Method and device for optimizing operating parameters of an agricultural working machine

• US 20070005209A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Wippersteg, Heinz-Hermann, Behnke, Willi, Fitzner, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

In a method and a device for carrying out the method to optimize operating parameters of an agricultural working machine, an optimization program map being assigned to each adjustable operating parameter in a memory unit, optimization program map A being subdivided into sub-program maps, and the task of optimizing the sub-program maps being transmitted to individual agricultural working machines; in this manner, by dividing up the work to be carried out, the time required to find the optimum operating parameters of an agricultural working machine can be reduced considerably.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing operating parameters of an agricultural working machine, comprising the steps of assigning at least one optimization program map to each operating parameter in a memory unit;

subdividing the optimization program map into sub-program maps; and

transmitting the optimization to the sub-program maps of individual agricultural working machines.

2. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising forming the optimization program map as a curve; and

optimizing a portion of the curve being transmitted as a sub-program map to each agricultural working machine.

3. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising forming the optimization program map as a family of curves; and

optimizing a curve or portions of the curve being transmitted as a sub-program map to each agricultural working machine.

4. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising monitoring the optimization of the operating parameters in the sub-program maps; and

determining a statically optimum operating parameter.

5. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising determining a new statically optimum operating parameter every time an operating parameter selected in the sub-program maps is changed by at least one operator.

6. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out a determination of a new statistically optimum operating parameter as the function of a parameter selected from the group consisting of a threshold value, a time, and both.

7. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising making available a statically optimum operating parameter of the particular optimization program map to all of network agricultural working machines.

8. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising collaborating a large number of agricultural working machines to optimize a large number of optimization program maps by optimizing particular sub-program maps.

9. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out the optimization of the sub-program maps by operators who are qualified to operate the agricultural working machines.

10. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out the optimization of the sub-program maps by operators of agricultural machine as a function of conditions selected from the group consisting of internal basic conditions, external basic conditions, and both.

11. A method as defined in claim 10;

and further comprising selecting the internal basic conditions as specific operating parameters of the agricultural working machines.

12. A method as defined in claim 10;

and further comprising selecting the external basic conditions as data selected from the group consisting of weather-specific data, geographical data, and crop material-specific data.

13. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising including in a determination of a statistically optimum operating parameter for a particular optimization program map, a determination of tendencies of operator'"'"'s individual agricultural working machines to make adjustments to find the optimum operating parameters; and

notifying the operators of the individual working machines of these tendencies to make adjustments.

14. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising networking the individual agricultural working machines to each other via at least one data transmission system.

15. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising calling up statistically optimum operating parameters of the particular optimization program maps as a function of relevant internal and external basic conditions.

16. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising generating statistically optimum operating parameters centrally, for accessing for all networked agricultural working machines said centrally generated, statistically optimum operating parameters.

17. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising generating statistically optimum operating parameters decentrally, for accessing only a selected portion of all networked agricultural working machines, to axis said decentrally generated, statistically optimum operating parameters.

18. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising adjusting a working machine setting by an operator of the agricultural working machine, based on a determination of statistically optimum operating parameters.

19. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out adjustment of a working machine setting automatically on the agricultural working machine.

20. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising evaluating by an operator, statistically optimum operating parameters made available to him with respect to an overall adjustment of the working machine.

21. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising, based on evaluations performed by an operator adjusting by the operator a working machine setting of another network agricultural working machine.

22. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising carrying out adjusting of a working machine setting automatically of on another agricultural working machine.

23. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising using a data transmission system as a globally limited data transmission system.

24. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising using a data transmission system as a locally limited data transmission system.

25. A device for optimizing operating parameters of agricultural working machine, comprising means for assigning at least one optimization program map to each operating parameter;

at least one input for networked agricultural working machines;

a display unit for generating operating parameters optimized in a sub-program maps;

a data transmission system for transmitting the optimized operating parameters;

a central database to which the optimized operating parameters are transmitted via said data transmission system, said central database being configured so as to generate, based on said operating parameters a statistically optimum operating parameter for a particular optimizing program map; and

means for manually or automatically calling up the statistically optimum operating parameters using said data transmission system from said input and said display unit in the networked agricultural working machines.