WO2021010297A1 - Automatic traveling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is provided with: an automatic traveling control unit (18) which makes a working vehicle automatically travel on the basis of positioning information about the working vehicle, the positioning information being acquired by using a satellite positioning system; an obstacle detection unit (110) which can detect an obstacle within a prescribed detection range around the working vehicle on the basis of measurement information from an obstacle sensor (D); and a collision avoidance control unit (111) which performs a collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle, when the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit (110), wherein the collision avoidance control unit (111) is configured to freely switch between an execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed in response to a working device connected to the working vehicle.

Description

Autonomous driving system

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

As the above-mentioned automatic traveling system, a system for automatically traveling a work vehicle while avoiding a collision with an obstacle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the system described in Patent Document 1, an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the detection information of an obstacle sensor provided in the work vehicle, and an obstacle detection unit thereof. When an obstacle is detected by the object detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.

As collision avoidance control, the collision avoidance control unit performs various processes such as notification processing for notifying the existence of obstacles, deceleration processing for decelerating the traveling speed of the work vehicle, and traveling stop processing for stopping the traveling of the work vehicle. So, I try to avoid the collision between the obstacle and the work vehicle.

The obstacle detection unit changes the size of the predetermined detection range according to the traveling speed of the work vehicle, so that the collision avoidance control unit can perform appropriate processing according to the traveling speed of the work vehicle. There is.

International Publication 2015/147149

In the work vehicle, various work devices will be installed in order to perform various tasks. Therefore, it is necessary to consider avoiding collisions with not only the work vehicle but also the work equipment against obstacles.

However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, the collision with the working device is not taken into consideration, and the collision avoidance control in the state corresponding to the working device is not performed.

For example, in a work device such as an offset moa, the work device performs work such as mowing at a position away from the work vehicle in the left-right direction of the work vehicle. Therefore, in order to avoid a collision between the work device and an obstacle, the detection range is defined as a range from the work vehicle to a position distant from the work vehicle in the left-right direction, and when an obstacle is detected within the detection range, It is necessary to perform collision avoidance control.

Therefore, it is conceivable to widen the detection range for detecting obstacles, but simply widening the detection range may result in wasteful collision avoidance control and a decrease in work efficiency. Work devices such as offset mowers exist only on one side of the work vehicle in the left-right direction, and there is no work device on the opposite side in the left-right direction. Therefore, if the detection range includes the range in which the work device does not exist, the work Collision avoidance control is wasted by detecting obstacles that do not collide with the device.

In view of this situation, a main object of the present invention is to provide an automatic traveling system capable of avoiding a collision between a work device and an obstacle while preventing unnecessary collision avoidance control. ..

The first feature configuration of the present invention includes an automatic traveling control unit that automatically travels the work vehicle based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by using the satellite positioning system.
An obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the measurement information of the obstacle sensor, and an obstacle detection unit.
When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.
The collision avoidance control unit is configured to be switchable between an execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed, depending on the work device connected to the work vehicle. It is in.

According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid a collision between the work device and an obstacle while preventing unnecessary collision avoidance control from being executed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic traveling system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic driving system. FIG. 3 is a front view of the tractor as viewed from the front side. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the tractor as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a target traveling route in the work area. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the measurement ranges of the plurality of obstacle sensors. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a detection range for detecting an obstacle in a tractor to which an offset moa is connected. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation in the obstacle detection system. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the traveling position of the tractor and the detection range for detecting an obstacle are displayed on the display unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the traveling position of the tractor, the detection range for detecting an obstacle, and the position of the obstacle are displayed on the display unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the traveling position of the tractor, the measurement range of the obstacle sensor, and the range inside and outside the area in the measurement range are displayed on the display unit. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation when displaying on the display unit.

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

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

The tractor 1 is provided with a traveling machine body 7 having left and right front wheels 5 that function as driveable steering wheels and driveable left and right rear wheels 6. A bonnet 8 is arranged on the front side of the traveling machine body 7, and an electronically controlled diesel engine (hereinafter, referred to as an engine) 9 equipped with a common rail system is provided in the bonnet 8. A cabin 10 forming a boarding-type driving unit is provided behind the bonnet 8 of the traveling machine body 7.

An offset moa 12, which is an example of a working device, is connected to the rear part of the traveling machine body 7 via a three-point link mechanism 11 so as to be able to move up and down and roll. As a result, the tractor 1 is configured for mowing specifications. In place of the offset moa 12, various working machines such as a rotary tiller, a plow, a disc halo, a cultivator, a subsoiler, a sowing device, and a spraying device can be connected to the rear portion of the tractor 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tractor 1 includes an electronically controlled transmission 13 that shifts the power from the engine 9, a fully hydraulic power steering mechanism 14 that steers the left and right front wheels 5, and left and right rear wheels 6. Left and right side brakes for braking (not shown), electronically controlled brake operation mechanism 15 that enables hydraulic operation of the left and right side brakes, work clutch (not shown) that interrupts transmission to the offset mower 12, work An electronically controlled clutch operation mechanism 16 that enables hydraulic operation of the clutch, an electrohydraulic control type elevating drive mechanism 17 that elevates and drives the offset mower 12, an in-vehicle electronic device having various control programs related to automatic running of the tractor 1 and the like. A control unit 18, a vehicle speed sensor 19 that detects the vehicle speed of the tractor 1, a steering angle sensor 20 that detects the steering angle of the front wheels 5, a positioning unit 21 that measures the current position and the current orientation of the tractor 1, and the like are provided. ..

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

Inside the cabin 10, as shown in FIG. 1, a steering wheel 38 that enables manual steering of the left and right front wheels 5 via a power steering mechanism 14 (see FIG. 2), a driver's seat 39 for passengers, and a touch panel It is equipped with an expression display unit and various operating tools.

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

As shown in FIG. 2, the positioning unit 21 is a satellite that measures the current position and the current orientation of the tractor 1 by using GPS (Global Positioning System), which is an example of a satellite positioning system (NSS: Navigation Satellite System). It is equipped with a navigation device 22, an inertial measurement unit (IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit) 23, etc., which has a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-direction acceleration sensor, and the like to measure the attitude and orientation of the tractor 1. Positioning methods using GPS include DGPS (Differential GPS: relative positioning method) and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic GPS: interference positioning method). In this embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for positioning of a moving body is adopted. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a reference station 4 that enables positioning by RTK-GPS is installed at a known position around the field.

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

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

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 has positioning information between the terminal electronic control unit 52 having various control programs for controlling the operation of the display unit 51 and the like, and the communication module 25 on the tractor side. A communication module 53 or the like that enables wireless communication of various information including the above is provided. The terminal electronic control unit 52 includes a travel route generation unit 54 that generates a target travel route P (for example, see FIG. 5) for automatically traveling the tractor 1, and various input information and travel route generation units input by the user. It has a non-volatile terminal storage unit 55 and the like that stores the target travel path P and the like generated by the 54.

When the travel route generation unit 54 generates the target travel route P, a user such as a driver or an administrator of the work vehicle follows the input guidance for setting the target travel route displayed on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3. Vehicle body information such as the model and the type of working device such as the offset mower 12 and the working width is input, and the input vehicle body information is stored in the terminal storage unit 55. The work area S (see FIG. 5) for which the target travel path P is to be generated is set as a field, and the terminal electronic control unit 52 of the mobile communication terminal 3 acquires field information including the shape and position of the field and is a terminal storage unit. I remember it at 55.

Explaining the acquisition of field information, when a user or the like drives and actually runs the tractor 1, the terminal electronic control unit 52 obtains the shape and position of the field from the current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21. It is possible to acquire the position information for specifying the above. The terminal electronic control unit 52 can also acquire the position information of the field by reading the shape and position of the field from the map information or the like stored in the external management device or the like. The terminal electronic control unit 52 identifies the shape and position of the field from the acquired position information, and acquires the field information including the work area S specified from the shape and position of the specified field. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the rectangular work area S is specified.

When the field information including the shape and position of the specified field is stored in the terminal storage unit 55, the traveling route generation unit 54 uses the field information and the vehicle body information stored in the terminal storage unit 55 to target. The travel path P is generated.

As shown in FIG. 5, the traveling route generation unit 54 divides and sets the work area S into a central area R1 and an outer peripheral area R2. The central area R1 is set in the central portion of the work area S, and is a reciprocating work area in which the tractor 1 is automatically traveled in the reciprocating direction to perform a predetermined work (for example, work such as tillage). The outer peripheral region R2 is set around the central region R1. The travel path generation unit 54 may, for example, take into account the turning radius included in the vehicle body information, the front-rear width and the left-right width of the tractor 1, and the space required for turning the tractor 1 at the shore of the field. Seeking. The travel path generation unit 54 divides the work area S into a central area R1 and an outer peripheral area R2 so as to secure a space or the like obtained on the outer periphery of the central area R1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the travel route generation unit 54 generates the target travel route P by using the vehicle body information, the field information, and the like. For example, the target travel path P includes a plurality of linear work paths P1 and a plurality of connection paths P2 having the same straight-line distance in the central region R1 and arranged in parallel with a certain distance corresponding to the work width. have. The plurality of work paths P1 are routes for performing predetermined work while traveling the tractor 1 in a straight line. The connecting path P2 is a U-turn path for changing the traveling direction of the tractor 1 by 180 degrees without performing a predetermined operation, and connects the end of the work path P1 and the start end of the next adjacent work path P1. ing.

By the way, the target travel route P shown in FIG. 5 is just an example, and what kind of target travel route is set can be changed as appropriate. For example, the travel route generation unit 54 may generate only the work route P1 without generating the connection route P2. In this case, when the user or the like drives and actually runs the tractor 1, as shown in FIG. 5, the points A and B which are the start and end points of the work are registered. The traveling route generation unit 54 generates a linear initial linear path connecting the point A and the point B, and generates a plurality of parallel paths parallel to the initial linear path, thereby generating an initial linear path and a plurality of parallel paths. Can be set as the work path P1.

The target travel route P generated by the travel route generation unit 54 can be displayed on the display unit 51, and is stored in the terminal storage unit 55 as route information associated with vehicle body information, field information, and the like. The route information includes the azimuth angle of the target traveling route P, the set engine rotation speed set according to the traveling mode of the tractor 1 on the target traveling route P, the target traveling speed, and the like.

When the travel route generation unit 54 generates the target travel route P in this way, the terminal electronic control unit 52 transfers the route information from the mobile communication terminal 3 to the tractor 1, so that the vehicle-mounted electronic control unit 18 of the tractor 1 However, the route information can be acquired. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 automatically travels the tractor 1 along the target travel route P while acquiring its own current position (current position of the tractor 1) by the positioning unit 21 based on the acquired route information. Can be done. The current position of the tractor 1 acquired by the positioning unit 21 is transmitted from the tractor 1 to the mobile communication terminal 3 in real time (for example, in a cycle of several milliseconds), and the current position of the tractor 1 is transmitted by the mobile communication terminal 3. I know.

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

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

The automatic driving control includes automatic shift control that automatically controls the operation of the transmission 13, automatic braking control that automatically controls the operation of the brake operation mechanism 15, automatic steering control that automatically steers the left and right front wheels 5, and an offset mower 12. It includes automatic control for work that automatically controls the operation of.

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

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

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

In the automatic work control, the work device control unit 183 performs work such as the start end of the work path P1 (see, for example, FIG. 5) by the tractor 1 based on the route information of the target travel path P and the output of the positioning unit 21. A predetermined work (for example, mowing work) by the offset mower 12 is started as the start point is reached, and the tractor 1 reaches the work end point such as the end of the work path P1 (for example, see FIG. 5). Along with this, the operation of the clutch operating mechanism 16 and the elevating drive mechanism 17 is automatically controlled so that the predetermined work by the offset mower 12 is stopped.

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

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

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

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tractor 1 is provided with an obstacle detection system 100 for detecting obstacles around the tractor 1 (traveling machine 7) and avoiding a collision with the obstacles. ing. The obstacle detection system 100 includes a plurality of lidar sensors 101 and 102 capable of measuring the distance to the object to be measured in three dimensions using a laser, and a plurality of lidar sensors 101 and 102 capable of measuring the distance to the object to be measured using ultrasonic waves. The sonar units 103 and 104 having sonar, the cameras 105, 106.107 and 108 that image the surroundings of the tractor 1 (traveling machine 7), the obstacle detection unit 110, and the collision avoidance control unit 111 are provided. ..

As shown in FIG. 2, the obstacle detection system 100 includes a plurality of obstacle sensors D such as lidar sensors 101, 102, sonar units 103, 104, and cameras 105, 106, of a plurality of obstacle sensors D. Obstacles detected by each are objects, people, and the like. The rider sensors 101 and 102 are provided with a front rider sensor 101 whose measurement target is the front side of the tractor 1 and a rear rider sensor 102 whose measurement target is the rear side of the tractor 1. The sonar units 103 and 104 include a right sonar unit 103 whose measurement target is the right side of the tractor 1 and a left sonar unit 104 whose measurement target is the left side of the tractor 1. The cameras 105, 106, 107, 108 include a front camera 105 whose measurement target is the front side of the tractor 1, a rear camera 106 whose measurement target is the rear side of the tractor 1, and a right side whose measurement target is the right side of the tractor 1. A camera 107 and a left camera 108 whose measurement target is the left side of the tractor 1 are provided.

The obstacle detection unit 110 repeatedly performs obstacle detection processing based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101, 102, sonar units 103, 104, and cameras 105, 106, 107, 108 in real time, and detects the detection range C (see FIG. 7). It properly detects objects and obstacles such as people inside. The collision avoidance control unit 111 performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with an obstacle detected in real time.

The obstacle detection unit 110 and the collision avoidance control unit 111 are provided in the in-vehicle electronic control unit 18. The in-vehicle electronic control unit 18 is connected to the electronic control unit for the engine, the rider sensors 101, 102, the sonar units 103, 104, the cameras 105, 106, 107, 108, etc. included in the common rail system via CAN (Controller Area Network). Is connected so that it can communicate with each other.

The lidar sensors 101 and 102 measure the distance from the round-trip time until the laser beam (for example, pulsed near-infrared laser beam) hits the measurement object and bounces off to the measurement object (Time Of Flight). .. The lidar sensors 101 and 102 scan the laser beam in the vertical and horizontal directions at high speed, and sequentially measure the distance to the measurement target at each scanning angle to measure the distance to the measurement target in three dimensions. I'm measuring. The lidar sensors 101 and 102 repeatedly measure the distance to the object to be measured within the measurement range in real time. The lidar sensors 101 and 102 are configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the measurement information and output it to the outside. The three-dimensional image generated from the measurement information of the rider sensors 101 and 102 is displayed on a display device such as a display unit of the tractor 1 or a display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that the user or the like can visually recognize the presence or absence of an obstacle. be able to. By the way, in the three-dimensional image, for example, the distance in the perspective direction can be indicated by using a color or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the front rider sensor 101 is attached to the bottom of the antenna unit 80 arranged at the upper position on the front side of the cabin 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the antenna unit 80 is attached to a pipe-shaped antenna unit support stay 81 over the entire length of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The antenna unit 80 is arranged at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The front rider sensor 101 is attached to the antenna unit 80 in a front-down posture, which is located on the lower side toward the front side portion, and is integrally provided on the antenna unit 80. Like the antenna unit 80, the front rider sensor 101 is arranged at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7.

The front camera 105 is arranged above the front rider sensor 101. Like the front rider sensor 101, the front camera 105 is attached in a front-down posture, which is located on the lower side toward the front side portion. The front camera 105 is provided so as to take an image of the front side of the traveling machine body 7 in a state of looking down from an obliquely upper side. It is configured so that the captured image captured by the front camera 105 can be output to the outside. The captured image of the front camera 105 can be displayed on a display device such as a display unit of the tractor 1 or a display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that the user or the like can visually recognize the situation around the tractor 1. The front rider sensor 101 and the front camera 105 are arranged at positions corresponding to the roof 35 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear rider sensor 102 is attached to a pipe-shaped sensor support stay 82 over the entire length of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The rear rider sensor 102 is arranged at a position corresponding to the central portion of the cabin 10 in the left-right direction of the traveling machine body 7. The rear rider sensor 102 is attached to the sensor support stay 82 in a rearward lowering posture, which is located on the lower side toward the rear side portion.

The rear camera 106 is arranged above the rear rider sensor 102. Like the rear rider sensor 102, the rear camera 106 is attached in a rear-down posture, which is located on the lower side toward the rear side portion. The rear camera 106 is provided so as to take an image of the rear side of the traveling machine body 7 in a state of looking down from an obliquely upper side. It is configured so that the captured image captured by the rear camera 106 can be output to the outside. The captured image of the rear camera 106 can be displayed on a display device such as a display unit of the tractor 1 or a display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that the user or the like can visually recognize the situation around the tractor 1. The rear rider sensor 102 and the rear camera 106 are arranged at positions corresponding to the roof 35 in the vertical direction.

Although not shown, the right camera 107 and the left camera 108 are provided so as to take an image while looking down from an obliquely upper side via a support stay or the like, like the front camera 105 and the rear camera 106. The right camera 107 and the left camera 108 can also be arranged at positions corresponding to the roof 35 in the vertical direction. The captured images captured by the right camera 107 and the left camera 108 are also configured to be output to the outside. The captured images of the right camera 107 and the left camera 108 can be displayed on a display device such as a display unit of the tractor 1 or a display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 so that the user or the like can visually recognize the situation around the tractor 1. ..

The sonar units 103 and 104 are configured to measure the distance from the measurement object from the round-trip time until the projected ultrasonic wave hits the measurement object and bounces off. As sonar units 103 and 104, a right sonar unit 103 having a measurement range on the right side of the tractor 1 (traveling machine body 7) and a left sonar unit 104 having a measuring range on the left side of the tractor 1 (traveling machine body 7) (see FIG. 1). And are provided.

The obstacle detection system 100 detects obstacles within a predetermined detection range C (see FIG. 7) around the tractor 1, in order to detect obstacles 101, 102, sonar units 103, 104, and cameras 105, 106, 107. , 108 and a plurality of obstacle sensors D are provided. The measurement range of the plurality of obstacle sensors D will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the measurement ranges of the plurality of obstacle sensors D.

As shown in FIG. 6, the front side of the tractor 1 is provided in a state where the measurement range C1 of the front rider sensor 101 and a part of the measurement range C2 of the front camera 105 overlap. Both the measurement range C1 and the measurement range C2 are set to symmetrical ranges. The measurement range C2 is set so that the distance from the tractor 1 to the front side is larger than the measurement range C1 and is set to a range larger than the measurement range C1 in the left-right direction by a predetermined angle.

Similar to the front side of the tractor 1, the rear side of the tractor 1 is provided in a state where the measurement range C3 of the rear rider sensor 102 and a part of the measurement range C4 of the rear camera 106 overlap. Both the measurement range C3 and the measurement range C4 are set to symmetrical ranges. The measurement range C4 is set so that the distance from the tractor 1 to the rear side is larger than the measurement range C3 and is set to a range larger than the measurement range C3 in the left-right direction by a predetermined angle.

The right side of the tractor 1 is provided in a state where the measurement range C5 of the right sonar unit 103 and a part of the measurement range C6 of the right camera 107 overlap. The measurement range C5 and the measurement range C6 are both set to be symmetrical in the front-rear direction. The measurement range C6 is set so that the distance from the tractor 1 to the right side is larger than the measurement range C5, and the measurement range C6 is set to a range larger than the measurement range C5 by a predetermined angle in the front-rear direction.

Similar to the right side of the tractor 1, the left side of the tractor 1 is provided in a state where the measurement range C7 of the sonar unit 104 on the left side and a part of the measurement range C8 of the left camera 108 overlap. The measurement range C7 and the measurement range C8 are both set to be symmetrical in the front-rear direction. The measurement range C8 is set so that the distance from the tractor 1 to the left side is larger than the measurement range C7, and the measurement range C8 is set to a range larger than the measurement range C7 by a predetermined angle in the front-rear direction.

As described above, in the one shown in FIG. 6, the measurement ranges of the two obstacle sensors D are provided in a state of overlapping in any of the front side, the rear side, the right side, and the left side of the tractor 1, but the obstacles A plurality of obstacle sensors D may be provided in a state where the measurement ranges of the sensors D do not overlap. How to set the measurement range of the plurality of obstacle sensors D such as the rider sensors 101, 102, the sonar units 103, 104 and the cameras 105, 106, 107, 108 can be appropriately changed.

The obstacle detection process by the obstacle detection unit 110 will be described. The obstacle detection unit 110 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the tractor 1 based on the measurement information of the rider sensors 101, 102, the sonar units 103, 104, and the cameras 105, 106, 107, 108. And, it is configured to perform an obstacle detection process for detecting the position of an obstacle.

On the front side of the tractor 1, when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on the measurement information of the front camera 105 as an obstacle detection process and detects the presence of the obstacle, the front rider sensor The position of the obstacle is detected based on the measurement information of 101. By the way, when an obstacle exists only in the measurement range C2 of the front camera 105, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the presence or absence of the obstacle and the position of the obstacle based on the measurement information of the front camera 105. Is being detected. In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the presence of an obstacle based on the measurement information of the front rider sensor 101 and the measurement information of the front camera 105 as the obstacle detection process on the front side of the tractor 1. The position of the obstacle is detected. Regarding the rear side of the tractor 1, the obstacle detection unit 110 also detects the presence of obstacles on the rear side of the tractor 1 based on the measurement information of the rear rider sensor 102 and the measurement information of the rear camera 106 as the obstacle detection process. At the same time as detecting, the position of the obstacle is detected.

On the right side of the tractor 1, when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle based on the measurement information of the right camera 107 as an obstacle detection process and detects the presence of the obstacle, the right side The position of the obstacle is detected based on the measurement information of the sonar unit 103. By the way, when an obstacle exists only in the measurement range C6 of the right camera 107, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the presence or absence of the obstacle and the position of the obstacle based on the measurement information of the right camera 107. Is being detected. In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the presence of an obstacle based on the measurement information of the right sonar unit 103 and the measurement information of the right camera 107 as the obstacle detection process on the right side of the tractor 1, and also detects the presence of the obstacle. The position of the obstacle is detected. Regarding the left side of the tractor 1, the obstacle detection unit 110 also detects the presence of an obstacle based on the measurement information of the left sonar unit 104 and the measurement information of the left camera 108 as the obstacle detection process on the left side of the tractor 1. At the same time, the position of the obstacle is detected.

When the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle, the obstacle detection unit 110 is a plurality of obstacle sensors D such as a rider sensor 101, 102, a sonar unit 103, 104, and a camera 105, 106, 107, 1089. Each is configured to be switchable between an operating state and a non-operating state. The obstacle detection unit 110 does not switch all of the plurality of obstacle sensors D to the operating state, but as shown in FIG. 7, depending on the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the state of the work device such as the offset mower 12. , A part of the plurality of obstacle sensors D is switched to the operating state, and the remaining part is switched to the non-operating state. FIG. 7 shows the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state.

The obstacle detection unit 110 switches each of the plurality of obstacle sensors D between an operating state and a non-operating state, so that the entire system can be adjusted according to the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the status of the working device such as the offset mower 12. The detection range C for detecting obstacles can be changed freely. The obstacle detection unit 110 reduces the processing load of the obstacle detection unit 110 by switching a part of the plurality of obstacle sensors D to the non-operating state, improves the processing speed, and accurately and quickly. I try to detect obstacles.

When the tractor 1 travels forward, as shown in FIG. 7, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches the front rider sensor 101 and the front camera 105 to the operating state, and does not switch the rear rider sensor 102 and the rear camera 106. Switching to the operating state. Although not shown, on the contrary, when the tractor 1 travels backward, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches the rear rider sensor 102 and the rear camera 106 into the operating state, and the front rider sensor 101 and the front camera 105. Is switched to the non-operating state.

When the offset moa 12 which is a working device is offset to the left side of the tractor 1, the obstacle detection unit 110 sets the left sonar unit 104, the right sonar unit 103, and the left camera 108 as shown in FIG. It is switched to the operating state, and the right camera 107 is switched to the non-operating state. In this case, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches the right sonar unit 103 to the operating state to detect obstacles only in a range close to the tractor 1 on the right side of the tractor 1, but does not detect the right sonar unit 103. It can also be switched to the operating state.

On the contrary, when the offset moa 12 which is a working device is offset to the right side of the tractor 1, the obstacle detection unit 110 is the right sonar unit 103, the left sonar unit 104, and the right camera, although not shown. The 107 is switched to the operating state, and the left camera 108 is switched to the non-operating state. In this case, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches the left sonar unit 104 to the operating state to detect obstacles only in a range close to the tractor 1 on the left side of the tractor 1, but does not detect the left sonar unit 104. It can also be switched to the operating state.

The obstacle detection unit 110 determines whether the tractor 1 is traveling forward or backward based on the operating state of the forward / backward switching lever provided in the control unit of the tractor 1. When generating the target travel path P for automatically traveling the tractor 1, vehicle body information including information about the work device such as the type and work width of the work device is input, so that the obstacle detection unit 110 inputs. Based on the vehicle body information, it is determined which position the working device such as the offset mower 12 is located with respect to the tractor 1 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 110 acquires the traveling state of the tractor 1 based on the operating state of the forward / backward switching lever, acquires the status of the work device based on the vehicle body information, and acquires the traveling state of the acquired tractor 1. And, depending on the situation of the working device, each of the plurality of obstacle sensors D is switched between the operating state and the non-operating state.

In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 switches each of the plurality of obstacle sensors D between the operating state and the non-operating state, so that the obstacle detection unit 110 can switch between the operating state and the non-operating state, depending on the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the state of the work device such as the offset mower 12. , The detection range C for detecting obstacles is changed and set for the entire system. FIG. 7 shows the detection range C of the entire system in a state where the tractor 1 is traveling forward and the offset moa 12 is offset to the left side of the tractor 1.

In the one shown in FIG. 7, the obstacle detection unit 110 changes the detection range C for detecting an obstacle by switching each of the plurality of obstacle sensors D between an operating state and a non-operating state. By changing the measurement range of the object sensor D itself, it is possible to change the detection range C for detecting obstacles in the entire system. For example, in FIG. 6, regarding the measurement range C1 of the front rider sensor 101, the measurement of the front rider sensor 101 is performed by changing the distance from the tractor 1 to the front end of the measurement range C1 and the angle between the left and right ends in the left-right direction. The range C1 can be changed.

When the tractor 1 travels forward, for example, the obstacle detection unit 110 approaches the measurement range C1 of the front rider sensor 101 and the measurement range C2 of the front camera 105 with respect to the distance from the tractor 1 and the angle in the left-right direction. Can be set to be larger than the measurement range C3 of the rear rider sensor 102 and the measurement range C4 of the rear camera 106. On the contrary, when the tractor 1 travels backward, for example, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the measurement range C3 of the rear rider sensor 102 and the measurement range of the rear camera 106 with respect to the distance from the tractor 1 and the angle in the left-right direction. C4 can be set to be larger than the measurement range C1 of the front rider sensor 101 and the measurement range C2 of the front camera 105.

When the offset mower 12 which is a working device is offset to the left side of the tractor 1, for example, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the distance from the tractor 1 and the angle in the front-rear direction of the left camera 108. The measurement range C8 can be set to be larger than the measurement range C6 of the right camera 107. On the contrary, when the offset mower 12 which is a working device is offset to the right side of the tractor 1, for example, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the distance from the tractor 1 and the angle in the front-rear direction with respect to the right camera 107. The measurement range C6 of the left camera 108 can be set to be larger than the measurement range C8 of the left camera 108.

In this way, the obstacle detection unit 110 changes the measurement range itself of the obstacle sensor D according to the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the state of the work device such as the offset moa 12, and thereby the obstacle as a whole system. It is also possible to change and set the detection range C for detecting.

When changing the measurement range itself of the obstacle sensor D, for example, in the case of a work device existing at a position close to the tractor 1, in order to avoid a collision between the work device and the obstacle, the tractor 1 is used. The detection range may be up to a close position. On the other hand, if the work device is located at a position away from the tractor 1, the detection range should be a position away from the tractor 1 in order to avoid a collision between the work device and an obstacle. Is required. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 110 detects obstacles as a whole system by changing the distance from the tractor 1 in the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D according to the distance from the tractor 1 to the work device. The range C can be changed and set.

The collision avoidance control by the collision avoidance control unit 111 will be described. The collision avoidance control unit 111 is configured to perform collision avoidance control for decelerating the tractor 1 or stopping the traveling of the tractor 1 when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle. For example, within the detection range C (see FIG. 7), when the distance from the tractor 1 to the position where the obstacle exists is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, the collision avoidance control unit 111 decelerates the tractor 1 as collision avoidance control. .. Further, if the distance from the tractor 1 to the position where the obstacle exists within the detection range C is less than a predetermined distance, the collision avoidance control unit 111 stops the tractor 1 from traveling as a collision avoidance control. In this case, the predetermined distance may be different from the predetermined distance for the front side of the tractor 1 and the predetermined distance for the rear side of the tractor 1, or the predetermined distance may be changed and set according to the traveling speed of the tractor 1. it can. Regarding the predetermined distance, what kind of distance is set can be appropriately changed according to various conditions.

In the collision avoidance control, the collision avoidance control unit 111 not only decelerates the tractor 1 or stops the tractor 1 from traveling, but also activates a notification device 26 such as a notification buzzer and a notification lamp to indicate that an obstacle exists. I am informing you. In the collision avoidance control, the collision avoidance control unit 111 communicates with the mobile communication terminal 3 from the tractor 1 by using the communication modules 25 and 53 to display the presence of the obstacle on the display unit 51, so that the obstacle exists. It is possible to notify what to do.

The operation of the obstacle detection system 100 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. The obstacle detection unit 110 determines whether the tractor 1 is traveling forward or backward from the operation state of the forward / backward switching lever, etc., and acquires the traveling state of the tractor 1 (step # 1). ). The obstacle detection unit 110 determines from the vehicle body information including information about the work device such as the type and work width of the work device, which position the work device such as the offset mower 12 is located in the left-right direction with respect to the tractor 1. The status of the work device such as the position information of the work device as to what distance the work device is located with respect to 1 is acquired (step # 2).

The obstacle detection unit 110 sets the detection range C for detecting obstacles in the entire system according to the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the state of the work device such as the offset moa 12 (step # 3). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the tractor 1 is traveling forward and the offset mower 12 is located on the left side of the tractor 1, the obstacle detection unit 110 determines the front rider sensor 101, the front camera 105, and the front camera 105. The detection range C is set by switching the left sonar unit 104, the right sonar unit 103, and the left camera 108 to the operating state, and switching the rear rider sensor 102, the rear camera 106, and the right camera 107 to the non-operating state.

The obstacle detection unit 110 performs an obstacle detection process for detecting the presence / absence of an obstacle and the position of the obstacle within the set detection range C (step # 4). When the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle by the obstacle detection process, the collision avoidance control unit 111 performs collision avoidance control (in the case of Yes in step # 5, step # 6).

In this way, the obstacle detection system 100 repeatedly repeats the operations of steps # 1 to # 6 during the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, and causes a collision between the work device such as the tractor 1 and the offset mower 12 and the obstacle. While avoiding it, the tractor 1 is automatically driven along the target traveling route P.

In the mobile communication terminal 3, when the tractor 1 is automatically driven or the like, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the position information of the tractor 1 in the work area S and the detection of detecting an obstacle in the obstacle detection system 100 The range C is displayed on the display unit 51. As a result, the user or the like can grasp the traveling condition of the tractor 1 and the detection range C of the obstacle during the automatic traveling of the tractor 1.

The position information and the like of the tractor 1 can be displayed not only on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 but also on the display unit of the tractor 1 and the display unit of the external management device. Since the configuration for displaying the position information of the tractor 1 is the same, the case of displaying the position information on the display unit 51 of the mobile communication terminal 3 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 acquires the position information of the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56 that acquires the position information of the tractor 1 and the position information of the detection range C that detects an obstacle in the obstacle detection system 100. The detection range position information acquisition unit 57, the obstacle position information acquisition unit 58 that acquires the position information of the obstacle when the obstacle detection system 100 detects an obstacle, and the display mode of the display unit 51 are controlled. A display control unit 59 is provided.

Since the positioning unit 21 of the tractor 1 acquires the position information of the tractor 1 using the satellite positioning system, the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56 communicates with the communication module 25 on the tractor 1 side and the mobile communication terminal 3 side. The position information of the tractor 1 is acquired via wireless communication with the module 53.

The obstacle detection unit 110 in the obstacle detection system 100 of the tractor 1 sets a detection range C for detecting obstacles in the entire system according to the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the state of the work device such as the offset mower 12. Therefore, the position information of the detection range C with respect to the tractor 1 is grasped. The detection range position information acquisition unit 57 acquires the position information of the detection range C with respect to the tractor 1 via wireless communication between the communication module 25 on the tractor 1 side and the communication module 53 on the mobile communication terminal 3 side. There is.

The obstacle detection unit 110 in the obstacle detection system 100 of the tractor 1 executes the obstacle detection process to grasp the position information of the obstacle with respect to the tractor 1 when the obstacle is detected. The obstacle position information acquisition unit 58 acquires the position information of the obstacle with respect to the tractor 1 via wireless communication between the communication module 25 on the tractor 1 side and the communication module 53 on the mobile communication terminal 3 side. ..

The display control unit 59 specifies the traveling position of the tractor 1 (current position of the tractor 1) based on the position information of the tractor 1 acquired by the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56, and the detection range position information acquisition unit 57 The position of the detection range C with respect to the traveling position of the tractor 1 is specified based on the position information of the detection range C with respect to the tractor 1 acquired in. As shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 59 causes the display unit 51 to display the traveling position and the detection range C of the specified tractor 1 on the map.

The display control unit 59 has the measurement ranges C1, C2, C5, C7, C8 (measurement ranges shown in gray in FIG. 9) and the non-operating state of the plurality of obstacle sensors D in the operating state of the obstacle sensor D. The measurement ranges C3, C4, and C6 (measurement ranges shown in white in FIG. 9) of the obstacle sensor D are displayed in different display modes. As a different display mode, various display modes can be different, for example, changing the color to be displayed. As a result, the display unit 51 displays the entire measurement range C1 to C8 of the plurality of obstacle sensors D, while detecting the detection range C which is the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state and the obstacle in the non-operating state. It is possible to distinguish it from the measurement range of the object sensor D. Therefore, the user or the like can see not only what kind of range C is the detection range for detecting obstacles, but also what kind of range is the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D that is inactive. You can easily recognize the presence.

In the one shown in FIG. 9, since the display control unit 59 displays the traveling position of the tractor 1 and the detection range C on the map in the work area S, the operation is performed with respect to the traveling position of the tractor 1. The work path P1 generated in the area S is superimposed and displayed.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle within the detection range C, the display control unit 59 acquires the position information of the tractor 1 by the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56. The traveling position of the tractor 1 (current position of the tractor 1) is specified based on the above, and the position of the detected obstacle based on the position information of the obstacle with respect to the tractor 1 acquired by the obstacle position information acquisition unit 58. (Position indicated by "x" in FIG. 10) is displayed on the display unit 51. In addition to displaying the position information of the obstacle, the display control unit 59 has measurement ranges C1 and C2 (FIG. 10) of the obstacle sensor D in the detection state in which the obstacle is detected among the obstacle sensors D in the operating state. The display mode is different between the measurement range C5, C7, and C8 (the range shown in light gray in FIG. 10) in the obstacle sensor D in the non-detection state where no obstacle is detected. It is displayed at. As a result, the user or the like can recognize which range is the detection range C and which range is the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the non-operating state, and in the detection range C, the obstacle is detected in which range. Can be easily recognized.

During the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, as shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 59 only displays the traveling position of the tractor 1 and the position of the detection range C (measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state). is not. As shown in FIG. 11, when the measurement range C1 of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state is displayed on the display unit 51, the range C1a inside the work area S and the range C1b outside the work area T are different. It is displayed in the display mode. As a different display mode, various display modes can be different, for example, changing the color to be displayed. Incidentally, in FIG. 11, in order to make it easy to understand the in-region range C1a and the out-of-region range C1b, the measurement ranges C2, C4, C6, and C8 of the cameras 105, 106, 107, and 108 are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 3 is provided with a work area position information acquisition unit 60 for acquiring the position information of the work area S in order to display the range C1a within the area and the range C1b outside the area. There is. When the target travel path P for automatically traveling the tractor 1 is generated, the shape and position of the work area S (field) are acquired as field information, so that the work area position information acquisition unit 60 acquires the field. The position information of the work area S is acquired from the information. The display control unit 59 identifies the position of the outer end portion of the work area S from the position information of the work area S acquired by the work area position information acquisition unit 60, and as shown in FIG. 11, the work area S of the work area S. The measurement range C1 is displayed by dividing the range C1a inside the region and the range C1b outside the region with reference to the position of the outer end portion.

In FIG. 11, since the tractor 1 is traveling forward, the front rider sensor 101 is in the operating state, and the display control unit 59 in the measurement range C1 of the front rider sensor 101 is in the range C1a (gray). The range shown above) and the range C1b outside the area (the range shown in white) are displayed in different display modes.

Since the work area position information acquisition unit 60 acquires the position information of the work area S, it is an obstacle via wireless communication between the communication module 25 on the tractor 1 side and the communication module 53 on the mobile communication terminal 3 side. The detection system 100 can acquire the position information of the work area S. Therefore, even if the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle in the out-of-region range C1b by removing the out-of-region range C1b from the detection range C in the measurement range C1 of the operating obstacle sensor D, The collision avoidance control unit 111 is in a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed.

The operation when the display control unit 59 causes the display unit 51 to display the traveling position and the like of the tractor 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56 acquires the position information of the tractor 1, the detection range position information acquisition unit 57 acquires the position information of the detection range C, and acquires the position information of the tractor 1 and the detection range C (step). # 11).

The display control unit 59 is shown in FIG. 9 based on the position information of the tractor 1 acquired by the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56 and the position information of the detection range C acquired by the detection range position information acquisition unit 57. As described above, the traveling position of the tractor 1 and a plurality of obstacles are displayed while displaying the detection range C, which is the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state, and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the non-operating state in different display modes. A display process for displaying the measurement ranges C1 to C8 of the object sensor D is being performed (step # 12).

When the obstacle position information acquisition unit 58 acquires the obstacle position information, the display control unit 59 is based on the obstacle position information acquired by the obstacle position information acquisition unit 58 as shown in FIG. , The position of the obstacle (the position indicated by "x" in FIG. 10) is displayed, and the measurement ranges C1 and C2 (the range indicated by dark gray in FIG. 10) in the obstacle sensor D in the detected state are not displayed. The position of the obstacle is displayed so that the measurement ranges C5, C7, and C8 (the range shown in light gray in FIG. 10) of the obstacle sensor D in the detected state are displayed in different display modes (step # 13). In the case of Yes, step # 14).

The display control unit 59 determines whether or not T outside the work area is included in the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state from the position information of the work area S acquired by the work area position information acquisition unit 60. Yes (step # 15). When the measurement range of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state includes the work area T outside the work area, the work area acquired by the work area position information acquisition unit 60 by the display control unit 59, as shown in FIG. Based on the position information of S, in the measurement range C1 of the obstacle sensor D in the operating state, the display mode is different between the range C1a (the range shown in gray) and the range C1b (the range shown in white) outside the area. Is displayed at (step # 16).

In this way, the operations of steps # 11 to # 16 are repeated, and during the automatic traveling of the tractor 1, not only the traveling position of the tractor 1 but also the measurement ranges C1 to C8 of the plurality of obstacle sensors D, and The positions of obstacles are displayed on the display unit 51 so that the user or the like can easily recognize them.

[Second Embodiment]
This second embodiment is another embodiment of the obstacle detection system 100 in the first embodiment, and mainly describes the points different from the first embodiment, and the same points as the first embodiment will be described. Omit.

In the first embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 110 is configured to freely change the detection range C for detecting obstacles according to a working device such as an offset moa 12 connected to the tractor 1. Instead of this, in the second embodiment, even if the collision avoidance control unit 111 detects an obstacle by the obstacle detection unit 110, the collision avoidance control unit 111 depends on the working device such as the offset mower 12 connected to the tractor 1. It is configured to be freely switchable between an executed state in which collision avoidance control is executed and a non-execution state in which collision avoidance control is not executed.

In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 110 is in the operating state of all of the plurality of obstacle sensors D, and as shown in FIG. 6, all of the plurality of obstacle sensors D. Obstacles are detected in the measurement range C1 to C8. As a result, the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the obstacle regardless of the direction of the front side, the rear side, the right side, or the left side of the tractor 1.

However, for example, when the tractor 1 is traveling forward, even if an obstacle is detected on the rear side of the tractor 1, a working device such as the tractor 1 or the offset mower 12 collides with the obstacle. Never. Further, when a working device such as an offset moa 12 is located on the left side of the tractor 1, even if an obstacle is detected on the right side of the tractor 1, the obstacle does not collide with the working device.

Therefore, even if the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle, the collision avoidance control unit 111 may collide with the obstacle depending on the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the condition of the work device such as the offset moa 12. Whether or not there is a possibility is determined, and based on the determination result, the execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and the non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed are switched.

For example, when the tractor 1 is traveling forward, as shown in FIG. 6, in the measurement ranges C1 to C8 of the plurality of obstacle sensors D, the obstacles are in the measurement ranges C1 and C2 on the front side of the tractor 1. When the above is detected, the collision avoidance control unit 111 switches to the execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed, performs the collision avoidance control, and performs processing such as decelerating or stopping the running of the tractor 1. On the other hand, even if an obstacle is detected in the measurement ranges C3 and C4 on the rear side of the tractor 1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 switches to the non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed and performs the collision avoidance control. Absent.

When a working device such as an offset mower 12 is located on the left side of the tractor 1 (see FIG. 7), the tractor is located in the measurement ranges C1 to C8 of the plurality of obstacle sensors D as shown in FIG. When an obstacle is detected in the measurement ranges C7 and C8 on the left side of 1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 switches to the execution state for executing the collision avoidance control, performs the collision avoidance control, and decelerates or stops the tractor 1. Etc. are performed. On the other hand, even if an obstacle is detected in the measurement range C6 on the right side of the tractor 1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 switches to the non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed, and the collision avoidance control is not performed.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the tractor 1 is traveling forward in a state where the working device such as the offset mower 12 is located on the left side of the tractor 1, the plurality of obstacle sensors D When obstacles are detected in the measurement ranges C1 to C2 on the front side of the tractor 1, the measurement range C5 on the right side of the tractor 1, and the measurement ranges C7 and C8 on the left side of the tractor 1 in the measurement ranges C1 to C8, collision avoidance is avoided. The control unit 111 has switched to the execution state for executing the collision avoidance control. On the other hand, even if an obstacle is detected in the measurement ranges C3 and C4 on the rear side of the tractor 1 and the measurement range C6 on the right side of the tractor 1, the collision avoidance control unit 111 does not execute the collision avoidance control. Switching to the running state. At this time, on the right side of the tractor 1, only the measurement range C5, which is close to the tractor 1, is switched to the execution state in which the collision avoidance control unit 111 executes the collision avoidance control, but an obstacle is detected in the measurement range C5. However, the collision avoidance control unit 111 can be switched to the non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed.

In this way, the collision avoidance control unit 111 detects the obstacle while the obstacle detection unit 110 detects the obstacle in all the measurement ranges C1 to C8 of the plurality of obstacle sensors D. However, the collision avoidance control is not uniformly executed, but the collision avoidance control is executed depending on the traveling state of the tractor 1, the state of the working device such as the offset mower 12, and the range in which the obstacle is detected. And the non-execution state where collision avoidance control is not executed.

When switching between the execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and the non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed, as described above, when the collision avoidance control unit 111 detects an obstacle in the obstacle detection unit 110, the tractor 1 It is determined whether or not there is a possibility of collision with an obstacle according to the running state and the condition of the work device such as the offset mower 12, and the execution state and the non-execution state are switched based on the determination result. There is.

Instead of this, at the timing before the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle, a plurality of collision avoidance control units 111 may be used depending on the traveling state of the tractor 1 and the status of the work device such as the offset mower 12. The measurement range of the obstacle sensor D is set in advance as a measurement range for the running state and a measurement range for the non-execution state. When the obstacle detection unit 110 detects an obstacle, the collision avoidance control unit 111 switches to the execution state if the position of the detected obstacle is within the measurement range for the execution state, and the position of the detected obstacle is changed. If it is within the measurement range for the non-execution state, it can be switched to the non-execution state.

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

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

(2) In the above embodiment, the traveling route generation unit 54, the work vehicle position information acquisition unit 56, the detection range position information acquisition unit 57, the obstacle position information acquisition unit 58, the display control unit 59, and the work area position information acquisition unit 60. Etc. are provided in the mobile communication terminal 3, but can also be provided in the tractor 1 (working vehicle) or an external management device. For example, a display control unit 59 is provided in a management device provided in an external monitoring center, and the display control unit 59 can control the display state of a display device such as a monitor provided in the monitoring center. As a result, the position information of the work vehicle and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state among the plurality of obstacle sensors can be displayed on the monitor of the monitoring center. It is possible to monitor the running condition of the vehicle and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor.

(3) In the above embodiment, as the obstacle sensor D, the rider sensors 101, 102, the sonar units 103, 104, and the cameras 105, 106, 107, 108 are provided. For example, the right camera 107 and the left camera 108 are provided. Alternatively, a long-distance measuring device such as a millimeter-wave radar capable of measuring an obstacle far from the tractor 1 can be provided, and what kind of sensor is provided as the obstacle sensor D can be appropriately changed. ..

[Supplementary note of invention]
The first feature configuration of the present invention includes an automatic traveling control unit that automatically travels the work vehicle based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by using the satellite positioning system.
An obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the measurement information of the obstacle sensor, and an obstacle detection unit.
When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.
The collision avoidance control unit is configured to be switchable between an execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed, depending on the work device connected to the work vehicle. It is in.

According to this configuration, even if the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle, the collision avoidance control unit does not uniformly perform the collision avoidance control, but executes the collision avoidance control according to the working device. It is switched between the state and the non-execution state in which collision avoidance control is not executed.

For example, if the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit is a position where there is a possibility of collision with the work device, the collision avoidance control unit switches to an execution state for executing the collision avoidance control and performs collision avoidance control. It is possible to avoid a collision between an obstacle and a work device. On the other hand, if the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit is a position where there is no possibility of collision with the work device, the collision avoidance control unit switches to a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed. It is possible to prevent the collision avoidance control from being unnecessarily performed.

The second feature configuration of the present invention includes an automatic traveling control unit that automatically travels the work vehicle based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by using the satellite positioning system.
An obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the measurement information of the obstacle sensor, and an obstacle detection unit.
When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.
The obstacle detection unit is configured so that the detection range can be freely changed according to the work device connected to the work vehicle.

According to this configuration, the obstacle detection unit does not set the detection range for detecting obstacles to a fixed range, but changes and sets the detection range according to the working device. As a result, for example, the obstacle detection unit changes and sets the detection range so that the obstacles that may collide with the work device are included in the detection range depending on the position of the work device. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the detection range corresponding to the work device without including the obstacle that does not collide with the work device in the detection range. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a collision between the work device and an obstacle while preventing the collision avoidance control from being unnecessarily executed.

The third characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the obstacle detection unit includes a plurality of obstacle sensors capable of detecting obstacles within the measurement range, and when the work vehicle is automatically driven, a plurality of obstacles Each object sensor is configured to be switchable between an operating state and a non-operating state.
A display control unit for displaying the position information of the work vehicle acquired by using the positioning satellite system and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state among the plurality of obstacle sensors is provided. There is a point.

According to this configuration, the display control unit displays the position information of the work vehicle and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state on the display unit, so that the user or the like can work during the automatic running of the work vehicle. The traveling position of the vehicle and the measurement range for detecting an obstacle can be easily recognized. Moreover, since the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state is displayed, the user or the like can easily recognize which of the plurality of obstacle sensors is in the operating state.

In the fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention, the display control unit detects the measurement range and the obstacle in the obstacle sensor in the detection state in which the obstacle is detected when there are a plurality of obstacle sensors in the operating state. The point is that the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the non-detected state is displayed on the display unit in a different display mode.

According to this configuration, when an obstacle is detected, the display control unit displays the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the detected state and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the non-detection state in different display modes. The user or the like can quickly and appropriately recognize which obstacle sensor among the plurality of obstacle sensors has detected the obstacle. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly respond to the detection of obstacles and improve work efficiency.

In the fifth feature configuration of the present invention, the automatic traveling control unit automatically travels the work vehicle within a preset work area.
When the display control unit displays the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state on the display unit, the display control unit displays the range inside the work area and the range outside the work area in different display modes. The point is to display on the display unit.

According to this configuration, the display control unit displays the range inside the area and the range outside the area on the display unit in different display modes, so that the user or the like can display any range in the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state. Is the range within the region, and it is possible to easily recognize which range is the range outside the region.

Claims (5)

1. Based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by using the satellite positioning system, the automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the work vehicle and
   An obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the measurement information of the obstacle sensor, and an obstacle detection unit.
   When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.
   The collision avoidance control unit is automatically configured to be switchable between an execution state in which the collision avoidance control is executed and a non-execution state in which the collision avoidance control is not executed, depending on the work device connected to the work vehicle. Driving system.
2. Based on the positioning information of the work vehicle acquired by using the satellite positioning system, the automatic driving control unit that automatically drives the work vehicle and
   An obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle within a predetermined detection range around the work vehicle based on the measurement information of the obstacle sensor, and an obstacle detection unit.
   When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, a collision avoidance control unit that performs collision avoidance control for avoiding a collision with the obstacle is provided.
   The obstacle detection unit is an automatic traveling system configured so that the detection range can be freely changed according to the work device connected to the work vehicle.
3. The obstacle detection unit includes a plurality of obstacle sensors capable of detecting obstacles within the measurement range, and when the work vehicle is automatically driven, each of the plurality of obstacle sensors is not in the operating state. It is configured to be switchable to the operating state,
   A display control unit for displaying the position information of the work vehicle acquired by using the positioning satellite system and the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state among the plurality of obstacle sensors is provided. The automatic traveling system according to claim 1 or 2.
4. When there are a plurality of obstacle sensors in the operating state, the display control unit is used in the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the detected state where the obstacle is detected and in the obstacle sensor in the non-detected state where the obstacle is not detected. The automatic traveling system according to claim 3, wherein the measurement range is displayed on the display unit in a display mode different from that of the measurement range.
5. The automatic travel control unit automatically travels the work vehicle within a preset work area.
   When the display control unit displays the measurement range of the obstacle sensor in the operating state on the display unit, the display control unit displays the range inside the work area and the range outside the work area in different display modes. The automatic traveling system according to claim 3 or 4, which is displayed on the display unit.
   
   

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