Controller for a harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877427-B2
Application number	US-201615166995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A controller for a harvester. The controller is configured to receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester and generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester. The visual display includes an animation of crop flowing through the harvester. The controller is further configured to set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester;
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information, wherein the animation comprises moving parts of the harvester;
receive a machine setting value for the harvester, and to set one or more properties of moving parts of the harvester or the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received machine setting value;
receive measured crop flow information;
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received measured crop flow information;
receive a proposed replacement-machine-setting-value;
set simulated crop flow information in accordance with the proposed replacement-machine-setting-value;
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the simulated crop flow information;
receive user input indicative of an instruction to accept or reject the proposed replacement-machine-setting-values;
upon receipt of an instruction to accept the proposed replacement-machine-setting-values;
set the machine setting value in accordance with the proposed replacement-machine-setting-value, and
set one or more properties of the animation of crop flowing through the harvester based on the measured crop flow information; and

upon receipt of an instruction to reject the proposed replacement-machine-setting-values;
maintain the machine setting value in accordance with its previous value; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the measured crop flow information.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the machine setting value comprises one or more of ground speed, rotor/threshing speed, concave clearance, fan speed, sieve opening, pre-sieve opening, upper sieve opening, and bottom sieve opening.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive machine-status-information representative of the status of the harvester, and to set one or more properties of the moving parts of the harvester or animated crop flow based on the received machine setting value.

4. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information;
wherein the received crop flow information comprises material-flow-rate-information that is representative of a flow rate of material at a specific point in a crop flow path through the harvester, and wherein the visual display comprises a region of material being associated with the specific point in the crop flow path through the harvester, and wherein the controller is configured to set a flow-rate-property of the region of material based on the material-flow-rate-information.

5. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information;
wherein the received crop flow information comprises amount-of-material-information that is representative of an amount of material at a specific point in a crop flow path through the harvester, and wherein the visual display comprises a region of material being associated with the specific point in the crop flow path through the harvester, and wherein the controller is configured to set a size of the region of material based on the amount-of-material-information.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the received crop flow information comprises material-type-information that is representative of a type of material that is flowing through the harvester, and wherein the controller is configured to set a visual property of the type of material that is flowing through the harvester based on the material-type-information.

7. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information;
wherein the received crop flow information comprises ejected-material-information that is representative of material that is ejected by the harvester, and wherein the visual display comprises a region of material being ejected by the harvester and wherein the controller is configured to set a size, visual property, or flow-rate-property of the region of material being ejected by the harvester based on the ejected-material-information.

8. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information;
wherein the received crop flow information comprises air-pressure-differential-information across a sieve in the harvester, and wherein the visual display comprises a region of material associated with a side of the sieve, and wherein the controller is configured to set a size of the region of material based on the air-pressure-differential-information.

9. A controller for a harvester configured to:
receive crop flow information representative of how crop is flowing through the harvester;
generate display information for providing a visual display to an operator of the harvester, wherein the visual display comprises an animation of crop flowing through the harvester; and
set one or more properties of the animation of the crop flowing through the harvester based on the received crop flow information;
wherein the visual display comprises one or more further animations, and wherein the display information comprises one or more of:
a schematic illustration of a fan within the harvester, and wherein the controller is further configured to set a speed of rotation of the fan in one of the one or more further animations based on a machine setting value associated with the fan;
a schematic illustration of a threshing cylinder within the harvester, and wherein the controller is further configured to set a speed of rotation of the threshing cylinder in another one of the one or more further animations based on a machine setting value associated with the threshing cylinder; and
a schematic illustration of a chopper within the harvester, and wherein the controller is further configured to set a speed of rotation of the chopper in still another one o

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Missotten Bart M A
• Aesaert Glenn
• Carpentier Michael
• Jongmans Dré W J
• Mahieu Thomas
• Mesquita Ricardo
• Viaene Karel M C
• Vroman Bart
• Scherrens Johnny M F

Classifications

• A01D75/00

  Accessories for harvesters or mowers · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D34/006 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title