Automatic steering system and automatic steering method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11317557-B2
Application number	US-201816763586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

An automatic steering system for a work vehicle includes: a steering travel apparatus for performing leftward turning based on a leftward steering amount with respect to a straight-forward direction and performing rightward turning based on a rightward steering amount with respect to a neutral position; a subject vehicle location calculator for calculating a location of a subject vehicle; a locational shifting calculator for calculating locational shifting from the travel route and the location of the subject vehicle; a vehicle body direction calculator for calculating a vehicle body direction that indicates a direction of a vehicle body; a directional shifting calculator for calculating directional shifting from the travel route and the vehicle body direction; a steering amount calculator for calculating a first steering amount, which is a steering amount for correcting the locational shifting and the directional shifting, based on the locational shifting and the directional shifting; and a steering amount limiter for limiting the first steering amount based on a second steering amount, which is the steering amount at present.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic steering system for a work vehicle that automatically travels along a predetermined travel route on a work site, comprising:
a steering travel apparatus for performing leftward turning based on a leftward steering amount with respect to a straight-forward direction and performing rightward turning based on a rightward steering amount with respect to the straight-forward direction;
a subject vehicle location calculator for calculating a location of a subject vehicle;
a locational shifting calculator for calculating locational shifting from the travel route and the location of the subject vehicle;
a vehicle body direction calculator for calculating a vehicle body direction that indicates a direction of a vehicle body;
a directional shifting calculator for calculating directional shifting from the travel route and the vehicle body direction;
a steering amount calculator for calculating a first steering amount, which is the steering amount for correcting the locational shifting and the directional shifting, based on the locational shifting and the directional shifting; and
a steering amount limiter for limiting the first steering amount based on a second steering amount, the second steering amount being a steering amount at present,
wherein:
in response to the second steering amount being the leftward steering amount, the steering amount limiter limits the first steering amount to the leftward steering amount and a neutral steering amount, and
in response to the second steering amount being the rightward steering amount, the steering amount limiter limits the first steering amount to the rightward steering amount and the neutral steering amount.

2. The automatic steering system according to claim 1 , wherein the first steering amount is limited by the steering amount limiter when the travel route is a turning travel route.

3. The automatic steering system according to claim 2 , wherein the first steering amount is limited by the steering amount limiter when the location of the subject vehicle is present inside a turning route of the turning travel route, and the first steering amount is not limited by the steering amount limiter when the location of the subject vehicle is present outside the turning route of the turning travel route.

4. The automatic steering system according to claim 1 , comprising a limitation remover for removing a limitation applied to the first steering amount by the steering amount limiter,
wherein the limitation remover removes the limitation on the first steering amount and outputs a vehicle speed reduction instruction at the same time.

5. The automatic steering system according to claim 1 , wherein the steering travel apparatus includes a left travel unit and a right travel unit whose speeds can be independently adjusted, and the steering amount is a difference in speed between the left travel unit and the right travel unit.

6. An automatic steering method for a work vehicle that automatically travels along a predetermined travel route on a work site, comprising:
a step of calculating a location of a subject vehicle;
a step of calculating locational shifting from the travel route and the location of the subject vehicle;
a step of calculating a vehicle body direction that indicates a direction of a vehicle body;
a step of calculating directional shifting from the travel route and the vehicle body direction;
a step of calculating a first steering amount, which is a steering amount for correcting the locational shifting and the directional shifting, based on the locational shifting and the directional shifting;
a step of limiting the first steering amount based on a second steering amount, the second steering amount being a steering amount at present; and
a step of steering the work vehicle in accordance with the limited first steering amount;
wherein, when the first steering amount is limited,
the first steering amount is limited to a leftward steering amount and a neutral steering amount in response to the second steering amount being the leftward steering amount, and
the first steering amount is limited to a rightward steering amount and the neutral steering amount in response to the second steering amount being the rightward steering amount.

7. The automatic steering method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of limiting the first steering amount is performed when the travel route is a turning travel route.

8. The automatic steering method according to claim 7 , wherein the first steering amount is limited when the location of the subject vehicle is present inside a turning route of the turning travel route, and the first steering amount is not limited when the location of the subject vehicle is present outside the turning route of the turning travel route.

9. The automatic steering method according to claim 6 , wherein removing a limitation on the first steering amount and outputting a vehicle speed reduction instruction are performed at the same time.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Kazuo
• Sano Tomohiko
• Yoshida Osamu
• Maruo Satoshi
• Nakabayashi Takashi
• Nakajima Tetsuya

Classifications

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title

• G05D2107/21

  Farming, e.g. fields, pastures or barns · CPC title

• G05D2105/15

  for harvesting, sowing or mowing in agriculture or forestry · CPC title

• G05D1/648

  Performing a task within a working area or space, e.g. cleaning · CPC title

• G05D1/43

  Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] · CPC title