JP7629504B2 - Route generation system and route generation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to route generation in a work system in which work is performed by an unmanned work vehicle when a work area that does not meet the work width exists on the work route along which the unmanned work vehicle performs work.

A work vehicle cooperation system has been known in the past in which ground work is performed by a parent work vehicle and an unmanned child work vehicle that follows the parent work vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this work vehicle cooperation system, the parent work vehicle is operated by a driver, and a parent turnaround travel path is created in the turning areas at both ends of the field, and a parent work travel path that travels in a straight line between the turning areas at both ends while performing ground work. The travel path of the child work vehicle is made up of a child work travel path that follows the parent work vehicle while performing ground work between the turning areas at both ends, and a child turnaround travel path in the turning area, and the child work vehicle travels along this path by unmanned operation.

JP 2014-178759 A

In the above technology, when a parent work vehicle and a child work vehicle work together in a work area in a field and an unmanned work vehicle that serves as a small work vehicle is positioned on the final work route, if the working width of the route is shorter than the working width of the work implement equipped on the small work vehicle, the unmanned work vehicle will work outside the work area, causing it to stop automatic travel and end work. In this case, unworked areas will remain. Also, if the final route passes through a diagonal work area, there is a risk of unworked areas occurring if the position at which work will start or end is not clearly set.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a route generation system and route generation method that, when generating a work route, can set how to handle a work area that does not meet the working width of the work machine of an autonomous work vehicle (unmanned work vehicle).

The path generation system according to one embodiment includes a path generation setting unit that generates a work path in a travel area in which the vehicle body unit travels, where work is performed by a work machine attached to the vehicle body unit, and a region setting unit that sets, within the travel area, an inner region in which the work path is generated, and an outer region that is set between the outer periphery of the travel area and the inner region. The path generation setting unit is capable of generating, as the work path, a narrow work path in which the work machine straddles the inner region and the outer region.

According to the present invention, when a narrow work path is generated in a first area, where a row or portion narrower than the specified width of the travelling working width is generated, a work path with a travelling working width that straddles the narrow work path and a second area, which is a side margin set on the side of the first area, can be generated in the first area, thereby setting a work path that does not leave any uncultivated land.

1 is a schematic side view of an autonomous driving work vehicle and a driving work vehicle. Control block diagram. FIG. FIG. 1 shows the field setup. FIG. A diagram showing a farm field where the work path of the final row within the work area is a narrow work path. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a farm field where the working area is trapezoidal. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a farm field in which the work area is stepped. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a farm field when the initial work path length is short.

An embodiment will be described in which an autonomous work vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an unmanned vehicle) 1 capable of autonomous driving without a driver, and a manned work vehicle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a manned vehicle) 100 that is steered by a worker (user) in cooperation with the autonomous work vehicle 1 are tractors, and a rotary tilling device is attached to each of the autonomous work vehicle 1 and the work vehicle 100. However, the work vehicle is not limited to a tractor and may be a combine harvester, etc., and the work machine is not limited to a rotary tilling device and may be a ridger, grass cutter, rake, seed sower, fertilizer applicator, etc.

In this specification, "autonomous driving" means that the driving configuration of the tractor is controlled by a control unit (ECU) equipped in the tractor, and the tractor drives along a predetermined route. The performance of agricultural work in a single field by an unmanned vehicle and a manned vehicle is sometimes referred to as cooperative agricultural work, following work, accompanying work, etc. In addition to "performing agricultural work in a single field by an unmanned vehicle and a manned vehicle," cooperative agricultural work may also include "performing agricultural work in different fields, such as adjacent fields, at the same time by an unmanned vehicle and a manned vehicle."

Figure 1 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the autonomous driving work vehicle and the traveling work vehicle, and Figure 2 is a control block diagram showing the control configuration thereof. The overall configuration of the tractor that is the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The body of the tractor has an engine 3 installed inside the bonnet 2, a dashboard 14 is provided inside the cabin 11 at the rear of the bonnet 2, and a steering wheel 4 that serves as a steering operation means is provided on the dashboard 14. The direction of the front wheels 9, 9 is rotated via the steering device by rotating the steering wheel 4. The steering actuator 40 that operates the steering device is connected to the steering controller 301 that constitutes the control unit 30. The steering direction of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is detected by the steering sensor 20. The steering sensor 20 is composed of an angle sensor such as a rotary encoder, and is arranged at the rotation base of the front wheels 9. However, the detection configuration of the steering sensor 20 is not limited, and it is sufficient that the steering direction is recognized, and it may detect the rotation of the steering wheel 4 or the operation amount of the power steering. The detection value obtained by the steering sensor 20 is input to the steering controller 301 of the control unit 30.

The control unit 30 includes a steering controller 301, an engine controller 302, a gear shift controller 303, a horizontal control controller 304, an operation control controller 305, a positioning control unit 306, an autonomous driving control controller 307, etc., each of which includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as RAM or ROM, an interface, etc., and the storage device stores programs and data for operation, and each of which is capable of communicating with each other via CAN communication so as to send and receive information, data, etc.

A driver's seat 5 is disposed behind the steering wheel 4, and a transmission case 6 is disposed below the driver's seat 5. Rear axle cases 8, 8 are connected to the left and right sides of the transmission case 6, and rear wheels 10, 10 are supported on the rear axle cases 8, 8 via axles. The power from the engine 3 is changed in speed by a transmission (main transmission and auxiliary transmission) in the transmission case 6 to drive the rear wheels 10, 10. The transmission is, for example, a hydraulic continuously variable transmission, and the movable swash plate of a variable displacement hydraulic pump is operated by a speed change means 44 such as a motor to change the speed. The speed change means 44 is connected to a speed change controller 303 of the control unit 30. The rotation speed of the rear wheels 10 is detected by a vehicle speed sensor 27, and is input to the speed change controller 303 as the driving speed. However, the method of detecting the vehicle speed and the location of the vehicle speed sensor 27 are not limited.

The transmission case 6 houses a PTO clutch and a PTO speed changer. The PTO clutch is turned on and off by a PTO on/off means 45, which is connected to the autonomous driving control controller 307 of the control unit 30 via a display means 49, making it possible to control the connection and disconnection of power to the PTO shaft. In addition, when a seeding machine, ridger, or the like is attached as a work machine, a work machine controller 308 is provided so that the work machine can be controlled independently, and the work machine controller 308 is connected to the work control controller 305 via an information and communication wiring (so-called ISOBUS).

A front axle case 7 is supported on the front frame 13 that supports the engine 3, and front wheels 9, 9 are supported on both sides of the front axle case 7, so that power from the transmission case 6 can be transmitted to the front wheels 9, 9. The front wheels 9, 9 are steerable wheels that can be turned by turning the steering wheel 4, and the front wheels 9, 9 can be steered left and right by a steering actuator 40 consisting of a power steering cylinder that serves as the driving means for the steering device. The steering actuator 40 is connected to and controlled by a steering controller 301 of the control unit 30.

The engine controller 302, which serves as the engine speed control means, is connected to an engine speed sensor 61, a water temperature sensor, an oil pressure sensor, etc., so that the state of the engine can be detected. The engine controller 302 detects the load from the set speed and the actual speed, controls the load so as not to cause an overload, and transmits the state of the engine 3 to a remote control device 112 (described later) so that it can be displayed on a display device 113.

Furthermore, a level sensor 29 for detecting the fuel level is disposed in the fuel tank 15 located below the step and is connected to a display means 49, which is provided on the dashboard of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 and displays the remaining amount of fuel. The remaining amount of fuel is used to calculate the workable time by the autonomous driving controller 307, and the information is transmitted to the remote control device 112 via the communication device 110, making it possible to display the remaining amount of fuel and the workable time on the display device 113 of the remote control device 112. Note that the display means for displaying the tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure, and abnormalities and the display means capable of displaying the current position, etc. may be configured separately.

Display means 49 is arranged on the dashboard 14 to display the engine tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure, etc., monitors indicating abnormalities, set values, etc. The display means 49 is a touch panel type like the remote control device 112, and allows data input, selection, switch operation, button operation, etc.

A rotary tiller 24 is mounted as a working machine on the rear of the tractor body via a working machine mounting device 23 so that it can be raised and lowered. A lifting cylinder 26 is provided on the transmission case 6, and by extending and retracting the lifting cylinder 26, a lifting arm constituting the working machine mounting device 23 is rotated so that the rotary tiller 24 can be raised and lowered. The lifting cylinder 26 is extended and retracted by the operation of a lifting actuator 25, which is connected to a horizontal control controller 304 of the control unit 30. A tilting cylinder is provided on the lift link on either the left or right side of the working machine mounting device 23, and a tilting actuator 47 that operates the tilting cylinder is connected to the horizontal control controller 304.

The positioning control unit 306, which serves as the position detection unit, is connected to a mobile GPS antenna (positioning antenna) 34 and a data receiving antenna 38 for enabling detection of position information, and the mobile GPS antenna 34 and the data receiving antenna 38 are provided on the cabin 11. The positioning control unit 306 is equipped with a position calculation means for calculating latitude and longitude, and enables the current position to be displayed on the display means 49 or the display device 113 of the remote control device 112. Note that, in addition to GPS (USA), highly accurate positioning can be achieved by using satellite positioning systems (GNSS) such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (Japan) and GLONASS satellites (Russia), but this embodiment will be described using GPS.

The autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is equipped with a gyro sensor 31 to obtain attitude change information of the vehicle body, and an azimuth angle detection unit 32 to detect the traveling direction, and is connected to the control unit 30. However, since the traveling direction can be calculated from the position measurement of the GPS, the azimuth angle detection unit 32 can be omitted. The gyro sensor 31 detects the angular velocity of the tilt (pitch) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1, the angular velocity of the tilt (roll) in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and the angular velocity of the rotation (yaw). By integrating the three angular velocities, it is possible to obtain the tilt angle in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle body of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1, and the rotation angle. Specific examples of the gyro sensor 31 include a mechanical gyro sensor, an optical gyro sensor, a fluid gyro sensor, and a vibration gyro sensor. The gyro sensor 31 is connected to the control unit 30, and inputs information related to the three angular velocities to the control unit 30.

The azimuth angle detection unit 32 detects the orientation (direction of travel) of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1. A specific example of the azimuth angle detection unit 32 is a magnetic direction sensor. Information from the azimuth angle detection unit 32 is input to the autonomous driving control controller 307 via a CAN communication means.

In this way, the autonomous driving controller 307 calculates the signals acquired from the gyro sensor 31 and azimuth angle detection unit 32 using the attitude/orientation calculation means to determine the attitude (direction, inclination of the vehicle body in the longitudinal and lateral directions, and turning direction) of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1.

Next, the position information of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is obtained using GPS (Global Positioning System), which is one of the satellite positioning systems. There are various methods for positioning using GPS, such as stand-alone positioning, relative positioning, DGPS (Differential GPS) positioning, and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic-GPS) positioning, and any of these methods can be used, but this embodiment employs the RTK-GPS positioning method, which has high measurement accuracy.

RTK-GPS positioning is a method in which GPS observations are performed simultaneously at a reference station whose position is known and at a mobile station whose position is to be determined, the data observed at the reference station is transmitted in real time to the mobile station via radio or other means, and the position of the mobile station is determined in real time based on the position results of the reference station.

In this embodiment, the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is equipped with a positioning control unit 306, which serves as a mobile station, a mobile GPS antenna 34, and a data receiving antenna 38, and a fixed communication device 35, which serves as a reference station, a fixed GPS antenna 36, and a data transmitting antenna 39, which are disposed in predetermined positions. In this embodiment, the RTK-GPS positioning measures the phase (relative positioning) at both the reference station and the mobile station, and transmits positioning data measured by the fixed communication device 35 of the reference station from the data transmitting antenna 39 to the data receiving antenna 38.

The mobile GPS antenna 34 installed on the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 receives signals from GPS satellites 37, 37.... These signals are transmitted to the positioning control unit 306 and positioned. At the same time, the fixed GPS antenna 36, which serves as the reference station, receives signals from the GPS satellites 37, 37.... The signals are then positioned by the fixed communication device 35 and transmitted to the positioning control unit 306, and the observed data is analyzed to determine the position of the mobile station.

Thus, the autonomous driving controller 307 is provided as an autonomous driving means for autonomously driving the autonomous driving work vehicle 1. In other words, the autonomous driving controller 307 is connected to various information acquisition units to acquire various information about the driving state of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1, and the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is controlled by various control units connected to the autonomous driving controller 307. Specifically, the positioning control unit 306 receives radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellites 37, 37, ... to obtain position information of the vehicle body at set time intervals, and obtains displacement information and orientation information of the vehicle body from the gyro sensor 31 and the azimuth angle detection unit 32 based on the position information, displacement information, and orientation information, and controls the steering actuator 40, the gear shifting means 44, the lift actuator 25, the PTO on/off means 45, the engine controller 302, etc. so that the vehicle body travels along a preset route (travel route and work route) R, enabling it to travel autonomously and work automatically.

An obstacle sensor 41 is also provided on the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 and connected to the control unit 30 to prevent the vehicle from colliding with an obstacle. For example, the obstacle sensor 41 is composed of a laser sensor, ultrasonic sensor, or camera, and is provided at the front, side, or rear of the vehicle body and connected to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 detects whether there is an obstacle in front, on the side, or behind the vehicle body, and controls the vehicle to stop traveling if an obstacle approaches within a set distance.

In addition, the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is equipped with a camera 42F that takes pictures of the front and a camera 42R that takes pictures of the rear work equipment and the field condition after work, and is connected to the control unit 30. In this embodiment, the cameras 42F and 42R are arranged on the front and rear of the roof of the cabin 11, but the arrangement positions are not limited, and the cameras 42F and 42R may be arranged on the front and rear of the cabin 11, or one camera 42 may be arranged at the center of the vehicle body and rotated around the vertical axis to take pictures of the surroundings, or multiple cameras 42 may be arranged at the four corners of the vehicle body to take pictures of the surroundings of the vehicle body. In addition, if an emblem of the manufacturer of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is attached to the cabin 11, bonnet 2, etc., the cameras 42F and 42R may be arranged on the back side of the emblem. In that case, a through hole or a predetermined gap is set in the emblem, and the lenses of the cameras 42F and 42R correspond to the position of the through hole or gap so that photography is not hindered. The images captured by cameras 42F and 42R are displayed on the display device 113 of the remote control device 112 installed on the traveling work vehicle 100.

The remote control device 112 sets the route R (described later) of the autonomous work vehicle 1, remotely controls the autonomous work vehicle 1, monitors the driving state of the autonomous work vehicle 1 and the operating state of the work machine, and stores work data, and includes an operating control unit (CPU and memory) 130, a communication device 111, a display device 113, a storage unit 114, etc.

The traveling work vehicle 100, which is a manned traveling vehicle, is driven and operated by an operator, and a remote control device 112 is mounted on the traveling work vehicle 100 to enable operation of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. The basic configuration of the traveling work vehicle 100 is substantially the same as that of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted. It is also possible to configure the traveling work vehicle 100 (or the remote control device 112) to be equipped with a control unit for GPS.

The remote control device 112 is detachable from an attachment part (e.g., an arm member (not shown) to which the remote control device 112 can be attached and fixed) provided on the dashboard or the pillar of the cabin 11 of the traveling work vehicle 100 and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. The remote control device 112 can be operated while attached to the attachment part of the traveling work vehicle 100, can be taken outside the traveling work vehicle 100 and operated as a portable device, or can be operated while attached to the attachment part of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. The remote control device 112 can be configured as a wireless communication terminal such as a notebook or tablet personal computer. In this embodiment, it is configured as a tablet computer.

Furthermore, the remote control device 112 and the autonomous working vehicle 1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other wirelessly, and the autonomous working vehicle 1 and the remote control device 112 are each provided with a communication device 110/111 for communication. The communication device 111 is configured integrally with the remote control device 112. The communication means is configured to be able to communicate with each other by wireless LAN such as WiFi. The remote control device 112 has a display device 113 with a touch panel type operation screen that can be operated by touching the screen on the surface of the housing, and the housing is equipped with the communication device 111, the control unit 130, the memory unit 114, a battery, etc. In the memory unit 114, the specifications of the autonomous working vehicle 1, the traveling work vehicle 100, and the work machine (various lengths such as the total length, width, and height of the main body and the work machine, the type and horsepower of the engine, the gear ratio, the work capacity, etc.), the setting values related to the route setting described later, the route after setting, etc. are stored. In addition, after the route generation setting is transferred to the control unit 30 of the autonomous working vehicle 1, it is also stored in the memory unit provided in the control unit 30.

Next, the procedure for setting the route R using the remote control device 112 will be described. Figure 3 shows an initial screen displayed on the display device of the remote control device. However, it is also possible to set the route R using the control unit 30 provided in the autonomous driving work vehicle 1. The display device 113 of the remote control device 112 is of a touch panel type, and the initial screen appears when the power is turned on to start up the remote control device 112. On the initial screen, as shown in Figure 3, a tractor setting button 201, a field setting button 202, a route generation setting button 203, a data transfer button 204, a work start button 205, and an end button 206 are displayed.

First, tractor setting will be explained. When the tractor setting button 201 is touched, if work has been performed using a tractor with this remote control device 112 in the past, that is, if a tractor has been set in the past, the tractor name (model) is displayed. If the name of the tractor to be used this time is selected by touching it from the multiple tractor names displayed, it is then possible to proceed to field setting, which will be described later, or to return to the initial screen. When setting a new tractor, the tractor model is specified. In this case, the model name is entered directly. Alternatively, multiple tractor models are displayed in a list on the display device 113, allowing the desired model to be selected.

Once the tractor model is set, a screen appears for setting the size, shape, and position of the implement attached to the tractor. The position of the implement can be selected, for example, at the front, between the front and rear wheels, at the rear, or offset. Once the implement setting is complete, a screen appears for setting the vehicle speed during work, engine RPM during work, vehicle speed when turning, and engine RPM when turning. It is also possible to set different vehicle speeds during work on the way there and back. Once the vehicle speed and engine RPM settings are complete, it is possible to proceed to field setting, which will be described later, or to return to the initial screen.

Next, field setting will be explained. Figure 4 shows the user driving the autonomous work vehicle around the perimeter when setting the field. Figure 5 shows the areas set within the field, such as the work area and headland area. When the field setting button 202 is touched, if work has been done in the past using a tractor with this remote control device 112, that is, if a field has been set in the past, the name of the set field is displayed. When the name of the field in which work will be performed this time is selected from the multiple field names displayed by touching it, it is possible to proceed to route generation setting, which will be described later, or to return to the initial screen. It is also possible to edit the set field or set a new field.

If there is no registered field, a new field will be set. When a new field setting is selected, as shown in FIG. 4, the tractor (autonomous work vehicle 1) is positioned at one of the four corners A of the field H, and the "Start measurement" button is touched. The tractor is then driven along the perimeter of the field H to register the field shape. Next, the worker specifies the field shape by registering the corner positions A, B, C, D and inflection points from the registered field shape.

Once the field H is identified, as shown in FIG. 5, the work start position S, work start direction F, and work end position G are set. If an obstacle is present in the field H, the tractor is moved to the position of the obstacle, the "Obstacle Setting" button is touched, and the obstacle is set by driving around the obstacle. Note that it is possible to display a map image of the field on the display device 113, and if the identified field shape is superimposed on the map image, the obstacle may be set by specifying the periphery of the obstacle on the display device 113. Once the above work is completed, or if a previously registered field is selected, a confirmation screen appears and an OK (Confirm) button and an "Edit/Add" button are displayed. If there are any changes to the previously registered field, the "Edit/Add" button is touched.

When the OK button is touched in the field setting, route generation setting is performed. Route generation setting can also be performed by touching the route generation setting button 203 on the initial screen. In route generation setting, a selection screen is displayed for specifying the position at which the traveling work vehicle 100 will travel relative to the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. In other words, the positional relationship between the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and the traveling work vehicle 100 is set. Specifically, (1) the traveling work vehicle 100 is located to the left rear of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. (2) the traveling work vehicle 100 is located to the right rear of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. (3) the traveling work vehicle 100 is located directly behind the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. (4) the traveling work vehicle 100 is not accompanying (work is performed only by the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1). Four types are displayed and can be selected by touching them.

Next, set the width of the working implement of the traveling work vehicle 100. That is, input the width of the working implement as a number. Next, set the number of skips. That is, set how many routes to skip when the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 reaches the outer edge of the field (headland) and moves from the first route to the second route. Specifically, select one of the following: (1) No skip. (2) Skip one row. (3) Skip two rows. Next, set the overlap. That is, set the amount of overlap of the working width of the working route and the adjacent working route. Specifically, select: (1) No overlap. (2) Overlap. Note that if "Overlap" is selected, a numeric input screen will be displayed and you will not be able to proceed to the next step unless you enter a numeric value.

Next, the outer perimeter is set. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, an area outside the working area HA where the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 and the mobile work vehicle 100 or the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 perform work is set. In other words, a headland HB that turns around in a non-working state at the edge of the field, and a side clearance area HC that is a non-working area that contacts the outer perimeter of the field on both the left and right sides between the headland HB and the headland HB are set. Therefore, the field H = working area HA + headland HB + headland HB + side clearance area HC + side clearance area HC. Usually, the width Wb of the headland HB and the width Wc of the side clearance area HC are set to a length less than twice the width of the work machine attached to the mobile work vehicle 100, so that after the accompanying work by the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 and the mobile work vehicle 100 is completed, the worker can get on the mobile work vehicle 100 and manually complete two laps around the outer perimeter. However, if the shape of the outer perimeter of the field is not complicated, it is also possible to work on the outer perimeter with the autonomous driving work vehicle 1. In setting the outer perimeter, the width Wb of the headland HB and the width Wc of the side clearance HC are automatically calculated to a predetermined width according to the width of the work machine, but the calculated width Wb of the headland HB and the width Wc of the side clearance HC can be changed to any width, and the user can change them to the desired width and set the changed widths Wb and Wc as the width of the headland HB and the width of the side clearance HC, respectively. However, if the widths can be changed to any width, they cannot be set below the minimum set width calculated taking into account driving, work, and safety in the field. For example, when the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 drives or turns in the headland HB or side clearance HC, a width that ensures that the work machine does not jump out of the field is calculated as the minimum set width.

Once you have finished entering the various settings above, a confirmation screen will appear. Touching Confirm will automatically generate route R. Route R consists of work route Ra and travel route Rb. Work route Ra is generated within the work area HA and is a straight-line route along which the machine travels while working. However, if the work area HA is not rectangular, it may extend into the area outside the work area HA (headland HB and side margin HC). Travel route Rb is generated in an area outside the work area HA and is a route along which the machine travels without working, and is a combination of straight lines and curves. It will mainly involve turning around the headland HB.

The route R is generated for the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 and the driving work vehicle 100. If the user wishes to view the work route after it has been generated, the user can touch the route generation setting button 203, which will display a simulation image for the user to confirm. Note that route R is generated even if the route generation setting button 203 is not touched. When each item in the route generation setting is set, the route generation setting is displayed, and at the bottom of the display, the following buttons are selectable: "Route setting button", "Transfer data", and "Return to home".

When transferring information about the route (route R) generated in the route generation settings, the information can be transferred by touching the data transfer button 204 provided on the initial screen. This transfer is performed by the remote control device 112, so it is necessary to transfer this set information to the control device of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1. This transfer can be done (1) by using a terminal, or (2) wirelessly. In this embodiment, when using a terminal, a USB cable is used to directly connect the remote control device 112 and the control device of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1, or the information is temporarily stored in a USB memory and then connected to the USB terminal of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 for transfer. When transferring wirelessly, the information is transferred using WiFi (wireless LAN).

Next, the process of the route generation setting when the work route Ra of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 has a row or a narrow portion that is narrower than a predetermined width will be described. The width of the work area on the work route Ra is the work area width Wr, and the predetermined width is the work width of the work machine (rotary tiller 24) attached to the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 or the traveling work vehicle 100 (hereinafter, traveling work width W1), or the width of the main body (tractor) if the work machine is narrower than the width of the main body. In this embodiment, the width of the work machine is longer than the width of the main body, the same work machine is attached to the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 and the traveling work vehicle 100, and the overlap is described as 0. In addition, a route of a row that has a portion (work area) that does not meet the predetermined width is called a narrow work route Rc.

In the route generation setting, if the work route Ra has a narrow work route Rc that is narrower than a predetermined width (in the embodiment below, the travel work width W1) or a narrower portion, the route R is displayed, and the user can select whether to work on it or not. In other words, if the autonomous work vehicle 1 does not set in advance whether to work on the narrow work route Rc, when the autonomous work vehicle 1 reaches the narrow work route Rc, it may determine that the work route Ra does not meet the travel work width W1 and therefore cannot work, and may stop before entering the narrow work route Rc and interrupt work. In addition, if the work on the narrow work route Rc is not completed, uncultivated land will remain. Therefore, in the route generation setting, if a narrow work route Rc exists, the user can select in advance whether to work on it or not. In addition, if a narrow work route Rc exists on the work route Ra of the manned travel work vehicle 100, the operator decides and the selection screen is not displayed. However, it may be possible to select it.

When the narrow work path Rc is set to be worked on, the work is carried out beyond the side clearance HC (second area). When the narrow work path Rc is set not to be worked on, the work area HA of the narrow work path Rc is carried out when working on the pillow area HB and the side clearance HC after the work on the work area HA is completed. Alternatively, the width of the left and right side clearance HC can be adjusted to widen the narrow work path Rc so that it becomes the running work width W1, thereby eliminating the narrow work path Rc. When narrowing the width of the left and right side clearance HC to widen the narrow work path Rc so that it becomes the running work width W1, the width of the side clearance HC after the change (narrowing) is not equal to or less than the limit width specified based on the running work width W1 and the running work length L1. In other words, if the width of the side clearance HC is not equal to or less than the limit width, the width of the left and right side clearance HC is not adjusted.

Specifically, processing according to the shape of the field H will be explained. First, when a route R is generated in a rectangular field, a round-trip work route Ra with a travelling working width W1 is generated in the work area HA. As shown in FIG. 6, in the final work route Ra (final row), the work area width Wr is shorter than the travelling working width W1 (predetermined width), resulting in a narrow work route Rc. In other words, since the width of the work area HA is almost never an integer multiple of the travelling working width W1, a narrow work route Rc is created in the final row.

When this route generation setting is performed, the control unit 130 on the operating side displays a selection screen for selecting whether or not to perform work on the narrow work route Rc. When the worker selects "Perform work," the control unit 130 on the operating side generates the narrow work route Rc as the work route Ra so that the work is carried out extending into the side clearance area HC. Note that when it is set that the narrow work route Rc is not to be worked on, the work end position Ga is set to the work route Ra, which is the end of the row one process before, unlike the work end position G (Figures 5 and 6) set for the field H.

In addition, if the shape of the field H is a trapezoid, for example, and the side of the field end on the ending side is slanted, a triangular work area that does not meet the travel working width W1 will be created, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, when setting up the route generation, the control unit 130 on the operating side will determine that the final row does not meet the travel working width W1 (predetermined width) and will set it as a narrow work route Rc, and when the autonomous work vehicle 1 is to work on this narrow work route Rc, a selection screen will be displayed asking whether or not to work on the narrow work route Rc. When the worker selects "Perform work," the control unit 130 on the operating side will generate the narrow work route Rc as a work route Ra so that the work will be carried out extending into the side clearance area HC.

In addition, if the shape of the working area HA is stepped as shown in FIG. 8, a narrow work route Rc that does not meet the driving work width W1 is created in the protruding convex area. In this case, when setting the route generation, the control unit 130 on the operating side determines that the working area width Wr is not equal to the driving work width W1 (predetermined width) and sets it as a narrow work route Rc, and when the autonomous working vehicle 1 is to work on this narrow work route Rc, a selection screen is displayed as to whether or not to work on the narrow work route Rc. When the worker selects "Perform work," the control unit 130 on the operating side generates the narrow work route Rc as a work route Ra so that the work is carried out extending beyond the side clearance area HC.

In addition, when the shape of the field H is a trapezoid or the like, and the side of the field end on the starting side is oblique, as shown in FIG. 9, a triangular work area having a portion that does not meet the travel working width W1 is created, resulting in a narrow work path Rc. If the path length (length in the direction of travel) Lc of this narrow work path Rc is less than a predetermined multiple of the travel working length L1, the work path Ra is not generated on the narrow work path Rc. In other words, the travel working length L1 is the length from the front end to the rear end when the work implement is attached to the vehicle body, and is stored in the memory unit 114 of the remote control device 112. When setting the path generation, the control unit 130 on the operating side calculates how many times the path length Lc of the narrow work path Rc is greater than the travel working length L1, and if it is less than the predetermined multiple, the work path Ra is not generated on the narrow work path Rc. The predetermined multiple is, for example, 2 times. On such short work routes, it is more efficient for the worker to drive the traveling work vehicle 100 to perform the work, then back up to the work start position and perform the cooperative work. However, this does not include cases where a narrow work route Rc is created on the extension of the work route Ra, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

In this embodiment, the worker can choose whether or not to work on the narrow work path Rc, but as described above, the width of the work area HA is rarely a constant multiple of the travel work width W1. Therefore, without allowing the worker to make a choice, the worker may in principle work on the narrow work path Rc, and may not work on the narrow work path Rc under specified conditions. An example of a specified condition is when the path length of the narrow work path Rc described above is less than a constant multiple of the travel work length L1.

As described above, the autonomous driving work vehicle 1 is equipped with a field H, which is a driving area in which the body part of the autonomous driving work vehicle 1, which can travel along a set route R using a satellite positioning system, a memory unit 114 capable of storing information on the width of the body part and/or the driving work width W1, which is the width of the work implement (rotary tilling device 24) attached to the body part, and an operating side control unit 130 capable of generating a work route Ra by the work implement within the field H. The field H is equipped with a work area HA, which is a first area including the work route Ra, and a second area including the work implement 24. The control unit 130 on the operating side can generate a work route Ra with a travel working width W1 that spans the second area in the case where a narrow work route Rc narrower than the travel working width W1 occurs when generating a work route Ra in the first area. Therefore, even if a narrow work route Rc occurs in the first area, the autonomous work vehicle 1 sets the work route Ra according to a predetermined rule, and a route is generated that does not leave any uncultivated land.

The memory unit 114 also stores information on the travel working length L1, which is the length from the front end to the rear end when the work machine is attached to the vehicle body, and the control unit 130 on the operating side does not generate a work path on the narrow work path Rc if the path length Lc of the narrow work path Rc is less than a predetermined multiple of the travel working length L1. This allows work to be done in a different form on particularly short work paths without repeated U-turns or back and forth, improving work efficiency.

In addition, the control unit 130 on the operating side can generate the work path Ra based on the work start position S, work direction F, and work end position G set for the travel area (field H), and when the work path Ra is not generated on the narrow work path Rc, the work end position Ga can be set to a position different from the work end position G set for the travel area and the end position of the work by the work machine on the work path, so that it is not necessary to move to the work end position G without performing work on the narrow work path Rc after finishing the work at the work end position Ga, and the work can be completed quickly and unnecessary travel can be prevented. In addition, it is also possible to make the work vehicle travel from the work end position Ga to the work end position G through the pillow ground HB and the side margin HC. As a result, when the work vehicle moves the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 to the work end position G set in the field setting and the field exit is near the work end position G, it is no longer necessary for the worker to operate the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 himself to move it to the work end position G, and the worker's effort can be saved.

<Notes on the invention>
In other words, a path generation system in one embodiment includes a memory unit capable of storing information on a traveling area in which a vehicle body unit travels, the width of the vehicle body unit, and a traveling working width which is the width of a work machine attached to the vehicle body unit, a control unit capable of generating a work path in which work is performed by the work machine in the traveling area, and a setting unit that sets a first area in which the work path is generated and a second area which is a side margin set on the side of the first area, and the control unit is a path generation device that generates a work path of a traveling working width with the second area as the first area when there is a path in the work path generated in the first area that is narrower than the specified width of the traveling working width.

In one embodiment of the route generation system, when the width of the second area is equal to or smaller than a limit width determined based on the travel working width, the control unit cannot adjust the width of the second area.

According to the above aspect, when a work path is generated in the first area, if a narrow work path occurs in which a row or a narrow portion is narrower than the specified width of the travel working width, a work path with a travel working width that spans the narrow work path and the second area, which is a side margin set on the side of the first area, can be generated in the first area, thereby setting a work path that does not leave uncultivated land.

The path generation system according to one embodiment includes a path generation setting unit that generates a work path within a travel area in which the vehicle body unit travels, where work is performed by a work machine attached to the vehicle body unit, and an area setting unit that sets within the travel area a first area in which the work path is generated and a second area that is a side of the first area and in which the work path is not generated. When the work path is generated in the first area, if a narrow work path that is narrower than a travel work width based on at least one of the width of the vehicle body unit and the width of the work machine occurs on the work path, the system accepts a choice of whether or not to work on the narrow work path.

The path generation system according to one embodiment includes a path generation setting unit that generates a work path in a travel area in which the vehicle body unit travels, where work is performed by a work machine attached to the vehicle body unit, and an area setting unit that sets, within the travel area, a first area in which the work path is generated and a second area that is a side of the first area and in which the work path is not generated. When the work path is generated in the first area by the path generation setting unit, if a narrow work path that is narrower than a travel work width based on at least one of the width of the vehicle body unit and the width of the work machine occurs in the work path, the area setting unit adjusts the width of the second area to narrow it.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Autonomous traveling work vehicle 30 Control unit 110, 111 Communication device 112 Remote operation device 114 Memory unit 130 Control unit on the operation side G, Ga Work end position H Farm field L1 Travel work length R Route Ra Work route Rb Travel route Rc Narrow work route HA Work area W1 Travel work width

Claims (4)

a path generation and setting unit that generates a work path in which work is performed by a work machine attached to the vehicle body unit within a travel area in which the vehicle body unit travels;
a region setting unit that sets, within the travel area, an inner region in which the working path is generated, and an outer region that is set between an outer periphery of the travel area and the inner region,
The path generation setting unit is capable of generating a narrow work path in which the work machine spans the inner area and the outer area as the work path.
Route generation system. The area setting unit sets a width of the outer area based on a width of the work machine.
The route generation system according to claim 1 . The path generation and setting unit is capable of generating the narrow work path as a final work path among the round-trip work paths.
The route generation system according to claim 1 or 2. generating a work path in which work is performed by a work implement attached to the vehicle body part within a travel area in which the vehicle body part travels;
Setting, within the travel area, an inner area in which the working path is generated, and an outer area set between an outer periphery of the travel area and the inner area;
The working machine generates a narrow working path spanning the inner area and the outer area as the working path.
Route generation method.