Operator assistance system for an agricultural machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707972-B2
Application number	US-201514792819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An operator assistance system for an agricultural machine which has at least one variable operating parameter which influences a plurality of different result parameters of the working result of the machine is equipped with an input device, a processor and a display device. The processor is programmed to receive, via the input device an input of a selectable result parameter, to be optimized, of the working result for an operation to be carried out, to calculate an optimized operating parameter on the basis of the input, and to output, on the display device, an expected value, associated with the optimized operating parameter, for the working result of the machine for the operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operator assistance system for an agricultural machine having at least one variable operating parameter which influences a plurality of different result parameters of a working result of the machine, the operator assistance system comprising:
an input device;
a processor connected to the input device; and
a display device connected to the processor, the display device having a current field and an expected field, the current field including a current operation value for the at least one operating parameter and a current value for a working result of the machine for the operation;
wherein the processor is programmed to display a polygonal body on the display device, each corner of the polygonal body is associated with a result parameter, and a cursor serving to select the result parameter can be moved over the polygonal body with the input device, and the processor calculates an optimized operating parameter on the basis of the position of the cursor in relation to the distance from each corner, and to output, on the expected field of the display device, at least one expected value, associated with the optimized operating parameter, for the working result of the machine for the operation, and at least one expected operation value for the optimized operating parameter; and
wherein the processor is connected to a least one sensor and at least one control unit through an interface and a bus, the processor receiving an environmental data from the sensor and transmitting signal to the control unit controlling an engine or at least one hydraulic motor.

2. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the input device permits an input of one or more of the following result parameters: (a) maximum efficiency of the operation, (b) maximum productivity of the operation and (c) maximum quality of the working result.

3. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following values for the working result of the machine for the operation can be displayed on the display device: throughput rate of harvested crop, fuel consumption, working time and a measure of the quality of the harvested crop.

4. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the input device permits a selection of a relative weighting of the possible result parameters.

5. The operator assistance system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is programmed to calculate, for a selected result parameter which comprises a plurality of the possible result parameters in a weighted measure, the operating parameter as a function of the relative weighting of the respective result parameters, in that it permits greater deviations from an operating parameter which results in the case of a pure selection of a single result parameter, the smaller the weighting of the respective result parameter.

6. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural machine is a field chopper which has an internal combustion engine, a harvesting attachment which has a drive connection to the internal combustion engine, a harvested crop feed device which is arranged downstream of the harvested crop collecting device, has a drive connection to the internal combustion engine and has pre-pressing rollers, a chopper device which is arranged downstream of the harvested crop feed device and has a drive connection to the internal combustion engine, a harvested crop post-processing device which is arranged downstream of the chopper device and has a drive connection to the internal combustion engine and a transfer device, arranged downstream of the harvested crop post-processing device, for chopped harvested crop, and wherein the processor is programmed to optimize one or more of the following operating parameters: the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the propulsion speed of the machine, the cutting length of the harvested crop and a degree of action of the harvested crop post-processing device.

7. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is supplied with information relating to one or more of the following variables and is programmed to take into account the variables during the optimization of the operating parameter and of the expected value for the working result: moisture content of harvested material to be collected, crop density of a field which is to be harvested and has a crop, type of plants of the field to be harvested, intended use of the crop, type of harvesting attachment, cutting height of the harvesting attachment, number of blades of a chopper drum, a predefinable lower limit of the cutting length, a predefinable upper limit of the cutting length, weather history and any types of linear or non-linear relationships, which are theoretical or based on empirical values between the aforementioned variables and the resulting operating parameter and/or the expected value for the working result, such as empirical reports, expert knowledge or best-in-class information.

8. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the operator assistance system is implemented physically on a portable hand-held device which can be disconnected from the machine and connected to call the bus of the machine.

9. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural machine is a field chopper.

10. The operator assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the current field includes a current operating parameter field displaying the at least one current value for the at least one operating parameter and a current working result field displaying the at least one current value for the working result, and the expected field includes an expected operating parameter field displaying the at least one expected value for optimized operating parameter and an expected working result field displaying the expected value for the working result.

11. An agricultural machine having an operator assistance system, comprising:
an input device;
a processor connected to the input device; and
a display device connected to the processor, the display device having a current field and an expected field, the current field including a current operation value for a current operating parameter and a current value for a working result of the machine for the operation;
the processor is programmed to receive, via the input device an input of a selectable result parameter, to be optimized, of the working result for an operation to be carried out, to calculate an optimized operating parameter on the basis of the input of the selectable result parameter, and to output, on the expected field of the display device, at least one expected value, associated with the optimized operating parameter, for the working result of the machine for the operation, and at least one expected operation value for the optimized operating parameter; and
wherein the processor is programmed to display a polygonal body on the display device, each corner of the polygonal body is associated with a result parameter, a cursor serving to select the result parameter can be moved over the polygonal body with the input device, and the processor calculates the optimized operating parameter on the basis of the position of the cursor in relation to the distance from each corner of the polygonal body.

12. The agricultural machine of claim 11 , wherein the input device permits an input of one or more of the following result parameters: (a) maximum efficiency of the operation, (b) maximum productivity of the operation and (c) maximum quality of the working result.

13. The agricultural machine of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the following values for the working result of the machine for the operation

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Tuncer Zeynep
• Kormann Georg
• Pinkston Patrick E

Classifications

• B60W50/085 Primary

  Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input · CPC title

• A01D41/127

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• B60W2710/30

  Auxiliary equipments · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title