IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,448,561
Granted Patent B2
US 9,448,561 · App. 14/774,288 · Granted Sep 20, 2016

Work vehicle cooperation system

Inventors: Yoshitomo Fujimoto (Sakai, JP); Hiroyuki Araki (Sakai, JP); Yasuhisa Uoya (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: Kubota Coporation
G05D1/0295A01B69/00G05D1/0088G05D1/02G05D1/0219G05D1/0278G05D2201/0201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,448,561
App. No.
14/774,288
Granted
Sep 20, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work vehicle cooperation system includes: a master traveling tack calculation unit that calculates a traveling track of a master work vehicle ( 1 P) based on its position; a loop traveling detection unit that detects loop traveling in a loop work area (B); a redirection traveling target calculation unit that calculates a redirection traveling start point and a redirection traveling end point (Pc 3 ) of a slave work vehicle ( 1 C) based on a redirection traveling track including a redirection traveling start point (Pp 1 ) and a redirection traveling end point of redirection traveling of the master work vehicle ( 1 P); and a loop work traveling target calculation unit that calculates a target traveling position in loop work traveling of the slave work vehicle ( 1 C) for the redirection traveling end point (Pc 3 ) to a next redirection traveling start point (Pc 1 ).

Claims (23)

1. A work vehicle cooperation system in which a master work vehicle and an unmanned-navigation type slave work vehicle that follows the master work vehicle perform ground work, comprising:

a master position detection module that detects a position of the master work vehicle;

a slave position detection module that detects a position of the slave work vehicle;

a master traveling track calculation unit that calculates a traveling track of the master work vehicle based on the position of the master work vehicle;

a loop traveling detection unit that detects loop traveling including loop work traveling and redirection traveling, which is constituted by forward traveling and backward traveling, the loop traveling being performed in a loop work area, which is defined as the perimeter of a U-turn work area, the U-turn work area being an area in which work is performed by repeating straight work traveling and U-turns;

a redirection traveling target calculation unit that calculates a redirection traveling start point and a redirection traveling end point of the slave work vehicle, based on a ground work width of the master work vehicle, a ground work width of the slave work vehicle, and a redirection traveling track that includes a redirection traveling start point and a redirection traveling end point of redirection traveling of the master work vehicle;

a loop work traveling target calculation unit that calculates a target traveling position in loop work traveling of the slave work vehicle from the redirection traveling end point to a next redirection traveling start point, based on the ground work width of the master work vehicle, the ground work width of the slave work vehicle, and a loop work traveling track of the master work vehicle; and

a navigation control unit that navigates the slave work vehicle in an unmanned manner based on the redirection traveling start point, the redirection traveling end point, and the target traveling position.

2. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the redirection traveling is traveling in a non-working state, and a shift point from a working state to the non-working state in the redirection traveling is regarded as the redirection traveling start point of the master work vehicle, and a shift point from the non-working state to the working state in the redirection traveling is regarded as the redirection traveling end point of the master work vehicle, and

the redirection traveling start point and the redirection traveling end point of the slave work vehicle are calculated based on the redirection traveling start point and the redirection traveling end point of the master work vehicle.

3. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 , wherein the loop traveling detection unit recognizes the redirection traveling of the master work vehicle based on the traveling track of the master work vehicle in the non-working state.

4. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 , wherein the backward traveling to the redirection traveling end point in the redirection traveling of the slave work vehicle is performed irrespective of the traveling track of the master work vehicle.

5. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slave position detection module and the navigation control unit are mounted on the slave work vehicle,

the master position detection module, the master traveling track calculation unit, the loop traveling detection unit, the redirection traveling target calculation unit, and the loop work traveling target calculation unit are mounted on the master work vehicle, and

the slave work vehicle and the master work vehicle are connected to each other so as to be capable of data transmission.

6. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the slave position detection module and the navigation control unit are mounted on the slave work vehicle,

the master position detection module is mounted on the master work vehicle,

the master traveling track calculation unit, the loop traveling detection unit, the redirection traveling target calculation unit, and the loop work traveling target calculation unit are constructed in a separate control unit, and

the separate control unit, the slave work vehicle, and the master work vehicle are connected to one another so as to be capable of data transmission.

7. The work vehicle cooperation system according to claim 1 , wherein the master work vehicle is of a manned-navigation type.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2015
From: FUJIMOTO, YOSHITOMO; ARAKI, HIROYUKI; UOYA, YASUHISA
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036531/0637 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-067006 · Mar 27, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160109885A1 · Apr 21, 2016