JP7819092B2 - Work vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a work vehicle that performs agricultural work by setting a driving line using a satellite-based positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System), and is configured to be able to switch between manual driving using manual steering and automatic driving using automatic steering to travel along a set driving line that is set parallel to a reference driving line.

In order for this type of work vehicle to operate automatically, a reference driving line that serves as the basis for the driving line must be set in advance (referred to here as teaching).

As a specific example of teaching, the traveling machine is driven through a field, and when it reaches the position that is to be the start point of the reference traveling line, an instruction switch on the meter panel is operated, causing the position information of the traveling machine at that position to be read by the positioning system and input as the start point position into the recording unit. Next, the traveling machine is driven to the position that is to be the end point of the reference traveling line, and by similarly operating the instruction switch, the end point position information of the reference traveling line can be recorded, and the reference traveling line is set by connecting these start point positions and end point positions (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-175405

When setting the start and end points of the reference driving line, it is necessary to operate the instruction switch during manual driving. When driving manually, the operator needs to check the field around the work vehicle while driving. When driving manually, the operator needs to operate the instruction switch while checking the field around the work vehicle.

However, when driving manually, the operator not only needs to operate the command switches while checking the field around the work vehicle, but also needs to check the alarm device (referred to as a "liquid crystal display" in Patent Document 1) that displays information. Furthermore, in work vehicles equipped with an alarm device that issues warnings, the operator must also pay attention to the alarm device, which places a heavy burden on the operator when using such work vehicles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a work vehicle that is equipped with switches for manual driving, a notification device for reporting information, and a notification device for reporting warnings, and that reduces the burden on the operator.

The work vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a traveling body to which a work device is connected and supported, and which can switch between manual traveling using manual steering and automatic traveling using automatic steering along a set traveling line set parallel to a reference traveling line, an information notification unit that notifies information, a warning notification unit that notifies warnings, and an indicating operation device that is operated during teaching traveling using the manual traveling to set the start point and end point of the reference traveling line, and the indicating operation device, the information notification unit, and the warning notification unit are arranged on a single operation device , and the indicating operation device has a start point indicating operation device that sets the start point of the reference traveling line and an end point indicating operation device that sets the end point of the reference traveling line, and the start point indicating operation device and the end point indicating operation device are each provided with a light-emitting device, and the light-emitting device emits light when it is detected that the position of the traveling body has moved away from the set traveling line or that its orientation has shifted .

According to this invention, a single operating device is used to control the vehicle, and both the instruction operating tool used during manual driving and the information and warning notification unit that issues information and warnings are located on the same device. Therefore, when operating the vehicle for automated driving, the operator only needs to pay attention to the operating device and can perform basic operations without paying attention to other operating devices. As a result, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

The present invention preferably includes a satellite signal receiving unit that receives satellite signals from satellites and a reception sensitivity detection unit that detects the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal receiving unit, and the information notification unit preferably reports information regarding the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal receiving unit based on the detection results of the reception sensitivity detection unit.

With this configuration, information regarding the reception sensitivity of satellite signals is reported from the control device on which the instruction operating tool is located. Therefore, when setting the start and end points of the reference driving line, the driver can obtain the information necessary to determine whether autonomous driving is possible from the control device they are operating while operating the instruction operating tool located on the control device, without being aware of other control devices. As a result, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

In the present invention, the information notification unit preferably has a display unit that displays the information, and the display unit preferably displays a predetermined shape and changes the display mode of the shape to notify information about the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal reception unit.

With this configuration, information is notified by changing the display mode of the shape, without changing the shape of the display unit. However, if changing the shape of the display unit were used as a method of notifying information, it would be necessary to increase the size of the display unit to an extent that the change in shape could be recognized, which would have the disadvantage of increasing the size of the operating device. Therefore, by notifying information by changing the display mode, there is no need to increase the size of the display unit, making it possible to avoid the inconvenience of increasing the size of the operating device.

In the present invention, the display mode is preferably a light-emitting pattern.

With this configuration, for example, by varying the blinking cycle, it is possible to realize a variety of display modes, making it possible to notify more information.

In this invention, a driver's seat is provided for the operator, and the indicating operation device includes a start point indicating operation device that sets the start point of the reference driving line, and an end point indicating operation device that sets the end point of the reference driving line, and it is preferable that the start point indicating operation device is located closer to the driver's seat than the end point indicating operation device.

With this configuration, the start point indicator is located closer to the operator, and the end point indicator is located further away. Generally, when manually driving to set a reference driving line, the start point is set closer to the operator's direction of travel, and the end point is set further away. In other words, from the operator's perspective, the relative positions of the start point indicator and end point indicator are the same as the relative positions of the start and end points when setting a reference driving line. As a result, the operator can intuitively determine which controls to use when setting the start and end points.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a center mascot be provided at the front of the traveling vehicle body and positioned at the center of the traveling vehicle body from side to side, and that an automatic traveling notification unit be provided above the center mascot, which notifies the user that automatic traveling is possible based on the detection results of the reception sensitivity detection unit.

With this configuration, the automatic driving notification unit is located in the center mascot, which is located in front of the driver seated in the driver's seat. Generally, when driving, the driver often looks ahead, which is the direction in which the work vehicle is traveling. While looking ahead, the driver can easily check the notification content of the automatic driving notification unit.

In the present invention, the working device is a seedling planting device that plants seedlings in a field, and is provided with spare seedling trays on both the left and right sides of the front of the traveling body, on which spare seedlings to be supplied to the seedling planting device can be placed, and left and right spare seedling frames that support the left and right spare seedling trays, respectively, and it is preferable that the operating device be supported by at least one of the left and right spare seedling frames.

With this configuration, the operating device can be supported on an existing spare seedling stand, eliminating the need for a new mechanism to support the operating device and making it possible to simplify the mechanism that supports the operating device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a driver's seat is provided for the operator, the spare seedling frame is positioned forward of the driver's seat, the spare seedling frame is provided with multiple vertical frames extending in the vertical direction, and the operating device is supported by the rearmost vertical frame of the multiple vertical frames.

With this configuration, the operating device is supported on the vertical frame closest to the driver's seat among the vertical frames provided on the spare seedling frame, positioning the operating device close to the operator. Furthermore, because it is supported on a vertical frame that extends vertically, the height position of the operating device can be easily adjusted.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a stay is provided to support the operating device, and that the operating device is supported on the spare seedling frame via the stay.

With this configuration, by supporting the control device via the stay, it is possible to position the control device closer to the operator.

In the present invention, the indicating operation device includes a start point indicating operation device that sets the start point of the reference travel line, and an end point indicating operation device that sets the end point of the reference travel line. It is preferable that the start point indicating operation device and the end point indicating operation device are each provided with a light-emitting device, and that the light-emitting device emits light when the position of the traveling vehicle deviates from the set travel line.

This configuration eliminates the need to install a new alarm device to notify users that the traveling machine's position has deviated from the set traveling line, making it possible to simplify the arrangement of operating tools, etc. on the operating device.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the start point indicating operating device and the end point indicating operating device are arranged on the left and right sides, and that the light-emitting device provided on the side of the start point indicating operating device and the end point indicating operating device where the traveling vehicle is located with respect to the set traveling line emits light.

With this configuration, of the indicating operating devices arranged on the left and right, the one that corresponds to the position of the traveling vehicle relative to the set traveling line will emit light, allowing the operator to intuitively grasp the position of the traveling vehicle relative to the set traveling line.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the start point indicating operating device and the end point indicating operating device are arranged on the left and right sides, and that the light-emitting device provided on the side of the start point indicating operating device and the end point indicating operating device where the set travel line is located relative to the traveling machine body emits light.

With this configuration, of the indicating operating devices arranged on the left and right, the one that is located on the side where the set driving line is located relative to the traveling vehicle will emit light, allowing the operator to intuitively grasp the direction in which the traveling vehicle should move.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the warning notification unit issues a warning when the position of the traveling machine body deviates from the set traveling line.

With this configuration, when the traveling vehicle's position deviates from the set traveling line, a notification is sent from the control device on which the instruction operating device is located. Therefore, the operator can understand that the traveling vehicle's position has deviated from the set traveling line while operating the instruction operating device on the control device, without being aware of other operating devices.

FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a steering unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration related to automatic steering control. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the surroundings of the control tower. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a switch box. FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating generation of a driving line, etc. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a switch box according to another embodiment.

The following description will explain the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of the arrow FW in the drawings will be referred to as "front," the direction of the arrow BK as "rear," the direction of the arrow LH as "left," and the direction of the arrow RH as "right." Furthermore, the direction of the arrow UP in the drawings will be referred to as "up," and the direction of the arrow DW as "down."

[Overall structure]
Below, we will explain a riding rice transplanter, which is an example of a work vehicle of this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the riding rice transplanter first defines a travel line, as shown in Figure 6. Here, the travel line refers not only to a reference line along which the riding rice transplanter travels, but also to a virtual line along which the riding rice transplanter travels, for example, along a reference direction set by manual travel (teaching) using manual steering. In this embodiment, teaching is performed to set the reference travel line KL, which is the travel line. After teaching is completed, the riding rice transplanter is turned to the planting start position using manual travel, and then switched to automatic travel using automatic steering to generate a set travel line SL and perform planting travel. Furthermore, at the end point of the set travel line SL, planting is temporarily stopped, and automatic travel is switched back to manual steering to turn, and the cycle of generating the next set travel line SL and switching back to automatic planting travel is repeated.

As shown in Figure 1, the riding rice transplanter has a traveling body 3 with a pair of left and right front wheels 1 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 2. An engine 4 and a bonnet 5 that covers the engine 4 are provided at the front of the traveling body 3. A driving section 8, which is used to perform various driving operations, is provided at the rear of the traveling body 3.

A seedling planting device 9, which serves as a work device and plants seedlings in the field, is connected to the rear of the traveling body 3. The seedling planting device 9 is connected to the traveling body 3 via a link mechanism 11 that extends rearward from the body frame 10 and is capable of swinging up and down. In this embodiment, the seedling planting device 9 is configured to be capable of planting seedlings in six planting rows, but it may also be configured to be capable of planting seedlings in rows other than six.

The pair of left and right front wheels 1 are supported at the front of the vehicle frame 10 via a front transmission case 13 that supports the pair of left and right front wheels 1 so that they can be steered and driven. The pair of left and right rear wheels 2 are supported at the rear of the vehicle frame 10 via a wheel drive case 14 that supports the pair of left and right rear wheels 2 so that they can be driven.

[About the seedling planting device]
As shown in Figure 1, the seedling planting device 9 is connected to the rear end of the traveling body 3 so that it can be raised and lowered via a link mechanism 11 that is raised and lowered by the extension and contraction of a lifting cylinder 12 made up of a hydraulic cylinder. A fertilizer applicator 18 is also provided as part of the seedling planting device 9, and supplies fertilizer to the seedlings planted in the field.

The seedling planting device 9 is equipped with multiple transmission cases 19, rotating cases 21 rotatably supported on the left and right rear sides of each transmission case 19, a pair of rotary planting arms 22 provided at both ends of each rotating case 21, multiple ground leveling floats 23 for leveling the field surface, and a seedling loading platform 24 on which mat-like seedlings for planting are placed.

The seedling planting device 9 drives the seedling carrier 24 back and forth horizontally, while rotating each rotating case 21 using power transmitted from the transmission case 19. The planting arms 22 alternately remove seedlings from the bottom of the seedling carrier 24 and plant them on the rice field surface.

[About spare seedling beds]
As shown in Figure 1, the left and right sides of the bonnet 5 of the traveling body 3 are each provided with a plurality of spare seedling trays 25 on which spare seedlings to be supplied to the seedling planting device 9 can be placed. In addition, the left and right sides of the bonnet 5 of the traveling body 3 are each provided with a pair of spare seedling frames 26 on the left and right that support each spare seedling tray 25, and a connecting frame 27 that connects the upper parts of the left and right spare seedling frames 26.

Of the left and right spare seedling frames 26, the spare seedling frame 26 on one side (the right side in this embodiment) is configured to have an inverted U-shape in side view, with multiple (two in this embodiment) vertical frame sections (corresponding to the "vertical frames" of the present invention) 26a extending vertically, and a horizontal frame section 26b extending across the upper ends of the two vertical frame sections 26a. Although not described in detail, the spare seedling frame 26 on the other side (the left side in this embodiment) is configured by a link mechanism (not shown) that can be switched between a state in which multiple spare seedling trays 25 are lined up front to back and a state in which they are lined up top to bottom.

Although not shown, the connecting frame 27 has an inverted U-shape when viewed from the front. The left and right ends of the connecting frame 27 are connected to the upper parts of the left and right spare seedling frames 26, i.e., the horizontal frame portions 26b, via connecting brackets 28, respectively.

[About the driving section]
The driver's section 8 is provided with a driver's seat 31 where the operator sits, a control tower 32, a steering handle 33 configured as a steering wheel for steering the front wheels 1, a main speed change lever 34 that can switch between forward and reverse travel and change the traveling speed, and an operating lever 35 (see Figure 4) for operating the seedling planting device 9. The steering handle 33, main speed change lever 34, and operating lever 35 are provided on the control tower 32.

A switch box (corresponding to the "operating device" of the present invention) 70 is provided in front of the driver's seat 31. The switch box 70 is provided with a pair of instruction buttons (corresponding to the "instruction operating tool" of the present invention) 71 that are operated during teaching driving by manual driving to set the start and end points of the reference driving line KL.

[About the center mascot]
A ridge-crossing arm 15 is provided at the front of the traveling machine body 3 to press the traveling machine body 3 downward to prevent the machine body from lifting up when crossing a ridge, and a rod-shaped center mascot 40 is provided at the top of the ridge-crossing arm 15. The center mascot 40 is provided at the tip of the ridge-crossing arm 15 so that it can swing around the left-right axis of the machine body, and is configured to be switchable between a working posture and a storage posture.

The center mascot 40 is located at the lateral center of the traveling body 3 and is used as a guide for checking whether the traveling body 3 is aligned with an index line drawn on the surface of the field by a marker device (not shown). When the operator looks at the center mascot 40 from the driver's seat 31, if the index line drawn by the marker device is located on an extension of the operator's line of sight, it can be determined that the traveling body 3 is aligned.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper part of the center mascot 40 is provided with an automatic driving notification unit 41 that notifies users that automatic driving is possible and that automatic driving is currently in progress. The automatic driving notification unit 41 has a display unit 41D. The display unit 41D is made up of multiple LED lights arranged vertically. The upper lighting device 41D1 of the display unit 41D notifies users of errors unrelated to automatic driving, such as run out of seedlings. The lower lighting device 41D2 of the display unit 41D emits light in a different color from the lighting device 41D1 and changes its light emission pattern (display form) to notify users of the automatic driving status, for example, by lighting up when automatic driving is possible and flashing during automatic driving.

[About the main gear shift lever]
1 and 4, the main shift lever 34 is provided on the left side of the steering handle 33. It is configured to be swingable in the front-to-rear direction, and by swinging it forward from the neutral position, forward gear shifting can be performed, and by swinging it backward from the neutral position, reverse gear shifting can be performed.

As shown in Figure 4, the grip 34A at the top end of the main shift lever 34 is equipped with an automatic travel switch 36 that switches automatic travel on and off. The automatic travel switch 36 is located in a position where it can be pressed, for example, with the thumb of the left hand while holding the grip 34A in the left hand, and is configured to alternate between manual travel and automatic travel each time it is pressed.

[About the steering unit]
The traveling machine body 3 is provided with a steering unit U capable of steering the left and right front wheels 1.

As shown in Figure 2, the steering unit U includes the above-mentioned steering handle 33, a steering operation shaft 51 that is interlocked and connected to the steering handle 33, a pitman arm 52 that swings in conjunction with the rotation of the steering operation shaft 51, left and right linkage mechanisms 53 that are interlocked and connected to the pitman arm 52, a steering motor 55, and a gear mechanism 54 that interlocks and connects the steering motor 55 to the steering operation shaft 51.

The steering shaft 51 is linked to the left and right front wheels 1 via a pitman arm 52 and left and right linkage mechanisms 53. The amount of rotation of the steering shaft 51 is detected by a steering angle sensor 84 (see Figure 3), which is a rotary encoder attached to the lower end of the steering shaft 51.

When steering the steering unit U manually, the driver applies an auxiliary force corresponding to the operation of the steering handle 33 from the steering motor 55 to the operating force applied by the driver to rotate the steering shaft 51 and change the steering angle of the front wheels 1. On the other hand, when steering the steering unit U automatically, the steering motor 55 is driven and the driving force of the steering motor 55 rotates the steering shaft 51, changing the steering angle of the front wheels 1.

[About the satellite positioning system]
As shown in FIG. 1, the traveling machine body 3 is provided with a receiving device (corresponding to the "satellite signal receiving unit" of the present invention) 81 that acquires position information by a satellite positioning system.

A representative example of a satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System) is the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS measures the position of a receiver 81 using multiple GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, a control station that tracks and controls the GPS satellites, or a receiver 81 provided in the target (traveling vehicle 3) for positioning.

The receiving device 81 receives satellite signals from satellites such as GPS satellites. The position of the receiving device 81 is determined based on the information from the satellite signals. The receiving device 81 is attached to the connecting frame 27 via a plate-shaped support plate 86.

Although not explained in detail, as shown in Figure 3, the traveling vehicle body 3 is equipped with a measurement unit 80 having a secondary inertial measurement unit 82 that can detect the inclination (pitch angle, roll angle) of the traveling vehicle body 3, and a primary inertial measurement unit 83 that measures inertial information. The primary inertial measurement unit 83 and the secondary inertial measurement unit 82 are each composed of an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit).

The receiving device 81 is also provided with a receiving sensitivity detection unit 85 that detects the receiving sensitivity of the receiving device 81. The receiving sensitivity detection unit 85 transmits the detection result to the control device 60, which will be described later. The receiving sensitivity detection unit 85 detects a decrease in receiving sensitivity from the satellite as information related to receiving sensitivity. The method for detecting receiving sensitivity is not particularly limited. For example, the receiving sensitivity can be detected by comparing the receiving sensitivity from the satellite with a predetermined threshold value, and if the receiving sensitivity is below the threshold value, detecting a decrease in receiving sensitivity. Alternatively, if the receiving sensitivity from the satellite is poor and location information cannot be obtained, detecting that the receiving sensitivity is insufficient.

[Regarding the control device]
3, the traveling machine body 3 is equipped with a control device 60 that controls the automatic steering of the steering unit U. The control device 60 is equipped with an information storage unit 61, a teaching storage unit 62, an information correction unit 63, a start point setting unit 64 that generates a set traveling line SL along which the traveling machine body 3 will travel, a state detection unit 65 that detects a deviation between the set traveling line SL and the own position of the traveling machine body 3, and a control unit 66 that controls the steering unit U so that the traveling machine body 3 travels along the set traveling line SL based on position information and inertia information.

Information from the receiver 81, secondary inertial measurement unit 82, gyro sensor 83a, acceleration sensor 83b, steering angle sensor 84, automatic driving switch 36, command button 71, reception sensitivity detector 85, etc., provided in the primary inertial measurement unit 83, is input to the control device 60.

The information storage unit 61 is configured to store the location information obtained from the receiving device 81 over time.

The teaching memory unit 62 is configured to calculate the reference driving line KL using the position information of the start point K1 and the end point K2 from the position information stored in the information memory unit 61 based on the operation of the instruction button 71.

The information correction unit 63 is configured to perform a correction process each time automatic travel control of the traveling vehicle body 3 starts, based on the accumulated error of the information detected by the gyro sensor 83a, which is part of the inertial information measured by the primary inertial measurement unit 83, and the position information acquired by the receiving device 81 and the information measured by the secondary inertial measurement unit 82.

The start point setting unit 64 is configured to generate a set driving line SL based on the reference driving line KL and the vehicle's own position and heading at the start of automatic driving control of the traveling vehicle body 3.

The state detection unit 65 is configured to detect the distance deviation (deviation distance) between the own position of the traveling vehicle 3 and the set traveling line SL, and the angle deviation (deviation angle) between the own orientation of the traveling vehicle 3 and the set traveling line SL during automatic traveling control of the traveling vehicle 3.

The control unit 66 is configured to control the driving of the steering motor 55 of the steering unit U based on information input from the state detection unit 65.

[About the switch box]
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the switch box 70 is supported by the right inverted U-shaped spare seedling frame 26 of the left and right spare seedling frames 26. Specifically, a stay 70S that supports the switch box 70 is provided on the vertical frame portion 26a of the spare seedling frame 26. The stay 70S is configured to extend from the vertical frame portion 26a toward the driver's seat 31. The switch box 70 is supported by the rearmost vertical frame portion 26a of the multiple vertical frame portions 26a via the stay 70S. With this configuration, the switch box 70 is positioned forward of the driver's seat 31 and can be operated by the operator while sitting in the driver's seat 31.

The switch box 70 is equipped with an instruction button 71, an information notification unit 72 that notifies information related to the reception sensitivity of the receiving device 81, and a warning notification unit 73 that notifies warnings related to autonomous driving. In other words, the instruction button 71, information notification unit 72, and warning notification unit 73 are all arranged on a single switch box 70.

The instruction buttons 71 include a start point instruction button 71A (corresponding to the "start point instruction operating tool" of the present invention) for setting the start point K1 of the reference driving line KL, and an end point instruction button 71B (corresponding to the "end point instruction operating tool" of the present invention) for setting the end point K2 of the reference driving line KL.

In this embodiment, the switch box 70 is configured with an angled arrangement such that the surface on which operating devices such as the start point instruction button 71A are arranged is positioned more forward as it approaches the top. In the switch box 70, the start point instruction button 71A is located behind the end point instruction button 71B in the longitudinal direction and below the end point instruction button 71B in the vertical direction, and is located closer to the driver's seat 31 than the end point instruction button 71B. In the switch box 70, the information notification unit 72 and the warning notification unit 73 are located in front of the end point instruction button 71B in the longitudinal direction and above the end point instruction button 71B in the vertical direction, and are located farther from the driver's seat 31 than the end point instruction button 71B.

The information notification unit 72 notifies information related to the reception sensitivity of the receiving device 81 based on the detection results of the reception sensitivity detection unit 85. The information notification unit 72 has a display unit 72D that displays information. In this embodiment, the display unit 72D is an LED light configured in a predetermined shape (circular in this embodiment), and notifies information related to the reception sensitivity of the receiving device 81 by changing its light emission pattern. For example, when the reception sensitivity is good, the display unit 72D lights up, and when the reception sensitivity has decreased, the display unit 72D flashes.

The warning notification unit 73 issues warnings related to autonomous driving and has a display unit 73D that displays the warnings. The display unit 73D is an LED light that emits light in a different color from the display unit 72D, which is configured in a predetermined shape (circular in this embodiment). For example, the display unit 73D is turned on when reception sensitivity is extremely poor and autonomous driving is not possible.

A specific example of the running of the rice transplanter of this embodiment will be described.
[1] As shown in FIG. 6, start manual running for teaching.
This manual traveling can be started by swinging the main shift lever 34 forward from the neutral position, and the machine travels in a straight course along the ridge from the outer periphery of the field close to the ridge. By pressing the start point instruction button 71A while traveling, the position information of the traveling machine body 3 at that time is acquired by the positioning system and recorded in the information storage unit 61 as the position information of the start point K1 of the reference traveling line KL.

Furthermore, by pressing the end point instruction button 71B after continuing manual driving, the position information of the traveling machine body 3 at that time is acquired by the positioning system and recorded in the information storage unit 61 as the position information of the end point K2 of the reference driving line KL. As a result, the teaching storage unit 62 sets the reference driving line KL as a straight line connecting the start point K1 and the end point K2.

[2] After traveling in a straight line on the reference traveling line KL, the steering handle 33 is turned to change the direction of the traveling vehicle body 3, and manual traveling is performed to the start position of the adjacent set traveling line SL.

[3] Planting is performed while the traveling machine body 3 is traveling automatically.
Automatic driving is initiated by swinging the main shift lever 34 forward and pressing the automatic driving switch 36. At this time, the automatic driving notification unit 41 provided in the center mascot 40 notifies the driver that automatic driving is possible by turning on or blinking the lighting device 41D2 of the display unit 41D based on the detection result of the reception sensitivity detection unit 85. The driver can confirm that automatic driving is possible by checking the automatic driving notification unit 41.

When the automatic travel switch 36 is pressed, the start point setting unit 64 acquires the current position information of the traveling vehicle 3 using the positioning system and records it in the information storage unit 61 as position information for the start point S1 of the set travel line SL. Furthermore, a set travel line SL that passes through the start point S1 and is parallel to the reference travel line KL is generated.

Once the set travel line SL is generated, the control device 60 controls the steering unit U in the direction of correcting the misalignment based on the misalignment information of the traveling vehicle 3 input from the state detection unit 65, and controls the traveling vehicle 3 to travel along the set travel line SL.

[4] Cancel automatic driving on the set driving line SL.
When the robot reaches the end position of the set travel line SL, automatic travel is cancelled by pressing the automatic travel switch 36. In this state, the steering handle 33 is turned to change the direction of the traveling machine body 3, and manual steering is performed to the start position of the next adjacent set travel line SL.
Thereafter, planting steering along the set travel line SL by automatic travel and direction changes by manual travel are alternately repeated.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, another embodiment in which the above embodiment is modified will be exemplified.

(1) In the above embodiment, an example configuration was described in which the information notification unit 72 and the warning notification unit 73 were provided with display units 72D and 73D, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the information notification unit 72 and the warning notification unit 73 may be provided with a sound generating unit that generates sound.

(2) In the above embodiment, display unit 72D and display unit 73D are described as being circular LED lights, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, they may be configured to display a predetermined shape on an LCD screen. Furthermore, they may be configured in a shape other than a circle, such as a square or triangle.

(3) In the above embodiment, the switch box 70 is described as being supported on the right-side spare seedling frame 26, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may be supported on the control tower 32, for example. It may also be supported on the left-side spare seedling frame 26, in which case the left-side spare seedling frame 26 may be configured in an inverted U-shape.

(4) In the above embodiment, the switch box 70 is supported by the rearmost vertical frame portion 26a of the multiple vertical frame portions 26a provided on the spare seedling frame 26. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the switch box 70 may be supported by the forwardmost vertical frame portion 26a of the multiple vertical frame portions 26a, or may be supported by the horizontal frame portion 26b.

(5) In the above embodiment, the switch box 70 is supported on the vertical frame portion 26a via the stay 70S. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the switch box 70 may be supported directly on the vertical frame portion 26a.

(6) In the above embodiment, the start point instruction button 71A is located behind the end point instruction button 71B in the front-to-back direction on the switch box 70. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the start point instruction button 71A may be located ahead of the end point instruction button 71B in the front-to-back direction, or the start point instruction button 71A and the end point instruction button 71B may be located on the left and right.

As shown in Figure 7, when the start point instruction button 71A and the end point instruction button 71B are arranged on the left and right, the start point instruction button 71A and the end point instruction button 71B may be equipped with a light-emitting device 74 such as an LED light to illuminate the buttons themselves.

In this case, when the state detection unit 65 detects that the position of the traveling vehicle 3 has moved away from the set traveling line SL or that its orientation has shifted, the light-emitting device 74 may be illuminated to notify the user that the position of the traveling vehicle 3 has moved away from the set traveling line SL or that its orientation has shifted. Furthermore, of the start point instruction button 71A and the end point instruction button 71B allocated to the left and right, the light-emitting device 74 provided on the side where the traveling vehicle 3 is located relative to the set traveling line SL may be configured to emit light, or, of the start point instruction button 71A and the end point instruction button 71B allocated to the left and right, the light-emitting device 74 provided on the side where the set traveling line SL is located relative to the traveling vehicle 3 may be configured to emit light.

(7) In the above embodiment, the switch box 70 is supported on the right spare seedling frame 26 of the left and right spare seedling frames 26, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the switch box 70 may also be supported on the left spare seedling frame 26 of the left and right spare seedling frames 26.

(8) In the above embodiment, the information notification unit 72 was described as being configured to issue a warning when reception sensitivity is extremely poor and automatic driving is impossible. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the information notification unit 72 may be configured to issue a warning when the position of the traveling body 3 deviates from the set traveling line SL.

(9) In the above embodiment, the reception sensitivity detection unit 85 was configured as a separate unit from the control device 60, and the control device 60 was configured to receive information from the reception sensitivity detection unit 85. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the reception sensitivity detection unit 85 may be incorporated into the control device 60.

(10) In the above embodiment, display units 72D and 73D were described as being configured to provide information and warnings by changing the light emission pattern of the LED lighting. However, any other configuration may be used as long as the display mode of display units 72D and 73D can be changed. For example, information and warnings may be provided by changing the light emission color of the LED lighting.

(11) In the above embodiment, the switch box 70 was described as having an arrangement in which the arrangement surface on which operating devices such as the start point instruction button 71A are arranged is angled so that the upper part is positioned further forward. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the arrangement surface may be configured to be vertical, or the arrangement surface may be configured to be horizontal. The position of the switch box 70 may also be configured to be changeable.

(12) In the above embodiment, the display unit 41D is described as having an illumination device 41D1 arranged on the upper side to notify of errors unrelated to autonomous driving and an illumination device 41D2 arranged on the lower side to notify of information related to autonomous driving. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the display unit 41D may have an illumination device 41D2 arranged on the upper side and an illumination device 41D1 arranged on the lower side, or may have three or more illumination devices arranged on the upper side. Furthermore, the multiple illumination devices may each have a different shape. This configuration makes it possible to improve the visibility of the display unit 41D.

(13) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the main shift lever 34 provided on the control tower 32 is equipped with an automatic travel switch 36 that switches automatic travel on and off. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the automatic travel may be switched on and off using an operating device separate from the main shift lever 34, etc., and in this case, the operating device may be located in the switch box 70. Furthermore, the automatic travel may be switched on and off by operating the start point instruction button 71A and end point instruction button 71B provided on the switch box 70.

(14) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which planting was temporarily stopped at the end point of the set travel line SL and automatic travel was switched to manual steering to turn. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a configuration in which automatic steering is used to turn at the end point of the set travel line SL by operating a specified operating tool is also possible.

(15) In the above embodiment, the traveling vehicle body 3 is described as being equipped with a primary inertial measurement unit 83 and a secondary inertial measurement unit 82. However, instead of these, a configuration may be adopted in which a single inertial measurement unit is provided that can detect the inclination of the traveling vehicle body 3 and the orientation of the traveling vehicle body 3's direction of travel. In this case, the inertial measurement unit may be incorporated into the receiving device 81, or may be configured separately from the receiving device 81 and placed, for example, near the driver's seat 31, which is less susceptible to the effects of vibration.

The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided no contradictions arise. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. They can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

This invention can be used not only in riding rice transplanters, but also in various work vehicles such as combine harvesters and tractors.

3: Traveling machine body 9: Seedling planting device 25: Spare seedling table 26: Spare seedling frame 26a: Vertical frame section (vertical frame)
41: Driver's seat 70: Switch box (operating device)
70S: Stay 71: Instruction button (instruction operating tool)
71A: Start point instruction button (start point instruction operating tool)
71B: End point instruction button (end point instruction operating tool)
72: Information notification unit 72D: Display unit 73: Warning notification unit 74: Center mascot 75: Automatic driving notification unit 81: Receiving device (satellite signal receiving unit)
84: Receiving sensitivity detector KL: Reference driving line K1: Start point K2: End point SL: Set driving line

Claims (12)

a traveling machine body to which a working device is connected and supported, capable of switching between manual traveling by manual steering and automatic traveling by automatic steering along a set traveling line that is set parallel to a reference traveling line;
an information notification unit that notifies information;
a warning notification unit that issues a warning;
an instruction operating tool that is operated during the teaching travel by the manual travel to set a start point and an end point of the reference travel line,
the pointing operation tool, the information notification unit, and the warning notification unit are arranged in a single operation device ,
the indicating operation tool includes a start point indicating operation tool that sets a start point of the reference travel line, and an end point indicating operation tool that sets an end point of the reference travel line,
a light-emitting device is provided on each of the start point indicating operation tool and the end point indicating operation tool;
A work vehicle in which the light emitting device emits light when it is detected that the position of the traveling body has deviated from the set traveling line or has shifted in direction. a satellite signal receiving unit that receives a satellite signal from a satellite;
a reception sensitivity detection unit that detects the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal reception unit,
The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information notification unit notifies information relating to the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal receiving unit based on the detection result of the reception sensitivity detection unit. the information notification unit has a display unit that displays the information,
The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the display unit displays a predetermined shape and changes the display mode of the shape to notify information about the reception sensitivity of the satellite signal receiving unit. The work vehicle described in claim 3, wherein the display mode is a light-emitting pattern. It is equipped with a driver's seat where the operator sits ,
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the start point indicating operation tool is disposed closer to the driver's seat than the end point indicating operation tool. A center mascot is provided at the front of the traveling body and is arranged at the left and right center of the traveling body,
3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising an automatic driving notification unit provided above the center mascot, which notifies the user that automatic driving is possible based on the detection result of the reception sensitivity detection unit. The working device is a seedling planting device that plants seedlings in a field,
A spare seedling tray is provided on each of the left and right sides of the front of the traveling body, and is capable of carrying spare seedlings to be supplied to the seedling planting device;
and left and right spare seedling frames for supporting the left and right spare seedling tables, respectively;
2. A work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the operating device is supported by at least one of the left and right spare seedling frames. It is equipped with a driver's seat where the operator sits,
The spare seedling frame is disposed forward of the driver's seat,
The spare seedling frame is provided with a plurality of vertical frames extending along the vertical direction,
The work vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the operating device is supported by the rearmost vertical frame among the plurality of vertical frames. A stay is provided to support the operating device,
The work vehicle according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the operating device is supported on the spare seedling frame via the stay. The start point indicating operation tool and the end point indicating operation tool are arranged separately on the left and right sides,
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting device provided on one of the start point indicating operating tool and the end point indicating operating tool on the side where the traveling machine body is located with respect to the set traveling line emits light. The start point indicating operation tool and the end point indicating operation tool are arranged separately on the left and right sides,
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting device provided on one of the start point indicating operating tool and the end point indicating operating tool on the side where the set travel line is located relative to the traveling body emits light. The work vehicle described in claim 1, wherein the warning notification unit issues a warning when the position of the traveling vehicle deviates from the set traveling line.