Settings manager—distributed management of equipment and display settings via centralized software application

• US 10,150,483 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Procuniar, Steven R., Jensen, Peter J., Neermann, Benjamin, Schinckel, Sarah L., Fox, Jeffrey R., McKay, Sean, Price, Margaux M., Meegan, Robert J., Nissen, Hans Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/251,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20180057017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 76/00 Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0065 using a personalised data carrier, e.g. magnetic card, memory card or electronic ignition key
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0085 Setting or resetting initial positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/152 Tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/10 in agriculture

Abstract

A method and system for managing settings on a single vehicle/implement system and across a fleet of vehicle/implement systems. Each vehicle/implement system includes a plurality of Embedded Systems having configurable settings, a Precision Agriculture Server having configurable settings, and a Telematics Server having configurable settings. All of the servers are connected by a plurality of vehicle data busses. The Telematics Server is connected to Cloud-Based Servers via the Internet. Vehicle/implement system settings are managed by the Precision Ag Server and shared with other vehicle/implement systems via the Cloud-based Server. Flexibility for different vehicle/implement models and options is provided by a distributed system using Client Software in the Precision Ag Server or Client Software in the Embedded Systems and by a settings identification and versioning schema.

Claims

1. A method of managing a collection of system configurations, the system including a vehicle, having a server with at least one processor and a memory, or the vehicle and an attached implement, the method comprising:

launching a first user interface via a display of a vehicle/implement system mounted in the vehicle;

selecting, via the first user interface, at least two user configurable settings from a list of available settings including a task to be performed by the vehicle or the vehicle and the attached implement;

year of the vehicle or the year of the vehicle and the attached implement, model of the vehicle or the year of the vehicle and the attached implement, stored in the memory of the server that control operation of at least one of the vehicle or the vehicle and a first attachable implement via the first user interface;

creating at least one named system configuration, via the first user interface, that contains current values for the selected user configurable settings;

storing the at least one named system configuration in a data storage device;

selecting, via the first user interface, a system configuration from the at least one named system configuration;

applying at least one configurable setting from the selected named system configuration via a controller; and

controlling operations of the vehicle or the vehicle and the first attachable implement via the at least one processor in accordance with the applied configurable setting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exporting the at least one named system configuration to another vehicle; and

storing the at least one named system configuration in the another vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

launching a second user interface via a display mounted in the another vehicle;

selecting a system configuration, via the second user interface, from among the at least one named system configuration stored in the another vehicle; and

controlling the another vehicle or the another vehicle and a second attachable implement according to the named system configuration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, via the first user interface, a group of configurable settings from the list of available settings stored in a memory that control operation of the vehicle and a third attachable implement via the first user interface;

creating, via the first user interface, another system configuration that contains current values for all selected configurable settings;

storing the another system configuration in the data storage device; and

controlling the vehicle and the third attachable implement according to the another system configuration.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

exporting the another system configuration to the another vehicle;

storing the another system configuration in the another vehicle.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

launching the second user interface mounted in the another vehicle;

selecting the another system configuration from among the at least one system configuration stored in the another vehicle; and

controlling the another vehicle and a fourth attachable implement according to the another system configuration.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the exporting includes exporting the at least one system configuration from the data storage device to at least one of a removable storage device or a remote server wirelessly connected to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying whether the selected system configuration is valid according to a current operating state of the vehicle and the first attachable implement.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

verifying whether the selected system configuration is compatible according to a current operating state of the another vehicle and the second attachable implement, and when at least one negative verification response is received, determining whether to proceed with a partial restoration of settings values.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the named system configuration from the list of available settings includes a configuration that best matches the current state of the system.

11. A controller for controlling a vehicle/implement system, the controller comprising:

a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to

execute selection of at two least user configurable settings from a list of available settings including the task to be performed by the vehicle or the vehicle and the attached implement;

year of the vehicle or the year of the vehicle and the attached implement, model of the vehicle or the year of the vehicle and the attached implement, stored in the memory that control operation of a vehicle or the vehicle and a first attachable implement received via a first user interface;

create, via a user interface of the vehicle, at least one named system configuration that contains current values for all selected configurable settings;

store the at least one named system configuration in a data storage device;

execute selection of a system configuration from the at least one named system configuration received via the first user interface;

apply at least one configurable setting from the selected system via the user interface; and

control operation of the vehicle or the vehicle and the first attachable implement via the vehicle/implement system in accordance with the selected system configuration.