitted from a transmission device. As an example, the traveling device 150 may include a front wheel 112, a rear wheel 114, and an axle. As another example, the traveling device 150 may be a long track device including an endless track.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 7 , the agricultural vehicle 100 may include a power generating device, a transmission device, a power take-out device, and a hydraulic device.

The power generating device may generate power necessary for driving and working of the agricultural vehicle 100 . For example, the power generating device may be a device equipped with a diesel engine or a gasoline engine.

The transmission device may appropriately convert the vehicle speed or traction force of the agricultural vehicle 100 into various speeds with the power transmitted from the power generating device. For example, the transmission may be a mechanical transmission or a hydraulic transmission.

A power take-off device (P.T.O) is a device that transmits part of the power generated by the power generating device to the work machine 500 or the like. For example, the power take-off device may be connected to a shifting device and transmit power to the work machine 500 of a size required according to the work machine 500 and the type of work.

The hydraulic device is used for an operation of moving a part of the work machine 500 or the like. For example, the hydraulic system drives a hydraulic pump with rotational power of an engine, sends hydraulic oil generated from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic cylinder by a control valve, and pushes a piston using hydraulic pressure to move the work machine 500. .

The processor 250 controls all components included in the agricultural vehicle 100, and the MCU described in FIG. 6 may also be an example of the processor 250. The processor 250 controls the operation of all components included in the agricultural vehicle 100 as well as the steering device 130, the coupling unit 140, and the traveling device 150, so that the agricultural vehicle 100 operates, Parking, work (eg, agricultural work, civil work, etc.) can be performed. For example, the processor 250 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which programs executable by the microprocessor are stored. Also, those having ordinary knowledge in the art to which this embodiment belongs can understand that it may be implemented in other types of hardware.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of modules included in the processor described in FIG. 7 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , it can be seen that the processor 250 includes a first reference value control unit 251, an update condition determination unit 253, an output voltage detection unit 255, and a second reference value update unit 257. . Since the first reference value control unit 251, the update condition determination unit 253, the output voltage detection unit 255, and the second reference value update unit 257 are sub-modules included in the processor 250, they include individual operation units, It may be a module capable of independent calculation. In addition, although the processor 250 in FIG. 8 is illustrated as including a total of four sub-modules, according to an embodiment, at least one or more modules shown in FIG. 8 are included in another module, or at least two or more modules are included in one module. It may be implemented in an integrated form as a module of.

The first reference value control unit 251 controls the wheel axis of the agricultural vehicle according to the first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle.

Here, the first reference value means a reference value preset in the agricultural vehicle. Depending on the embodiment, the first reference value may be a value determined while mounting the sensor on the agricultural vehicle, and specifically, the first reference value may be a value determined while mounting the wheel axle position sensor on the front wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle.

The reference value set in the agricultural vehicle can be updated according to the process according to the present invention. The reference value is stored in the processor 250 or a storage device (memory) included in the processor 250 and is updated according to a predetermined process described later, and the reference value before being updated is automatically discarded. In the present invention, for convenience of description, a reference value previously set in an agricultural vehicle will be referred to as a first reference value, and an updated reference value will be referred to as a second reference value. Since the first reference value and the second reference value are concepts determined before and after the update, when the update condition is satisfied again over time after the second reference value is set, the second reference value currently set in the agricultural vehicle becomes a new first reference value, The updated value of the new first reference value becomes the new second reference value.

The renewal condition determination unit 253 determines whether the renewal condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on the driving state of the agricultural vehicle. The renewal condition determination unit 253 first continuously monitors the driving of the agricultural vehicle according to the first reference value, and secondarily determines whether the renewal condition depending on the driving state is satisfied. Since changing the first reference value while the agricultural vehicle is performing agricultural work may cause a dangerous situation, the update condition determination unit 253 continuously monitors the driving state of the agricultural vehicle while the appropriate moment to change the reference value arrives. decide what to do

A case in which the renewal condition judging unit 253 determines that the renewal condition is satisfied is as follows. When the power of the agricultural vehicle is ON and the brake switch is also ON, it may be determined that the update condition is satisfied. In addition, when the agricultural vehicle is equipped with an electronic steering wheel, the engine (starting) of the agricultural vehicle must be OFF. can In addition, after the renewal condition determination unit 253 controls the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle to be bent at the maximum angle in the right direction, control (handling) Then, it can be determined that the renewal condition is satisfied. In addition, the renewal condition determination unit 253 may determine that the renewal condition is satisfied when the process of controlling the left and right directions of the handle is additionally repeated at least once within a predetermined time (eg, 5 seconds). Whether or not the renewal conditions described above are satisfied may be individually determined for each condition, or all conditions may be sequentially determined. The reason for determining whether the renewal conditions are satisfied is to ensure the safety of agricultural vehicles.

When it is determined that the update condition is satisfied, the output voltage detection unit 255 detects the sensing value of the sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated by the update condition determination unit 253 . The sensing value of the sensor detected by the output voltage detection unit 255 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9 .

The second reference value updating unit 257 updates the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value. The second reference value updating unit 257 changes the reference value set for the agricultural vehicle from the first reference value to the second reference value, so that the agricultural vehicle can accurately determine how many degrees the front wheel angle is currently bent and control. A detailed operation of the second reference value updating unit 257 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 .

9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an agricultural vehicle equipped with a wheel axis position sensor.

More specifically, in FIG. 9, the output voltage of the sensor when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the maximum in the left direction is 1.2V, and the output voltage of the sensor when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is fixed in neutral is 2.7V, agricultural vehicle It is schematically shown that the output voltage of the sensor when the handle of is bent to the right to the maximum is 4.2V. In FIG. 9, it can be seen that the output voltage values of the above sensors are values higher by 0.2V than the 1V, 2.5V, and 4V described above as the output voltage values of the sensor in the left, neutral, and right directions of the handle. .

It is known that the difficulty of mounting a precision sensor such as a wheel axis position sensor on a wheel axis of an agricultural vehicle is very high. In order to accurately mount the sensor on the agricultural vehicle, a lot of measuring equipment and know-how on how to use the equipment are required. In most cases, when the sensor is mounted on the agricultural vehicle, an error occurs within a certain range, and FIG. 9 shows the error. It is a diagram showing the case where is +0.2V by way of example.

In addition, agricultural vehicles equipped with wheel axis position sensors are often driven on unpaved roads such as farmland or fields rather than on paved roads. It is necessary to check whether the angle of is properly recognized by the processor 250 of the agricultural vehicle. Depending on the soil quality, height, composition characteristics, and humidity of the land where the agricultural vehicle is located, even when the same pressure is applied to the handle, the bending angle of the front wheels of the agricultural vehicle varies slightly, and the output voltage of the sensor also varies accordingly. For the above reasons, the present invention proposes a method of sensing an output voltage of a sensor and continuously adjusting a reference value in an effective manner.

If the first reference value set for the agricultural vehicle in FIG. 9 is 2.5V, when the output value of the sensor is detected as 2.7V, the processor 250 may determine that the front wheel of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the right by a certain angle, but actually the sensor As an error occurred in the process of being installed or during the driving of the agricultural vehicle, even if the output value of the sensor is 2.7V, the front wheels of the agricultural vehicle must be judged by the processor 250 in a state in which it can go straight without being bent at all. . According to the present invention, the process of updating the first reference value set in the processor 250 from 2.5V to the second reference value of 2.7V through several renewal processes is performed, and in the process, the agricultural vehicle runs When the reference value is slightly changed, several renewal procedures are performed to converge to the changed reference value.

According to the present invention, the process of updating the reference value is as follows.

First, in the processor 250 of the agricultural vehicle, a voltage value of 3.8V may be set as the rightward output voltage condition of the steering wheel, and a voltage value of 1.2V may be set as the leftward output voltage condition of the handlebar. And, as the output voltage condition of the median value, a voltage value of 2.3V or more and 2.7V or less may be set. The output voltage output from the sensor must be greater than or less than the values of the rightward output voltage condition and the leftward output voltage condition of the handle.

In the agricultural vehicle according to the present invention, an update condition unrelated to vehicle driving is set, and when the update condition is satisfied, a process for updating the reference value is started. According to the guidance, the user handles the handle twice in the left and right directions so that the voltage value is output by the sensor, and the modules inside the processor 250 detect the output voltage values and update the currently set reference value. do.

As an example, if the rightward output voltage collected by the user's handling is 3.7V and the leftward output voltage is 1.3V, the rightward output voltage is less than 3.8V, but the leftward output voltage is 1.2V. greater than that, the condition is determined to be unsatisfied, and the reference value is not updated.

As another example, if the rightward output voltage collected by the user's handling is 4V and the leftward output voltage is 1.2V, it is determined that the condition is satisfied, and the intermediate value of 2.6V is updated as the second reference value. It can be. In addition, if the user performs handling once more and the collected output voltage in the right direction is 4.1V and the output voltage in the left direction is 1.3V, it is determined that the condition is satisfied once more, and an intermediate value of 2.7V is calculated. After that, 2.65V, which is an average value of 2.6V calculated immediately before, may be updated as the second reference value. As described above, through the method of adjusting the reference value twice, the reference value of the agricultural vehicle can converge to a more accurate value, and the factors that change due to the driving of the agricultural vehicle can be reflected in real time.

10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an output voltage reference range used in a process of updating from a first reference value to a second reference value.

The output voltage detection unit 255 and the second reference value updating unit 257 determine the physical maximum angle 1010, the maximum angle detection range 1030, and the median value detection range 1050 of the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle shown in FIG. Based on this, the reference value is updated while detecting the sensed value of the sensor. In FIG. 10, 1.2V, 2.3V, 2.7V, and 3.8V are used as boundary values, but it is known to those skilled in the art that the specific values of the boundary values may vary in the process of actually implementing the present invention. will be self-evident.

11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method according to the present invention.

Since FIG. 11 describes a method implemented by the processor 250 described in FIGS. 7 and 8 , descriptions duplicated with those already described in FIGS. 7 and 8 will be omitted. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 Let's explain.

The first reference value controller 251 controls the wheel axis of the agricultural machine according to the first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle (farm machine) (S1110).

The renewal condition determination unit 253 determines whether the renewal condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on the driving state of the agricultural vehicle (S1130).

When the update condition is satisfied, the output voltage detection unit 255 detects the sensing value of the sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated (S1150).

The second reference value updating unit 257 updates the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value (S1170).

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately adjust a reference value set for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to drastically reduce the installation time and installation difficulty of the sensor mounted on the agricultural vehicle for straight driving of the agricultural vehicle equipped with the autonomous driving function.

Embodiments according to the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. At this time, the medium is a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM and a DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, and a ROM hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as RAM, flash memory, and the like.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and usable to those skilled in the art of computer software. An example of a computer program may include not only machine language code generated by a compiler but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

Specific implementations described in the present invention are examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For brevity of the specification, description of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connection of lines or connecting members between the components shown in the drawings are examples of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections, which can be replaced in actual devices or additional various functional connections, physical connection, or circuit connections. In addition, if there is no specific reference such as “essential” or “important”, it may not be a component necessarily required for the application of the present invention.

In the specification of the present invention (especially in the claims), the use of the term “above” and similar indicating terms may correspond to both singular and plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, it includes an invention in which individual values belonging to the range are applied (unless there is a description to the contrary), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention Same as Finally, unless an order is explicitly stated or stated to the contrary for the steps constituting the method according to the present invention, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. The present invention is not necessarily limited according to the order of description of the steps. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (eg, etc.) in the present invention is simply to explain the present invention in detail, and the scope of the present invention is limited due to the examples or exemplary terms unless limited by the claims. it is not going to be In addition, those skilled in the art can appreciate that various modifications, combinations and changes can be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.

Claims (11)

controlling a wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle according to a first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle;
determining whether an update condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on a driving state of the agricultural vehicle;
detecting a sensing value of a sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated when the update condition is satisfied; and
Updating the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value;
The first reference value is,
A predetermined voltage value determined while the sensor is mounted on the wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle;
The step of determining whether the renewal condition is satisfied,
When a predetermined input is applied while the power of the agricultural vehicle is turned on and the engine is not started, it is determined that the renewal condition is satisfied;
Detecting the sensing value of the sensor,
The first output voltage output when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the maximum in the left direction and the second output voltage output when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the maximum in the right direction are summed and divided in half to obtain a second output voltage. determined as the standard value,
Updating the first reference value to a second reference value,
A reference value for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle that compares the first reference value with the determined second reference value and updates the first reference value to the determined second reference value when the first reference value and the determined second reference value are different. adjustment method. delete delete According to claim 1,
The agricultural vehicle,
It is a four-wheeled vehicle consisting of front and rear wheels.
The sensor,
Reference value adjustment method for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle mounted on the wheel axle of the front wheel. delete According to claim 1,
The step of determining whether the renewal condition is satisfied,
When the brake of the agricultural vehicle is turned on, the power of the agricultural vehicle is turned on, and a predetermined input is applied while the engine is not started, the reference value for straight driving of the agricultural vehicle, which determines that the update condition is satisfied adjustment method. According to claim 4,
The step of determining whether the renewal condition is satisfied,
The reference value adjustment method for straight driving of the agricultural vehicle, wherein the update conditions are different depending on whether the type of the handle of the agricultural vehicle is any one of electronic and hydraulic. According to claim 1,
Detecting the sensing value of the sensor,
A method for adjusting a reference value for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle, wherein a sensing value output when the steering wheel is operated in a predetermined sequence is detected. According to claim 1,
Detecting the sensing value of the sensor,
A reference value adjustment method for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle, wherein the second reference value is updated using values of the sensor output when the steering wheel is driven in the left and right directions, respectively. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to claim 1. a first reference value controller controlling a wheel axis of the agricultural vehicle according to a first reference value stored in the agricultural vehicle;
an update condition determining unit determining whether an update condition of the first reference value is satisfied based on a driving state of the agricultural vehicle;
an output voltage detection unit detecting a sensing value of a sensor output when the steering wheel of the agricultural vehicle is operated when the update condition is satisfied; and
A second reference value updater configured to update the first reference value to a second reference value based on the detected sensing value;
The first reference value is,
A predetermined voltage value determined while the sensor is mounted on the wheel axle of the agricultural vehicle;
The renewal condition judgment unit,
When a predetermined input is applied while the power of the agricultural vehicle is turned on and the engine is not started, it is determined that the renewal condition is satisfied;
The output voltage detection unit,
The first output voltage output when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the maximum in the left direction and the second output voltage output when the handle of the agricultural vehicle is bent to the maximum in the right direction are summed and divided in half to obtain a second output voltage. determined as the standard value,
The second reference value updating unit,
A reference value for straight driving of an agricultural vehicle that compares the first reference value with the determined second reference value and updates the first reference value to the determined second reference value when the first reference value and the determined second reference value are different. adjustment device.

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