Remote control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10324461-B2
Application number	US-201515329798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A remote control apparatus capable of communicating with a control apparatus of an autonomously running work vehicle via a communication apparatus, the remote control apparatus comprising a communication apparatus, a control apparatus, a display apparatus, and cameras for obtaining images of the front and rear, wherein the display apparatus is provided with at least a remote control region for controlling the autonomously running work vehicle, a peripheral image region for displaying images captured by the cameras, and a work status display region, wherein the peripheral image region is provided with a frontal view and a rear view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote control apparatus for controlling an autonomously moving work vehicle configured to perform travel and work automatically along a set travel route using a satellite positioning system, the remote control apparatus comprising:
a communication device;
a control device coupled to the communication device and configured to wirelessly communicate with the autonomously moving work vehicle via the communication device; and
a display device coupled to the control device, the display device comprises:
a remote control area configured to enable operation of the autonomously moving work vehicle; and
an image area configured to display one or more images photographed by at least one camera attached to the autonomously moving work vehicle, the one or more images including a front side view and a rear side view,
wherein, during travel of the autonomously moving work vehicle along the set travel route, the display device is configured to switch between presentation of the front side view and presentation of the rear side view prior to a change in traveling direction of the autonomously moving work vehicle, the change in a travel direction corresponding to a scheduled traveling direction of the set travel route.

2. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display device is further configured to display a work state display area, the work state display area configured to display a map of a field that corresponds to the set travel rout, the set travel route, a position of the autonomously moving work vehicle, and a worked position of the autonomously moving work vehicle.

3. The remote control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display device is configured to divide a screen laterally or vertically to concurrently display the remote control area, the image area, and the work state display area.

4. The remote control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display device is further configure to receive a selection for plural display of the remote control area, the image area and the work state display area, or full screen display.

5. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
a camera configured to photograph the front side view and the rear side view is attached to the autonomously moving work vehicle,
a front screen configured to display an image of the front side view of the autonomously moving work vehicle photographed by the camera and a rear screen configured to display an image of the rear side view are provided in the display device, and
the display device is configured to be switched between two-display displaying the front screen and the rear screen and one-display displaying only a traveling direction which corresponds to the front screen or the rear screen.

6. The remote control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the display device is configured to switch between the presentation of the front side view and the rear side view in either of the one-display or the two-display.

7. The remote control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the display device includes a screen, and
the display device is further configured to laterally or vertically divide the screen into a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion to concurrently display the remote control area, the image area, and the work state display area.

8. The remote control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the display device is further configure to display:
the remote control area via the first portion of the screen,
the image area via the second portion, and
the work state display area via the third portion.

9. The remote control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the remote control area is displayed at a position between the image area and the work state display area, and wherein the switch between the presentation of the front side view and the presentation of the rear side view provides an indication that the travel direction of the autonomously moving work vehicle is about change.

10. The remote control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to initiate a change in the position of the camera such that the at least one camera changes between capture of the front side view and capture of the rear side view.

11. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display devices comprises a touch screen, and wherein the change in direction comprises a change between a forward direction of the autonomously moving work vehicle and a reverse direction of the autonomously moving work vehicle.

12. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display device is configured to switch between the presentation of the front side view and the presentation of the rear side view based on a set time prior to the change in the travel direction.

13. The remote control apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the set travel route includes timings of switching, and wherein the display device is configured to switch between presentation of the front side view and presentation of the rear side view based on the timings.

14. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display device is configured to switch between the presentation of the front side view and the presentation of the rear side view based on the autonomously moving work vehicle being positioned along the set travel route at a set distance before a travel direction switching position of the set travel route.

15. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the image area is configured to in a two-image-display having a vertical arrangement in which a first image is positioned at an upper side of the two-image-display and a second image is positioned at a lower side of the two-image-display, and
to switch between the presentation of the front side view and the presentation of the rear side view, the display device is configured to:
in association with a change in travel direction from a forward travel direction to a reverse travel direction, change the first image from the front side view to the rear side view and change the second image from the rear side view to the front side view, and
in association with a change in travel direction from the reverse travel direction to the forward travel direction, change the first image from the rear side view to the front side view and change the second image from the front side view to the rear side view.

16. The remote control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein presentation of the front side view and the rear side view is based on a position of the remote control apparatus with respect to the autonomously moving work vehicle.

17. The remote control apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the display device is configured to:
display a mirror image of the rear side view when the remote control apparatus is traveling in the same direction of travel as the autonomously moving work vehicle and is positioned in behind the autonomously moving work vehicle, and
display a mirror image of the front side view when the remote control apparatus is traveling in the same direction of travel as the autonomously moving work vehicle and is positioned in front of the autonomously moving work vehicle.

18. A remote control apparatus for controlling an autonomously moving work vehicle configured to perform travel and work automatically along a set travel route using a satellite positioning system, the remote control apparatus comprising:
a communication device;
a control device coupled to the communicatio

Assignees

• Yanmar Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogura Kouhei
• Nakagawa Wataru
• Matsumoto Keiji
• Kuroda Akifumi

Classifications

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title

• A01B69/008 Primary

  automatic · CPC title

• A01B69/001

  Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras (steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163) · CPC title

• A01B69/00

  Steering of agricultural machines or implements; Guiding agricultural machines or implements on a desired track · CPC title