Work vehicle, slope travel control system for work vehicle, and slope travel control method for work vehicle

• US 10,474,153 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Yushi, Shinkai, Atsushi, Nishi, Keishiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Garrett F
• Application Number:
  US15/385,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20180024563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/11 for controlling weight transfer between implements and tractor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/00 Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/221 Tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/301 for position or displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13

Abstract

A work vehicle to travel along a travel route includes a vehicle body, an inclination sensor, a calculator, an information generator, and a recorder. The inclination sensor is provided on the vehicle body to detect a vehicle body inclination angle with respect to a horizontal line. The calculator is to calculate a position of the work vehicle in a work field based on positioning data. The information generator is to output travel limit information at an inclination position on the travel route where the vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor exceeds a threshold angle. The recorder is to record, as an inclined area, an area around the inclination position which is calculated based on the positioning data.

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

an inclination sensor provided on the vehicle body to detect a vehicle body inclination angle with respect to a horizontal line;

a calculator to calculate a position of the work vehicle in a work field based on positioning data;

a travel route memory to store a travel route comprising travel route segments along which the work vehicle travels, the travel route comprising cycles, each of the cycles comprising a first straight travel route segment, a first U-turn travel route segment, a second straight travel route segment, and a second U-turn travel route segment as the travel route segments, the first straight travel route segment extending in a straight direction and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the straight direction, the first U-turn travel route segment being connected to the second end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the first U-turn travel route segment in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the second straight travel route segment being connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and extending substantially parallel to the first straight travel route segment, the second straight travel route segment having a third end connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the straight direction, the second U-turn travel route segment being connected to the fourth end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the second U-turn travel route segment in another of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction to be connected to the first end of the first straight travel route segment in another of the cycles that is subsequent to each of the cycles;

an information generator to output travel limit information at each inclination position along the travel route where the vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor exceeds a threshold angle, the travel limit information including a stop signal to control the work vehicle to stop; and

a recorder to record each inclination position along the travel route and each corresponding travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the corresponding inclination position.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information generator outputs a travel warning signal to warn of travelling with automatic steering when the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds a warning threshold angle that is below a travel prohibition threshold angle at which the stop signal is generated.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the inclination position which has been recorded is read when a travel route is generated in planning a next operation.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information generator is configured to output the travel limit information to stop the work vehicle from automatically travelling.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the information generator is configured to output an automatic steering prohibition signal to prohibit automatic steering of the work vehicle when the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds an automatic steering travel prohibition threshold angle that is less than a travel prohibition threshold angle at which the stop signal is generated.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the recorder is configured to further record an adjacent inclination position in a peripheral area around the inclination position and a travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the adjacent inclination position.

19. The work vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein a turning radius of the first U-turn travel route segment is substantially equal to a turning radius of the second U-turn travel route segment.

4. A slope travel control system for a work vehicle comprising:

an inclination sensor to detect a vehicle body inclination angle of a vehicle body of the work vehicle with respect to a horizontal line;

a calculator to calculate a position of the work vehicle in the work field based on positioning data;

a travel route memory to store a travel route including travel route segments along which the work vehicle travels, the travel route comprising cycles, the cycles comprising a first straight travel route segment, a first U-turn travel route segment, a second straight travel route segment, and a second U-turn travel route segment as the travel route segments, the first straight travel route segment extending in a straight direction and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the straight direction, the first U-turn travel route segment being connected to the second end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the first U-turn travel route segment in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the second straight travel route segment being connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and extending substantially parallel to the first straight travel route segment, the second straight travel route segment having a third end connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the straight direction, the second U-turn travel route segment being connected to the fourth end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the second U-turn travel route segment in another of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction to be connected to the first end of the first straight travel route segment in another of the cycles that is subsequent to each of the cycles;

a receiver to receive the vehicle body inclination angle associated with the position;

an information generator to output travel limit information at each inclination position along the travel route where the vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor exceeds a threshold angle, the travel limit information including a stop signal to control the work vehicle to stop; and

a recorder to record each inclination position along the travel route and each corresponding travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the corresponding inclination position.

9. The slope travel control system according to claim 4, wherein the information generator is configured to output the travel limit information to stop the work vehicle from automatically travelling.

10. The slope travel control system according to claim 9, wherein the information generator is configured to output an automatic steering prohibition signal to prohibit automatic steering of the work vehicle when the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds an automatic steering travel prohibition threshold angle that is less than a travel prohibition threshold angle at which the stop signal is generated.

11. The slope travel control system according to claim 4, wherein the recorder is configured to further record an adjacent inclination position in a peripheral area around the inclination position and a travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the adjacent inclination position.

20. The slope travel control system according to claim 4,

wherein a turning radius of the first U-turn travel route segment is substantially equal to a turning radius of the second U-turn travel route segment.

5. A slope travel control method comprising:

generating a travel route including travel route segments along which the work vehicle travels, the travel route comprising cycles, each of the cycles comprising a first straight travel route segment, a first U-turn travel route segment, a second straight travel route segment, and a second U-turn travel route segment as the travel route segments, the first straight travel route segment extending in a straight direction and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the straight direction, the first U-turn travel route segment being connected to the second end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the first U-turn travel route segment in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the second straight travel route segment being connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and extending substantially parallel to the first straight travel route segment, the second straight travel route segment having a third end connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the straight direction, the second U-turn travel route segment being connected to the fourth end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the second U-turn travel route segment in another of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction to be connected to the first end of the first straight travel route segment in another of the cycles that is subsequent to each of the cycles;

detecting a vehicle body inclination angle of a vehicle body of the work vehicle with respect to a horizontal line;

calculating a position of the work vehicle in the work field based on positioning data;

receiving the vehicle body inclination angle associated with the position;

outputting travel limit information at each inclination position along the travel route where the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds a threshold angle, the travel limit information including a stop signal to control the work vehicle to stop; and

recording each inclination position along the travel route and each corresponding travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the corresponding inclination position.

12. The slope travel control method according to claim 5, wherein the travel limit information is output to stop the work vehicle from automatically travelling.

13. The slope travel control method according to claim 12, wherein an automatic steering prohibition signal is output to prohibit automatic steering of the work vehicle when the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds an automatic steering travel prohibition threshold angle that is less than a travel prohibition threshold angle at which the stop signal is generated.

14. The slope travel control method according to claim 5,

wherein an adjacent inclination position in a peripheral area around the inclination position and a travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the adjacent inclination position are further recorded.

21. The slope travel control method according to claim 5,

wherein a turning radius of the first U-turn travel route segment is substantially equal to a turning radius of the second U-turn travel route segment.

15. A work vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

an inclination sensor provided on the vehicle body to detect a vehicle body inclination angle with respect to a horizontal line; and

a travel route memory to store a travel route including travel route segments along which the work vehicle travels, the travel route comprising cycles, each of the cycles comprising a first straight travel route segment, a first U-turn travel route segment, a second straight travel route segment, and a second U-turn travel route segment as the travel route segments, the first straight travel route segment extending in a straight direction and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in the straight direction, the first U-turn travel route segment being connected to the second end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the first U-turn travel route segment in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the second straight travel route segment being connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and extending substantially parallel to the first straight travel route segment, the second straight travel route segment having a third end connected to the first U-turn travel route segment and a fourth end opposite to the third end in the straight direction, the second U-turn travel route segment being connected to the fourth end, the work vehicle being configured to turn along the second U-turn travel route segment in another of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction to be connected to the first end of the first straight travel route segment in another of the cycles that is subsequent to each of the cycles;

circuitry configured to

calculate a position of the work vehicle in a work field based on positioning data;

output travel limit information at each inclination position along the travel route where the vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor exceeds a threshold angle, the travel limit information including a stop signal to control the work vehicle to stop; and

record each inclination position along the travel route and each corresponding travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the corresponding inclination position.

16. The work vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry is configured to output the travel limit information to stop the work vehicle from automatically travelling.

17. The work vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to output an automatic steering prohibition signal to prohibit automatic steering of the work vehicle when the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds an automatic steering travel prohibition threshold angle that is less than a travel prohibition threshold angle at which the stop signal is generated.

18. The work vehicle according to claim 15,

wherein the circuitry is configured to further record an adjacent inclination position in a peripheral area around the inclination position and a travel route segment among the travel route segments which includes the adjacent inclination position.

22. The slope travel control method according to claim 15,

wherein a turning radius of the first U-turn travel route segment is substantially equal to a turning radius of the second U-turn travel route segment.