KR20240030624A - System for remote monitoring of a working machine connected to self-driving agricultural vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that allows an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard to use and remotely monitor a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard.
The system for remotely monitoring a working machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to this embodiment operates autonomously according to a preset process without an operator on board, and is used for autonomous agricultural vehicles that do not support the ISOBUS standard, and autonomous agricultural vehicles that do not support the ISOBUS standard. It is attached to the rear of the vehicle and performs work along with the movement of the autonomous agricultural vehicle. It includes a work tool that supports the ISOBUS standard. The autonomous agricultural vehicle is equipped with a compatibility function with the ISOBUS standard and supports the ISOBUS standard. Receive preset data from a working machine that supports the ISOBUS standard and transmit it to an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard, and receive preset data from an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard and transmit it to a working machine that supports the ISOBUS standard. It may further include a telematics device.

Description

System for remote monitoring of a working machine connected to self-driving agricultural vehicles}

The present invention relates to a system that allows an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard to use and remotely monitor a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard.

Tractors, a representative agricultural vehicle, aim to perform tasks suited to their purpose by attaching various work tools to the rear or front. Tractors as well as similar agricultural vehicles aim to work with this mechanism. As agricultural vehicles have become more electronic and intelligent over the past 10 years, work machines have also become more electronic and intelligent. For this purpose, the ISOBUS standard, an international communication standard between working machines and agricultural vehicles, has been established, and agricultural vehicles/working machines that support the ISOBUS standard are being released overseas. On the other hand, in the case of Korea, agricultural vehicles supporting the ISOBUS standard are not produced, so farmers have to use expensive foreign agricultural vehicles to use ISOBUS-compatible implements.

The above-mentioned background technology is technical information that the inventor possessed for deriving the present invention or acquired in the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be known art disclosed to the general public before filing the application for the present invention.

Domestic Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2420682 (2022.07.11)

One object of the present invention is to enable autonomous agricultural vehicles that do not support the ISOBUS standard to use work machines that support the ISOBUS standard using a telematics device.

One object of the present invention is to remotely monitor the status information of the work machine obtained using a telematics device through the worker device even if the worker is not on the autonomous agricultural vehicle.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be understood through the following description and can be understood more clearly through the examples of the present invention. It will be. In addition, it can be seen that the problems and advantages to be solved by the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the patent claims.

The system for remotely monitoring a working machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to this embodiment operates autonomously according to a preset process without an operator on board, and is used for autonomous agricultural vehicles that do not support the ISOBUS standard, and autonomous agricultural vehicles that do not support the ISOBUS standard. It is attached to the rear of the vehicle and performs work along with the movement of the autonomous agricultural vehicle. It includes a work tool that supports the ISOBUS standard. The autonomous agricultural vehicle is equipped with a compatibility function with the ISOBUS standard and supports the ISOBUS standard. Receive preset data from a working machine that supports the ISOBUS standard and transmit it to an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard, and receive preset data from an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard and transmit it to a working machine that supports the ISOBUS standard. It may further include a telematics device.

In addition, another method for implementing the present invention, another system, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing the method may be further provided.

Other aspects, features and advantages in addition to those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims and detailed description of the invention.

According to the present invention, an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard can use and remotely monitor a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard through a telematics device, giving workers more choices and improving work efficiency.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figures 1 and 2 are illustrations illustrating agricultural vehicles and work equipment adopting the ISOBUS standard.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment.
Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of controlling an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating examples of data obtained from an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment.
Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of controlling an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment.
Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an autonomous agricultural vehicle equipped with a work machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an autonomous agricultural vehicle equipped with a work tool according to another embodiment.
Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a system for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and should be understood to include all conversions, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. . The embodiments presented below are provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Additionally, in this application, a “part” may be a hardware component, such as a processor or circuit, and/or a software component executed by the hardware component, such as a processor.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same drawing numbers and duplicate descriptions thereof are omitted. I decided to do it.

In the following embodiments, terms such as first and second are used not in a limiting sense but for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

In the following examples, singular terms include plural terms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have mean the presence of features or components described in the specification, and do not exclude in advance the possibility of adding one or more other features or components.

In cases where an embodiment can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed differently from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially at the same time, or may be performed in an order opposite to the order in which they are described.

Figures 1 and 2 are illustrations illustrating agricultural vehicles and work equipment adopting the ISOBUS standard.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, recently, various agricultural vehicles (e.g., tractors, rice transplanters, combines, etc.) have been used for reasons such as aging of rural areas, labor shortage, and rising labor costs, and with the development of technology, existing mechanical controls have been replaced. Electronic control technology is being used in various fields such as engine control, transmission control, and PTO (power take off) control through electronic control. In addition, electronic control technology is applied to work machines, and for this to happen, communication between agricultural vehicles and work machines is essential.

The communication protocol that performs communication between agricultural vehicles and work machines is internationally called ISOBUS and has a system configuration diagram as shown in FIG. 1. What is noteworthy in Figure 1 is that ISOBUS connected to IBBC (implementation bus breakaway connector, equipment BUS breakaway connector) must be configured in both agricultural vehicles and implements. Therefore, many foreign agricultural vehicles (for example, large tractors) basically include ISOBUS configuration and have a built-in connector corresponding to IBBC, enabling communication connection with the implement.

However, there are two major problems with this configuration. First, since agricultural vehicles adopting the ISOBUS standard are not produced in Korea, users of domestic agricultural vehicles cannot use implements that support ISOBUS. Additionally, because it is not an online configuration, it is impossible to monitor or use the work machine when the driver is not on board the self-driving agricultural vehicle, which has been actively studied recently.

Also, referring to Figure 2, the general configuration of ISOBUS is divided into an agricultural vehicle area and a work tool area, and the areas are connected with an ISOBUS standard connector. As described earlier, agricultural vehicles that do not support ISOBUS do not have connectors in the agricultural vehicle area, so implements that support ISOBUS cannot be used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3, the environment (1) for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle includes an autonomous agricultural vehicle (100), a server (200), a worker device (300) operated by a worker, and a worker other than the worker. It may include a work machine 600 connected to another entity 400, a satellite 500, and an autonomous agricultural vehicle 100.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may include a vehicle that can be used in agriculture. In one embodiment, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can perform agricultural work that must be performed for agriculture (e.g., plowing rice paddies or fields, transporting agricultural materials, etc.), and allows workers to work in a workplace such as farmland. It can also be used to move the back. This self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be a tractor, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may not be limited to vehicles used only in agriculture. In other words, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may refer to a means of transportation that is not limited to those used in agriculture, such as ordinary passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may perform wired and/or wireless communication with the worker device 300 and other entities 400 through the server 200. Additionally, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can perform wireless communication with a satellite 500 to implement various functions using GPS signals.

In one embodiment, the wired communication method may be connected through a wired cable, but is not limited to this. Meanwhile, wireless communication methods may include, but are not limited to, NFC (Near Field Communication), ZIGBEE, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication, LTE, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and eCALL.

Meanwhile, communication can also be performed between modules included in the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. For example, within the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, communication may be performed using Ethernet, CAN-FD, etc., but is not limited thereto.

Data obtained from the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be transmitted to the worker device 300 and another subject 400 through the server 200. Here, the other subject 400 may be a natural person or corporation other than the worker, as well as a device used by the other subject 400 (for example, various devices capable of communicating with other devices).

Data obtained from the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be transmitted to the worker device 300 and another subject 400 through the server 200. Additionally, the worker device 300 and/or other entity 400 may transmit data to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. Accordingly, the worker device 300 and/or another entity 400 may perform various tasks based on data regarding the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. Additionally, as the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 communicates with the worker device 300, the worker can perform various controls on the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 through the worker device 300. In one embodiment, a worker may operate, park, and perform agricultural work on the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 using the worker device 300 without directly boarding the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. .

In addition, in FIG. 3, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is shown communicating with the worker device 300 and/or another subject 400 through the server 200, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 and the worker device 300 and/or another entity 400 may have a direct communication connection. Accordingly, the worker device 300 and/or other subject 400 transmits and receives data related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, controls the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, etc., without going through the server 200. It can be done.

In this embodiment, the other entity 400 may be any entity related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, excluding workers. For example, other entities 400 may directly/directly contact the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, such as manufacturers of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, sellers of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, financial institutions, and government agencies. If it is an indirectly related subject, it can be applied without limitation. Here, directly/indirectly related may be related to the production, sales, operation, finance, policy, etc. of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, but is not limited thereto.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be a mechanical vehicle. Here, the mechanical vehicle may refer to a traditional vehicle in which mechanical signals are mainly used to control the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. In this case, a separate control module is attached to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, and the attached control module communicates with the server 200 or the worker device 300, so that the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 It can be controlled.

Meanwhile, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be an electronic vehicle. Here, the electronic vehicle may refer to a vehicle in which electronic signals are mainly used to control the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. In this case, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be controlled by communicating with the server 200 or the worker device 300.

The server 200 can transmit and receive data related to the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 and store it. In addition, the server 200 processes the stored data in a form that can be usefully utilized by the worker device 300 and/or other subjects 400, and the processed data is processed by the worker device 300 and/or other subjects 400. ) can be forwarded to.

According to the above, the work environment 1 according to this embodiment may provide the worker device 300 and/or other subjects 400 with an environment different from the environment in which existing agricultural vehicles are used. Specifically, previously, workers directly drove agricultural vehicles and performed agricultural work. Additionally, data that can be obtained from agricultural vehicles must be entered and remembered by workers themselves, and other entities 400 had to rely on workers to obtain information about agricultural vehicles.

However, as the work environment 1 according to this embodiment is operated, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 can operate unmanned, and the worker can interact with the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 through the worker device 300. The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can be freely controlled in a remote location. Additionally, the worker device 300 and other entities 400 can collect data related to the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 without any additional effort, and can process the data collected from the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. You can. Alternatively, the worker device 300 and other subjects 400 may collect processed results about data related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 from the server 200.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 includes a module for implementing self-driving functions, so it can drive according to a preset process even if an operator is not on board.

The self-driving module included in the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is a SoC (system on chip) installed in the main processor of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 by a manufacturer (not shown) that manufactures the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. It can be implemented by mounting it as . In addition, it can be implemented in a way that enables autonomous driving later by being electrically/electronically connected to the processor or handle of a general agricultural vehicle that does not include autonomous driving functions.

In this embodiment, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 does not support the ISOBUS standard and may perform communication using the J1939 protocol. J1939 is a high-level protocol of SAE (society of automotive engineers) based on the CAN communication network, and can support serial data communication between ECUs (electronic control units) that control the status of engines, automatic transmissions, etc. with a computer.

At the rear of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, work machines 600 such as plows, plows, harrows, rakes, rotavators, balers, and harvesters are fastened. , agricultural work on farmland can be performed along with the movement of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. Depending on the type of work machine 600 attached to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 can perform various agricultural tasks such as tillage, soil removal, pest control, pumping, and threshing.

In this embodiment, the work tool 600 supports the ISOBUS standard and may be equipped with an ISOBUS standard connector (640 in FIG. 9). ISOBUS can be applied to the ISO 11783 standard (Advanced CAN communication protocol for agricultural vehicles) based on SAE-J1939. The purpose of ISOBUS is to ensure interoperability between agricultural vehicles such as tractors and devices from different manufacturers and to enable all platforms to be operated through a single virtual terminal (VT), generally referred to as a virtual terminal (VT), task controller. (TC), the tractor's ECU (TCU), and the implementation ECU (I-ECU).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 , examples that can be implemented as the environment 1 for remotely monitoring the work machine 600 connected to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 is operated will be described in detail.

Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of controlling an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 3 will be omitted.

FIG. 4 (a) shows an example of an existing agricultural vehicle operating, and FIG. 4 (b) shows an example of an autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 operating according to an embodiment.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 4, existing agricultural vehicles can be driven and controlled by direct involvement of workers. Specifically, after the worker boards the agricultural vehicle, the agricultural vehicle can be driven by directly adjusting the steering, acceleration, and deceleration devices included in the agricultural vehicle. Additionally, workers can perform agricultural work by directly loading work tools on a farming vehicle or connecting a work tool to a farming vehicle.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 4, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 according to this embodiment can be driven and controlled even without a worker directly riding it. Specifically, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may perform autonomous driving and autonomous work according to a control signal transmitted from the server 200 or the worker device 300.

For example, a controller capable of controlling a steering device, an acceleration device, and a deceleration device is installed in the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, and the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is operated according to a control signal input to the controller. You can. In particular, the above-described controller can be implemented universally, and as it is installed in the existing agricultural vehicle described above with reference to (a) of FIG. 4, autonomous driving and autonomous driving are possible without the need to separate or modify elements included in the existing agricultural vehicle. Work can be done.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating examples of data obtained from an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 4 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may communicate with the worker device 300.

Here, the worker device 300 may be replaced with the server 200 of FIG. 2 or a device of another subject 400. The worker device 300 may be any device capable of communicating with other devices, calculating or processing data, and storing data, without limitation. For example, the worker device 300 may include a smart phone 301, a tablet PC (302 in FIG. 6), a PC, a wearable device, etc., but is not limited thereto.

Depending on the operation and agricultural work of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, various data may be generated. For example, as the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is produced, data about the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 itself (e.g., model name, horsepower, release year, factory price, transmission type, appearance, specifications) (specification), etc.) can be created. In addition, as the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 is operated, CAN (Controller Area Network) data, accident-related data, failure-related data, and other driving data (e.g., engine torque ratio, engine load ratio, engine RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), engine operation hour, cumulative fuel consumption, fuel efficiency, engine failure information, engine oil temperature, engine room temperature, coolant temperature, current gear shift, transmission oil temperature, driving distance, travel time, etc.) can be generated. Additionally, as agricultural work is performed with the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, data related to farm equipment, data related to crops, data related to farmland where agricultural work is performed, etc. may be generated.

Data generated according to the operation and agricultural work of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be transmitted to one or more of the server 200, the worker device 300, and other entities 400. In addition, one or more of the server 200, the worker device 300, and the other subject 400 may output and store the transmitted data, and may process the transmitted data according to predetermined standards. Accordingly, various solutions related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 may be provided to workers.

For example, through the worker device 300, the worker can manage agricultural work, maintain the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, remotely diagnose the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, and perform maintenance on the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. Efficiency management of fuel efficiency can be performed.

As another example, through the worker device 300, the worker can track the current location of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 or monitor the current agricultural work of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. In addition, through the worker device 300, the worker can remotely start or turn off the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and turn on/off the air conditioning system of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. .

As another example, through the worker device 300, the worker can prevent the theft of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, and the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can be operated without the key of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. You can start or turn off the engine. In addition, through the worker device 300, the worker detects an accident of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 or reports an emergency situation (e.g., worker injury, breakdown of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, etc.) can be performed.

Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of controlling an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 5 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the worker device 300 may output information about the current state of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 through communication with the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. Here, worker device 300 may include tablet PC 302. For example, the worker device 300 may output information about the current location of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 obtained through a GPS signal. Additionally, the worker device 300 can output information about the size of the workplace where the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 will work through a GPS signal. In addition, when the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is currently driving, the worker device 300 provides information about the engine RPM, current speed, fuel efficiency, operation time, current gear shift, etc. of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. Can be printed.

Accordingly, the worker can determine the current state of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 and remotely control the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 through the worker device 300. In other words, the worker checks the information output to the worker device 300 without boarding the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and controls various functions of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 through the worker device 300. , autonomous driving and/or autonomous operations may be implemented.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an autonomous agricultural vehicle equipped with a work machine according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 6 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can perform agricultural work or civil engineering work while towing the work machine 600. The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can provide strong traction to tow heavy objects and can provide multiple gear shifts to perform various tasks.

For example, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be a tractor. In addition, the work machine 600 includes tools that perform various agricultural tasks, such as, for example, a plow, a plow, a harrow, a rake, a rotavator, a baler, and a harvester. It can be included. Depending on the type of work machine 600 coupled to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 can perform various agricultural tasks such as tillage, soil removal, pest control, pumping, and threshing.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be coupled to the work machine 600 through the fastener 140. For example, the fastening part 140 may be located at the rear of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the fastening part 140 may be positioned so that the work tool 600 is coupled to a position that does not interfere with the operation and work of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100.

The fastening part 140 can transmit the traction force of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 to the work tool 600 by being coupled to the coupling part 620 of the work tool 600. For example, the fastening part 140 is a three-point connection device and may include two lower links and one upper link, but is not limited thereto.

The fastening part 140 can adjust the height of the work tool 600 mounted on the fastening part 140 by raising or lowering it according to manual operation by an operator or automatic control of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100.

The work machine 600 may include a body 610 that performs work on land or crops while being towed by the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, and a coupling portion 620 coupled to the fastening portion 140.

The coupling portion 620 is disposed in front of the work tool 600 and may be coupled to the fastening portion 140. Additionally, the coupling portion 620 may include a plurality of coupling points corresponding to the fastening portion 140. For example, if the fastening part 140 is a three-point connection device, the coupling part 620 may include three coupling points, and if the fastening part 140 is a two-point coupling device, the coupling part 620 may include three coupling points. ) may include two bond points.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 according to an embodiment can control components included in the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 so that the fastening portion 140 and the coupling portion 620 can be accurately coupled. Specifically, the processor (190 in FIG. 9) of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 connects the fastening portion 140 and the coupling portion ( Elements of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can be controlled so that 620) can be combined.

According to this embodiment, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may be one vehicle in a vehicle swarm. A vehicle swarm may be a swarm containing multiple agricultural vehicles 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 self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 illustrated in FIG. 7, and may be any type of vehicle that performs agricultural work. Additionally, agricultural vehicles belonging to a vehicle cluster may be agricultural vehicles that perform the same task, or may be agricultural vehicles that perform different tasks. In other words, the types of agricultural vehicles belonging to the vehicle cluster may be the same or similar to each other.

Additionally, according to one embodiment, in a vehicle cluster in which a plurality of agricultural vehicles exist, one vehicle may perform the role of a master vehicle, and the remaining vehicles except the master vehicle may perform the role of slave vehicles. The master vehicle can control the operation of slave vehicles belonging to the same vehicle cluster. As a result, the operation of the slave vehicles can be controlled by the master vehicle, enabling efficient and planned agricultural work.

Figure 8 is a diagram schematically showing another example of an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to the present invention. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 7 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 according to the present invention is connected to the work machine 600 through the fastening auxiliary part 710. FIG. 8 schematically shows the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 described in FIG. 7 as seen from above. In particular, W, the width of the work machine, is wider than the width of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. You can see that If the width of the work machine 600 is wide, there is an advantage in terms of the amount of work per unit time, but the physical burden may increase on the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 and the fastening auxiliary unit 710 that pull the wide work machine 600. connect. For example, when a self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 performing agricultural work on farmland (workshop) turns right (or left) after completing a one-way drive for a certain distance, the width of the work machine 600 is small enough to allow autonomous driving. If it is wider than the width of the agricultural vehicle 100, in order to prevent the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and the work machine 600 from overturning, they must be driven while maintaining an appropriate driving speed and rotation angle, and these calculations are also required. This can be performed by an autonomous driving module included in the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100.

Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a system for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle according to an embodiment. In the following description, parts that overlap with the description of FIGS. 1 to 8 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9 , a system for remotely monitoring a work machine connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle may include an autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, a worker device 300, and a work machine 600.

In this embodiment, the work machine 600 may include an implementation ECU (I-ECU) 630 and an ISOBUS standard connector 640 that control the work machine. The work machine 600 supports the ISOBUS standard and can communicate using the ISO 11783 protocol.

In this embodiment, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 may include a steering device 130, a fastening unit 140, a traveling device 150, a TCU 160, an ECU 170, and a processor 180. . Additionally, a telematics device 190 may be installed in the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 as an aftermarket product.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 9 shows only components related to this embodiment, and includes a communication unit (not shown) for the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 to communicate with an external device. Elements are omitted. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that in addition to the components shown in FIG. 9, other general-purpose components may be further included in the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. .

The steering device 130 may receive input for manipulating the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 and the work machine 600. For example, the steering device 130 may include a lever, a handle, buttons, and a touch screen. As an example, the steering device 130 receives an input regarding the steering of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 from the operator's operation using the operator device 300, an input regarding the shift gear of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100, etc. can receive. As another example, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can perform steering and shifting by automatically controlling the steering device 130.

The self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can check information about the fastening part 140 and the coupling part 620. As an example, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 receives information from the operator device 300 through a user input unit (e.g., button, keyboard, touch screen, etc.) Information about the model and the shape and dimensions of the fastening portion 140 and the coupling portion 620 can be received. As another example, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 analyzes the image of the work tool 600 captured by a camera (not shown) and determines the manufacturer of the fastening part 140 and the coupling part 620 from memory (not shown). And information about the model, and information about the shape and dimensions of the fastening portion 140 and the coupling portion 620 can be read.

The traveling device 150 may refer to a device that moves the vehicle body using power transmitted from a transmission device. As an example, as shown in FIG. 6, 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. 8, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may include a power generation device, a transmission device, a power extraction device, and a hydraulic device.

The power generation device can generate power necessary for driving and working of the autonomous 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 can convert the power transmitted from the power generation device into various speeds as appropriate for the vehicle speed or traction force of the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100. For example, the transmission may be a mechanical transmission or a hydraulic transmission.

A power take off (PTO) device may be a device that transfers a portion of the power generated from the power generation device to the work machine 600, etc. For example, the power extraction device may be connected to a transmission device and transmit a required amount of power to the work machine 600 depending on the type of work machine 600 and work.

The hydraulic device may be used to move part of the work tool 600, etc. For example, the hydraulic device drives a hydraulic pump with the rotational power of the engine, sends hydraulic oil generated from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic cylinder through an operating valve, and moves the work tool 600 by pushing the piston using hydraulic pressure. .

In addition, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 may further include a tractor ECU (TCU) 160 and an ECU 170 that controls the engine, odometer system, and various devices. In this embodiment, the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 does not support the ISOBUS standard and may perform communication using the J1939 protocol.

The processor 180 can control all components included in the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. The processor 180 operates not only the steering device 130, the fastening unit 140, the traveling device 150, the TCU 160, and the ECU 170, but also all components included in the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100. By controlling, the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 can drive, park, and perform work (eg, agricultural work, civil engineering work, etc.).

In this embodiment, the processor 180 may mean, for example, a data processing device built into hardware that has a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed by code or instructions included in a program. Examples of data processing devices built into hardware include a microprocessor, central processing unit (CPU), processor core, multiprocessor, and application-specific integrated (ASIC). circuit) and FPGA (field programmable gate array), etc., but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The telematics device 190 mounted on the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 is equipped with a function compatible with the ISOBUS standard and receives preset data from the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard. It can be transmitted to the driving agricultural vehicle 100, and preset data can be received from the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard and transmitted to the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard.

In general, telematics technology is a compound word of telecommunication and information engineering, and provides traffic guidance, emergency rescue, remote vehicle diagnosis, etc. to vehicles and drivers through in-vehicle terminals through location technology and a two-way mobile communication network. It can be defined as a service that provides various information such as Internet and mobile office functions. IT (information technology) technologies such as telematics terminal platforms, GPS, mobile communications, traffic information, and GIS (geographic information system) are converged and applied to vehicles to create new added value and create an in-vehicle multimedia service environment linked to the home network. The purpose is to provide

In this embodiment, the telematics device 190 may include a first connector 191 and a second connector 192. The first connector 191 may be connected to the ISOBUS standard connector 640 provided in the work machine 600. The second connector 192 may be connected to the J1939 bus connector (not shown) of the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard.

In this embodiment, the telematics device 190 receives data related to the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard through the first connector 191 and autonomous driving that does not support the ISOBUS standard through the second connector 192. It may be configured to receive data related to the operation of the agricultural vehicle 100.

That is, the telematics device 190 converts data related to the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard into data that can be processed by the self-driving agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard and operates the self-driving agricultural vehicle ( 100). In addition, the telematics device 190 can convert data related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard into data that can be processed by the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard and transmit it to the work machine 600. there is.

Data related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and/or data related to the work machine 600 processed by the telematics device 190 may be transmitted to the worker device 300 through wireless communication. A remotely located worker monitors the data related to the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and/or the work machine 600 that are output to the worker device 300, and the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 and/or the work machine 600. A control signal that controls the operation of 600 can be input.

Through this, if the worker monitors data related to the agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard and/or data related to the work tool 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard through the worker device 300, the data related to the work machine 600 that does not support the ISOBUS standard Inside the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100, it can communicate with the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard through WiFi, and in situations where it is far away from the autonomous agricultural vehicle 100 that does not support the ISOBUS standard, it can communicate through LTE. Thus, it is possible to communicate with the work machine 600 that supports the ISOBUS standard.

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 media includes magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and ROM. , RAM, flash memory, etc., may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be designed and configured specifically for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer programs may include not only machine language code such as that created by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

In the specification (particularly in the claims) of the present invention, the use of the term “above” and similar referential terms may refer to both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, the invention includes the application of individual values within the range (unless there is a statement to the contrary), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention. It's the same.

Unless there is an explicit order or statement to the contrary regarding the steps constituting the method according to the invention, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. The present invention is not necessarily limited by the order of description of the above steps. The use of any examples or illustrative terms (e.g., etc.) in the present invention is merely to describe the present invention in detail, and unless limited by the claims, the scope of the present invention is limited by the examples or illustrative terms. It doesn't work. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made depending on design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of the patent claims described below as well as all scopes equivalent to or equivalently changed from the scope of the claims are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. It will be said to belong to

Claims (5)

Self-driving agricultural vehicles that operate independently according to preset processes without an operator on board and do not support the ISOBUS standard; and
It is attached to the rear of the autonomous agricultural vehicle and performs work along with the movement of the autonomous agricultural vehicle, and includes a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard,
The self-driving agricultural vehicle is,
It is equipped with a compatibility function with the ISOBUS standard, receives preset data from a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard, and transmits it to an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard, and autonomous driving that does not support the ISOBUS standard. Further comprising a telematics device that receives preset data from a farming vehicle and transmits it to a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard,
system. According to claim 1,
The telematics device,
Further comprising a first connector coupled to an ISOBUS standard connector provided on a work machine supporting the ISOBUS standard,
system. According to claim 2,
The telematics device,
Further comprising a second connector connected to an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard,
system. According to claim 3,
The telematics device,
Configured to receive data related to a work machine that supports the ISOBUS standard through the first connector, and to receive data related to the operation of an autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard through the second connector,
system. According to claim 1,
Receive and output data related to the operation of the autonomous agricultural vehicle that does not support the ISOBUS standard transmitted by the telematics device and data related to the working machine that supports the ISOBUS standard, and Further comprising an operator device that inputs a control signal to control the operation,
system.

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