The present invention relates to a travel route management system for a work machine that performs work while automatically traveling on a work site such as a field.
Background technology
[0002]
As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a work vehicle (work machine) performs work such as planting work while traveling in a field (work area). In addition, the work vehicle (work machine) travels for work by automatic travel. A work vehicle (work machine) calculates a travel route, and automatically travels along the travel route based on its own position calculated using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or the like.
prior art documents
patent literature
[0003]
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-154394
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004]
There is a need for a travel route management system to further improve the convenience of automatic work travel for such work equipment.
Means to solve problems
[0005]
(1) According to the present invention, there is provided a travel route management system for a work machine capable of automatically traveling a farm. A round-trip route creation unit that creates at least one or more round-trip routes in the outer peripheral area of the farm based on the above, and a round-trip route creator that creates a round-trip route including a plurality of straight routes in an inner area located inside the outer peripheral area. and the number of the circuit paths is determined by the area required for turning from the straight path that is currently running to the next straight path that is to be run.
[0006]
With this configuration, the number of round trips can be limited to as few as possible on the condition that the area required for turning travel when transitioning from the straight route to the straight route in the round trip route is secured. Considering that the turning around in the corner area of the field becomes a complicated route, and that traveling using a round-trip route that connects multiple straight routes with turning travel becomes a simple route. For example, it is convenient to reduce the number of round trips.
[0007]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the round-trip route is created based on the travel locus in the contour calculation travel that travels along the boundary line of the farm. In this configuration, the running trajectory obtained by manually traveling to calculate the contour of the farm shows the current contour of the farm. Therefore, if a round-trip route is created in as wide a range as possible based on the outline of the farm, efficient work becomes possible.
[0008]
One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes a driving mode management unit that enables selection from manned automatic driving and unmanned automatic driving as the driving mode of the circuit route. In this configuration, the circular route, which runs closest to the boundary line of the farm field such as a ridge, can be run in an appropriate mode of operation between manned automatic driving and unmanned automatic driving. In unmanned automatic driving, if the work equipment can follow the loop route that has been proven in the previous outline calculation driving, the automatic driving will be as desired, but the accuracy of the following driving depends on the automatic driving control technology. will depend. If the work machine is automatically driven so that it does not deviate from the tolerance set in advance from the circular path, results can be obtained in terms of labor saving. However, in order to deal with unforeseen situations such as bad weather and deterioration of the farm surface, and dangers of contact with intruders or intruders, manned automatic travel is preferable even when a worker gets on the work machine. A worker who gets into the work machine does not actually operate the work machine, but takes emergency measures such as stopping the work machine when an unforeseen situation or a dangerous contact situation occurs. By selecting this mode of operation, that is, manned autonomous driving or unmanned autonomous driving, depending on the situation, effective driving is possible regardless of the circumstances of driving using a circular route. becomes. When automatic driving is stopped, manual driving is started. Of course, when a skilled worker drives, it is also possible to manually travel the circular route.
[0009]
The outer loop route, which runs closest to the boundaries of the field such as ridges, has the highest possibility of contact with obstacles such as ridges or people or objects leaning over the ridges. It is rational that a worker who is in the working machine should handle the occurrence of such an emergency and predict the emergency. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the circuit route includes an outer circuit route that matches the travel locus of the outer shape calculation travel, and an inner circuit route that is located inside the outer circuit route. Including, the driving mode of the outer loop route is limited to the manned automatic driving or manual driving.
[0010]
When the circuit path is composed of an inner circuit path and an outer circuit path, the inner circuit path is located between the end contour line (end envelope) of the straight path of the round-trip path and the outer circuit path. Become. Since the field area located between the end contour line and the work area by the outer circuit path is worked in the work travel using the inner circuit path, the inner circuit path is the end contour line of the straight path and the outer circuit path. Smooth work is possible by being created in line with the above. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the inner circular path is defined by end contour lines (end envelope lines) of a plurality of straight paths created in the inner area located inside the outer peripheral area. ) and the outer circuit path. Note that the round-trip route is also referred to as an internal round-trip route because the round-trip route is created in the interior area of the farm.
[0011]
When the working width for the field area located between the edge contour line and the working area by the outer circuit path fluctuates, adjustment of the working width (each row clutch control in the case of rice transplanters) and overlapping work are performed. . For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the distance between the end contour line and the outer circumferential path varies (when the working width changes with travel), the inner circumferential path is provided with: As the work control information, on/off (on/off) of each row clutch for changing the work width in accordance with the variation of the interval is assigned.
[0012]
Various settings for creating a circuit route and settings for assigning driving modes to the circuit route are performed based on the operator's input. It is convenient to use a graphic interface to facilitate the operator's operation input for such a work machine. Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an information terminal with a touch panel connected to an in-vehicle LAN of the work machine is provided with the round route creation unit, the round trip route creation unit, and the operation mode management unit. is constructed so as to be operable through a graphic user interface, and the circuit route is displayed on the screen of the touch panel so as to be identifiable according to the driving mode.
[0013]
As a mode of operation, the route where manual driving is executed does not need to be displayed on a screen such as a touch panel, but by deleting it from the screen, the screen can be used for other purposes. However, even a route for which manual driving is executed can be suitably used as a guidance route for assisting manual driving by displaying it on the screen.
[0014]
In the round-trip route, there are cases where a straight route along the round trip is used in turning travel for transitioning from the straight route on which the vehicle is traveling to the straight route on which the vehicle is traveling next. In such a case, if a part of the circuit route is used as a straight route for turning, there is no need to create a new route. For this reason, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, as a part of a turning route for turning from the traveling straight route to the next traveling straight route, part is used.
[0015]
(2) The characteristic configuration of the work machine according to the present invention is a work machine that can travel automatically, and includes a body position calculation unit that calculates the body position using satellite positioning, map information that indicates the shape of the work area, a map information storage unit for storing based on position information indicating the position of the work site and time information indicating the time when the map information was created; a display device having a display screen; a map information display unit configured to display, on the display screen, the map information extracted based on the aircraft position, the position information, and the time information from the map information obtained; and the map displayed on the display screen. In the information, an input area determination unit that determines an input area where an operation input by a user is performed, and an input position information calculation unit that calculates position information in the map information corresponding to the determined input area as input position information. and a thumbnail display section for extracting the map information stored in the map information storage section based on the input position information and displaying the map information as thumbnails on the display screen.
[0016]
With such a characteristic configuration, it is possible to automatically display map information corresponding to the machine body position of the work machine on the display screen, and map information corresponding to the user's input operation on the displayed map information. can also be displayed on the display screen as thumbnails. Therefore, the map information stored in the map information storage unit can be easily used, so that the user can easily grasp the map information and the convenience can be improved in automatic work traveling, for example.
[0017]
an operation determination unit that determines whether or not the input area extends over at least two pieces of map information in a state in which the display screen is a touch panel and a plurality of pieces of map information are displayed on the display screen; and an area calculation unit that calculates an area of the input area in each of the map information when the input area extends over the at least two pieces of map information, wherein the input area determination unit is configured to: It is preferable that the map information of the input area having the largest area among the two or more pieces of map information is the map information for which the operation input has been performed.
[0018]
With such a configuration, when a user's input area spans a plurality of pieces of map information, it is possible to automatically handle the operation input by the user as for the map information of the widest input area. Become. Therefore, convenience can be improved.
[0019]
Further, it is preferable that the thumbnail display section also displays work information indicating information on work performed at the work site based on the map information displayed by the thumbnails.
[0020]
With such a configuration, it is possible to make it easier for the user to grasp not only map information displayed as thumbnails, but also past work information that was performed at the work site based on the map information.
[0021]
Further, based on the time information related to the map information displayed on the display screen, the elapsed time since the map information was created is calculated, and the re-creation of the map information is notified according to the elapsed time. preferred.
[0022]
With such a configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to recreate the map information if the expected time has passed since the map information was created. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to keep track of the time that has elapsed since the map information was created, so convenience can be improved.
[0023]
Further, disaster information indicating disasters that have occurred so far in the work site is acquired, and based on the disaster information and the time information related to the map information displayed on the display screen, after the map information is created, the When it is determined that the work site is damaged based on the map information, it is preferable to notify the re-creation of the map information.
[0024]
After creating the map information, if a disaster occurs in the work area according to the map information, the map information may differ from the actual shape and situation of the work area. Therefore, with such a configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to recreate the map information according to the occurrence of the disaster. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user himself/herself to grasp the occurrence situation of the disaster, so the convenience can be improved.
[0025]
(3) According to the present invention, there is provided a travel route management system for a work machine capable of automatically traveling on a farm, comprising: a reference side setting unit for setting one side of the outer shape of the farm as a reference side; a round-trip route creation unit that creates a round-trip route including a plurality of straight routes extending in a direction;
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5,000 character limit. Use the arrows to translate more.and a traveling direction setting unit for setting a traveling direction on the round-trip route.
[0026]
In this configuration, a plurality of straight paths extending in a predetermined direction with respect to one side of the farm set as the reference side are spread around the interior area of the farm. As a result, the straight paths are parallel to each other and extend in the same direction, making them easy to form and manage. At the same time, automatic driving along such a straight route is easier than driving on a winding route such as a general road. Moreover, efficient work travel is realized by sequentially connecting a plurality of straight routes by turning the machine body. At that time, the work travel start point and the work travel end point are determined according to the travel direction set by the travel direction setting unit. The ability to set the direction of travel in the round-trip route is advantageous because the positions of the work travel start point and the work travel end point need to be related to the entrances and exits of the farm. Note that the running direction setting unit may be configured to set the running direction, or may be configured to determine the running direction, so the running direction setting unit is also called a running direction determination unit.
[0027]
Most of the farms are square, almost rectangular. Generally, on a map or the like, farms are divided based on farm roads, so it is easier to assume the shape and size of farms if farm roads adjacent to farms are used as standards. Therefore, when the side adjacent to the farm road is selected as the reference side, the long side of the farm is either a side parallel to the reference side or a side perpendicular to the reference side. In one embodiment of the invention, said rectilinear path is made to extend parallel or perpendicular to said reference edge. This makes it possible to form a long straight path. Of course, on directional farms, short straight paths may be formed.
[0028]
In order to replenish the materials to be administered to the farm, work machines such as rice transplanters, fertilizer applicators, and chemical sprayers use one side of the outline of the farm, for example, the side adjacent to the farm road, as the material replenishment side. approaches this resupply edge. In the work machine as described above, materials are normally replenished with the front end or the rear end of the machine body brought close to the material replenishment side. If the material supply side is positioned ahead of the straight route, it is possible to approach the material supply side directly by moving forward or backward from the running posture on the straight route, which is convenient. For this reason, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a supply edge setting unit is provided for setting one side of the outer shape of the farm as a material supply edge for materials consumed by the work machine, and the material supply edge is , are set so as to face the extension direction of the rectilinear path.
[0029]
In a work machine such as a rice transplanter, after work travels using a reciprocating route, the outer peripheral area of the farm used as a space for turning travel to shift from a straight route to the next straight route is left as an unworked area. . For this reason, as a final work, the work travel is performed to go around the outer peripheral area with the end point of the reciprocating route as a starting point. After completing the circular work travel, the working machine goes out of the farm through the doorway of the farm. For this reason, it is advantageous if the end point of the round trip path is close to the doorway of the farm. Therefore, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end point of the round-trip path is set at the end of the direct path, which is close to the entrance of the farm.
[0030]
With rice transplanters, etc., seedlings are replenished as material replenishment with the front end of the machine body approaching the material replenishment side. For this reason, when supplying seedlings, it is convenient to run ahead of the straight route that is running without moving from the straight route that is running to the next straight route. In this case, it is preferable to give the worker time to consider whether or not to replenish the material before starting the turning travel for entering the next straight route from the straight route on which the worker is traveling. In addition, drug replenishment is usually carried out with the rear end of the fuselage approaching the material replenishment side. In this case, in the posture before entering the work traveling on the next straight route, the vehicle will move backwards to approach the material supply side, so it will turn from the straight route on which it is traveling to the next straight route. It is preferable to give the worker time to consider whether or not to carry out material replenishment before entering the work run. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end area of the straight path running toward the material replenishment side and/or the start area of the straight path running next thereto is assigned a temporary stop of the vehicle body as travel control information. In the case of a rice transplanter or the like that only replenishes seedlings as material replenishment, it is sufficient to temporarily stop the vehicle body only at the end region of the straight route traveling toward the material replenishment side.
[0031]
As described above, in a work machine such as a rice transplanter, the outer peripheral area of the farm, which is used as a space for turning travel for transitioning from one straight route to the next straight route after work travel using a round-trip route, has not yet been completed. left as a working place. For this reason, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the farm is divided into an outer peripheral area in which circumnavigation along the boundaries of the farm is performed, and an inner area located inside the outer peripheral area. , the straight path is formed in the inner area, and a turn is performed in the outer peripheral area for transitioning from the straight path on which the vehicle is traveling to the straight path on which the vehicle is to travel next. For this reason, the round trip path is also referred to as an internal round trip path.
[0032]
　The setting of the reference side and the setting of the traveling direction are performed based on the operator's input. It is convenient to use a graphic interface to facilitate the operator's operation input for such a work machine. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information terminal with a touch panel connected to the vehicle-mounted LAN of the work machine is provided with the reference side setting unit, the round trip route creation unit, and the traveling direction setting unit ( A driving direction determination unit) is constructed so as to be operable through a graphic user interface, and the round-trip route is displayed on the screen of the touch panel so that the driving mode for the round-trip route can be identified.
[0033]
(4) The characteristic configuration of the work machine according to the present invention is a work machine that can travel automatically, and includes a machine body position calculation unit that calculates the machine body position, and a plurality of areas divided along the outer circumference of the work area. When traveling in one area, position information is calculated based on the position of the aircraft and the position of the outer peripheral rear end of the aircraft at the start of traveling, and at the end of traveling in the area a position information calculation unit that calculates the position information based on the position of the machine body and the position of the outer peripheral front end of the machine body; and map information that indicates the shape of the work area based on the position information. and a map information creating unit for creating.
[0034]
With such a characteristic configuration, the position at the start of travel and the position at the end of travel in each of a plurality of regions divided along the outer periphery of the work site are accurately detected, and based on these positions, each It is possible to accurately calculate the position information of the area of . Therefore, it is possible to appropriately create map information indicating the shape of the work site, so that it is possible to improve convenience by using the map information, for example, in automatic work traveling.
[0035]
Further, a work unit for performing ground work is provided so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the airframe, and the position information calculation unit determines that the time when the work unit in the raised position is in the lowered state is the travel start time, and the travel start time is determined. It is preferable to set the time when the working unit in the lowered state is returned to the raised position as the end of travel.
[0036]
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to automatically set the travel start time and travel end time according to the rise and fall of the work unit. Therefore, the user's (operator's) operations related to the setting at the start of travel and the setting at the end of travel can be reduced, and convenience can be improved.
[0037]
In addition, a work unit that performs ground work is provided on the machine body, and when traveling along the outer periphery of the work site, the center of the work site is shifted from the outer periphery of the work site indicated by the map information. It is preferable to provide a travel route generating unit that generates a travel route for performing the ground work on the basis of the position offset to the side.
[0038]
With such a configuration, it is possible to generate a travel route while securing a margin for the shape of the work area indicated by the map information. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the work machine from entering outside the work area.
[0039]
In addition, the position information calculation unit performs a first line virtually extending from the center of gravity of the airframe along the width direction of the airframe during the period from the start to the end of traveling in the one area. Preferably, the positional information is calculated based on a position at which a second line virtually extending along the length direction of the fuselage intersects from the protruding portion of the fuselage most protruding along the width direction of the fuselage. is.
[0040]
For example, when a user manually moves a work machine, it is often made to run based on the center of the machine body in the length direction. Therefore, with such a configuration, the position information is calculated based on the position where the first line and the second line intersect from the time when the travel start position is left until the time when the travel end position is reached. , it is possible to calculate the location information according to the user's criteria.
[0041]
Further, a display device having a display screen is provided, and the shape of the work site indicated by the map information is indicated on the display screen using a plurality of indicators, and the map information creation unit generates data related to the map information. is equal to or greater than a preset value, the data corresponding to the portion where the amount of change in the shape of the work area is small is deleted, and the indicator corresponding to the deleted data is displayed on the display screen. It is preferable to specify so as to be identifiable from the above index of.
[0042]
With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in the amount of data, and it is possible to clearly indicate to the user that the data has been deleted, so it is possible to improve convenience.
[0043]
Further, when the moving distance of the aircraft from the position at the start of the previous run to the position at the start of the next run is equal to or less than a preset distance, the position at the start of the previous run is preferably disabled.
[0044]
For example, when traveling in each of multiple areas, it may repeat traveling and stopping in order to adjust the position of the aircraft to the desired position. Therefore, with such a configuration, it is possible to invalidate the result detected as the position at the start of running when the position of the aircraft is adjusted, so that map information can be created appropriately.
[0045]
Further, a display device having a display screen is provided, and the shape of the work site indicated by the map information is clearly displayed on the display screen using a plurality of indicators, and the display screen displays the position at the start of travel and the It is preferable that the position at the end of travel is displayed by an index different from the index indicating a position other than the position at the start of travel and the position at the end of travel.
[0046]
With such a configuration, it is possible for the user who sees the display screen to intuitively grasp the position at the start of travel, the position at the end of travel, and other positions.
[0047]
Further, it is preferable that the position at the start of running and the position at the end of running are displayed with different indicators on the display screen.
[0048]
With such a configuration, it is possible for the user who sees the display screen to intuitively grasp the position at the start of travel and the position at the end of travel.
[0049]
In addition, when a work unit that performs ground work is provided on the aircraft and the ground work is performed in the outer peripheral area of the work site, it is preferable to travel at the same speed as the aircraft speed when creating the map information.
[0050]
With such a configuration, it is possible to easily travel along the route traveled when the map was created.
[0051]
Also, it is preferable that the map information creating unit creates the map information using only the position information transmitted to the map information creating unit, among the position information calculated by the position information calculating unit.
[0052]
With such a configuration, the aircraft position calculated by the aircraft position calculation unit
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5,000 character limit. Use the arrows to translate more.Even if the data amount of the location is larger than the expected amount, it can be used in a thinned state when the map information is created, so an increase in the data amount of the map information can be suppressed.
[0053]
(5) According to the present invention, there is provided a travel route management system for a work machine capable of automatically traveling a farm, comprising: a loop route creation unit that creates at least one loop route in an outer peripheral area of the farm; A round-trip route creating unit for creating a round-trip route consisting of a plurality of straight routes and a turning route connecting the two straight routes, and a starting point of work travel using the round-trip route are set in an inner area. and a starting point guide route creating unit that creates a starting point guide route for automatically guiding the working machine that satisfies the guide conditions to the starting point.
[0054]
In this configuration, when the preset guidance condition is satisfied, the work machine is guided to the starting point of the work traveling using the round-trip route by automatic traveling with the starting point guidance route as the target route. eliminates the need to manually move to the starting point. Accurately positioning the work equipment at the starting point of work travel is difficult for workers who are not skilled in operating work equipment. Creating the guide route reduces the burden on the worker.
[0055]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guidance condition includes that a difference between a preset guidable azimuth and the azimuth of the traveling direction of the working machine is within an allowable range. With this configuration, simply by positioning the work machine so that its destination faces the direction set in advance, it will be automatically guided to the starting point using the starting point guidance route as the target route, thereby reducing the burden on the worker. do.
[0056]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guidance condition includes that at least part of the working machine is in a preset guidanceable area. In this configuration, when at least a part of the working machine is positioned in a guidance startable area that is preset, the working machine can automatically travel to the starting point. The burden is small. If the navigable area is near the entrance/exit of the farm, work driving in the farm will be substantially fully automated.
[0057]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of guidable areas are set. With this configuration, if there are a plurality of guideable areas for positioning the work equipment, which is necessary for automating work travel, the options are increased. It is convenient for the operator because he can choose a simpler navigable area.
[0058]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the guidable area is set so that a straight route of a predetermined distance or more can be secured from the center point of the guidable area to the starting point.
With this configuration, the required length (space) for creating the starting point guidance route can be secured, so the starting point guidance route is created that allows for reasonable automatic driving, thereby reducing the burden of automatic control. be.
[0059]
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least part of the starting point guidance route uses part of the circular route. Since the starting point is the starting point of the round-trip route set in the inner area, the starting point guiding route is formed in the outer peripheral area. Therefore, the starting point guidance route extends along a portion of the circuit route. Therefore, part of the circuit route can be easily used as at least part of the starting point guidance route. This reduces the burden of creating the starting point guidance route.
[0060]
　In order to create a circuit route, create a round-trip route, set a starting point, create a starting point guide route, etc., it is necessary for the operator to input various information. A graphical interface is advantageously used to facilitate entry of such information. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an information terminal with a touch panel connected to an in-vehicle LAN of the work machine is provided with the round route creation unit, the round trip route creation unit, and the start point setting unit. The starting point guide route creation unit is constructed to be operable through a graphic user interface, and if the guide conditions are not met, guidance for meeting the guide conditions is displayed on the screen of the touch panel.
[0061]
　It is important for the worker to understand whether the guidance conditions are met when starting the work travel in the actual automatic driving. In particular, it is convenient for the operator if the screen of the information terminal having a graphic interface characteristically displays that the guidance condition is satisfied. Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a symbol is displayed on the screen of the touch panel to indicate that the induction condition is satisfied. The symbols to be displayed may be characters, but it is more preferable to use illustrations or moving images so that the operator can easily understand them.
[0062]
The number of straight routes in the round-trip route affects the positions of the start and end points of the round-trip route. For example, if the number of straight paths is an odd number, the start point position and the end point position are on opposite sides of the inner region, ie facing each other. If the number of straight paths is even, the positions of the start point and the end point are on the same side of the inner region. In other words, by changing the number of straight routes, it is possible to change the positional relationship between the start point and the end point, which is important for overall route creation. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the starting point and the end point of work travel using the reciprocating path is adjusted.
This operation can be performed through the touch panel screen of the information terminal during creation of the travel route and during actual work travel. Specifically, when the start point and the end point are on the same side, the number of straight paths is set to an even number, and when the start point and the end point are on different sides, the straight path It is convenient for route design when the number is set to an odd number.
[0063]
In addition, even if the number of straight routes in the round-trip route is the same, the running without work (referred to as idle running or empty planting running) and the running with work overlap on one straight route. By doing so, the positional relationship between the start point and the end point can be reversed. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the number of straight paths is an odd number, the idle running is performed so that the start point and the end point are positioned on the same side. can be configured as This operation can be performed through the touch panel screen of the information terminal during creation of the travel route and during actual work travel.
[0064]
(6) A work machine capable of automatically traveling according to the present invention includes a machine body position calculation unit that calculates a machine body position using satellite positioning, a plurality of object detection sensors that are attached to the machine body and scan the surroundings of the machine body, and An obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle based on a detection signal from an object detection sensor; and a sensor management unit that manages an operation check of the object detection sensor. a sensor check execution unit that executes sensor check processing when the sensor check processing is performed; and an operation confirmation flag that indicates that the operation of all the object detection sensors has been confirmed through the sensor check processing, and the validity of the operation confirmation flag is recorded. and a validity determination unit for determination. Note that the operation confirmation flag here is interpreted not only in the narrow sense of the flag used in programming, but also in the broad sense including data (information) indicating that the object detection sensor is confirmed to operate. be done.
[0065]
　The ability to detect obstacles is important for autonomous driving, especially for unmanned autonomous driving. When obstacle detection is based on the detection signal from the object detection sensor, the sensor management department checks whether the object detection sensor is malfunctioning due to adhesion of mud or water droplets, etc., in joint work with workers. It is necessary to perform sensor check processing in However, frequent sensor checks during automatic driving impose a heavy burden on both the operator and the control system. According to the configuration of the present invention, the sensor check execution unit performs the sensor check process only when the predetermined condition is satisfied, so the burden is suppressed. Furthermore, when the operation of all the object detection sensors is confirmed, an operation confirmation flag indicating that fact is recorded. As long as this operation confirmation flag is recorded, it is assumed that the operation state of the object detection sensor is good, and automatic travel is performed. However, since it is necessary to timely perform the sensor check, the once recorded operation check flag is invalidated at a predetermined timing. The timing at which the recorded operation confirmation flag is invalidated, that is, how long the operation confirmation flag remains valid is determined by the validity determination unit. Judgment conditions in the validity judging section differ depending on the type of work, the environmental conditions of the work, and the like, and are therefore set for each type of working machine based on actual experience and experiments.
[0066]
In order to prevent workers from neglecting sensor checks, it is also important to get them into the habit of performing sensor checks when starting operation of the work equipment. For this reason, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an initial sensor check request command requesting execution of the sensor check process is given to the sensor check execution unit when the work machine is started, and the initial sensor check request is executed. When the operation of all the object detection sensors is confirmed through the sensor check process based on the command, the operation confirmation flag is recorded (overwritten) and updated. However, it is troublesome to always check the sensor when the working machine is started up (when the key switch is turned on) even when the machine is not automatically traveling. .
[0067]
Since this work machine basically performs work at the work site by automatically traveling, it is preferable that a sensor check be performed before the work machine attempts to enter the work site. For this reason, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, when the operation check flag is invalid and the machine body reaches an area where the work area can be entered, the sensor check process is performed. is given to the sensor check execution unit.
[0068]
Once the work machine leaves the work site, it basically moves manually, so obstacle detection using the object detection sensor is unnecessary, so the operation check flag recorded at this timing is canceled, and the next It is preferable to wait for a sensor check opportunity. However, considering that the work implement temporarily leaves the work site and immediately returns to the work site to resume work, it is preferable to cancel the operation check flag immediately after the work implement leaves the work site. No. Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, when the working machine leaves the work site, or after a predetermined time has passed since the time, or when the work machine moves away from the work site by a predetermined distance or more , the operation confirmation flag is canceled.
[0069]
This work machine basically shifts from automatic driving to manual driving when the work at the work site is completed. Therefore, it is preferable that the recorded operation check flag is canceled in preparation for the next automatic travel when the work is completed. However, if the end of the work is temporary, the sensor check must be performed when the next work is resumed. In order to avoid such an inconvenience, it is necessary to perform sensor check management separately for complete work termination and temporary work termination (that is, work interruption). Therefore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, when a work end command for ending work is given, the operation confirmation flag is canceled, and when a work interruption command for interrupting work is given, The operation confirmation flag is maintained.
[0070]
The most reliable sensor check is performed by workers (including observers) placing simulated obstacles in the detection range of the object detection sensors. Sensor check is work machine
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5,000 character limit. Use the arrows to translate more.Since this is a joint work between the control system and humans, it is necessary for the operator to recognize the start of the sensor check. In addition, since a plurality of object detection sensors are provided, the operator must grasp the processing results and, if there is a malfunctioning object detection sensor, identify it and investigate the cause of the failure. Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensor check execution unit notifies the start of execution of the sensor check process and the result of the sensor check process through a notification device.
[0071]
A work machine that can automatically travel is equipped with a touch panel graphic display for displaying the travel route. For this reason, it is preferable to utilize a graphic display as the notification device. In this case, it is convenient to display the results of processing by individual object detection sensors and the results of processing by all of the object detection sensors at a glance. Thus, the notification device is a graphic display (eg, a touch panel), a first visual symbol indicating the individual processing results of the object detection sensors, and a second visual symbol indicating that all the object detection sensors are good. symbol is displayed.
[0072]
If the sensor check is not performed in a timely manner, the operation check flag will be disabled, but simply informing the worker of this fact may lead to automatic driving without the sensor check. In order to avoid this, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, automatic driving is prohibited if the operation confirmation flag is invalid. Regardless of whether or not there is actually a malfunctioning object detection sensor, the reliability of automatic driving is improved by prohibiting automatic driving due to the lack of timely sensor checks.
[0073]
Sonar, which is inexpensive and has a simple structure, is preferably used as an object detection sensor. In this case, the sensor manager is the sonar manager, and the sensor check executor is the sonar check executor.
[0074]
(7) According to the present invention, there is provided a travel route management system for a work machine capable of automatically traveling on a farm, wherein a specific side consisting of one or more sides of the outer shape of the farm is specified as a material replenishment side for materials consumed by the work machine. a replenishment side setting unit that sets the material replenishment side as a replenishment side, a reciprocation route creation unit that creates a reciprocating route including a plurality of straight routes extending toward the material replenishment side, and the straight travel that runs toward the material replenishment side a replenishment control management unit that manages replenishment travel control for bringing the working machine closer to the material replenishment side from the trailing end area of the route, from the starting end area of the straight traveling path that travels next, or from both areas; Prepare. Note that when a round trip route is created in an internal area of the farm, the round trip route is also referred to as an internal round trip route.
[0075]
In order to replenish the materials to be administered to the farm, working machines such as rice transplanters, fertilizer applicators, and chemical sprayers use the side of the outline of the farm, for example, the side adjacent to the farm road as the material replenishment side. approaches this resupply edge. In the work machine as described above, materials are normally replenished with the front end or the rear end of the machine body brought close to the material replenishment side. In the above-described configuration of the present invention, the material supply side set by the supply side setting section can be approached to the material supply side by moving forward or backward from the traveling posture on the straight path based on the supply travel control. becomes easier.
[0076]
With work machines such as rice transplanters, seedlings are replenished as material replenishment with the front end of the machine body approaching the material replenishment side. Accordingly, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the replenishment travel control includes a forward approaching mode in which the front end of the working machine is brought closer to the material replenishment side. , the transition traveling from the traveling straight route to the next traveling straight route is stopped, and the working machine continues to travel straight to approach the material replenishment side, and after replenishing the materials, it travels backward and turns back to the next. Go to the straight route to travel. In this configuration, when the forward approach mode is set, the vehicle travels directly from the straight route on which it is traveling toward the material replenishment side, and is approached to the material replenishment side, so material replenishment is efficient. is realized.
[0077]
Furthermore, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a temporary stop of the vehicle body as travel control information is assigned to the end region of the straight route traveling toward the material replenishment side. In this configuration, before turning from the current straight route to enter the next straight route, automatic travel is interrupted at this point, and the time to consider whether or not to replenish materials is set for the work. can give to anyone.
[0078]
When leaving the straight route of the round-trip route and approaching the material supply side is performed by automatic driving, the target route for the automatic traveling is an extension that extends the leaving straight route and reaches the material supply side. The use of routes is efficient because there is no need to calculate special routes.
For this reason, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the approaching travel to the material replenishment side in the forward approaching mode is performed by automatic travel whose target route is an extended route obtained by extending the straight route. . Of course, even if the approach run is performed by manual run, such an extended route can be used as a guide route for assisting manual run.

we claim

A travel route management system for a work machine capable of automatically traveling a farm,
a circuit route creation unit that creates at least one or more circuit routes in an outer peripheral area of the farm based on the travel locus in the contour calculation travel that travels along the boundary line of the farm in order to calculate the contour of the farm; ,
a round-trip route creation unit that creates a round-trip route including a plurality of straight routes in an internal area located inside the outer peripheral area,
A travel route management system in which the number of circuit routes is determined by the area required for turning from the straight route that is being traveled to the straight route that is to be traveled next.
[Claim 2]
The travel route management system according to claim 1, wherein the round-trip route is created based on the travel locus in the contour calculation travel along the boundary line of the farm.
[Claim 3]
　The driving route management system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a driving mode management unit that enables selection from manned automatic driving and unmanned automatic driving as the driving mode of the circuit route.
[Claim 4]
The circuit route includes an outer circuit route that matches the travel locus in the outer shape calculation travel, and an inner circuit route that is located inside the outer circuit route. 4. The travel route management system according to claim 3, wherein the travel route management system is limited to manual travel.
[Claim 5]
5. The travel route according to claim 4, wherein the inner loop route is created along the outer loop route and edge contour lines of a plurality of straight routes created in an inner region positioned inside the outer peripheral region. management system.
[Claim 6]
When the gap between the end contour line and the outer circumference path varies, on/off of each row clutch is provided as work control information in the inner circumference path for changing the work width in accordance with the variation in the gap. 6. The route management system according to claim 5, wherein .
[Claim 7]
In an information terminal with a touch panel connected to an in-vehicle LAN of the work machine, the circuit route creation unit, the round trip route creation unit, and the operation mode management unit are constructed so as to be operable through a graphic user interface. The travel route management system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the route is displayed on the screen of the touch panel so as to be identifiable according to the driving mode.
[Claim 8]
The travel route management system according to claim 7, wherein a portion of the route where manual travel is executed as the operation mode is deleted from the screen.
[Claim 9]
The driving route management system according to claim 7, wherein the route portion where manual driving is executed as the driving mode is displayed on the screen so as to be identifiable as a guidance route.
[Claim 10]
10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a part of the circuit path is used as a part of a turning path for turning from the straight path on which the vehicle is traveling to the straight path on which the vehicle is to travel next. A route management system as described.