Machine operation enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894836-B2
Application number	US-201614995948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A machine is controlled to operate according to a first control configuration. Enhancement criteria values, that are indicative of an enhancement metric, are evaluated based on operation in the first control configuration. The machine is then controlled to operate according to a second control configuration, and the enhancement criteria are again evaluated. The machine is iteratively switched between operating in the first and second control configurations until a signal-to-background-variation-ratio with respect to the evaluated enhancement criteria is sufficient. One of the first and second control configurations are then identified as corresponding to a best enhancement criteria value.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A mobile machine, comprising:
a controllable system that performs a machine function;
a control system that controls the controllable system based on a selected control configuration;
an operation enhancement system that receives sensor signal values from a set of sensors, each of the sensor signal values being indicative of a sensed variable, the operation enhancement system generating enhancement criteria values based on the sensor signal values generated during machine operation in the selected control configuration, and intermittently switching between selecting at least a first control configuration and a second control configuration as the selected control configuration; and
signal-to-background-variation-ratio (SBVR) identification logic that controls the operation enhancement system to continue intermittently switching between selecting at least the first control configuration and the second control configuration as the selected control configuration until a signal-to-background-variation-ratio corresponding to the sensor signal values reaches a given level, wherein the operation enhancement system comprises criteria comparison logic that compares the enhancement criteria values generated based on operation in the first control configuration to enhancement criteria values generated based on operation in the second control configuration, in response to the SBVR identification logic identifying that the signal-to-background-variation-ratio has reached the given level, to identify a better performing control configuration.

2. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the operation enhancement system outputs the better performing control configuration to the control system as the selected control configuration.

3. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the operation enhancement system includes iteration logic that intermittently selects at least the first control configuration and the second control configuration and generates a switch signal, the control system switching to control the controllable system with the selected control configuration based on the switch signal.

4. The mobile machine of claim 3 wherein the iteration logic comprises:
timing logic that identities a time to generate the switch signal and a transition time for the control system to switch to the selected control configuration and for the switch to the selected control configuration to be reflected in the sensor signals.

5. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the first and second control configurations each correspond to a different set of machine settings.

6. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the first and second control configurations each correspond to a different control algorithm used by the control system.

7. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the SBVR logic dynamically calculates the given level for the signal-to-background-variation-ratio.

8. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the given level for the signal-to-background-variation-ratio is predetermined and wherein the SBVR logic identifies the predetermined signal-to-background-variation-ratio level based on a set of SBVR identification criteria.

9. The mobile machine of claim 1 and further comprising:
a user interface mechanism, the operation enhancement system outputting an indication of the better performing control configuration to the user interface mechanism.

10. The mobile machine of claim 1 wherein the controllable system comprises:
a controllable subsystem of a harvester that comprises one of a combine harvester, a cotton harvester, or a sugar cane harvester.

11. The mobile machine of claim 10 wherein the operation enhancement system generates harvesting efficiency values indicative of a harvesting efficiency of the harvester, as the enhancement criteria values, and wherein the criteria comparison logic compares the harvesting efficiency values generated based on operation of the harvester in the first control configuration to the harvesting efficiency values generated based on operation of the harvester in the second control configuration, in response to the background-variation-ratio identification logic identifying that the signal-to-background-variation-ratio has reached the given level, to identify a better performing harvester control configuration.

12. An agricultural harvester, comprising:
a controllable harvesting subsystem that performs a harvesting function;
a control system that intermittently switches between controlling the controllable harvesting subsystem using a first control configuration and a second control configuration;
a yield sensor that generates a yield signal having a yield signal value indicative of a crop yield;
a harvesting efficiency calculator that calculates a first set of harvester efficiency metrics, based on the yield signal value and indicative of a harvesting efficiency of the agricultural harvester when the controllable harvester subsystem is controlled based on the first control configuration, and that calculates a second set of harvester efficiency metrics, based on the yield signal value and indicative of a harvesting efficiency of the agricultural harvester when the controllable harvester subsystem is controlled based on the second control configuration;
signal-to-background-variation-ratio(SBVR) identification logic that controls the control system to continue intermittently switching between controlling the controllable harvesting subsystem using the first control configuration and the second control configuration until a signal-to-background-variation-ratio corresponding to the yield signal value reaches a given level; and
criteria comparison logic that compares the first set of harvester efficiency metrics with the second set of harvester efficiency metrics, in response to the SBVR identification logic identifying that the signal-to-background-variation-ratio has reached the given level, to identify a better performing control configuration.

13. The agricultural harvester of claim 12 wherein the criteria comparison logic outputs an indication of the better performing control configuration to the control system, the control system controlling the controllable harvesting subsystem using the better performing control configuration based on the indication of the better performing control configuration.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Garton Michael S

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• A01D41/1271 Primary

  for measuring crop flow · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D46/085

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for cotton harvesters · CPC title

• A01D41/1273

  for measuring grain loss · CPC title