JP7664828B2 - system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic driving system for a work vehicle. In this system, a work target area is set based on the driving trajectory of the work vehicle acquired by satellite positioning. Then, the work vehicle automatically drives within the work target area.

JP 2018-038291 A

In the system of Patent Document 1, first, three to four laps are manually driven around the outer periphery of the field, and the work area is set from the driving trajectory at that time. In other words, to set the work area, the operator needs to drive three to four laps at his/her discretion. In this respect, the system of Patent Document 1 has room to reduce the operator's workload.

The purpose of this invention is to reduce the operator's labor when working in fields.

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the system of the present invention is a system for managing the travel of a work vehicle, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires the travel trajectory of the work vehicle during the outermost travel of the field, a straight line calculation unit that calculates three or more outer edge straight lines that circumscribe an unworked area in the field and extend along the main travel direction during the outermost travel based on the travel trajectory, and a work area calculation unit that calculates an area surrounded by the outer edge straight lines as a work area for the work vehicle, and the straight line calculation unit calculates the frequency of travel for each direction on the travel trajectory, and identifies the main travel direction based on the calculated frequency.

According to the above feature, the working area is calculated based on the travel trajectory during the outermost circumference travel, so that once the outermost circumference travel is completed, it becomes possible to perform automatic travel using the working area.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the labor required by the operator when working in the field.

The main driving direction is the direction of the main driving in the outermost driving. Since the outermost driving follows the outline of the field, the main driving direction is the direction of linear driving along the edge of the field. In this embodiment, an outer edge line extending along the main driving direction is calculated, and the area surrounded by the outer edge line is set as the working area, so there is an advantage that the working area is a simple polygon even if the trajectory of the outermost driving is complex.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the straight line calculation unit identifies three or more of the main driving directions.

The work vehicle travels in various directions while performing the outermost travel. In particular, direction changes are made in the corner areas of the field, causing the travel direction to change in various ways. However, when the entire outermost travel is considered, the frequency of straight-line travel in a direction along the edge of the field increases. "High frequency of travel" means, for example, a long travel distance or a long travel time. According to the above characteristics, the frequency of travel for each direction on the travel trajectory is calculated, and the main travel direction is identified based on the frequency, so that the identified main travel direction is appropriate and aligned with the direction of straight-line travel on the trajectory of the outermost travel.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the straight line calculation unit identifies the main driving direction such that one of the main driving directions corresponds to one peak in the distribution of the frequency of driving for each direction on the calculated driving trajectory.

When traveling on the outermost perimeter, the work vehicle travels straight along the edge of the field, but the traveling direction fluctuates due to the unevenness and slope of the field. As a result, the width of the peak in the distribution of the frequency of traveling for each direction on the traveling trajectory becomes somewhat wide. If multiple main traveling directions are identified from one peak, these will be close to each other, which undesirably increases the load on data processing.

According to the above feature, the main driving direction is identified so that one peak corresponds to one main driving direction, thereby suppressing an increase in the load of data processing.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the straight line calculation unit identifies the main driving directions so that the angle between the identified main driving directions is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

The above feature makes it difficult for nearby directions to be identified as the main driving direction, thereby preventing an increase in the load of data processing.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include an unworked area calculation unit that calculates an unworked area corresponding to the unworked land based on the travel trajectory.

According to the above features, various processes can be executed using the calculated unworked area, improving the performance and convenience of the system and increasing the efficiency of work using the system. For example, when working in the calculated work area, work outside the calculated unworked area can be omitted, thereby increasing work efficiency.

The present invention is a system for managing the travel of a work vehicle, and comprises an acquisition unit that acquires the travel trajectory of the work vehicle during the outermost travel of the work vehicle traveling around the outermost periphery of a field, a straight line calculation unit that calculates three or more outer edge straight lines that circumscribe an unworked area in the field and extend along the main travel direction during the outermost travel based on the travel trajectory, a work area calculation unit that calculates an area surrounded by the outer edge straight lines as a work area for the work vehicle, and an unworked area calculation unit that calculates an unworked area corresponding to the unworked area based on the travel trajectory, and is characterized in that the straight line calculation unit places a virtual straight line extending along the identified main travel direction outside the calculated unworked area, translates the placed virtual straight line so as to approach the unworked area, and calculates the virtual straight line that is in contact with the unworked area as the outer edge straight line.

The above features allow the work area to be shaped appropriately to encompass the unworked area through simple processing.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a route generation unit that generates a plurality of target routes within the work area for the work vehicle to travel for work, and a travel control unit that causes the work vehicle to travel for work along the generated target routes.

The above features allow work inside the work area to be carried out automatically. This makes it possible to further reduce the operator's workload when working in the field.

FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration relating to a control unit. 1 is a diagram showing the driving trajectory, unworked areas, and main driving directions of the outermost circumference driving. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing main driving directions, imaginary straight lines, outer edge straight lines, and working areas. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a working area and a target route. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a part of the running locus of the outermost circumference running. 1 is a graph showing the distribution of travel frequency for each direction. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a part of the running locus of the outermost circumference running. 4 is a flowchart of a travel control flow.

The following describes a driving management system A as an embodiment of the system of the present invention, with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention.

[Overall configuration of the combine]
1 shows a normal type combine harvester 1 as an example of a work vehicle. The combine harvester 1 includes a harvesting section H, a crawler-type traveling device 11, a driving section 12, a threshing device 13, a grain tank 14, a conveying section 16, a grain discharge device 18, and a satellite positioning module 80.

The forward direction of the combine harvester 1 is defined as "forward", and the backward direction as "rear". When facing the forward direction of the combine harvester 1, the right side is defined as "right" and the left side as "left". In the drawings, "forward" is indicated by arrow F, "rear" by arrow B, "up" by arrow U, and "down" by arrow D.

The traveling device 11 is provided at the bottom of the combine harvester 1. The traveling device 11 is driven by power from an engine (not shown) mounted on the combine harvester 1. The combine harvester 1 can travel using the traveling device 11.

The driving section 12, threshing device 13, and grain tank 14 are provided above the traveling device 11. The driving section 12 has a driver's seat 12a and manual operation tools 12b (Figure 2). Specifically, the manual operation tools 12b are a gear shift operation tool, a steering operation tool, etc. An operator can ride in the driving section 12.

The grain discharge device 18 is provided on the upper side of the grain tank 14. The satellite positioning module 80 is attached to the upper surface of the driving unit 12.

The harvesting section H is provided at the front of the combine 1. The transport section 16 is provided at the rear of the harvesting section H. The harvesting section H also includes left and right weed splitting tools 10, a cutting blade 15, and a reel 17. The left and right weed splitting tools 10 are provided at the left and right ends of the front end of the harvesting section H.

The cutting blade 15 cuts the planted culms. The reel 17 rotates around the reel axis 17b that runs along the left-right direction of the machine body to scrape in the planted culms. The cut culms cut by the cutting blade 15 are sent to the conveying section 16.

With this configuration, the harvesting section H harvests grains in the field. The combine harvester 1 is capable of reaping travel, traveling on the traveling device 11 while reaping planted culms in the field with the cutting blade 15. The reaping of planted culms in the field is a specific example of "work" in the present invention. Reaping travel may be referred to as "work travel."

The harvested stalks harvested by the harvesting section H are transported to the rear of the machine by the transport section 16. This transports the harvested stalks to the threshing device 13.

The harvested stalks are threshed in the threshing device 13. The grains obtained by the threshing process are stored in the grain tank 14. The grains stored in the grain tank 14 are discharged outside the machine by the grain discharge device 18 as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 1, a communication terminal 4 is disposed in the driving unit 12. The communication terminal 4 is configured to be able to display various information. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 4 is fixed to the driving unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication terminal 4 may be configured to be detachable from the driving unit 12, or the communication terminal 4 may be located outside the combine harvester 1.

[Drive Management System]
The traveling of the combine harvester 1 is controlled by a traveling management system A shown in Fig. 2. The traveling management system A includes a control unit 40 and a satellite positioning module 80.

The control unit 40 includes a memory (HDD, non-volatile RAM, etc., not shown) that stores programs corresponding to the functional modules described below, and a CPU (not shown) that executes the programs. The functions of each functional unit are realized by the CPU executing the programs. In other words, the control unit 40 includes a non-transitory recording medium that stores the programs.

The control unit 40 may be configured with one or more ECUs mounted on the combine harvester 1. A part or all of the control unit 40 may be provided in the communication terminal 4, or in a computer, server, or the like external to the combine harvester 1.

The control unit 40 includes the following functional modules: an acquisition unit 41, an unworked area calculation unit 42, a straight line calculation unit 43, a working area calculation unit 44, a route generation unit 45, and a driving control unit 46. The functions and operations of these functional modules will be described later.

The control unit 40 also includes a storage device 49 that stores data generated by the operation of each functional module.

The satellite positioning module 80 receives GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals from the artificial satellite GS (Figure 1) and generates positioning data indicating the vehicle position of the combine harvester 1 based on the received signals. GNSS can be GPS, QZSS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, etc.

[Harvesting operation using a driving management system]
In this embodiment, harvesting work in a farm field FI where crops are planted all over is controlled by the driving management system A. This harvesting work will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, an example is described in which the outer shape of the field FI is rectangular. In the illustrated example, the long sides of the field FI are parallel to the east-west direction, and the short sides of the field FI are in the north-south direction. In the drawings, the directions of east, west, north, and south are indicated by the abbreviations "E", "W", "S", and "N". In the following description, directions may be indicated as angles with north being 0° and east being 90°.

[Outermost track]
First, as shown in Fig. 3, the combine 1 travels along the outermost periphery of the farm field FI while harvesting crops. This travel is referred to as "outermost periphery travel".

In the illustrated example, the combine harvester 1 starts from the northeast corner of the field FI and travels straight west along the boundary of the field FI. When the combine harvester 1 reaches the western edge of the field FI, corner cutting of the northwest corner is performed. In corner cutting, the combine harvester 1 repeatedly moves backward, makes a slight left turn, and moves forward to change direction to the south while harvesting the crop.

Next, a straight run to the south is made along the boundary of field FI. Then, corner cutting at the southwest corner, a straight run to the east, corner cutting at the southeast corner, a straight run to the north, and corner cutting at the northeast corner are performed.

The outermost circumference travel may be entirely performed by manual operation. Traveling by manual operation means travel of the combine harvester 1 according to manual operation (steering) by the operator. The manual operation by the operator may be performed through the manual operation tool 12b while the operator is seated in the driving section 12, or may be remote operation by an operator outside the combine harvester 1.

A part or all of the outermost circumference travel may be travel without human operation. Travel without human operation is, for example, automatic travel or automatic steering travel. Automatic travel is travel in which speed control (control including forward, reverse, and stopping) and steering control are performed automatically. Automatic travel may be automatic travel along a set target route, or automatic travel based on the results of scanning the surrounding environment by a sensor. Automatic steering travel is travel with automatic steering along a travel standard (direction, route, etc.).

[Working area calculation]
The working area WA is calculated based on the travel path TR of the combine harvester 1 during the outermost travel. The calculation of the working area WA is preferably performed after the outermost travel is completed. A specific procedure for calculating the working area WA will be described below.

[Acquisition of driving trajectory]
The acquisition unit 41 acquires the travel trajectory TR of the combine 1 during the outermost travel in which the combine 1 travels around the outermost periphery of the field FI.

Specifically, the acquisition unit 41 calculates the position coordinates of the combine harvester 1 over time based on the positioning data output by the satellite positioning module 80. The acquisition unit 41 acquires a set of data indicating the position coordinates of the combine harvester 1 during the outermost running as running trajectory data TD indicating the running trajectory TR, and stores the data in the storage device 49.

In detail, the acquisition unit 41 calculates the geographical position of a predetermined point on the combine 1 as the "position coordinates of the combine 1" from the positioning data output by the satellite positioning module 80. In this embodiment, the "predetermined point" is a point that is the center in the left-right direction and the center in the front-rear direction with respect to the left and right crawlers of the traveling device 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "central reference point"). In other words, the traveling trajectory TR is the trajectory of movement of the "predetermined point" and is the trajectory of movement of the central reference point.

The "predetermined point" that serves as the basis for the "position coordinates of the combine 1" may be the center point of the harvesting section H, the center point of the satellite positioning module 80, or the center point of the right or left weeding tool 10.

The travel trajectory TR is a conceptual diagram showing the route traveled by the combine harvester 1. The travel trajectory data TD is data stored in the storage device 49. In FIG. 3, the travel trajectory TR and the travel trajectory data TD are shown by the same solid line. In this way, real-space objects or concepts and virtual data may be shown by the same diagram or the like in the drawing. Furthermore, a description that a functional module processes real-space objects or concepts (such as the travel trajectory TR) may mean that the functional module processes the corresponding data.

[Calculation of unworked area]
The unworked area calculation unit 42 calculates unworked area data UD corresponding to the unworked area UA based on the travel trajectory TR.

In the farm field FI, the area where the combine harvester 1 is not traveling is an area where crops have not been cut, and is the unworked area UA. The unworked area calculation unit 42 calculates the area where the combine harvester 1 is not traveling to cut crops based on the traveling trajectory TR, and stores data indicating that area as unworked area data UD in the storage device 49. In other words, the unworked area data UD is an unworked area map that indicates the unworked area UA.

Specifically, the unworked area calculation unit 42 calculates the movement trajectory of the grass dividing tool 10 located on the inside of the left and right grass dividing tools 10 based on the travel trajectory TR. The unworked area calculation unit 42 regards the area inside the calculated movement trajectory as an unworked area UA, calculates unworked area data UD indicating that area, and stores it in the storage device 49.

The unworked area calculation unit 42 determines whether the outermost circumference travel is clockwise or counterclockwise based on the travel trajectory data TD. If it is clockwise, the unworked area data UD is calculated from the movement trajectory of the right weeding tool 10. If it is counterclockwise, the unworked area data UD is calculated from the movement trajectory of the left weeding tool 10. The movement trajectory of the weeding tool 10 can be calculated from the travel trajectory TR based on the positional relationship between the satellite positioning module 80 and the weeding tool 10.

[Calculation of the outer edge line]
The straight line calculation unit 43 calculates three or more outer edge straight lines OL that circumscribe the unworked land UA in the field FI based on the travel trajectory TR and extend along the main travel direction MB in the outermost circumference travel.

The main running direction MB is the direction in which the combine harvester 1 runs most frequently during the outermost run. As shown in FIG. 3, the combine harvester 1 runs in various directions while performing the outermost run. In particular, multiple direction changes are made in the corner areas of the field FI, so the running direction changes in various ways. However, when the entire outermost run is considered, the frequency of running in the westward, southward, eastward, and northward directions is high. "High frequency of running" means that the running distance or running time is long. In the illustrated example, the main running directions MB are west, south, east, and north. In other words, the main running directions MB are 270°, 180°, 90°, and 0°.

The straight line calculation unit 43 identifies three or more main driving directions MB based on the driving trajectory data TD, generates direction data MD indicating the main driving directions MB, and stores the direction data in the storage device 49. Identification of the main driving direction MB based on the driving trajectory TR can be performed by various methods, such as driving time or driving distance. A specific method for identifying the main driving direction MB by the straight line calculation unit 43 will be described later.

Specifically, the calculation of the outer edge straight line OL by the straight line calculation unit 43 is performed as follows.

The line calculation unit 43 virtually places a virtual line IL extending along the main driving direction MB outside the unworked area UA. In other words, the virtual line IL is placed in a virtual space at a position (e.g., at infinity) sufficiently far away from the unworked area UA indicated by the unworked area data UD. The line calculation unit 43 then generates virtual line data ID indicating the virtual line IL and stores it in the storage device 49. In the example of Figure 4, four orthogonal virtual lines IL are placed outside the unworked area UA.

The line calculation unit 43 translates the virtual line IL so that it approaches the unworked area UA, and calculates the virtual line IL that is in contact with the unworked area UA as the outer edge line OL. Specifically, the line calculation unit 43 translates the virtual line IL a small distance and determines whether there is an intersection with the unworked area UA. If there is no intersection, the line calculation unit 43 repeats the translation and the determination of whether there is an intersection. If there is an intersection, the virtual line IL at that position is determined to be the outer edge line OL, and line data OD indicating the outer edge line OL is generated and stored in the storage device 49. In the example of Figure 4, four orthogonal outer edge lines OL are calculated.

[Working area calculation]
The working area calculation unit 44 calculates an area surrounded by the outer edge straight line OL as a working area WA for the combine harvester 1. Specifically, the working area calculation unit 44 determines a polygonal area surrounded by the outer edge straight line OL as the working area WA, and stores working area data WD indicating the working area WA in the storage device 49. In other words, the working area data WD is a working area map indicating the working area WA.

In the example of Figure 4, a rectangular work area WA is calculated, surrounded by four perpendicular outer boundary straight lines OL. The unworked area UA is located inside the work area WA. In other words, the work area WA contains the unworked area UA.

[Automatic driving of combine harvesters]
Using the generated work area data WD, the combine 1 is automatically driven within the work area WA.

Specifically, the path generating unit 45 generates multiple target paths LI for the combine harvester 1 to travel for harvesting within the work area WA. In more detail, the path generating unit 45 generates multiple target paths LI so that the entire work area WA is covered, and generates target path data LD indicating the target paths LI and stores it in the storage device 49.

In the example of FIG. 5, the target route LI is a mesh of straight lines extending in the east-west and north-south directions. The target route LI may also be a parallel line that is parallel to one another. The target route LI may also be a curved line.

The travel control unit 46 causes the combine harvester 1 to perform harvesting travel along the generated target route LI. Specifically, the travel control unit 46 controls the travel of the combine harvester 1 by controlling the travel device 11.

The driving control unit 46 selects the next target route LI to be traveled from among the multiple target routes LI, and controls the traveling device 11 based on the positioning data output by the satellite positioning module 80 so that the combine harvester 1 travels along the selected target route LI.

The selection of the next target route LI to travel is performed according to preset rules. For example, the travel control unit 46 controls the travel device 11 so that the combine harvester 1 travels in a spiral shape according to the spiral travel rules. For example, the travel control unit 46 controls the travel device 11 so that the combine harvester 1 travels back and forth within the work area WA while connecting the parallel target routes LI with U-turns according to the U-turn travel rules.

The driving rules may be switched during work within the work area WA. For example, the driving control unit 46 may first cause the combine harvester 1 to drive for harvesting according to the spiral driving rules, and then cause the combine harvester 1 to drive for harvesting according to the U-turn driving rules.

[Method of determining main driving direction]
In this embodiment, the main traveling direction MB is identified based on the frequency of traveling in each direction in the outermost traveling direction. That is, the straight line calculation unit 43 calculates the frequency of traveling in each direction in the traveling trajectory TR, and identifies three or more main traveling directions MB based on the calculated frequency.

The following is a detailed explanation based on Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows a portion of the travel trajectory TR of the combine harvester 1 during the outermost travel, acquired by the acquisition unit 41. The illustrated points P1 to P7 correspond to the position coordinates acquired when the combine harvester 1 was traveling westward.

The travel from point P1 to point P7 is generally in a westward direction. However, the direction of travel of the combine 1 can change slightly due to the unevenness and slope of the field. Using the method described below, it is possible to quantify the travel direction on the travel trajectory TR, calculate the frequency of travel in each direction, and identify the main travel direction MB.

The run from point P1 to point P7 is divided into six short runs, run T1 to run T6. The direction of run T1 can be calculated from the position coordinates of points 1 and 2. In the illustrated example, the direction of run T1 is 270°.

In the same manner, the orientation of runs T2 to T6 can be calculated. In the illustrated example, the orientation of run T2 is 270°. The orientation of run T3 is 272°. The orientation of run T4 is 268°. The orientation of run T5 is 272°. The orientation of run T6 is 268°.

The entire travel trajectory TR is divided into short runs, and the direction of each run is calculated. The position coordinates of the combine 1 obtained during the outermost run amount to several thousand. Therefore, it is possible to divide the travel trajectory TR into several thousand runs and obtain the direction of each of the several thousand runs.

It is possible to calculate the frequency distribution of the acquired driving directions. For example, all directions (0° to 360°) are divided into 1° increments, and for each divided direction, the number of runs (degrees) whose directions belong to that division is recorded. The width of the division is arbitrary, and may be less than 1°, or may be 2°, 5°, etc.

Figure 7 shows an example of a graph showing frequency distribution. This graph is drawn corresponding to the driving trajectory TR shown in Figure 2.

In this graph, frequency peaks occur at 0° (north), 90° (east), 180° (south), and 270° (west). This corresponds to the fact that the field FI in Figure 2 is rectangular with four sides extending in the east-west and north-south directions. When traveling on the outermost perimeter, the distance traveled along each side of the field FI is long. In other words, traveling is carried out for a long period of time along each side of the field FI. Therefore, the frequency of traveling in a direction along each side is high.

The heights of the peaks at 0° and 180° are approximately half the heights of the peaks at 90° and 270°. This corresponds to the fact that the length of the short sides (eastern and western sides) of field FI in Figure 2 is approximately half the length of the long sides (northern and southern sides). The distance and time traveled along each side increases according to the length of each side.

Therefore, in the distribution of the frequency of travel for each direction, a highly frequent direction is likely to be the main direction of movement on the travel trajectory TR and the direction that corresponds to the general shape of the field FI. A less frequent direction is likely to be a non-main direction of movement on the travel trajectory TR and not the direction that corresponds to the general shape of the field FI. A less frequent direction corresponds, for example, to the travel direction during corner cutting at the corner of the field FI.

In this embodiment, the straight line calculation unit 43 calculates the frequency of travel for each direction on the travel trajectory TR, and identifies three or more main travel directions MB based on the calculated frequency. For example, the straight line calculation unit 43 identifies the direction corresponding to the apex of the peak of the frequency distribution as the main travel direction MB. For example, the straight line calculation unit 43 identifies the direction corresponding to the median of the peak of the frequency distribution as the main travel direction MB.

For the frequency distribution shown in FIG. 7, the straight line calculation unit 43 identifies four directions, 0° (north), 90° (east), 180° (south), and 270° (west), as the main driving directions MB.

It is preferable that the straight line calculation unit 43 is configured to identify the main running direction MB so that one peak corresponds to one main running direction MB in the distribution of the frequency of running for each direction in the calculated running trajectory TR. When the combine 1 runs along the edge of the field FI, the running direction fluctuates finely as shown in FIG. 6. In that case, the width of the peak becomes somewhat wide in the distribution of the frequency of running for each direction. If multiple main running directions MB are identified from one peak, the amount of calculation when calculating the virtual straight line IL, the outer edge straight line OL, and the working area WA may become excessively large. In other words, it is preferable that the straight line calculation unit 43 is configured as described above, since the amount of calculation in the control unit 40 can be reduced.

When the field FI is triangular, three peaks corresponding to the three sides appear in the distribution of the frequency of travel in each direction. When the field FI is polygonal, the same number of peaks as the number of sides of the field FI appear in the distribution of the frequency of travel in each direction.

It is preferable that the straight line calculation unit 43 is configured to identify the main driving direction MB so that the angle between the identified main driving directions MB is greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, the angle between the calculated multiple outer edge straight lines OL is greater than a predetermined threshold, so the working area WA has a simple shape. This is therefore preferable as it reduces the amount of calculation in the control unit 40. The predetermined angle is, for example, 15°.

[Driving control flow]
The control unit 40 of the running management system A is configured to control the running of the combine 1 in accordance with the running control flow shown in Fig. 9. This running control flow is executed before the start of the outermost periphery running.

First, the acquisition unit 41 acquires the travel trajectory TR of the combine harvester 1 during the outermost travel in which the combine harvester 1 travels around the outermost periphery of the field FI (step S01). The travel trajectory TR may be acquired in real time while the outermost travel is being performed, may be acquired intermittently at regular time intervals, or may be acquired after the outermost travel is completed.

After step S01 is completed, the unworked area calculation unit 42 calculates the unworked area data UD corresponding to the unworked area UA based on the driving trajectory TR (step S02).

After step S02 is completed, the straight line calculation unit 43 calculates the frequency of travel for each direction on the travel trajectory TR (step S03).

After step S03 is completed, the straight line calculation unit 43 identifies three or more main driving directions MB based on the frequency calculated in step S02 (step S04).

Step S02 (calculating the unworked area) may be performed simultaneously with step S03 (calculating the frequency) and step S04 (identifying the main driving direction MB), or may be performed after step S03 and step S04.

After step S04 is completed, the straight line calculation unit 43 calculates the outer edge straight line OL (step S05).

After step S05 is completed, the work area calculation unit 44 calculates the work area WA (step S06).

After step S06 is completed, the route generation unit 45 generates the target route LI (step S07).

After step S07 is completed, the travel control unit 46 causes the combine 1 to perform harvesting travel along the generated target route LI (step S08).

After step S08 is completed, i.e., after the mowing drive covering the work area WA is completed, the drive control flow ends.

Other Embodiments
(1) In order to reduce the amount of calculation, the straight line calculation unit 43 may perform the following process in calculating the distribution of the frequency of travel for each direction on the travel trajectory TR. Another example of the travel trajectory TR is shown in Figure 8. The illustrated points Q1 to Q8 are points corresponding to position coordinates acquired when the combine harvester 1 is traveling westward.

The run from point Q1 to point Q8 is generally heading west. The run from point Q1 to point Q8 is divided into seven short runs, run U1 to run U7, and the direction of each run is calculated. The directions of runs U4, U5, and U6 are the same at 270°. Runs U4, U5, and U6, which have the same direction, are integrated into a single run U4'. This reduces the number of runs that are the subject of the frequency distribution calculation, and reduces the amount of calculations in the control unit 40. However, it is necessary to change the frequency corresponding to run U4' to "3" (the number of integrated runs) and execute the frequency distribution calculation.

In other words, it is preferable that the straight line calculation unit 43 is configured to integrate multiple runs that have the same or close running directions into one, change the frequency of the integrated run to the total number of integrated runs, and then calculate the frequency distribution.

(2) The driving management system A may not be equipped with an unworked area calculation unit 42. In other words, the driving management system A may be configured so that the straight line calculation unit 43 calculates the outer edge straight line OL without calculating the unworked area data UD.

For example, the straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to extract a portion from the travel trajectory TR that corresponds to travel along the edge of the field FI, identify the outer edge of the unworked area UA based on the innermost point in that portion, and calculate the outer edge straight line OL based on the identified outer edge and the main travel direction MB.

(3) The straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to calculate the travel distance for each direction on the travel trajectory TR and identify the main travel direction MB based on the calculated travel distance. Specifically, the straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to identify the direction with the largest travel distance as the main travel direction MB.

(4) The straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to calculate the travel time for each direction on the travel trajectory TR and identify the main travel direction MB based on the calculated travel time. Specifically, the straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to identify the direction with the longest travel time as the main travel direction MB. The travel time for each direction can be calculated based on the time when the position coordinates of the combine 1 are acquired or the time interval for acquiring the position coordinates of the combine 1.

(5) The driving control unit 46 may be configured to control the automatic driving of the combine harvester 1 based on both the working area data WD calculated by the working area calculation unit 44 and the unworked area data UD calculated by the unworked area calculation unit 42.

The working area WA indicated by the working area data WD, as shown in FIG. 5, encompasses the entire unworked land UA and may also include areas outside the unworked land UA. In other words, the working area WA includes areas where work has already been completed. This is because the working area WA is calculated in as simple a shape as possible using the main travel direction MB and the outer edge straight line OL in order to reduce the amount of calculations. On the other hand, the unworked area data UD calculated by the unworked area calculation unit 42 is calculated as the area inside the area where the combine 1 has actually traveled, and therefore reflects the actual shape of the unworked land UA.

For example, in the case of mowing travel on the target route LI1 shown in FIG. 5, the travel control unit 46 uses the unworked area data UD to cause the combine harvester 1 to start mowing travel from the eastern end of the unworked land UA instead of the eastern end of the target route LI1. The travel control unit 46 ends the mowing travel at the western end of the unworked land UA instead of the western end of the target route LI1. This makes it possible to prevent work travel in areas where work has already been completed, improving work efficiency.

(6) "Outermost perimeter travel" does not have to mean travel that strictly follows the outer edge of the field. For example, if there is a depression at the outer edge of the field, or if the outer edge of the field is curved, the concept of outermost perimeter travel may include travel in a straight line that ignores these. In other words, when outermost perimeter travel is completed, unworked areas may remain outside the travel trajectory TR.

(7) Processing such as obtaining the travel trajectory TR, calculating the unworked area data UD, identifying the main travel direction MB, and calculating the outer edge straight line OL may be performed based on the travel trajectory during the second or subsequent lap (circular travel around the outer periphery of the field). That is, the acquisition unit 41 may be configured to obtain the travel trajectory of the combine 1 during a circular run in which the combine 1 runs around the outer periphery of the field FI. The straight line calculation unit 43 may be configured to calculate three or more outer edge straight lines OL that circumscribe the unworked area UA in the field FI and extend along the main travel direction MB during the circular run based on the travel trajectory.

The present invention can be used to manage the travel of work vehicles. Work vehicles can be not only regular combine harvesters, but also head-feeding combine harvesters, various harvesters (corn harvesters, potato harvesters, carrot harvesters, etc.), rice transplanters, field management machines, construction work machines, etc.

1: Combine (work vehicle)
41: Acquisition unit 42: Unworked area calculation unit 43: Straight line calculation unit 44: Working area calculation unit 45: Route generation unit 46: Travel control unit A: Travel management system FI: Field IL: Virtual straight line LI: Target route MB: Main travel direction OL: Outer edge straight line TR: Travel trajectory UA: Unworked area WA: Working area

Claims (7)

A system for managing the travel of a work vehicle,
an acquisition unit that acquires a travel trajectory of the work vehicle when the work vehicle travels around the outermost periphery of a field;
a straight line calculation unit that calculates three or more outer edge straight lines that circumscribe an unworked area in the field based on the travel trajectory and extend along a main travel direction in the outermost circumference travel;
a working area calculation unit that calculates an area surrounded by the outer boundary straight line as a working area for the work vehicle,
The straight line calculation unit is a system that calculates a frequency of travel in each direction on the travel trajectory, and identifies the main travel direction based on the calculated frequency. The system of claim 1, wherein the straight line calculation unit identifies three or more of the main driving directions. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the straight line calculation unit identifies the main driving direction such that one of the main driving directions corresponds to one peak in the distribution of the frequency of driving for each direction on the calculated driving trajectory. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the straight line calculation unit identifies the main driving directions such that the angle between the identified main driving directions is greater than a predetermined threshold value. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an unworked area calculation unit that calculates an unworked area corresponding to the unworked land based on the travel trajectory. A system for managing the travel of a work vehicle,
an acquisition unit that acquires a travel trajectory of the work vehicle when the work vehicle travels around the outermost periphery of a field;
a straight line calculation unit that calculates three or more outer edge straight lines that circumscribe an unworked area in the field based on the travel trajectory and extend along a main travel direction in the outermost circumference travel;
a working area calculation unit that calculates an area surrounded by the outer boundary straight line as a working area for the work vehicle;
an unworked area calculation unit that calculates an unworked area corresponding to the unworked land based on the travel trajectory ,
The straight line calculation unit places a virtual straight line extending along the identified main driving direction outside the calculated unworked area, translates the placed virtual straight line so as to approach the unworked area, and calculates the virtual straight line that is in contact with the unworked area as the outer edge straight line. a route generating unit that generates a plurality of target routes for the work vehicle to travel within the work area;
The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a travel control unit that causes the work vehicle to perform work travel along the generated target route.

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