Autonomous agricultural system and method for operating an agricultural system
阅读说明:本技术 自主农业系统和用于运行农业系统的方法 (Autonomous agricultural system and method for operating an agricultural system ) 是由 R·莱顿弗罗斯特 G·盖斯勒 D·M·巴尔 A·迈克尔斯 T·穆盖莱 于 2019-02-11 设计创作,主要内容包括:本发明涉及一种自主农业系统(1),所述自主农业系统具有:至少一个部分或完全自主工作的移动式作业机器(2);用于预先给定所述作业机器(2)的所容许的工作区域(5)的边界(4)的设备;用于确定所述作业机器(2)的相对或绝对位置的装置;和被分配给所述作业机器(2)并且能操控的紧急关机装置(23),用于根据所述作业机器的位置来将所述作业机器(2)停用,其特征在于紧急关机系统(10),所述紧急关机系统具有:无线电站(11),所述无线电站具有可调整的无线电作用距离,其中所述无线电站(11)放置/能放置在所述工作区域(5)中心;和布置在所述作业机器(2)上的无线电模块(12),所述无线电模块与所述无线电站(11)进行通信,其中所述无线电模块(12)与所述紧急关机装置(23)连接并且如果在所述无线电模块(12)与所述无线电站(11)之间的通信中断则对所述紧急关机装置(23)进行操控。(The invention relates to an autonomous agricultural system (1) having: at least one partially or completely autonomous mobile working machine (2); -means for predefining the boundaries (4) of the permitted work area (5) of the work machine (2); -means for determining the relative or absolute position of the work machine (2); and emergency shutdown means (23) assigned to the work machine (2) and operable for deactivating the work machine (2) depending on the position of the work machine, characterized by an emergency shutdown system (10) having: a radio station (11) having an adjustable radio range, wherein the radio station (11) is placed/placeable in the center of the working area (5); and a radio module (12) arranged on the work machine (2), which radio module communicates with the radio station (11), wherein the radio module (12) is connected with the emergency shutdown device (23) and operates the emergency shutdown device (23) if the communication between the radio module (12) and the radio station (11) is interrupted.)
1. An autonomous agricultural system (1) having: at least one partially or completely autonomous mobile working machine (2); -means for predefining the boundaries (4) of the permitted work area (5) of the work machine (2); -means for determining the relative or absolute position of the work machine (2); and emergency shutdown means (23) assigned to the work machine (2) and operable for deactivating the work machine (2) depending on the position of the work machine, characterized by an emergency shutdown system (10) having: a radio station (11) having an adjustable radio range, wherein the radio station (11) is placed/placeable in the center of the working area (5); and a radio module (12) arranged on the work machine (2), which radio module communicates with the radio station (11), wherein the radio module (12) is connected with the emergency shutdown device (23) and operates the emergency shutdown device (23) if the communication between the radio module (12) and the radio station (11) is interrupted.
2. Agricultural system according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio range is adjusted or adjustable according to the distance of the boundary (4) from the radio station (11).
3. Agricultural system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radio station (11) is configured to: automatically adjusting the radio range according to the boundary (4).
4. Agricultural system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device has at least one satellite assisted navigation system (6), a mobile radio system (13), a radio based positioning system, an optical positioning system and/or a ranging system.
5. Agricultural system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has natural boundaries, in particular rivers, ditches (9), hills, etc.
6. Agricultural system according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the device has electrical wires (7) and/or magnetic field strips laid/layable along the border (4).
7. Agricultural system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has two positioning systems on the work machine (2) working independently of each other; and the control device compares the positions determined by the positioning system with each other for performing a plausibility check.
8. Agricultural system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein both positioning systems are satellite-assisted navigation systems (6).
9. Agricultural system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mobile radio system (13) is configured to: -co-operating with mobile radio cells (15) of different mobile radio operators in order to determine the position of the work machine (2).
10. A method for operating an agricultural system (1) having at least one partially or completely autonomously operating mobile working machine (2), wherein the boundaries of the permissible working area (5) are predefined for the working machine (2), and monitoring the relative and/or absolute position of the work machine (2) and deactivating the work machine in dependence on the position, characterized in that a radio station (11) is placed in the center of the operating area (5) and the radio range of the radio station (11) is adjusted, wherein the work machine (2) communicates with the radio station (11) by means of a radio module (12), and wherein the work machine (2) is deactivated if the communication between the radio module (12) and the radio station (11) is interrupted.
Technical Field
The invention relates to an agricultural system having: at least one partially or fully autonomously operating mobile work machine; means for predefining the boundaries of the permitted work area of the work machine; means for determining the relative and/or absolute position of the work machine; and an emergency shutdown device assigned to the work machine and operable to deactivate the work machine in dependence on the position of the work machine.
The invention also relates to a method for operating an agricultural system having at least one mobile work machine which operates partially or completely autonomously, wherein a work area permissible for the work machine is defined by predefinable boundaries, wherein the relative and/or absolute position of the work machine is monitored and the work machine is deactivated as a function of the position of the work machine.
Background
Agricultural systems and methods of the type mentioned at the outset are known from the prior art. Mobile working machines that work autonomously in the agricultural economy require a solution for complying with predefined cultivated land boundaries within which they engage in activities prescribed for them. These cultivated land boundaries are nowadays monitored, in particular, by satellite-assisted navigation systems and are complied with by corresponding control of the work machines.
Thus, for example, publication WO 2016/087535 a1 discloses an agricultural system in which the position of a work machine is monitored by a satellite-assisted navigation system. If the work machine leaves the allowed work area or communication with the work machine is no longer possible, an emergency shutdown is performed and the work machine is deactivated.
Another autonomous working system is known from publication US 8635011B 2, in which an alarm signal is issued if the work machine leaves a defined working area.
Disclosure of Invention
The agricultural system according to the invention with the features of claim 1 has the following advantages: regardless of the actual positioning of the work machine and the handling of the work machine, an emergency shutdown is carried out when leaving the permitted work area. To this end, according to the invention there is an additional emergency shutdown system having: a radio station having an adjustable radio range, wherein the radio station is/can be placed in the center of the work area; and a radio module arranged on the work machine, the radio module communicating with the radio station, wherein the radio module is connected with an emergency shutdown device and operates the emergency shutdown device if communication between the radio module and the radio station is interrupted. Thus, the communication connection between the radio module and the radio station exists independently of the other communication connections of the agricultural system and is only used for the purpose of deactivating the work machine when needed. Since the radio station has an adjustable radio range, the distance of the work machine from the radio station can be specified by means of the radio range. In the simplest case, the radio station radiates the communication signal circularly, so that by means of the radio range a radius or a diameter can be adjusted within which the work machine can be moved, outside which the work machine is deactivated. According to another embodiment, the radio station is configured to: different radio signals are emitted in different directions, which radio signals can be received by the radio module, so that the work machine also receives information about which section of the work area the work machine is located in, in addition to the distance information from the radio station. In this case, the emergency shutdown system is in particular designed such that the radio station can adjust or can adjust different radio ranges depending on the working range, for example in order to adapt the working area of the work machine to complex non-circular farmland boundaries. According to an alternative embodiment, the radio station is assigned to the work machine and the radio module is assigned to the work area.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distance covered by the radio is adjusted or adjustable depending on the distance of the boundary from the radio station. Thereby ensuring that; the work machine can work normally within the allowable area.
Provision is also preferably made for: the radio station is configured to automatically adjust the radio range according to the boundary. This can be achieved, for example, by: the radio station communicates with the devices for the predefined boundary or the permissible operating area and, if necessary, finds its position within the permissible operating area, in particular by means of a satellite-assisted navigation system or positioning system, in order then to specify the radio range. Suitably, the radio range is at least as large as, preferably slightly larger than, the distance of the radio station from the boundary, in order to avoid an undesired deactivation of the work machine.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made for: the device has at least one satellite-assisted navigation system, a mobile radio system, a radio-based positioning system, an optical positioning system and/or a distance measuring system. By means of the aforementioned system, a simple localization or ascertaining of the position of the work machine, in particular within the working area, can be performed. By a combination of the mentioned systems, it is also possible to realize: the location ascertained by one system can be checked for plausibility by another system. In this way, a particularly precise and reliable positioning of the work machine and thus a particularly precise handling of the work machine is ensured.
Provision is also preferably made for: the device has natural boundaries, in particular rivers, ditches, hills, vegetation, etc. The natural boundary can be detected by simple means, such as optical surroundings sensing means, for example a camera system, and/or by a contactless operating distance measuring system, in particular a lidar system, a radar system, etc. Here, the natural boundary is not necessarily created naturally, but rather may also be created by humans, for example by digging a trench or piling up a hill, planting trees, etc.
Provision is also preferably made for: the device has wires running/layable along the boundary and/or at least one magnetic field strip running/layable along the boundary. In this way, the boundary and the working area can be defined electrically or electromagnetically in a simple and cost-effective manner and method. The working machine is expediently equipped with corresponding sensor devices which detect the magnetic field generated by the lines and/or magnetic strips and recognize this as a boundary of the permitted working area. If the work machine should still move beyond the boundary, an emergency shut-down of the work machine takes place at the latest with the loss of the radio connection between the radio station and the radio module.
Provision is also preferably made for: the device has two positioning systems on the working machine working independently of each other; and the control device compares the positions determined by these positioning systems with each other for a plausibility check. Thereby ensuring that: the work machine is located at a position and/or on a working path defined for the work machine. If in the comparison of the determined positions it is ascertained that these positions do not coincide or do not sufficiently coincide, the deactivation of the work machine is preferably carried out. This is done independently of existing emergency shutdown systems.
Preferably, the two mentioned positioning systems are designed as satellite-assisted navigation systems, wherein for example the two navigation systems cooperate with different satellites in order to ascertain the function of the work machine.
Provision is also preferably made for: the mobile radio system is configured to cooperate with mobile radio cells of different mobile radio operators in order to determine the location of the work machine. This makes it possible to perform positioning of the work machine without using a satellite-assisted navigation system. The accuracy of the positioning is improved by taking into account the mobile radio cells of different mobile radio operators. Alternatively, the positioning by means of the mobile radio system can also be achieved by simple triangulation with the mobile radio cells of only one mobile radio operator.
The method according to the invention having the features of claim 10 is characterized in that: the radio station is placed in the center of the working area and the radio range of the radio station is adjusted; and the work machine communicates with the radio station by means of the radio module and is deactivated if the communication between the radio module and the radio station is interrupted. This yields the advantages already mentioned.
Further advantages and preferred features and combinations of features result, inter alia, from the content of the preceding description and from the claims.
Drawings
In the following, the invention shall be further elucidated on the basis of the drawing. For this purpose:
FIG. 1 illustrates an advantageous agricultural system in a simplified perspective view;
FIG. 2 illustrates an advantageous method for operating an agricultural system; and
fig. 3 shows a variant of the agricultural system in a simplified diagram.
Detailed Description
Fig. 1 shows an agricultural system 1 with a partially or completely autonomous mobile working machine 2 in a perspective top view. The work machine 2 is on a
The boundary 4 is predefined by at least one device, which may not be implemented identically. In one aspect, the boundary 4 may be a virtual boundary that is predefined and monitored by the satellite-assisted navigation system 6. Boundary 4, on the other hand, may be defined by an electrical wire 7 embedded in the ground, which when energized generates a magnetic field that can be detected by a
The navigation system 6 also serves as a device for detecting the position of the work machine 2 on the
The emergency shutdown system 10 has a
This gives: if work machine 2 should leave
In the present exemplary embodiment, the
Preferably, the
In addition to or as an alternative to the navigation system 6 for determining the position of the work machine 2 and, if applicable, of the
Additionally or alternatively, a plurality of
Instead of the
Additionally or alternatively, a fixedly mounted optical system, for example a camera unit 18, can also be assigned to the working
Through the different positioning approaches, a reliable operation of the work machine 2 within the working
At least the drive of work machine 2 is deactivated by the emergency shut-off device, so that further movement of work machine 2 is prevented. Optionally, the work device of work machine 2 is also deactivated and the final known position is preferably transmitted to the user of agricultural system 1, so that the user can simply find work machine 2 even if it has left
Fig. 2 summarizes in a flow chart an advantageous method for operating the agricultural system 1:
in a first step S1, the agricultural system 1 is put into operation. In step S2,
In a next step S3, the distance covered by the radio of the
In a next step S4, the work operation is recorded and in step S5 the position of work machine 2 is continuously checked, in which case in particular the detection of a radio signal of
However, if the radio connection is interrupted because the work machine 2 moves outside the adjusted radio range (n), the work machine, at least the drive of the work machine, is deactivated in a next step S6.
Fig. 3 shows an advantageous embodiment of
The signals received by the receiving
The advantageous agricultural system 1 can be used, for example, as a tilling robot as a working machine in connection with the cultivation of land, in particular for vegetable, gardening and agriculture.
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