Work vehicle and obstruction detection method for work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499555-B2
Application number	US-201715626184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a vehicle body, at least one obstruction sensor, at least one state sensor, and circuitry. A work device is attachable to the vehicle body. The at least one obstruction sensor is provided on the vehicle body to detect an obstruction to the work vehicle. The at least one state sensor is provided on at least one of the vehicle body and the work device to detect at least one state of the vehicle body and the work device. The circuitry is configured to determine an obstruction detection area based on the at least one state detected by the at least one state sensor, and to determine whether the obstruction exists within the obstruction detection area based on a sensor signal from the at least one obstruction sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body to which a work device is attachable, the work device having a lateral width in a vehicle transverse direction perpendicular to a travel direction of the work vehicle;
at least one obstruction sensor provided on the vehicle body to detect an obstruction;
and
circuitry configured to
determine an obstruction detection area such that the obstruction detection area increases in the vehicle transverse direction as the lateral width increases, and
determine whether the obstruction detected by the at least one obstruction sensor exists within the obstruction detection area.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one obstruction sensor includes a laser scanner having a scan angle such that the scan angle increases as the lateral width of the work device increases.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a work device detection sensor to detect a type of the work device,
wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the lateral width of the work device according to the type of the work device.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a work device type input interface via which the lateral width of the work device is input,
wherein the lateral width of the work device is transmitted to the circuitry.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an orientation detection sensor to detect an orientation of the work device with respect to the vehicle body,
wherein the orientation is transmitted to the circuitry.

6. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body to which a work device is attachable;
at least one obstruction sensor provided on the vehicle body to detect an obstruction;
a vehicle speed sensor to detect travel speed of the work vehicle in a travel direction of the work vehicle; and
circuitry configured to
determine an obstruction detection area such that the obstruction detection area increases in the travel direction as the travel speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor increases, and
determine whether the obstruction detected by the at least one obstruction sensor exists within the obstruction detection area.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one state sensor to calculate a distance from the vehicle body to a boundary of a work field in the travel direction of the vehicle body as a limit distance,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the obstruction detection area based on the limit distance.

8. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body to which a work device is attachable;
a memory to store a travel route along which the work vehicle is to travel;
at least one obstruction sensor provided on the vehicle body to detect an obstruction;
at least one state sensor provided on the vehicle body and/or the work device to detect at least one state of the vehicle body and the work device; and
circuitry configured to
calculate, as the at least one state, a position of the work vehicle in the travel route based on satellite positioning data,
determine an obstruction detection area based on the at least one state detected by the at least one state sensor to expand the obstruction detection area toward a side to which the work vehicle is to turn along the travel route,
determine whether the obstruction detected by the at least one obstruction sensor exists within the obstruction detection area.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to mask portions of the vehicle body and the work device which are positioned within the obstruction detection area.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the vehicle body to travel based on a travel route automatically.

11. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the work device to work automatically.

12. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle transverse direction is perpendicular to the travel direction while the work vehicle travels along a substantially straight line.

13. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a state sensor provided on the vehicle body or the work device to detect the lateral width of the work device, wherein the circuitry is configured to obtain the lateral width detected by the state sensor.

14. The work vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one obstruction sensor includes a laser scanner having a scan angle and a measurable distance such that the scan angle decreases and the measurable distance increases as the travel speed increases.

15. The work vehicle according to claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one obstruction sensor includes a laser scanner having a scan angle such that a bisector of the scan angle turns to the side when the obstruction detection area is expanded toward the side.

16. The work vehicle according to claim 15 ,
wherein the laser scanner has a first measurable distance that is determined when the work vehicle travels straightly and a second measurable distance that is determined when the work vehicle turns, the second measurable distance being shorter than the first measurable distance,
wherein the laser scanner has an additional scan angle that is determined when the work vehicle travels straightly, the additional scan angle being smaller than the scan angle.

17. The work vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is configured to expand the obstruction detection area toward the side to which the work vehicle is to turn before the work vehicle starts turning to the side along the travel route.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Matsuzaki Yushi

Classifications

• A01B69/008 Primary

  automatic · CPC title

• B62D49/06

  adapted for multi-purpose use · CPC title

• A01D75/18

  Safety devices for parts of the machines · CPC title

• A01B76/00 Primary

  Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00 · CPC title

• G05D1/021

  specially adapted to land vehicles · CPC title