Monitoring of operating modes for harvesters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807931-B2
Application number	US-201514695397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A method and control system are disclosed for monitoring operating modes of a harvester. A harvester may include one or more harvesting devices driven by one or more hydraulic circuits. A lower pressure limit and a current operating pressure may be determined for a hydraulic circuit of a harvesting device. The determined pressure limit and operating pressure may be compared, and a current operating mode for the harvester identified accordingly. The operating mode may include at least one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring operating modes of a harvester, the harvester including a first hydraulic circuit for driving a first harvesting device, the method comprising:
determining a first lower pressure limit for the first hydraulic circuit;
interfacing one or more controllers with a pressure sensor operably coupled to the first hydraulic circuit to determine a first current hydraulic pressure for the first hydraulic circuit;
comparing, via the one or more controllers, the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit; and
identifying, via the one or more controllers, a current operating mode for the harvester, based upon, at least in part, the comparing of the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit;
wherein the current operating mode includes one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more of a current ground speed of the harvester, a current engine speed for the harvester, and a state of a harvesting switch of the harvester, the harvesting switch being configured to activate and deactivate the first hydraulic circuit based upon the state of the harvesting switch;
wherein the identifying of the current operating mode for the harvester is further based upon, at least in part, the one or more of the current ground speed, the current engine speed, and the state of the harvesting switch.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, if the current ground speed of the harvester does not exceed a threshold speed, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the waiting mode as the current operating mode; and
wherein, if the current ground speed exceeds the threshold speed and the state of the harvesting switch indicates a deactivated state of the first hydraulic circuit, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the transport mode as the current operating mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit includes comparing the first current hydraulic pressure to a first threshold pressure, the first threshold pressure being based upon, at least in part, first lower pressure limit; and
wherein the identifying of the current operating mode for the harvester is further based upon, at least in part, the comparing of the first current hydraulic pressure to the first threshold pressure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, if the first current hydraulic pressure does not exceed the first threshold pressure, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the maneuvering operating mode as the current operating mode; and
wherein, if the first current hydraulic pressure exceeds the first threshold pressure, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying one of the maneuvering mode and the harvesting mode as the current operating mode.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, if the first current hydraulic pressure exceeds the first threshold pressure, the comparing of the first current hydraulic pressure to the first lower pressure limit further includes comparing the first current hydraulic pressure to a second threshold pressure, the second threshold pressure being based upon, at least in part, the first lower pressure limit and being larger than the first threshold pressure;
wherein the identifying of the current operating mode for the harvester is further based upon, at least in part, the comparing of the first current base hydraulic pressure to the second threshold pressure; and
wherein, if the first current hydraulic pressure exceeds the second threshold pressure, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the harvesting mode as the current operating mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the harvester further includes a second hydraulic circuit for driving a second harvesting device, the method further comprising:
determining a second lower pressure limit for the second hydraulic circuit;
interfacing the one or more controllers with a second pressure sensor operably coupled to the second hydraulic circuit to determine a second current hydraulic pressure for the second hydraulic circuit; and
if the first current hydraulic pressure does not exceed the second threshold pressure, comparing the second current hydraulic pressure to a third threshold pressure, the third threshold pressure being based upon, at least in part, the second lower pressure limit;
wherein, if the second current hydraulic pressure exceeds the third threshold pressure, and if the first current hydraulic pressure exceeds the first threshold pressure, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the harvesting mode as the current operating mode; and
wherein, if the second current hydraulic pressure does not exceed the third threshold pressure, and if the first current hydraulic pressure does not exceed the second threshold pressure, the identifying of the current operating mode includes identifying the maneuvering mode as the current operating mode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first lower pressure limit includes:
identifying an initial lower pressure limit value for the first lower pressure limit;
determining that a current engine speed exceeds a threshold engine speed;
determining that the first hydraulic circuit has been activated;
determining a current operating pressure for the first hydraulic circuit; and
comparing the current operating pressure to the identified initial lower pressure limit value;
wherein:
if the current operating pressure is smaller than the initial lower pressure limit value by more than a first predetermined amount, the current operating pressure is recorded as an updated pressure value for the first lower pressure limit;
if the current operating pressure is larger than the initial lower pressure limit value by more than a second predetermined amount and by less than a third predetermined amount, the current operating pressure is recorded as the updated pressure value for the first lower pressure limit; and
otherwise, the first lower pressure limit is maintained at the initial lower pressure limit value.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the first lower pressure limit in a continual manner during operation of the harvester.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more of an aggregate amount of time in the current operating mode and an aggregate distance traveled by the harvester in the current operating mode; and
displaying, via a display device, one or more indicators of the one or more of the aggregate amount of time and the aggregate distance traveled.

11. A control system for monitoring operating modes of a sugarcane harvester, the sugarcane harvester including a base cutter hydraulic circuit for driving a base cutter and a chopper drum hydraulic circuit for rotating one or more chopper drums, the control system comprising:
at least one pressure sensor in communication with one or more of the base cutter and chopper drum hydraulic circuits; and
one or more controllers configured to:
determine one of a base cutter circuit lower pressure limit for the base cutter hydraulic circuit and a chopper drum circuit lower pressure limit for the chopper drum circuit;
interface with the at least one pressure sensor to determine one of a current base cutter hydraulic pressure for the base cutter hydraulic circuit and a current chopper drum hydraulic pressure for the chopper drum hydraulic circuit, respectively;
compare the one of the curre

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Corbett Daniel J
• Dugas Bryan E

Classifications

• A01D41/1274

  for drives · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D45/10

  of sugar cane {(for digging sugar cane A01D31/00)} · CPC title

• B60Y2200/222

  Harvesters · CPC title

• A01B63/00

  Lifting or adjusting devices or arrangements for agricultural machines or implements (lifting mechanisms for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/24; adjusting devices for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/28) · CPC title