Communication system for closed loop control of a worksite

• US 10,705,490 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Gilmore, Brian J., Wenzel, Craig E., Morvant, Kerry J., Hunt, Timothy S., Wyckoff, Jan, Ellis, Vickie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing Yuan
• Application Number:
  US16/142,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20190025775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/041 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/418 Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45003 Harvester
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45017 Agriculture machine, tractor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A communication system facilitates a closed loop, two-way communication network between machines at a worksite and a remote processing facility. A management and control system receives operations data and generates recommended adjustments to the worksite operations. A manager system provides manager outputs over the communication network to adjust operations of the machines at the worksite based on the recommended adjustments.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

modeling, with a model, operations at a worksite based on individual machine characteristics of a plurality of machines working at the worksite and worksite objectives, to obtain a model output indicative of an operational target for the worksite, wherein the plurality of machines perform different operations in a sequential upstream to downstream order such that an upstream operation output limits a downstream operation output;

comparing, with an error calculator, actual operations data, indicative of actual operations at the worksite currently being performed by the plurality of machines in the sequential upstream to downstream order, against the operational target to obtain a difference;

adjusting the operations of the worksite based on the difference; and

providing closed loop communication between the worksite, the model, and the error calculator to obtain closed loop control of the operations at the worksite.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the worksite comprises an industrial agricultural worksite at which a plurality of agricultural machines process agricultural material and wherein providing closed loop communication comprises:

providing closed loop communication between the plurality of agricultural machines, the model, and the error calculator to obtain closed loop control of the operations at the industrial agricultural worksite.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the industrial agricultural worksite comprises a sugarcane worksite in which the plurality of agricultural machines comprise one or more sugarcane harvesters, one or more tractors that pull one or more billet wagons, and one or more transport vehicles that transport the sugarcane to a remote facility, and wherein providing closed loop communication comprises:

providing closed loop communication among the one or more sugarcane harvesters, the one or more tractors that pull one or more billet wagons, the one or more transport vehicles that transport the sugarcane to a remote facility, the remote facility, the model, and the error calculator to obtain closed loop control of the operations at the sugarcane worksite.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the worksite comprises a construction worksite at which a plurality of construction machines perform construction operations and wherein providing closed loop communication comprises:

providing closed loop communication between the plurality of construction machines, the model, and the error calculator to obtain closed loop control of the operations at the construction worksite.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the worksite comprises forestry worksite at which a plurality of forestry machines perform forestry operations and wherein providing closed loop communication comprises:

providing closed loop communication between the plurality of forestry machines, the model, and the error calculator to obtain closed loop control of the operations at the forestry worksite.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing closed loop communication comprises:

providing the closed loop communication using a plurality of different communication systems.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing closed loop communication includes providing near real time data communication that transmits, over a communication network to a management and control system, worksite operations data as actual operations data from the machines working at the worksite.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the closed loop communication comprises local, two-way communication that is local to the worksite and that provides two-way communication between a management and control system and machines working at the worksite.