JP7168705B2 - work vehicle - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work vehicle provided with an electronic control system for automatic driving that automatically drives a vehicle body.

An example of the work vehicle is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. The work vehicle described in the document is provided with an obstacle detection means capable of detecting an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle body at the front portion of the vehicle body. In this work vehicle, when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection means, the automatic driving (autonomous driving) of the vehicle body is stopped, thereby avoiding the vehicle body from coming into contact with the obstacle existing in front of the vehicle body. It has become.

JP-A-2008-92818

However, in the above conventional technology, the obstacle detection means can only detect obstacles, for example, in front of the vehicle body, and some obstacles are not detected.

In view of the above circumstances, it is desired to appropriately avoid contact of the vehicle body with obstacles.

The work vehicle of the present invention includes a left front wheel and a left rear wheel that protrude outward from the left outer end of the vehicle body, and a right front wheel and a right rear wheel that protrude outward from the right outer end of the vehicle body. and an electronic control system for automatic driving that automatically drives the vehicle body, the electronic control system includes an obstacle detection module that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and the obstacle detection module detects an obstacle. A travel suppression control unit that suppresses travel of the vehicle body when detected, and the obstacle detection module includes an obstacle detector that detects obstacles existing in the search target area, and the search target area , an obstacle detector that detects an obstacle existing in a detection target area at least partially included in the search target area in front of the vehicle body, wherein the search target area includes the left front wheel and the left rear wheel; the area between the wheels, and the area between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel .
Further, the work vehicle of the present invention is
It is equipped with an electronic control system for automatic driving that automatically drives the car body,
The electronic control system includes an obstacle detection module that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and a travel suppression control unit that suppresses travel of the vehicle body when the obstacle detection module detects an obstacle,
The obstacle detection module is provided with a plurality of obstacle explorers for detecting obstacles existing in the search target area,
As the obstacle detectors, a pair of left and right first obstacle detectors are provided, each of which has a side of the rear end portion of the main body of the vehicle body as the search target area.

According to the present invention, an obstacle present in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the main body of the vehicle body can be detected by the pair of left and right first obstacle detectors. When an obstacle is detected by the pair of left and right first obstacle detectors, the vehicle body is restrained from running. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the vehicle body from moving from the stopped state to the running state when an obstacle exists between the working device positioned at the rear end of the vehicle body and the main body of the vehicle body. As a result, for example, inconveniences such as running over an obstacle with the working device can be avoided, and the reliability of automatic driving can be improved.

In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to avoid contact of an obstacle with the rear portion of the vehicle body.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the first obstacle detector be attached to the rear portion of the rear fender.

According to the above configuration, an obstacle existing near the rear end portion of the rear wheel located below the rear fender can be accurately detected by the first obstacle detector.

In the present invention,
As the obstacle detectors, it is preferable that a pair of left and right second obstacle detectors are provided, the sides of the front-rear central portion of the vehicle body being used as the search target area.

According to the above configuration, the second obstacle detector can accurately detect an obstacle present on the side of the front-rear central portion of the vehicle body.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the second obstacle detector is attached to the front part of the rear fender.

According to the above configuration, an obstacle existing near the front end portion of the rear wheel positioned below the rear fender can be detected with high accuracy by the second obstacle detector.

In the present invention,
The obstacle detection module is provided with an obstacle detector that detects obstacles existing in the detection target area by a detection method different from that of the obstacle detector,
It is preferable that the search target area of the obstacle detector includes an area located below the detection target area of the obstacle detector.

According to the above configuration, by covering the area below the detection target area of the obstacle detector with the search target area of the obstacle detector, the area that becomes the blind spot where the obstacle cannot be detected is reduced, and the automatic operation It is possible to detect obstacles around the vehicle that could interfere with the

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the obstacle detector is an ultrasonic sonar.

According to the above configuration, by using a relatively inexpensive ultrasonic sonar for obstacle detection, an increase in overall cost can be suppressed.

Fig. 2 is a left side view of the tractor showing the arrangement of obstacle detectors and obstacle detectors; FIG. 2 is a top view of the tractor showing the arrangement of obstacle detectors and obstacle detectors; 1 is a perspective view of a tractor showing the arrangement of obstacle detectors and obstacle detectors; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system; FIG. FIG. 2 is a left side view schematic diagram showing an area to be searched by an obstacle detector and an area to be detected by an obstacle detector; FIG. 2 is a top view schematic diagram showing an area to be searched by an obstacle detector and an area to be detected by an obstacle detector; FIG. 2 is a front view schematic diagram showing a detection target area by an obstacle detector;

An embodiment, which is an example of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. The direction of the arrow F shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is "forward", the direction of the arrow U shown in FIG. 1 is "up", and the direction of the arrow R shown in FIGS. direction is "right".

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, a tractor (an example of a “working vehicle”) includes a vehicle body frame 1 extending over both front and rear ends of the vehicle body, left and right traveling devices 2 arranged on the left and right sides of the vehicle body frame 1, and a vehicle body frame 1. A driving unit 3 arranged on the front side of the vehicle body frame 1, a cabin 4 arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body frame 1, and a working device W (Figs. ) are provided with a three-point link mechanism 5 and the like. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a weight 1A is attached to the front end of the body frame 1. As shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, the vehicle body frame 1 includes a front frame 7 extending from the lower part of the engine 6 arranged in the drive unit 3 to the front side of the vehicle body, and a rear end lower part of the engine 6 to the rear side of the vehicle body. A case unit 8 or the like that also serves as an extending rear frame is provided. Although not shown, inside the case unit 8, there is a pedal-operated main clutch for intermitting power from the engine 6, and a speed change transmission for diverting the power via the main clutch into driving and working. A unit, left and right side brakes that act on the left and right traveling devices 2, and the like are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, the left and right traveling devices 2 are provided with left and right front wheels 9 functioning as drivable steering wheels and left and right rear wheels 10 functioning as drive wheels. . The left and right front wheels 9 are drivably supported in a steerable state by the left and right end portions of wheel support members 11 supported by the front frame 7 so as to be able to roll. The wheel support member 11 is a front axle case having therein a transmission shaft for driving the front wheels. The left and right rear wheels 10 are drivably supported by the case unit 8, and the upper sides of the respective rear wheels 10 are covered with left and right rear fenders 12 arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the driving section 3 includes a water-cooled engine 6 arranged on the rear side of the driving section 3 in the cooling direction, which is the downstream side of the driving section 3 in the cooling direction. A cooling fan 13 arranged on the front side of the vehicle body, a radiator 14 arranged on the front side of the vehicle body from the cooling fan 13, a battery (not shown) arranged on the front side of the vehicle body from the radiator 14, and above the rear part of the engine 6. An exhaust treatment device (not shown) is arranged, an air cleaner (not shown) is arranged above the front part of the engine 6, and a rocking open/close type bonnet 16 covering the engine 6, the radiator 14 and the like from above. are provided. The engine 6 employs an electronically controlled diesel engine equipped with a common rail system. A DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst), a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter), and the like are provided inside the exhaust treatment device.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like, the cabin 4 forms an operating section 17 and a boarding space on the rear side of the vehicle body. The driving unit 17 includes a clutch pedal 18 that enables the operation of the main clutch, left and right brake pedals (not shown) that enable the operation of the left and right side brakes, and manual steering that enables the left and right front wheels 9 to be manually steered. A steering wheel 19 for steering, a shuttle lever 20 for switching between forward and backward travel, a driver's seat 22 having an armrest 21 for the right arm, and a display unit 23 having a touch-operable liquid crystal panel or the like are provided. The steering wheel 19 is linked to the left and right front wheels 9 via a steering mechanism 25 having a full hydraulic power steering unit (hereinafter referred to as PS unit 24). The armrest 21 includes a main gear shift lever 26 (see FIG. 4), an elevation lever 27 (see FIG. 4) for setting the height position of the work device W, and an elevation switch 28 (see FIG. 4) for commanding elevation of the work device W. ) are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the three-point link mechanism 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the like is driven to swing vertically by the operation of an electro-hydraulically controlled elevating drive unit 29 provided on the vehicle body. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the three-point linkage 5 can be connected to various working devices W such as rotary tillers, plows, disc harrows, cultivators, subsoilers, sowing devices, and spreading devices. When the work device W connected to the three-point link mechanism 5 is a rotary tillage device or the like driven by power from the vehicle body, power for work taken out from the transmission unit is transmitted through the external transmission shaft. It is transmitted to the work device W.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle body is equipped with a main electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as main ECU 30) and an engine electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as engine ECU 31). The main ECU 30 includes the above-described electrohydraulic control type elevation drive unit 29, an electronic control unit for the engine (hereinafter referred to as an engine ECU 31), an electronically controlled main transmission 32 provided in a speed change transmission unit, and forward/reverse switching. A device 33, a PTO clutch 34, an electrohydraulic brake operation unit 35 that enables automatic operation of the left and right side brakes, and a vehicle information acquisition unit 36 that acquires vehicle information including vehicle speed are equipped with a CAN (Controller Area Network). ) or the like or via a communication line so as to be communicable. The main ECU 30 and the engine ECU 31 are provided with a microprocessor having a CPU, an EEPROM, and the like. The main ECU 30 includes a travel control unit 30A that controls travel of the vehicle body, a work control unit 30B that controls the work device W, and the like.

The main transmission 32 employs a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission that continuously changes the power for running. The forward/reverse switching device 33 also serves as a running clutch that connects and disconnects power for running. Although not shown, the transmission unit includes a main transmission 32, etc., a sub-transmission that changes the speed of driving power in steps, a PTO transmission that changes the speed of power for work in steps, and the like. are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36 includes a rotation sensor 37 that detects the output rotation speed of the engine 6, a vehicle speed sensor 38 that detects the output rotation speed of the auxiliary transmission as the vehicle speed, and the operation of the main shift lever 26. A first lever sensor 39 for detecting the position, a second lever sensor 41 for detecting the operating position of the sub-transmission lever 40 provided in the operation section 17, a third lever sensor 42 for detecting the operating position of the shuttle lever 20, and an elevator lever. 27, the lift switch 28 described above, the turning lift switch 44, the reverse lift switch 45, and the PTO switch 46 provided in the operating section 17, the left and right lift arms of the lift drive unit 29 ( not shown) as the height position of the working device W, and a steering angle sensor 48 for detecting the steering angle of the front wheels 9, and various other sensors and switches. there is

The travel control unit 30A has various control programs and the like that enable control relating to travel of the vehicle body. Based on the output of the rotation sensor 37, the output of the vehicle speed sensor 38, the output of the first lever sensor 39, and the output of the second lever sensor 41, the travel control unit 30A adjusts the vehicle speed to the engine speed and the main shift lever 26. Vehicle speed control is performed by operating a trunnion shaft (not shown) of the main transmission 32 so as to reach a control target vehicle speed obtained from the operating position and the operating position of the sub-transmission lever 40 . As a result, the driver can change the vehicle speed to any speed by operating the main shift lever 26 to any operating position.

Based on the output of the third lever sensor 42, the travel control unit 30A performs forward/reverse switching control to switch the forward/reverse switching device 33 to a transmission state corresponding to the operating position of the shuttle lever 20. FIG. As a result, the driver can set the traveling direction of the vehicle body to the forward direction by operating the shuttle lever 20 to the forward position. By operating the shuttle lever 20 to the reverse position, the driver can set the traveling direction of the vehicle body to the reverse direction.

The work control unit 30B has various control programs and the like that enable control of the work device W. As shown in FIG. Based on the output of the fourth lever sensor 43 and the output of the height sensor 47, the work control section 30B controls the elevation drive unit 29 so that the working device W is positioned at the height position corresponding to the operating position of the elevation lever 27. Perform position control to control the operation of Accordingly, the driver can change the height position of the working device W to any height position by operating the lifting lever 27 to any position.

When the lift switch 28 is switched to the lift command state by manual operation of the lift switch 28, the work control unit 30B sets the working device W in advance based on the lift command from the lift switch 28 and the output of the height sensor 47. Ascending control is performed to control the operation of the elevation drive unit 29 so as to ascend to the set upper limit position. As a result, the driver can automatically raise the work implement W to the upper limit position by switching the lift switch 28 to the lift command state.

When the lift switch 28 is manually operated to switch the lift switch 28 to the descent command state, the work control unit 30B operates based on the descent command from the lift switch 28, the output of the fourth lever sensor 43, and the output of the height sensor 47. Then, lowering control is performed to control the operation of the elevation drive unit 29 so that the working device W is lowered to the working height position set by the elevation lever 27 . As a result, the driver can automatically lower the working device W to the working height position by switching the lift switch 28 to the lowering command state.

When execution of turning-linked rising control is selected by manual operation of the turning-up switch 44, the work control unit 30B detects the steering angle of the front wheels 9 based on the output of the steering angle sensor 48 that detects the steering angle of the front wheels 9. When it is detected that has reached the set angle for edge-of-ridge turning, the above-described ascending control is automatically performed. As a result, the driver can automatically raise the work device W to the upper limit position in conjunction with the start of the edge-of-ridge swing by selecting the execution of the swing-linked lift control.

When the execution of the reverse movement-linked ascending control is selected by manual operation of the reverse ascending switch 45, the work control unit 30B detects manual operation of the shuttle lever 20 to the reverse position based on the output of the third lever sensor 42. When this is done, the ascending control described above is automatically performed. As a result, the driver can automatically raise the work device W to the upper limit position in conjunction with switching to reverse travel by selecting execution of the reverse travel-associated lift control.

When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the ON position by manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the work control unit 30B is configured so that the power for work is transmitted to the work device W based on the switching to the ON position. Clutch engagement control is performed to switch the PTO clutch 34 to the engaged state. Accordingly, the driver can operate the work implement W by operating the PTO switch 46 to the ON position.

When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the OFF position by manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the work control unit 30B controls the PTO switch 46 so that power for work is not transmitted to the work implement W based on the switching to the OFF position. Clutch disengagement control is performed to switch the clutch 34 to the disengaged state. Accordingly, the driver can stop the work implement W by operating the PTO switch 46 to the OFF position.

When the operation position of the PTO switch 46 is switched to the automatic position by manual operation of the PTO switch 46, the work control unit 30B automatically performs the above-described clutch disengagement control in conjunction with the execution of the above-described raising control. The above-described clutch engagement control is automatically performed in conjunction with the execution of the above-described lowering control. Accordingly, by operating the PTO switch 46 to the automatic position, the driver can stop the work implement W in conjunction with the automatic ascent of the work implement W to the upper limit position. The working device W can be operated in conjunction with the automatic lowering to the working height position.

As shown in FIG. 4, this tractor has a selection switch 50 that enables selection of a manual operation mode, an automatic operation mode, etc. in the operation mode, and an automatic operation mode that automatically operates the vehicle body when the automatic operation mode is selected. An electronic control system 51 is provided for. The electronic control system 51 includes the aforementioned main ECU 30, an automatic steering unit 52 that enables automatic steering of the left and right front wheels 9, a positioning unit 53 that measures the position and orientation of the vehicle body, and a monitoring unit 54 that monitors the surroundings of the vehicle body. etc. is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the automatic steering unit 52 is composed of the PS unit 24 described above. The PS unit 24 steers the left and right front wheels 9 based on the turning operation of the steering wheel 19 when the manual operation mode is selected. In addition, the PS unit 24 steers the left and right front wheels 9 based on control commands from the main ECU 30 when the automatic driving mode is selected.

That is, the left and right front wheels 9 can be automatically steered without providing a steering unit dedicated to automatic steering. Also, if a problem occurs in the electrical system of the PS unit 24, the passenger can easily switch to manual steering, and the vehicle can continue to be driven.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the positioning unit 53 uses a well-known GPS (Global Positioning System), which is an example of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), to determine the position and orientation of the vehicle body. A measuring satellite navigation system 60 is provided. Positioning methods using GPS include DGPS (Differential GPS), RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic GPS), etc. In the present embodiment, RTK-GPS suitable for mobile positioning is adopted. .

The satellite navigation device 60 includes an antenna unit 61 for satellite navigation that receives radio waves transmitted from a GPS satellite (not shown) and positioning data transmitted from a reference station (not shown) installed at a known position. is provided. The reference station transmits positioning data obtained by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites to the satellite navigation device 60 . The satellite navigation device 60 obtains the position and direction of the vehicle based on positioning data obtained by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites and positioning data from the reference station.

The antenna unit 61 is attached to the roof 62 of the cabin 4 located at the top of the vehicle body so as to increase the reception sensitivity of radio waves from GPS satellites. Therefore, the position and orientation of the vehicle body measured using GPS include positioning errors due to positional deviation of the antenna unit 61 due to yawing, pitching, or rolling of the vehicle body.

Therefore, the vehicle body has a 3-axis gyroscope (not shown) and a 3-directional acceleration sensor (not shown) to enable correction to remove the above positioning error. , pitch angle, roll angle, and the like are provided. The inertial measurement device 63 is provided inside the antenna unit 61 in order to easily determine the amount of positional deviation of the antenna unit 61 described above. The antenna unit 61 is attached to the left-right central portion of the upper surface of the front portion of the roof 62 of the cabin 4 so as to be positioned at the center of the wheel base L at the center of the tread T of the vehicle body when viewed from above (see FIG. 2). ).

As shown in FIG. 4, the main ECU 30 is provided with an automatic operation control section 30C having various control programs and the like that enable automatic operation of the vehicle body. The automatic driving control unit 30C is configured so that the vehicle automatically travels along a preset target travel route in a field at a set speed while properly performing work, based on the target travel route and the positioning result of the positioning unit 53. Various control commands are transmitted to the control unit 30A, the work control unit 30B, etc. at appropriate timings. The travel control unit 30A appropriately issues various control commands to the main transmission 32, the forward/reverse switching device 33, etc., based on various control commands from the automatic driving control unit 30C and various types of information acquired by the vehicle interior information acquisition unit 36. and controls the operation of the main transmission 32, the forward/reverse switching device 33, and the like. Based on various control commands from the automatic driving control unit 30C and various types of information acquired from the in-vehicle information acquisition unit 36, the work control unit 30B issues various control commands to the elevation drive unit 29, the PTO clutch 34, etc. at appropriate timings. to control the operation of the elevation drive unit 29, the PTO clutch 34, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, etc., the monitoring unit 54 includes an obstacle detection module 64 that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and a travel suppression control that suppresses travel of the vehicle body when the obstacle detection module 64 detects an obstacle. A travel suppression control unit 30D that performs (contact avoidance control for avoiding contact with obstacles), four monitoring cameras 66 that capture the surroundings of the vehicle body, an image processing device 67 that processes images captured by the monitoring cameras 66, and the like. are provided.

The obstacle detection module 64 shown in FIG. and two search information processing devices 69 for determining whether or not an obstacle has approached within a close distance to the vehicle body based on the search information from each obstacle searcher 68. there is The obstacle detector 65 detects the approach of an obstacle within a short distance (for example, within 10 m) to the vehicle body. Each obstacle detector 68 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle within a close distance (for example, within 1 m) to the vehicle body. That is, the obstacle detection module 64 is provided with an obstacle detector 65 that detects obstacles existing in the detection target area X by a detection method different from that of the obstacle detector 68 .

5 to 7 schematically show a detection target area X of the obstacle detector 65 and a search target area Y of the obstacle detector 68. FIG. The search target region Y of the obstacle detector 68 includes a region located below the detection target region X of the obstacle detector 65 . 5 to 7, the detection target area X and the search target area Y are omitted to some extent for convenience of illustration.

The detection target area X and the search target area Y shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 are adapted to change according to the vehicle speed. Specifically, the detection target area X and the search target area Y are each made larger as the vehicle speed increases.

Each obstacle detector 68 employs an ultrasonic sonar that uses ultrasonic waves for distance measurement as an example of a distance measurement sensor. The eight obstacle detectors 68 are dispersedly arranged at the front end and both the left and right ends of the vehicle body so that the front and the left and right sides of the vehicle body become the investigation target area Y. Each obstacle explorer 68 has an area Y to be explored that is substantially conical. Each obstacle explorer 68 transmits the exploration information obtained by those explorations to the corresponding exploration information processing device 69 .

Each exploration information processing device 69 performs determination processing as to whether or not an obstacle has approached within a close distance to the vehicle body based on the time from transmission to reception of ultrasonic waves in each corresponding obstacle explorer 68, This determination result is output to the travel suppression control section 30D.

As a result, when an obstacle is abnormally close to the vehicle body in front or on the left and right sides of the vehicle during automatic driving, the obstacle detection module 64 detects the approach of the obstacle.

Incidentally, the obstacle detection module 64, for example, when the vehicle body is traveling toward a ridge by automatic operation, or when the vehicle body is traveling along a ridge on the edge of a ridge by automatic operation, , the ridge is detected as an obstacle. In addition, when a moving object is abnormally close to the vehicle body within a close distance, the moving object is detected as an obstacle.

[About obstacle detector]
Each obstacle detector 65 employs a laser scanner having a planar detection target area X and a maximum detection angle of about 270 degrees. Each obstacle detector 65 is provided with a detection section for detecting obstacles and a processing section for processing detection information from the detection section. The detection unit irradiates a detection target region X with a laser beam and receives reflected light. The processing unit determines whether or not an obstacle is approaching at a short distance to the vehicle body based on the time from the irradiation of the laser beam to the reception of the laser beam, and outputs the determination result to the traveling suppression control unit 30D.

For the front obstacle detector 65, the detection target area X is set to the area on the front side of the vehicle body. The front and sides of the body of the vehicle body are defined as a first detection target area X1, and a pair of left and right obstacle detectors 65 are provided to detect obstacles existing in the first detection target area X1. In addition, a rear obstacle detector 102 is provided for detecting an obstacle existing in the second detection target area X2, with the area behind the work device W on the vehicle body being defined as the second detection target area X2.

As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the first detection target region X1 and the second detection target region X2 are, for example, during work, even if the vehicle body rolls or pitches a little according to the undulations of the field. It is set to a range that does not detect the ground of the field.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 4, etc., each obstacle detector 65 is attached to a support frame extending in the vertical direction. Here, the support frame is the front pillar 73 provided in the cabin 4 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, each obstacle detector 65 is arranged between the outer end of the bonnet 16 and the outermost position M on the main body of the vehicle body in the left-right direction. Each obstacle detector 65 is arranged between the upper end of the bonnet 16 and the upper end of the front wheel 9 in the vertical direction. In addition, each obstacle detector 65 is arranged in the front-rear middle portion of the main body of the vehicle body. Here, the front-rear intermediate portion of the body of the vehicle body means a region that extends to some extent in the front-rear direction around the center of the front-rear center portion of the body of the vehicle body.

Each obstacle detector 65 is arranged between the front axle 9A of the front wheels 9 and the rear axle 10A of the rear wheels 10 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the first detection target area X1 can be set so that obstacles can be satisfactorily detected even when the vehicle body is tilted in complicated terrain.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is set so as to incline forward, backward, leftward, and rightward with respect to the horizontal plane. To explain, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection target area X of each obstacle detector 65 is inclined forward downward and rearward upward. Also, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is set so as to pass through the front upper side of the front wheel 9, respectively. Also, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 is set to pass through the front upper side of the weight 1A. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the first detection target area X1 of each obstacle detector 65 slopes downward from the laterally inner side of the aircraft body toward the laterally outer side of the aircraft body.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rear obstacle detector 102 has a second detection target area X2 in an area behind the working device W on the rear side of the vehicle body. The second detection target area X2 of the rear obstacle detector 102 is set to have a rear-downward inclination angle. The second detection target area X2 is set wider than the width of the working device W in the left-right direction.

Here, the travel suppression control unit 30D shown in FIG. 4 has a control program and the like that enable execution of the travel suppression control. Based on the determination results of each obstacle detector 65 and the rear obstacle detector 102, the traveling suppression control unit 30D, when confirming the approach of an obstacle at a short distance to the vehicle body, controls the automatic driving control unit 30C Priority is given to automatic driving based on operation, and driving suppression control is started. Then, the travel suppression control section 30</b>D performs travel suppression control based on the determination results of each obstacle detector 65 , the rear obstacle detector 102 and each search information processing device 69 .

In the travel suppression control, the travel suppression control unit 30D outputs a deceleration command to the travel control unit 30A when the travel suppression control is started. As a result, the travel suppression control unit 30D decelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A, thereby reducing the vehicle speed from the set speed for normal travel to the set speed for contact avoidance. In this low-speed traveling state, the traveling suppression control unit 30D, when confirming that an obstacle is approaching within a close distance to the vehicle body based on the determination result of any of the exploration information processing devices 69, the traveling control unit 30A and An emergency stop command is output to the work control unit 30B. As a result, the travel suppression control unit 30D switches the forward/reverse switching device 33 to the neutral state by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A, and operates the left and right brakes by operating the brake operation unit 35, thereby to brake the rear wheel 10 of the . Further, the travel suppression control section 30D stops the operation of the work device W by switching the PTO clutch 34 to the disengaged state by the operation of the work control section 30B. As a result, it is possible to quickly stop the traveling of the vehicle body and stop the operation of the working device W based on the approach of the obstacle within a close distance to the vehicle body, thereby avoiding the possibility of the vehicle body coming into contact with the obstacle. When it is confirmed that there is no obstacle within a short distance to the vehicle body based on the determination result of each obstacle detector 65 in this low-speed running state, the travel suppression control unit 30D increases the travel control unit 30A. A speed command is output, and then the travel suppression control is terminated. As a result, the travel suppression control unit 30D increases the speed of the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A to increase the vehicle speed from the contact avoidance set speed to the normal travel set speed. Automatic operation based on the control operation of the automatic operation control unit 30C is resumed.

A wide-angle CCD camera for visible light is adopted for each monitoring camera 66 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the front of the vehicle body, and this surveillance camera 66 is in a tilted posture in which the photographing direction is forward and downward, and is located at the center of the left and right front ends of the upper end of the cabin 4. is installed in One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the right side of the vehicle body, and these surveillance cameras 66 are positioned at the right end of the upper end of the cabin 4 in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is downward and downward. They are installed with a predetermined interval in front and back. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the left side of the vehicle body, and these surveillance cameras 66 are positioned at the left end of the upper end of the cabin 4 in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is directed downward to the left. They are installed with a predetermined interval in front and back. One of the four surveillance cameras 66 is for photographing the rear of the vehicle body, and this surveillance camera 66 is in an inclined posture in which the photographing direction is rearward and downward. installed in place. As a result, the surroundings of the vehicle body can be photographed without omission.

The image processing device 67 shown in FIG. 4 processes video signals from the monitoring cameras 66 to produce a front image of the vehicle, a right image of the vehicle, a left image of the vehicle, a rear image of the vehicle, and an image viewed from directly above the vehicle. A bird's-eye view image or the like is generated and transmitted to the display unit 23 or the like. The display unit 23 has a control section 23B and the like for switching images displayed on the liquid crystal panel 23A based on manual operation of various operation switches (not shown) displayed on the liquid crystal panel 23A.

With the above configuration, during manual driving, the driver can easily view the surroundings of the vehicle body and the work status during driving by displaying the image from the image processing device 67 on the liquid crystal panel 23A. As a result, the driver can easily drive the vehicle in a favorable manner according to the type of work and the like. In addition, when the administrator gets on the vehicle during automatic driving, the administrator can display the image from the image processing device 67 on the liquid crystal panel 23A to easily understand the surrounding conditions and work conditions of the vehicle during automatic driving. can be visually recognized. Then, when the manager visually recognizes an abnormality in the surroundings of the vehicle body or in the work situation during automatic driving, the manager can promptly take appropriate measures according to the type and degree of the abnormality.

As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic control system 51 includes a cooperative control unit 70 that automatically runs the vehicle body in cooperation with another vehicle of the same specification when the cooperative driving mode is selected by manual operation of the selection switch 50. It is The cooperative control unit 70 includes a communication module 71 that wirelessly communicates information related to cooperative driving with other vehicles, including vehicle body position information, and a cooperative driving unit that performs cooperative driving control based on information from other vehicles. A control unit 30E is provided. The cooperative operation control unit 30E is provided in the main ECU 30 and has a control program or the like that enables execution of cooperative operation control.

In the coordinated operation mode, the automatic driving control unit 30C controls the target traveling route for parallel traveling and the positioning unit 53 so that the vehicle body automatically travels while properly performing the work on the preset target traveling route for parallel traveling at the set speed. Based on the positioning results, etc., various control commands are transmitted to the traveling control unit 30A, the work control unit 30B, etc. at appropriate timings. The cooperative driving control unit 30E controls the preceding other vehicle based on the target travel route for running alongside the host vehicle, the positioning result of the positioning unit 53, the target travel route for running alongside the other vehicle, and the position information of the other vehicle. It is determined whether or not the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the own vehicle in the traveling direction and the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding other vehicle and the own vehicle in the side-by-side running direction are appropriate. And when any inter-vehicle distance is not appropriate, cooperative driving control is started prior to automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control part 30C so that the inter-vehicle distance becomes appropriate.

In cooperative driving control, the cooperative driving control unit 30E outputs a deceleration command to the traveling control unit 30A when the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction is shorter than the appropriate distance. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E decelerates the main transmission 32 by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, thereby restoring the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E resumes automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction returns to the appropriate distance, thereby reducing the vehicle speed to the normal driving speed. Increase the speed to the set speed and maintain the distance between the vehicles in the direction of travel at an appropriate distance.

When the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction is longer than the appropriate distance, the cooperative driving control unit 30E outputs a speed increase command to the traveling control unit 30A. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E causes the main transmission 32 to operate to speed up by the control operation of the travel control unit 30A, thereby restoring the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E resumes automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the traveling direction returns to the appropriate distance, thereby reducing the vehicle speed to the normal driving speed. Decrease the speed to the set speed and maintain the proper distance between vehicles in the direction of travel.

When the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction is longer than the appropriate distance, the cooperative driving control unit 30E outputs a steering command to the other vehicle to the traveling control unit 30A. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E steers the left and right front wheels 9 toward the other vehicle by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, thereby restoring the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E restarts the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction returns to the appropriate distance, so that the traveling direction of the vehicle body is normalized. To maintain the distance between vehicles in the parallel running direction at an appropriate distance by returning to the traveling direction for running.

When the inter-vehicle distance in the side-by-side running direction is shorter than the appropriate distance, the cooperative driving control unit 30E outputs a steering command to the traveling control unit 30A to move away from the other vehicle. As a result, the cooperative driving control unit 30E steers the left and right front wheels 9 away from the other vehicle by the control operation of the traveling control unit 30A, thereby restoring the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction to the appropriate distance. Then, the cooperative driving control unit 30E restarts the automatic driving based on the control operation of the automatic driving control unit 30C as the inter-vehicle distance in the parallel running direction returns to the appropriate distance, so that the traveling direction of the vehicle body is normalized. To maintain the distance between vehicles in the parallel running direction at an appropriate distance by returning to the traveling direction for running.

As a result, the own vehicle can automatically and appropriately run side by side with the preceding other vehicle while maintaining correct inter-vehicle distances in the advancing direction and in the parallel running direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, the cabin 4 includes a roof frame 72 that supports the roof 62 and the like, left and right front pillars 73 that support the front ends of the roof frame 72, and supports the front and rear intermediate portions of the roof frame 72. left and right center pillars 74, left and right rear pillars 75 supporting the rear side of the roof frame 72, a front panel 76 forming the front surface of the cabin 4, and left and right door panels 77 supported by the left and right center pillars 74 so as to be able to swing open and close. , left and right side panels 78 forming rear side surfaces of the cabin 4, a rear panel 79 supported by the roof frame 72 so as to be able to swing open and close, and the like.

The left and right front pillars 73 are arranged on the front side of the vehicle body with respect to the central portion of the wheel base L in the body of the vehicle body. The left and right front pillars 73 are arranged so that the upper part of the upper half of the left and right front pillars 73 is positioned closer to the left-right center of the vehicle body when viewed from the front, and the upper part of the upper half is positioned closer to the front-rear center of the vehicle body when viewed from the side. part is curved. A direction indicator 100 (winker) is supported on each of the left and right front pillars 73 . A rearview mirror 101 is supported on the left and right front pillars 73 above the direction indicator 100 so as to be rotatably adjustable about the vertical axis and whose mirror surface can be adjusted forward, backward, leftward, and rightward.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cabin 4 is provided with auxiliary frames 90 extending rearward from the upper ends of the left and right rear pillars 75 . The auxiliary frame 90 supports the rear obstacle detector 102, the surveillance camera 66 for photographing the rear, and the like.

[About Obstacle Detector]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, each obstacle detector 68 is installed at least above the left and right front wheels 9 of the vehicle body. As a result, for example, even if one of the obstacle detectors 68 approaches the ground of the field due to rolling or pitching of the vehicle body in accordance with the undulations of the field during work travel, the The separation distance of each obstacle explorer 68 from the ground can be maintained longer than the search distance of each obstacle explorer 68 .

In other words, even if the vehicle body rolls or pitches according to the undulations of the field during work traveling, the ground of the field enters the search distance of each obstacle detector 68. It is placed at an appropriate height position to avoid fear. As a result, it is possible to avoid the risk of the obstacle detectors 68 erroneously detecting the ground of the farm field as an obstacle due to rolling or pitching of the vehicle during work travel.

The search target area Y of the obstacle explorer 68 includes a first search target area Y1, a second search target area Y2, a third search target area Y3, and a fourth search target area Y4.

As the obstacle detectors 68, a pair of left and right first obstacle detectors 68A with the side of the rear end portion of the body of the vehicle body as the first investigation target region Y1, and the side of the front and rear central portion of the vehicle body as the second investigation target. A pair of left and right obstacle detectors 68B as a region Y2, and a left and right pair of third obstacle detectors 68B that are located in front of the second obstacle detector 68B in the front and rear central part of the vehicle body as a third search target region Y3. An obstacle detector 68C and a pair of right and left fourth obstacle detectors 68D are provided, with the front side of the vehicle body as the fourth investigation target area Y4.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the two first obstacle detectors 68A are attached to the rear of the rear fender 12. As shown in FIGS. To explain, each of the first obstacle detectors 68A is attached to a portion behind the rear axle 10A of the left and right rear wheels 10 in the left and right rear fenders 12 . Each first obstacle explorer 68A is capable of detecting obstacles present in the first search target area Y1. The first search target area Y1 is set to extend laterally downward from the first obstacle detector 68A.

Two second obstacle detectors 68B are attached to the front part of the rear fender 12 . Each second obstacle explorer 68B is capable of detecting obstacles present in the second search target area Y2. The second search target area Y2 is set to extend laterally downward from the second obstacle detector 68B.

The two third obstacle detectors 68C are attached to the left and right front pillars 73 located in the front-rear middle portion of the vehicle body in the cabin 4 . Each third obstacle explorer 68C is capable of detecting obstacles existing in the third search target area Y3. The third search target area Y3 is set to extend laterally downward from the third obstacle detector 68C.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, of the eight obstacle detectors 68 described above, a pair of right and left fourth obstacle detectors 68D are arranged in the vertical center of the front end portion of the bonnet 16 in the horizontal direction. They are installed at predetermined intervals. Each fourth obstacle explorer 68D is capable of detecting obstacles existing in the fourth search target area Y4. By using the right and left fourth obstacle detectors 68D, the search target region Y in front of the vehicle body can be widened in the left and right direction. The fourth search target area Y4 is set to extend laterally downward from the fourth obstacle detector 68D.

As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the third obstacle detector 68C and the obstacle detector 65 are arranged below the rearview mirror 101 .

The first search target area Y1 by the first obstacle detector 68A and the second detection target area X2 by the rear obstacle detector 102 shown in FIGS. , is optimally adjusted.

In addition, the detection target area X is limited to the outer edge of the area in order to prevent detection of the ground instead of an obstacle. In FIG. 6, the lateral ends of the first detection target area X1 are straight lines, but this is shown schematically for the convenience of illustration.

With the above attachment, the left and right sides of the rear part of the main body of the vehicle body, where the left and right rear fenders 12 and the like are arranged, become the first search target regions Y1 for the left and right first obstacle detectors 68A, and the left and right rear fenders 12 and the like become the first search target regions Y1. The front side of the rear wheel 10 in the main body of the vehicle body where is arranged becomes the second search target area Y2 of the left and right second obstacle detectors 68B, and the front and rear center side of the vehicle body where the left and right front pillars 73 etc. are arranged The left and right sides are the third exploration target areas Y3 of the left and right third obstacle explorers 68C. In other words, a wide area on the lateral side of the vehicle body, which is wide in the front-rear direction, is to be searched by the first left and right obstacle detectors 68A, the second left and right obstacle detectors 68B, and the third left and right obstacle detectors 68C. Region Y can be created. As a result, it is possible to search for obstacles existing at a close distance on the lateral sides of the vehicle body without omission.

As a result, based on the investigation of each obstacle detector 68, moving obstacles (animals, objects rolling in the wind, etc.) to the vehicle body in the stopped state are prevented from moving to the running state in a state of approaching the vehicle body, and , the collision of the vehicle body with obstacles during automatic driving can be more reliably avoided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right first obstacle detectors 68A are attached to the left and right rear fenders 12 via left and right support members. That is, the left and right first obstacle detectors 68A are arranged above the lateral outer ends of the left and right rear wheels 10, respectively. As a result, the left and right first obstacle explorers 68A can search for obstacles satisfactorily without being hindered by the left and right rear wheels 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the left and right third obstacle detectors 68C are attached to the left and right front pillars 73. As shown in FIGS. That is, the left and right third obstacle detectors 68C are arranged between the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10, respectively. As a result, the area between the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 can be included in the search target area Y of the left and right third obstacle detectors 68C, and the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 can be included in the search target area Y. The presence or absence of an obstacle between can be detected by the left and right third obstacle detectors 68C.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the mounting attitude of the first obstacle detector 68A on the left side is set so that the transmitting/receiving surface faces downward to the left. The mounting attitude of the first obstacle detector 68A on the right side is set so that the transmitting/receiving surface faces to the right and to the right. The mounting attitude of the second obstacle detector 68B on the left side is set to a left facing attitude in which the transmitting/receiving surface faces left sideways. The mounting attitude of the second obstacle detector 68B on the right side is set to a rightward attitude in which the transmitting/receiving surface faces right sideways. The mounting attitude of the third obstacle detector 68C on the left side is set so that the transmitting/receiving surface faces downward to the left. The mounting attitude of the third obstacle detector 68C on the right side is set so that the transmitting/receiving surface faces to the right and to the right. The left and right fourth obstacle detectors 68D are installed in forward-facing postures in which the transmitting/receiving surfaces are forward-facing.

In FIG. 6, the area indicated by a bold one-dot chain line indicates an area in which the obstacle detector 65 can detect an obstacle present at a location lower than a predetermined height. 6 indicates an area where an obstacle present at a location lower than a predetermined height cannot be detected by the obstacle detector 65. In FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first investigation target area Y1 of the first obstacle explorer 68A, the second investigation target area Y2 of the second obstacle explorer 68B, the third obstacle explorer 68C The search target area Y3 covers an area on the side of the vehicle body that is not included in the detection target area X of the obstacle detector 65 (an area serving as a blind spot for the obstacle detector 65) so that obstacles can be detected. there is

In this way, by covering the area not included in the detection target area X of each obstacle detector 65 with the search target area Y of each obstacle detector 68, the blind spot where an obstacle is not detected around the vehicle body is eliminated. area can be reduced. As a result, an obstacle around the vehicle body can be accurately detected while the vehicle is running, and the vehicle body can be stopped before contacting the obstacle. Also, if an obstacle (for example, an animal, something that moves with the wind, etc.) moves in the vicinity of the vehicle while it is stopped, the obstacle will be detected with high accuracy, and the system will not shift from the stopped state to the running state. By doing so, inconvenience such as stepping on an obstacle with the traveling device 2 or the working device W can be avoided.

[Another embodiment]
Another embodiment, which is a modification of the above embodiment, will be described below. A plurality of different embodiments can be combined and applied to the above embodiment as long as there is no contradiction. In addition, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents shown in each embodiment.

(1) The obstacle detectors 65 do not have to be provided as a left and right pair. Specifically, the first detection target area X1 by the left obstacle detector 65 and the first detection target area X1 by the right obstacle detector 65 may be bilaterally asymmetrical. Also, the obstacle detector 65 may be provided only on either the left or right side.

(2) The obstacle detector 65 does not have to be attached to the front pillar 73 . For example, obstacle detector 65 may be attached to rearview mirror 101 . Also, for example, the obstacle detector 65 may be attached to the frame near the direction indicator 100 . By arranging the obstacle detector 65 near the direction indicator 100, the harness for the obstacle detector 65 and the harness for the direction indicator 100 can be wired collectively.

(3) Instead of the cabin 4, a gate-shaped rope frame may be provided behind the driver's seat 22 and having beams connecting a pair of left and right struts and upper ends of the left and right struts. . In this case, the obstacle detector 65 may be attached to the ROPS frame. Specifically, the obstacle detector 65 can be attached to the struts of the ROPS frame or to the beams of the ROPS frame.

(4) An extension frame may be provided in the driving section 17 from the front end of the scaffold on which the rider's feet are positioned to the bonnet 16 . In this case, the obstacle detector 65 can be attached to the extension frame.

(5) The first obstacle detector 68A and the second obstacle detector 68B may be attached to members other than the rear fender 12 .

(6) The obstacle detector 65 may be a device other than a laser scanner.

(7) The obstacle detector 65 may be arranged at a location away from between the outer end of the bonnet 16 and the outermost position M on the main body of the vehicle body in the left-right direction.

(8) The obstacle detector 65 may be arranged at a location other than the front-rear intermediate portion of the body of the vehicle body.

(9) The first detection target area X1 of the obstacle detector 65 may be set to tilt only forward and backward with respect to the horizontal plane, or may be set to tilt only left and right with respect to the horizontal plane. .

(10) The obstacle detector 68 may be a device other than an ultrasonic sensor. For example, an infrared ranging sensor or the like may be employed as the obstacle detector 68 .

(11) The left and right first obstacle detectors 68A may be arranged above the headlights 107 at the front end of the bonnet 16 .

(12) The number of obstacle detectors 68 may be ten or more, and if the total length of the work vehicle is short, the number of obstacle detectors 68 may be six or less.

(13) Instead of the left and right rear wheels 10, a semi-crawler specification may be provided in which left and right crawlers are provided.

(14) The left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 may be replaced with left and right crawlers to provide full crawler specifications.

(15) It may be a two-wheel drive type in which either one of the left and right front wheels 9 and the left and right rear wheels 10 is driven.

(16) The engine 6 may be replaced with an electric motor to provide an electric specification.

(17) It may be configured as a hybrid specification in which the engine 6 and an electric motor are provided.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a work vehicle equipped with an electronic control system for automatic operation that automatically drives the vehicle body. Available.

12: Rear fender 30D: Travel suppression control unit 51: Electronic control system 64: Obstacle detection module 65: Obstacle detector 68: Obstacle detector 68A: First obstacle detector 68B: Second obstacle detector X: Detection target area Y: Search target area

Claims (7)

a left front wheel and a left rear wheel that protrude outward from the left outer end of the vehicle body;
a right front wheel and a right rear wheel protruding outward from a right outer end portion of the vehicle body;
and an electronic control system for automatic operation that automatically drives the vehicle body,
The electronic control system includes an obstacle detection module that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle, and a travel suppression control unit that suppresses travel of the vehicle body when the obstacle detection module detects an obstacle,
The obstacle detection module includes an obstacle detector for detecting obstacles existing in a search target area, and a detection target including at least a part of the search target area in front of the vehicle body in the search target area. an obstacle detector that detects obstacles present in the area ;
The search target area includes an area between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel and an area between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel . The detection target area includes a first detection target area that passes through the front upper part of the front wheel and slopes forward downward, and a second detection target area that is set on the rear side of the vehicle body behind a working device provided at the rear part of the vehicle body. 2. The work vehicle of claim 1, comprising two detection target areas. The search target area includes a first search target area that is a side area of the rear portion of the body of the vehicle body, a second search target area that is a side area of the front-rear center portion of the vehicle body, and a front-rear center of the vehicle body. 3. In claim 1 or 2, including a third search target region that is a lateral region in front of the second search target region in the part, and a fourth search target region that is a region on the front side of the vehicle body Work vehicle as described. The obstacle detectors are a first obstacle detector attached to the rear part of the rear fender of the vehicle body, a second obstacle detector attached to the front part of the rear fender of the vehicle body, and attached to the front pillar of the vehicle body. 4. The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a third obstacle detector attached to the bonnet and a fourth obstacle detector attached to the hood. 3. The obstacle detector comprises a front obstacle detector located between the outer edge of the bonnet and the outermost position of the body of the vehicle body, and a rear obstacle detector provided at the rear of the vehicle body. The working vehicle according to any one of 1 to 4. The obstacle detector is attached to the front pillar of the vehicle body,
The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the obstacle detector is attached to the front pillar at a position higher than the obstacle detector attached to the front pillar. The work vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the obstacle detector is an ultrasonic sonar, and the obstacle detector is a laser scanner.

Images