# US 10,120,382 B2 · Work machine, system, method, and recording medium recording computer program for determining availability of entry to travel route, and travel control system of work machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,382 B2 - Document ID: US10120382B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/388,424 - Filed: 2016-12-22 - Published: 2017-04-13 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-04 - Assignees: Mamiya-Op Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Mamiya-Op Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Seiichiro Ishijima; Tadashi Oshimi; Kazutaka Yamamoto; Noboru Yazaki; Hiroshi Sugawara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120382B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface} - A01B 69/008: {automatic} - A01D 34/008: {for automated or remotely controlled operation} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/027: {comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector (inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165)} - G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS} - A01D 2101/00: Lawn-mowers - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract An entry availability determination system including a detector that detects a current position of a work machine that performs predetermined work while traveling a work target zone along a predetermined travel route; and a determination information generation unit that generates determination information indicating whether entry is possible by determining whether the work machine can enter from a current position for preparing entry of the work machine only by forward movement along an entry route formed so that the work machine enters at an entry position in a same direction as a traveling direction when the work machine travels the travel route, at the entry position positioned on an opposite side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to a work complete position or a work incomplete position on the travel route, when the work machine gets out of the travel route. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An entry availability determination system comprising: a detector that detects a current position of a work machine that performs predetermined work while traveling a work target zone along a predetermined travel route; and a determination information generation unit that generates determination information indicating whether entry is possible by determining whether the work machine can enter from a current position for preparing entry of the work machine only by forward movement along an entry route formed so that the work machine enters at an entry position in a same direction as a traveling direction when the work machine travels the travel route, at the entry position positioned on an opposite side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to a work complete position or a work incomplete position on the travel route, when the work machine gets out of the travel route. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The entry availability determination system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit recording the travel route; a corresponding point decision unit that decides a corresponding point that is a point on the travel route recorded in the storage unit corresponding to the current position for preparing entry detected by the detector of the work machine; and wherein the determination information generation unit determines that the entry is impossible if a distance between the current position for preparing entry and the corresponding point is larger than a predetermined first value, and generates determination information indicating whether the entry is possible, and wherein the predetermined first value is set in advance by considering at least steering performance of the work machine and a desired distance from a corresponding point to a point that the work machine enters the travel route. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The entry availability determination system according to claim 2, wherein the detector further detects a direction of the work machine, and wherein the determination information generation unit determines that the entry is impossible if the distance between the current position for preparing entry and the corresponding point is larger than the predetermined first value or if an absolute value of an angle of the direction of the work machine with respect to a direction of a tangent line at the corresponding point on the travel route is larger than a predetermined second value, and generates the determination information indicating whether the entry is possible. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The entry availability determination system according to claim 2, further comprising a work complete position recording unit that records the work complete position in the storage unit, wherein the determination information generation unit determines that the entry is impossible if a point at a distance of a third value, which is set by considering a margin distance to the desired distance from the corresponding point to the point that the work machine enters the travel route, in the traveling direction of the work machine in the travel route is positioned on the side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The entry availability determination system according to claim 2, further comprising a work complete and incomplete position recording unit that records the work complete position and the work incomplete position in the storage unit, wherein the determination information generation unit determines that the entry is impossible if a point at a distance of a third value, which is set by considering a margin distance to the desired distance from the corresponding point to the point that the work machine enters the travel route, in the traveling direction of the work machine in the travel route is positioned on the side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position or the work incomplete position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The entry availability determination system according to claim 2, wherein the corresponding point is a nearest point that is a point on the travel route recorded in the storage unit nearest to the current position for preparing entry detected by the detector of the work machine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The entry availability determination system according to claim 2, wherein the corresponding point is a work complete side nearest point that is a point on the travel route recorded in the storage unit nearest to the current position for preparing entry detected by the detector of the work machine, on the opposite side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position or the work incomplete position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The entry availability determination system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification signal and command generation unit that generates a signal and/or a command for instructing notification indicating that the entry is possible and/or the entry is impossible based on the determination information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A work machine control system comprising: a controller that controls a travel driving mechanism comprised in the work machine by outputting a travel control signal for the work machine to travel the travel route based on at least the current position of the work machine that travels the work target zone and the travel route recorded in the storage unit; and the entry availability determination system according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A work machine comprising a travel driving mechanism that drives travel of the work machine based on the travel control signal output from the work machine control system according to claim 9. ### Claim 11 An entry availability determination method comprising the steps of; detecting a current position of a work machine that performs predetermined work while traveling a work target zone along a predetermined travel route; and generating determination information indicating whether entry is possible by determining whether the work machine can enter from a current position for preparing entry of the work machine only by forward movement along an entry route formed so that the work machine enters at an entry position in a same direction as a traveling direction when the work machine travels the travel route, at the entry position positioned on an opposite side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to a work complete position or a work incomplete position on the travel route, when the work machine gets out of the travel route. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The entry availability determination method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of deciding a corresponding point that is a point on the travel route corresponding to the current position for preparing entry detected by the step of detecting the current position of the work machine, wherein in the step of generating determination information, it is determined that the entry is impossible if a distance between the current position for preparing entry and the corresponding point is larger than a predetermined first value, and wherein the predetermined first value is set in advance by considering at least steering performance of the work machine and a distance from a desired corresponding point to a point that the work machine enters the travel route. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The entry availability determination method according to claim 12, wherein in the step of detecting, a direction of the work machine is further detected, and wherein in the step of generating the determination information, it is determined that the entry is impossible if the distance between the current position for preparing entry and the corresponding point is larger than the predetermined first value or if an absolute value of an angle of the direction of the work machine with respect to a direction of a tangent line at the corresponding point on the travel route is larger than a predetermined second value, and the determination information indicating whether the entry is possible is generated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The entry availability determination method according to claim 12, further comprising: recording the work complete position; and determining that the entry is impossible if a point at a distance of a third value, which is set by considering a margin distance to the desired distance from the corresponding point to the point that the work machine enters the travel route, in the traveling direction of the work machine in the travel route is positioned on the side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The entry availability determination method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of: recording the work complete position and the work complete position; and determining that the entry is impossible if a point at a distance of a third value, which is set by considering a margin distance of the distance from the desired corresponding point to the point that the work machine enters the travel route, in the traveling direction of the work machine in the travel route is positioned on the side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position or the work incomplete position. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The entry availability determination method according to claim 12, wherein the corresponding point is a nearest point that is a point on the travel route nearest to the current position for preparing entry detected by the detector of the work machine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The entry availability determination method according to claim 12, wherein the corresponding point is a work complete side nearest point that is a point on the travel route recorded in the storage unit nearest to the current position for preparing entry detected by the detector of the work machine, on the opposite side of the traveling direction of the work machine with respect to the work complete position or the work incomplete position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The entry availability determination method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of generating a signal and/or a command for instructing notification indicating that the entry is possible and/or the entry is impossible based on the determination information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A computer-readable recording medium recording a computer program for causing a computer to execute the entry availability determination method according to claim 11.