Automation of networking a group of machines

• US 10,201,022 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Original Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, Paul Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/904,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• 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: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprising entering, by machine, a first field defined by first field boundaries; and automatically associating the machine with a first wireless network defined by the first field boundaries, the first wireless network comprising a secured data communications network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

entering, by machine, a first field defined by first field boundaries;

automatically associating the machine with a first wireless network defined by the first field boundaries, the first wireless network comprising a secured data communications network; and

maintaining a connection to the first wireless network upon the machine exiting the first field wherein the maintaining of the connection is time-constrained.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly broadcasting information responsive to the associating.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving and processing information communicated over the first wireless network from one or more other machines located within the first field boundaries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving and ignoring second information communicated over a second wireless network that at least partially overlaps the first wireless network, the second information received from one or more other machines located outside the first field boundaries.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein access to information wirelessly transmitted from the first wireless network requires a machine presence within the first field boundaries.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a visual display of operational parameters corresponding to the machine located within the first field responsive to the entry.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a visual display of operational parameters corresponding to the machine located within the first field as well as any other machine or machines located within the first field for which information is shared over the first wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically and wirelessly transmitting information to one or more identified machines located within the first field, each transmission comprising a unicast transmission.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically associating the machine with a second wireless network defined by second field boundaries upon entering a second field defined by second field boundaries, the second wireless network comprising a secured data communications network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving and processing information communicated over the first wireless network from one or more other machines located outside first field boundaries when the one or other machines were previously located within the first field boundaries.

11. A system, comprising:

a first machine, comprising;

a chassis coupled to rotating elements to cause traversal across a field;

a wireless network interface;

a computing system configured to;

detect when the first machine enters a first field defined by first field boundaries; and

automatically associate the first machine with a first wireless network defined by the first field boundaries responsive to the detection, the first wireless network comprising a secured data communications network; and

a second machine, comprising;

a chassis coupled to rotating elements to cause traversal across a field;

a wireless network interface; and

a computing system configured to;

detect when the second machine enters the first field; and

automatically associate the second machine with the first wireless network responsive to the detection,

wherein responsive to the first and second machines entering the first field, the computing systems of the first and second machines, respectively, are configured to automatically share information over the first wireless network via the respective wireless network interfaces and,

wherein responsive to the first or second machines exiting the first field and entering a second field defined by second field boundaries, the computing systems of the first or second machines, respectively, are configured to detect the entering onto the second field and automatically associate the first or second machine, respectively, with a second wireless network defined by the second field boundaries responsive to the detection while maintaining a connection with the first wireless network.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the computing systems of the first and second machines causing a visual display of all or a portion of the shared information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein responsive to the first or second machine exiting the first field, the computing systems of the first or second machines, respectively, are configured to maintain a connection to the first wireless network via the respective wireless network interface.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a third machine, the third machine comprising:

a chassis coupled to rotating elements to cause traversal across a field;

a wireless network interface; and

a computing system configured to;

detect when the third machine enters the second field;

automatically associate the third machine with the second wireless network responsive to the detection; and

share information with the second machine located in the second field over the second wireless network while ignoring communications from the first machine located in the first field sent from the first wireless network.

15. A system, comprising:

a server;

a machine comprising;

a chassis coupled to rotating elements to cause traversal across a field;

a wireless network interface enabling machine-to-machine communications over

a wireless network and connectivity to the server over a wide area network; and

a computing system configured to;

detect when the machine enters a field defined by field boundaries;

responsive to the detection, automatically cause a broadcast of information over the wireless network defined by the field boundaries, the wireless network comprising a secured data communications network; and

automatically cause an uploading of at least a portion of the information via the wireless network interface to the server over the wide area network, the information corresponding to operational parameters of the machine.