JP6507109B2 - Running area shape registration system for work vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for registering the shape of a travel area in which a work vehicle travels, in particular, the shape of a field where an autonomous travel work vehicle travels and works autonomously using a satellite positioning system. Technology that recognizes

  Patent Document 1 describes a technique for detecting the position and traveling direction of a working vehicle in a field by means of position detection means and direction detection means, and running the work vehicle unmanned based on these detection values. In addition, a technology is described that sets a work route based on information of a field section and a reference traveling direction obtained by learning traveling data obtained by performing manual driving (teaching traveling) around the field.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-66405

  The edge of an actual field, that is, the boundary between a field and a fence, is not necessarily a straight line due to the characteristics of the land, etc., and it is difficult to travel along the boundary faithfully in teaching. In addition, positioning data obtained by teaching travel does not have information about obstacles such as utility poles, water intake valves, walls, etc. that jump out locally inside the field, so autonomous operation of headland work and finishing work of side margin It could not be made to work vehicles autonomously.

  In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide various techniques for acquiring various information related to a travel area and specifying the shape of the travel area in which the work vehicle travels based on the information.

A system for registering a shape of a travel area in which a work vehicle travels, and obtaining position information acquisition means for acquiring position information of the work vehicle by a satellite positioning system, and acquiring environmental information for acquiring environment information around the work vehicle Means for obtaining travel locus information indicating a travel locus of the work vehicle , which is specified based on position information of the work vehicle acquired by the satellite positioning system and which is a locus for registering the shape of the travel area A specific area identified by correcting the traveling locus information based on traveling locus information acquiring means, the traveling locus information acquired by the traveling locus information acquiring means, and the environment information acquired by the environment recognizing means And registration means for registering the shape of the travel area.

  The correction of the travel locus information by the registration unit is also performed based on the position information of the environment recognition unit and the direction of acquiring the environment information.

  A display unit capable of displaying the shape of the travel area registered by the registration unit; and an operation unit capable of changing the shape of the travel area displayed on the display unit, the registration unit being the display unit The shape of the travel area displayed on the screen is registered as the shape of the travel area after the change in accordance with the operation on the operation means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to more accurately identify the shape of the travel area in which the work vehicle travels and to register the identified travel area.

Outline side view of autonomous traveling working vehicle and traveling working vehicle Control block diagram Diagram showing the initial screen Diagram showing farm setting Diagram showing the field area Diagram showing the shape of the field Diagram showing how to recognize the shape of the field end Figure showing field shape correction A diagram showing the position and orientation of the environment recognition means for acquiring surrounding information Diagram showing the selection of boundary feature points on a display device A diagram showing how a distance sensor that acquires surrounding information recognizes the end of a field

  An autonomous traveling work vehicle (which may be referred to as "unmanned vehicle" hereinafter) 1 capable of autonomous traveling unmanned and autonomously, and a manned traveling working vehicle operated by a worker (user) in coordination with the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 An embodiment will be described in which the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 and the traveling working vehicle 100 are respectively equipped with a rotary cultivating device as a working machine with the tractor 100 (which may be hereinafter referred to as a manned vehicle). However, the working vehicle is not limited to a tractor, and may be a combine, etc. The working machine is not limited to a rotary tiller, and may be a setting machine, a mower, a rake, a planter, a fertilizing machine, etc. May be

  In the present specification, “autonomous traveling” means that the control unit (ECU) of the tractor controls a configuration related to traveling of the tractor and the tractor travels along a predetermined route. Performing agricultural work in a single field with unmanned vehicles and manned vehicles may be referred to as cooperative work of agricultural work, follow-up work, accompanying work, and the like. In addition to "Performing farming work in a single field with unmanned vehicles and manned vehicles" as cooperative work of farming work, unmanned vehicles and manned vehicles at the same time farming operations in different fields such as adjacent fields "To perform" may be included.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous traveling working vehicle and a traveling working vehicle, and FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a control configuration of them. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an overall configuration of a tractor serving as the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 will be described. In the body part of the tractor, the engine 3 is installed inside the bonnet 2, the dashboard 14 is provided in the cabin 11 at the rear of the bonnet 2, and the steering handle 4 serving as steering operation means is provided on the dashboard 14 It is done. The turning of the steering wheel 4 turns the direction of the front wheels 9 and 9 via the steering device. A steering actuator 40 for operating the steering device is connected to a steering controller 301 constituting the control unit 30. The steering direction of the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 is detected by the steering sensor 20. The steering sensor 20 is an angle sensor such as a rotary encoder, and is disposed at the rotation base of the front wheel 9. However, the detection configuration of the steering sensor 20 is not limited as long as the steering direction is recognized, and the rotation of the steering wheel 4 may be detected or the operation amount of the power steering may be detected. The detected value obtained by the steering sensor 20 is input to the steering controller 301 of the control unit 30.

  The control unit 30 includes a steering controller 301, an engine controller 302, a transmission control controller 303, a horizontal control controller 304, a work control controller 305, a positioning control unit 306, an autonomous traveling control controller 307, etc. And a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM, an interface, and the like, and the storage device stores programs, data, and the like for operation, and can be communicated so as to transmit and receive information, data, and the like by CAN communication.

  A driver's seat 5 is disposed behind the steering wheel 4, and a transmission case 6 is disposed below the driver's seat 5. Rear axle cases 8 are connected to both left and right sides of the transmission case 6, and rear wheels 10 are supported by the rear axle cases 8 via axles. The power from the engine 3 is shifted by the transmission (main transmission or sub transmission) in the transmission case 6 to drive the rear wheels 10 and 10. The transmission is, for example, a hydraulic stepless transmission, in which a movable swash plate of a variable displacement hydraulic pump is operated by transmission means 44 such as a motor so as to be shiftable. The transmission means 44 is connected to the transmission control controller 303 of the control unit 30. The rotational speed of the rear wheel 10 is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 27 and is input to the transmission control controller 303 as the traveling speed. However, the detection method of the vehicle speed and the arrangement position of the vehicle speed sensor 27 are not limited.

  A PTO clutch and a PTO transmission are accommodated in the transmission case 6, the PTO clutch is turned on and off by the PTO ON / OFF unit 45, and the PTO ON / OFF unit 45 and the autonomous traveling controller 307 of the control unit 30 via the display unit 49. It is connected and control of connection and disconnection of power to the PTO shaft is possible. In addition, when a seeding machine or a coating machine is attached as a work machine, the work machine controller 308 is provided so that control unique to the work machine can be performed, and the work machine controller 308 uses information communication wiring (so-called ISOBUS). And the work control controller 305.

  A front axle case 7 is supported on a front frame 13 supporting the engine 3, front wheels 9 and 9 are supported on both sides of the front axle case 7, and power from the transmission case 6 can be transmitted to the front wheels 9 and 9. It is composed of The front wheels 9 and 9 are steering wheels, and can be turned by the turning operation of the steering handle 4, and the front wheels 9 and 9 are steered left and right by a steering actuator 40 composed of a power steering cylinder serving as a driving means of a steering device. It is rotatable. The steering actuator 40 is connected to the steering controller 301 of the control unit 30 and controlled.

  An engine rotation number sensor 61, a water temperature sensor, an oil pressure sensor, and the like are connected to an engine controller 302 serving as an engine rotation control means so that the state of the engine can be detected. The engine controller 302 detects the load from the set number of revolutions and the actual number of revolutions and controls the load so as not to be overloaded, and transmits the state of the engine 3 to the remote control device 112 described later so that the display device 113 can display it. ing.

  Further, a level sensor 29 for detecting the liquid level of fuel is disposed in the fuel tank 15 disposed below the step and connected to the display means 49. The display means 49 is provided on the dashboard of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 Display the remaining amount of. Then, the remaining amount of fuel is calculated as the workable time by the autonomous traveling controller 307, information is transmitted to the remote control device 112 through the communication device 110, and the remaining amount of fuel and work are displayed on the display device 113 of the remote control device 112. The available time can be displayed. The tachometer, the fuel gauge, the oil pressure, the display means for displaying an abnormality, and the display means capable of displaying the current position or the like may be configured separately.

  On the dashboard 14, there are disposed an engine tachometer, a fuel gauge, a hydraulic pressure, a monitor indicating an abnormality, and a display means 49 for displaying a set value or the like. Like the remote control device 112, the display means 49 is a touch panel type, which also enables data input / selection, switch operation, button operation and the like.

  In addition, a rotary tilling device 24 as a working machine is movably mounted on the rear of the vehicle body portion of the tractor as a working machine via a working machine mounting device 23. A lift cylinder 26 is provided on the transmission case 6, and by extending and retracting the lift cylinder 26, a lift arm constituting the work implement mounting device 23 is turned to be able to lift and lower the rotary cultivator 24. The lift cylinder 26 is expanded and contracted by the operation of the lift actuator 25, and the lift actuator 25 is connected to the horizontal control controller 304 of the control unit 30. Further, on the lift links on one side in the left and right of the work implement mounting device 23, tilt cylinders are provided, and a tilt actuator 47 for operating the tilt cylinders is connected to the horizontal control controller 304.

  A mobile GPS antenna (positioning antenna) 34 for enabling detection of position information and a data reception antenna 38 are connected to the positioning control unit 306 serving as a position detection unit, and the mobile GPS antenna 34 and data reception antenna 38 Provided on top. The positioning control unit 306 is provided with a position calculation unit to calculate latitude and longitude, and can display the current position on the display unit 49 or the display device 113 of the remote control device 112. In addition to GPS (US), precise positioning can be performed using satellite positioning systems (GNSS) such as Quasi-Zenith Satellite (Japan) and Glonass Satellite (Russia), but in this embodiment GPS is used. explain.

  The autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 includes a gyro sensor 31 for obtaining posture change information of a vehicle body portion, and an azimuth angle detection unit 32 for detecting a traveling direction, and is connected to a control unit 30. However, since the traveling direction can be calculated from GPS position measurement, the azimuth detection unit 32 can be omitted. The gyro sensor 31 detects an angular velocity of inclination (pitch) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body portion of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, an angular velocity of inclination (roll) in the lateral direction of the vehicle body portion, and an angular velocity of turning (yaw). By integrating and calculating the three angular velocities, it is possible to determine the inclination angle in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the vehicle body portion of the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 and the turning angle. Specific examples of the gyro sensor 31 include a mechanical gyro sensor, an optical gyro sensor, a fluid gyro sensor, a vibration gyro sensor, and the like. The gyro sensor 31 is connected to the control unit 30, and inputs information on the three angular velocities to the control unit 30.

  The azimuth detecting unit 32 detects the direction (advancing direction) of the autonomously traveling working vehicle 1. As a specific example of the azimuth angle detection unit 32, a magnetic azimuth sensor or the like can be mentioned. The azimuth detecting unit 32 inputs information to the autonomous traveling control controller 307 via CAN communication means.

  In this way, the autonomous traveling control controller 307 calculates the signals acquired from the gyro sensor 31 and the azimuth angle detection unit 32 by the attitude / orientation calculation means, and the attitude of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 (direction, vehicle body front and rear direction and vehicle body left and right Find the inclination of the direction, the turning direction).

  Next, the position information of the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 is acquired using GPS (Global Positioning System) which is one of the satellite positioning systems. Positioning methods using GPS include various methods such as single positioning, relative positioning, DGPS (differential GPS) positioning, RTK-GPS (real time kinematics-GPS) positioning, and any of these methods can be used. However, in the present embodiment, the RTK-GPS positioning method with high measurement accuracy is adopted.

  RTK-GPS positioning simultaneously performs GPS observation with a reference station whose position is known and a mobile station whose position is to be determined, and transmits data observed by the reference station to the mobile station in real time by a method such as radio, etc. Is a method of obtaining the position of the mobile station in real time based on the position result of.

  In this embodiment, a positioning control unit 306 serving as a mobile station, a mobile GPS antenna 34 and a data receiving antenna 38 are disposed in the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, and a fixed communication device 35 serving as a reference station, a fixed GPS antenna 36 and a data transmitting antenna 39 are disposed at predetermined positions. In the RTK-GPS positioning of this embodiment, phase measurement (relative positioning) is performed in both the reference station and the mobile station, and data measured by the fixed communication device 35 of the reference station is transmitted from the data transmission antenna 39 to the data reception antenna 38 .

  The mobile GPS antenna 34 disposed on the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1 receives signals from the GPS satellites 37, 37. This signal is transmitted to the positioning control unit 306 and positioned. Then, at the same time, signals from the GPS satellites 37 are received by the fixed GPS antenna 36 serving as a reference station, measured by the fixed communication device 35 and transmitted to the positioning control unit 306, and the observed data is analyzed and moved Determine the station's position.

  Thus, the autonomous traveling controller 307 is provided as an autonomous traveling means for causing the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 to autonomously travel. That is, the traveling state of the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 is acquired as various information by the various information acquiring units connected to the autonomous traveling controller 307, and the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 is acquired by the various control units connected to the autonomous traveling controller 307. Control autonomous driving. Specifically, the radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellites 37, 37, ... are received, and the position control unit 306 obtains position information of the vehicle body portion at set time intervals, and the vehicle body from the gyro sensor 31 and the azimuth angle detector 32 The steering actuator 40 and the gear shift so that the vehicle body section travels along a preset route (traveling route and working route) R based on the position information, displacement information, and orientation information. Means 44, raising and lowering actuator 25, PTO on / off means 45, engine controller 302 and the like are controlled to enable autonomous traveling and automatic work.

  In addition, an obstacle sensor 41 is disposed on the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and connected to the control unit 30 so as not to collide with the obstacle. For example, the obstacle sensor 41 is configured by a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera, disposed at the front, side or rear of the vehicle body and connected to the controller 30, and the controller 30 controls the front or side of the vehicle It detects whether there is an obstacle on the side or the back, and controls to stop traveling when the obstacle approaches within the set distance.

  The autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is also connected to the control unit 30 with a camera 42F for photographing the front, a work machine for the rear, and a camera 42R for photographing the field condition after work. The cameras 42F and 42R are disposed on the front and rear of the roof of the cabin 11 in this embodiment, but the arrangement position is not limited, and the front and rear of the cabin 11 and one camera 42 may be arranged around the body portion and rotated around the vertical axis to photograph the surroundings, or a plurality of cameras 42 may be arranged at the four corners of the body portion to photograph the periphery of the body portion. In addition, when an emblem of a manufacturer of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is attached to the cabin 11, the hood 2, etc., the cameras 42F and 42R may be disposed on the back side of the emblem. In that case, a through hole or a predetermined gap is set in the emblem, and the lenses of the cameras 42F and 42R correspond to the position of the through hole or the gap, so that photographing is not hindered. The images taken by the cameras 42F and 42R are displayed on the display device 113 of the remote control device 112 provided on the traveling work vehicle 100.

  The remote control device 112 sets a route R of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 described later, remotely operates the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, monitors the traveling state of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1, and monitors the working state of the working machine. , And stores work data, and includes a control device (CPU or memory), a communication device 111, a display device 113, and the like.

  While the operator gets on and operates the traveling working vehicle 100 to be a manned traveling vehicle, the remote operating device 112 is mounted on the traveling working vehicle 100 to enable the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 to be operated. The basic configuration of the traveling working vehicle 100 is substantially the same as that of the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1, and thus the detailed description is omitted. The traveling work vehicle 100 (or the remote control device 112) may be configured to include a control unit for GPS.

  The remote control device 112 can be attached to and detached from an attachment portion (an arm member capable of attaching and fixing, for example, the remote control device 112, not shown) provided on a dashboard of the traveling working vehicle 100 and the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 And The remote control device 112 may be operated while attached to the mounting portion of the traveling work vehicle 100 or may be carried out by carrying it out of the traveling working vehicle 100 and attached to the mounting portion of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 It is also possible to operate. The remote control device 112 can be configured by, for example, a wireless communication terminal such as a laptop computer or a tablet personal computer. In this embodiment, it is configured by a tablet computer.

  Furthermore, the remote control device 112 and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other wirelessly, and the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and the remote control device 112 are respectively provided with communication devices 110 and 111 for communicating. ing. The communication device 111 is integrally configured with the remote control device 112. The communication means are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a wireless LAN such as WiFi. The remote control device 112 is provided with a display device 113 as a touch panel type operation screen that can be operated by touching the screen on the housing surface, and the communication device 111, CPU, storage device, battery and the like are housed in the housing.

  Next, the procedure for setting the route R by the remote control device 112 will be described. FIG. 3 shows an initial screen displayed on the display device of the remote control device. The display device 113 of the remote control device 112 is a touch panel type, and when the power is turned on to activate the remote control device 112, an initial screen appears. In the initial screen, as shown in FIG. 3, a tractor setting button 201, a field setting button 202, a route generation setting button 203, a data transfer button 204, a work start button 205, and an end button 206 are displayed.

  First, tractor setting will be described. When the tractor setting button 201 is touched, when the remote control device 112 performs work using a tractor in the past, that is, when there is a tractor set in the past, the tractor name (model) is displayed. When the tractor name to be used this time is touched and selected from among the displayed plurality of tractor names, it is possible to thereafter advance to field setting described later or return to the initial screen. When setting a new tractor, specify the tractor model. In this case, enter the model name directly. Alternatively, the model of a plurality of tractors is displayed in a list on the display device 113 so that a desired model can be selected.

  When the type of tractor is set, a screen for setting the size, shape, and position of the working machine to be mounted on the tractor appears. The position of the working machine is selected, for example, from the front, between the front wheel and the rear wheel, or from the rear, or offset. When the setting of the work machine is completed, a setting screen for the vehicle speed during work, the engine speed during work, the vehicle speed during turning, and the engine speed during turning appears. The vehicle speed during work may be different between the forward and return routes. When the setting of the vehicle speed and the engine speed is completed, it is possible to proceed to the field setting described later or return to the initial screen.

  Next, the field setting will be described. FIG. 4 shows a state of traveling on the periphery performed by the user riding on the autonomous traveling work vehicle at the time of farmland setting. FIG. 5 shows an area set in the field such as a work area and a headland area. When the field setting button 202 is touched, if the remote control device 112 has performed work using the tractor in the past, that is, if there is a field set in the past, the name of the field set is displayed. If a farm field name to be worked this time is touched and selected from a plurality of farm field names displayed, then it is possible to proceed to path generation setting described later or return to the initial screen. In addition, it is also possible to edit or newly set the set field.

  If there is no registered field, it will be a new field setting. When a new field setting is selected, as shown in FIG. 4, the tractor (autonomous traveling work vehicle 1) is positioned at one of the four corners in the field H, and the button "measurement start" is touched. Thereafter, the tractor is caused to travel along the outer periphery of the field H to register the field shape. Next, the operator registers the corner positions A, B, C, D and the inflection point from the registered field shape and specifies the field shape.

  When the field H is specified, as shown in FIG. 5, the work start position S, the work start direction F, and the work end position G are set. If there is an obstacle in the field H, move the tractor to the position of the obstacle, touch the "set obstacle" button, travel around it, and set the obstacle. In addition, it is possible to display a map image of a field on the display device 113, and when the field shape specified above is displayed superimposed on the map image, the periphery of the obstacle is designated on the display device 113. To set an obstacle. When the above work is completed, or when a field registered in the past is selected, a confirmation screen is displayed, and an OK (confirmation) button and an "edit / add" button are displayed. If there is a change in the field registered in the past, touch the "Edit / Add" button.

  When the OK button is touched in the field setting, it becomes route generation setting. The route generation setting can also be made by touching the route generation setting button 203 on the initial screen. In the route generation setting, a selection screen as to which position the traveling working vehicle 100 travels with respect to the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 is displayed. That is, the positional relationship between the autonomously traveling working vehicle 1 and the traveling working vehicle 100 is set. Specifically, (1) the traveling work vehicle 100 is located at the left rear of the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1. (2) The traveling working vehicle 100 is located at the right rear of the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1. (3) The traveling work vehicle 100 is positioned directly behind the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1. (4) The traveling working vehicle 100 does not accompany (work is performed only with the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1). 4 types are displayed and can be selected by touching.

  Next, the width of the work machine of the traveling work vehicle 100 is set. That is, the width of the working machine is entered numerically. Next, set the number of skips. That is, when the autonomously traveling work vehicle 1 reaches the field outer peripheral end (pillow) and moves from the first route to the second route, how many routes are to be skipped is set. Specifically, (1) do not skip. (2) Skip one column. (3) Skip 2 columns. Choose one. Next, set the overlap. That is, the overlap amount of the work width in the work route adjacent to the work route is set. Specifically, (1) there is no overlap. (2) Overlap. Choose If "Overlap" is selected, a numerical value input screen is displayed, and it is impossible to proceed to the next step without inputting a numerical value.

  Next, perimeter setting is performed. That is, an area outside the work area HA where work is performed by the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and the traveling work vehicle 100 or by the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 as shown in FIG. 5 is set. In other words, there is set a headland HB that turns in a non-working state at the end of the field, and a side margin HC that serves as a non-working area in contact with the field outer circumference on both left and right sides between the headland HB and the headland HB. . Therefore, it becomes field H = working area HA + headland HB + headland HB + side margin HC + side margin HC. Normally, autonomous traveling vehicle 1 and traveling working vehicle 100 have width Wb of headland HB and width Wc of side margin HC as a length equal to or less than twice the width of the working machine mounted by traveling working vehicle 100. After the completion of the accompanying work by the worker, the operator gets into the traveling work vehicle 100, and can finish by manually circling the outer circumference twice. However, when the shape of the field outer periphery is not complicated, it is also possible to work the outer periphery with the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. In the outer circumference setting, the width Wb of the headland HB and the width Wc of the side margin HC are automatically calculated to a predetermined width according to the width of the work machine, but the calculated width of the headland HB The width Wc of the margin Wb and the side margin HC can be changed to any width, and the user changes the width Wb and the width Wc after the change to the desired width, respectively. It can be set as the width of the headroom HC. However, when the width can be changed to any width, the width can not be set smaller than the minimum setting width calculated in consideration of traveling, work and safety in the field. For example, when the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 travels or turns in the headland HB or the side surplus land HC, a width that guarantees that the working machine does not fly out of the farmland is calculated as the minimum setting width.

  When the input of the above-described various settings is completed, a confirmation screen appears, and when the confirmation is touched, the route R is automatically generated. The route R includes a work route Ra and a travel route Rb. The work route Ra is a route generated in the work area HA, and is a route that travels while performing work, and is a straight route. However, if the work area HA is not rectangular, it may be projected to an area outside the work area HA (headland HB and side margin HC). The travel route Rb is a route generated in an area outside the work area HA, and travels without any work, and is a combination of straight lines and curves. It mainly turns around in the headland HB.

  As the route R, a route R of the autonomous traveling working vehicle 1 and the traveling working vehicle 100 is generated. If it is desired to view the work path after the work path is generated, a simulated image can be displayed and confirmed by touching the path generation setting button 203. Note that the route R is generated without touching the route generation setting button 203. When each item of the route generation setting is set, the route generation setting is displayed, and “route setting button”, “transfer data”, and “return to home” are displayed selectable below it.

  When transferring information on the route (route R) generated in the route generation setting, the data transfer can be performed by touching the data transfer button 204 provided on the initial screen. Since this transfer is performed by the remote control device 112, it is necessary to transfer the set information to the control device of the autonomous mobile work vehicle 1. There are (1) a method of transferring using a terminal and (2) a method of transferring wirelessly, and in this embodiment, when using a terminal, the remote control device 112 is autonomous with the remote control device 112 using a USB cable. The control device of the traveling work vehicle 1 is directly connected or temporarily stored in a USB memory, and then connected to the USB terminal of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 and transferred. Moreover, in the case of wireless transfer, transfer is performed using WiFi (wireless LAN).

  Hereinafter, the field setting for registering the field shape will be described in more detail. FIG. 6 shows a field having a complicated shape change locally due to the presence of an obstacle at the boundary of the field end, and in this embodiment, it projects inside the field to the side DA of the field H. The example which a telephone pole exists is shown. FIG. 7 shows how to recognize the shape of a field end as peripheral information, and here shows how to recognize a utility pole. FIG. 8 shows the field shape registered after correcting the traveling locus based on the surrounding information, and here shows how the field outer peripheral shape is registered in consideration of the utility pole projecting inside the field H. As shown in FIG.

  When the farm setting is performed newly by touching the farm setting button 202 on the display device 113 of the remote control device 112 or when editing the existing farm again and setting the farm setting again, after touching the “measurement start” button , And run the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is positioned at one of the four corners of the field H, and the "measurement start" button is touched to cause the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 to travel along the outer periphery of the field H Case will be described. At this time, the positioning control unit 306 receives radio waves transmitted from the GPS satellites 37, 37, ... to acquire position information of the vehicle body, and at the same time, the gyro sensor 31 and the azimuth angle detection unit 32 Part displacement information and orientation information are acquired. Travel locus information based on the position information, displacement information, and orientation information of the vehicle body portion acquired in this manner is acquired.

  When the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 is caused to travel along the outer periphery of the agricultural field H, the autonomous traveling operation is performed by the obstacle sensor 41 and / or the cameras 42F and 42R arranged to recognize the surrounding environment of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1 Peripheral information (environmental information) of the vehicle 1 is acquired together. The “peripheral information” is, for example, an image of the front and the side of the vehicle body obtained by the obstacle sensor 41 configured as an imaging unit such as a camera, an image obtained by the camera 42F, or a laser sensor or It is information on the boundary between the field end and the outside of the field such as a weir by the obstacle sensor 41 configured as a distance sensor such as a sound wave sensor. In the present embodiment, a video from the front camera 42F is acquired as peripheral information and displayed on the display device 113.

  The travel locus information is corrected on the basis of the surrounding information thus obtained. Specifically, based on the image obtained as the peripheral information, the actual outer peripheral end of the agricultural field H is grasped, and the traveling locus information is corrected by correcting the traveling locus to the outside or inside so as to match it, the agricultural field H Register the outer peripheral shape of. And the travel route of the perimeter of field H is set up based on the perimeter shape. That is, when traveling along the outer periphery of the field H, the vehicle travels so as to avoid the obstacle appropriately, but depending on the nature of the obstacle, it is necessary to register the field outer periphery inside or outside the route avoided at that time. Set the appropriate avoidance amount according to the obstacle using the shape of the obstacle, the size projected in the air, etc. from the image etc. acquired as the peripheral information as in this embodiment, and travel in the route generation setting It is also possible to use for route setting.

  In the present embodiment, the traveling locus information is corrected based on the traveling locus information and the surrounding information (environmental information), but the traveling locus information may not be corrected, or the corrected locus information is corrected. It may be selectable whether or not to. As a case where correction | amendment locus | trajectory information is not correct | amended, the external factor (for example, when an obstacle exists in the vicinity of a field end or the field end is curvilinear shape) which influences travel locus information in peripheral information is It is possible that there is no case. In this case, the presence or absence of an external factor is determined based on the surrounding information, and when there is an external factor, the travel locus information is corrected, and when there is no external factor, the travel locus information is not corrected.

  Further, when it is possible to select whether or not to correct the traveling locus information, for example, when the traveling locus information is acquired, an image for selecting whether or not to correct based on the surrounding information is displayed, and the user If execution of the correction is selected, the correction is performed, and if non-execution of the correction is selected, the correction is not performed. Alternatively, it is possible to select and set the necessity of the correction based on the peripheral information in the setting menu etc. (not shown), and when the correction is "necessary", the traveling locus information is automatically corrected and the correction is "unnecessary" In some cases, the traveling path information may not be corrected.

  As described above, by acquiring the peripheral information and correcting the traveling locus information, the field end can be accurately grasped and registered, and when the outer periphery of the field H is curvilinear, or the inside of the field H Even when the outer peripheral shape of the field H is complicated, such as when an obstacle protrudes, it is possible to register a more accurate field area as the field area.

  FIG. 9 shows the position and the orientation of the environment recognition means for acquiring the peripheral information. When correcting the traveling locus information, in order to more accurately recognize the field end, the arrangement of the obstacle sensor 41 and the cameras 42F and 42R for acquiring the surrounding information with respect to the moving GPS antenna 34 (for the position for acquiring the traveling locus information) Based on the position information and the direction of the traveling path and the obstacle sensor 41 and cameras 42F and 42R, and the recognized field end, in consideration of the relative position) Correction is performed. Specifically, using the height of the mounting position of the sensor or camera, the position information on the horizontal position, the relative positional relationship between them and the mobile GPS antenna 34, and the information on the shooting direction of the camera or the detection direction of the sensor For the image obtained by the camera or the detected value detected by the sensor, the distance between the traveling track and the field edge or obstacle is calculated taking into account the information on the position and direction, and the position of the field edge is accurately determined. To grasp.

  As described above, by making the peripheral information have a relative positional relationship with the traveling locus information, it is possible to more accurately utilize the information regarding the field end recognized by the environment recognition means, and the field end recognition processing Can be done automatically.

  As described above, the correction of the traveling locus information may be automatically performed, or may be performed according to the user's operation. For example, a map image of a farm field is displayed on the display device 113, and a line shape indicating a farm field specified based on travel locus information on the map image, or travel locus information corrected based on peripheral information When the line shape indicating the identified field is superimposed and displayed, it is possible for the user to specify an accurate end of the field by touching the display device 113 and to correct the traveling locus information according to the user's operation. It is also good. In that case, the environmental information acquisition unit (general name of the above-mentioned environmental sensor 41 and cameras 42F and 42R) may be used to display a map image of a field on the display device 113. When the field end is specified, for example, a control point may be added to the line shape and a part of the line shape may be correctable by operating the control point. In addition, the user may specify one or more boundary feature points in the line shape, and the travel locus information may be automatically corrected based on the boundary feature points. Hereinafter, boundary feature points will be described.

  FIG. 10 shows how a field feature is registered by selecting the boundary feature point of the field end on the display device. In the present embodiment, the recognition of the outer peripheral edge of the field based on the peripheral information causes the display device 113 of the remote control device 112 to display the image acquired by the obstacle sensor 41 configured as a camera or the cameras 42F and 42R. This is done by touching the position registered as the end on the display device 113. That is, the feature point of the boundary between the field and the outside in the image displayed on the display device 113 (that is, the boundary feature point) is determined by the operator and designated on the display device 113. In this case, the display device 113 of the remote control device 112 functions as a display unit for displaying position information of the vehicle body portion, travel locus information, and peripheral information, and to designate boundary feature points for the peripheral information. It also functions as an operating unit to be operated. Then, the traveling locus information is corrected based on the boundary feature points specified by the user, and the changed line shape is registered as the field shape. The correction of the travel locus information may be further performed based on the boundary feature points and the related feature points. The related feature points are feature points having the same or similar features as the boundary feature points, and, for example, on the map image (image data), the designated boundary feature point has the same or similar hue, saturation and lightness. It is possible to identify a feature point as a related feature point (that the difference of each element is within a predetermined threshold).

  In the above description, it was decided to correct the traveling locus information at the time of field registration, but after the traveling locus information and the surrounding information are associated and stored in the remote control device 112, the change operation of the position information of the field end is ex post facto, For example, it is also possible to carry out as a change of field setting.

  As a method of recognizing the outer peripheral end of the field based on the peripheral information, for example, the difference in color on the image data acquired by the camera, or the visual recognition by the operator on the image acquired by the camera as described above It is conceivable to automatically determine displacement points on image data as boundary feature points, such as differences in lightness. Moreover, when using a distance sensor such as a laser sensor and an ultrasonic sensor, a step at the boundary between the field end and the ridge is detected as a change in distance, and the lower end of the step is used as a boundary feature point. The peripheral edge of the field can also be recognized automatically (see FIG. 11).

  In the present specification, the remote control device 112 is used when setting the route R of the autonomous traveling work vehicle 1. And although various settings (the above-mentioned tractor setting, farmland setting, route generation setting) required for setting of the route R are set by appropriately operating the display device 113 of the remote control device 112, setting of the route R The control unit 30 (for example, the autonomous traveling control controller 307) may perform various settings necessary for setting the route R by the user appropriately operating the display unit 49. In other words, the remote control device 112 may not be included in the system for registering the shape of the field, or the remote control device 112 may be included but the remote control device 112 may not be used in setting of the route R.

  In addition, in the present specification, correction of travel locus information is performed to specify and register the shape of a field, but in addition to the shape of the field or in place of the shape of the field, other regions (autonomous travel It may be used to specify and register the shape of a predetermined area (traveling area) in which the work vehicle 1 travels. For example, it may be used to specify and register the shape of the work area described above. Furthermore, it may be used to specify and register the shape of a predetermined area (non-traveling area) in which traveling of the autonomous traveling work vehicle is prohibited. For example, it may be used to specify and register the shape of the obstacle described above. There is no difference in correcting the traveling locus information based on the surrounding information, regardless of whether the target of specification / registration is the traveling area or the non-traveling area, but generally, traveling locus information is acquired in the traveling area While traveling for the purpose of traveling travels inside the end of the traveling area, traveling for acquiring traveling locus information in the non-traveling area often travels outside the end of the traveling area. In this case, the correction of the traveling locus information in the traveling area is performed in the direction to expand the area of the closed line shape specified by the traveling locus information, while the correction of the traveling locus information in the non-traveling area is the closed line It is performed in the direction to reduce the area of the shape.

  Considering the invention based on the present specification described above, the present invention is a system for registering the shape of a travel area (for example, realized by a field in the present specification) in which a work vehicle travels, which is a satellite positioning system Position information acquiring means (in the present specification, for example, realized by a positioning control unit) for acquiring position information of a work vehicle by a system (for example, realized by GNSS in the present specification); Traveling locus information indicating the traveling locus of the work vehicle specified based on the environmental information acquisition means to be acquired (in the present specification, for example, realized by an environment recognition sensor) and the position information of the work vehicle acquired by the satellite positioning system Track acquisition means (in this specification, for example, the control means included in the work vehicle or the wireless communication terminal capable of wirelessly communicating with the work vehicle And a specific area specified by correcting the traveling locus information based on the environmental information acquired by the traveling locus information acquiring means (in this specification, realized by an area obtained by correcting the traveling area, for example) A registration unit (which is realized by a control unit provided in a wireless communication terminal capable of wirelessly communicating with a work vehicle or a work vehicle, for example, in the present specification). It is.

  Further, in the present invention, the correction of the traveling locus information by the registration unit is also performed based on the position information of the environment recognition unit and the direction of acquiring the environment information. In the present invention, display means capable of displaying the shape of the travel area registered by the registration means (i.e. the shape of the travel area after correction) (herein, for example, a wireless communication terminal capable of wireless communication with a work vehicle or work vehicle) And an operation unit capable of operating the shape of the traveling area displayed on the display unit (in the present specification, realized by a touch panel provided in the display unit, for example); Is the area after the change of which the shape of the traveling area displayed on the display means is changed according to the operation on the operating means (for example, realized in this specification by addition of control points and specification of boundary feature points) Register as the shape of. Needless to say, it may be possible to change the position before registration by the registration means (that is, the shape of the travel area before correction) according to the operation on the operation means.

  1: autonomous traveling work vehicle, 30: control unit, 34: mobile GPS antenna, 37: GPS satellite, 41: obstacle sensor, 42F, 42R: camera, 112: remote control device, 113: display device, 306: positioning control Unit H: Field

Claims (3)

A system for registering the shape of a travel area in which a work vehicle travels, comprising:
Position information acquisition means for acquiring position information of the work vehicle by a satellite positioning system;
Environmental information acquisition means for acquiring environmental information around the work vehicle;
Trajectory information for acquiring traveling locus information indicating the traveling locus of the work vehicle , which is a locus specified based on position information of the work vehicle acquired by the satellite positioning system and registering a shape of a traveling area Acquisition means,
The specific area specified by correcting the traveling locus information based on the traveling locus information acquired by the traveling locus information acquiring means and the environment information acquired by the environment recognizing means is registered as the shape of the traveling area A travel area shape registration system for a work vehicle, comprising:   The travel area shape registration system for a work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the correction of the travel locus information by the registration unit is performed also based on the position information of the environment recognition unit and the direction in which the environment information is acquired. Display means capable of displaying the shape of the traveling area registered by the registration means;
Operation means capable of changing the shape of the traveling area displayed on the display means;
The registration means registers, as the shape of the travel area, the area after change in which the shape of the travel area displayed on the display means is changed according to the operation on the operation means. The travel area shape registration system for a work vehicle according to Item 2.

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