Combine harvester with driver assistance system and method for operating a combine harvester with a driver assistance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11284564-B2
Application number	US-201916392738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	May 8, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A combine harvester has multiple working mechanisms for carrying out specific treatment subprocesses of an overall treatment process for processing crop and a driver assistance system for controlling the working mechanisms, which includes a memory for storing data, a computing device for processing the data stored in the memory, and a graphical user interface. The driver assistance system, together with the particular working mechanisms provided for carrying out the treatment subprocesses, forms independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms which are utilized for optimizing the control of the working mechanisms for carrying out the treatment subprocesses. A process supervisor is assigned to the driver assistance system for controlling individual automated adjusting mechanisms and a data exchange of the automated adjusting mechanisms with one another. The process supervisor is configured for interacting with an operator to edit at least one parameter of at least one control process, which has been stored in the memory for actuation by the process supervisor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combine harvester comprising:
multiple working mechanisms configured carrying out specific treatment subprocesses of an overall treatment process for processing crop,
a driver assistance system configured for controlling the multiple working mechanisms, the driver assistance system including a memory for storing data regarding parameters of at least one control process, a computing device for processing the data stored in the memory, and a graphical user interface,
wherein the driver assistance system, together with the multiple working mechanisms provided for carrying out the specific treatment subprocesses, forms independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms which are configured to be utilized for optimizing control of the working mechanisms for carrying out the treatment subprocesses,
wherein the driver assistance system further comprises a process supervisor that is configured for controlling the independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms and a data exchange between the independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms,
wherein the process supervisor is configured for interacting with an operator, so that at least one parameter of the at least one control process, which has been stored in the memory for actuation by the process supervisor, can be edited,
wherein the process supervisor is configured for autonomously optimizing the overall treatment process of the combine harvester, according to a strategic objective of a harvesting process, by controlling the independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms in a coordinated manner,
wherein each independently operating automatic adjusting mechanism receives input data and autonomously generates respective working mechanism-specific output data from the input data, and wherein the output data are used to change adjustment parameters of the working mechanisms.

2. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein multiple different sub-strategies are stored in order to carry out the specific treatment subprocess and are configured to be utilized by the particular automated adjusting mechanisms for optimizing the working mechanism assigned thereto.

3. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for controlling one or multiple of the independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms in a coordinated manner and for carrying out a weighting shift, depending on an operating situation, with respect to attainment or retention of process quality parameters of at least one of the automated adjusting mechanisms.

4. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for controlling the at least one automated adjusting mechanism, on the basis of the weighting shift, in order to operate the working mechanism, which is controlled by the automated adjusting mechanism, outside a particular optimal operating point.

5. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for autonomously specifying sub-strategies, on the basis of which the automated adjusting mechanisms control the particular working mechanisms.

6. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for autonomously specifying adjustment limits, within which the automated adjusting mechanisms control the particular working mechanisms.

7. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for autonomously specifying target values of process quality parameters, within which the automated adjusting mechanisms control the multiple working mechanisms.

8. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for optimizing the overall treatment process during an operation of the combine harvester in partial-load operation.

9. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one adaptive family of characteristics is assigned to at least one process quality parameter in order to form functional relationships of a treatment subprocess to be carried out by one of the working mechanisms, and this at least one process quality parameter is defined as an output quantity of at least one characteristic map.

10. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for receiving external data (I Ext ) which influence the process quality parameters of the treatment subprocesses.

11. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for autonomously deriving measures depending on the external data (I Ext ) which are received.

12. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the working mechanisms provided are at least a front attachment, a threshing mechanism, a separating mechanism, a cleaning mechanism, and a spreading mechanism.

13. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the automated adjusting mechanisms comprise at least an automated front attachment, an automated threshing mechanism, an automated separating mechanism, an automated cleaning mechanism, and an automated spreader.

14. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one automated adjusting mechanism comprises at least two subordinate automatic adjusters.

15. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for receiving and adjusting at least one objective for a strategic objective of the harvesting process and/or at least one process quality parameter as external data (I Ext ) on the basis of the interaction with the operator.

16. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for interacting with the operator in a voice-assisted manner.

17. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for detecting and evaluating an indirect or direct interaction taking place between the driver assistance system and the operator.

18. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for automatically entering into an interaction with the operator due to plausibility checks and/or due to an analysis of an overall control of the machine.

19. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process supervisor is configured for controlling the graphical user interface in the case of a modification of a strategic objective of a harvesting process or a sub-strategy carried out by the operator, in order to visualize resultant modifications of adjustment limits of at least one process quality parameter.

20. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured for visualizing the adjustment limits on the basis of absolute values of the at least one process quality parameter.

21. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured for visualizing a trend of the at least one process quality parameter.

22. The combine harvester as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured for additionally displaying a current actual value of the at least one process quality parameter.

Assignees

• CLAAS Sebstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
• Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh

Inventors

• Bormann Bastian
• Voecking Henner
• Wilken Andreas
• Baumgarten Joachim
• Bussmann Christoph
• Teroerde Stefan
• Berger Arthur
• Dieckmeyer Sascha

Classifications

• A01D41/1278

  for automatic steering · CPC title

• G05B13/021

  in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• G05B2219/45106

  Used in agriculture, tree trimmer, pruner · CPC title

• G05B2219/45017

  Agriculture machine, tractor · CPC title