System for Evaluating the Productivity of a Working Machine and its Driver

• US 20090299707A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Putkonen, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for evaluating the productivity of a working machine and its driver in a real or virtual operating environment is controlled by means of a control system to perform work, and in which the work cycles relating to the work performed by the working machine are determined by means of continuous measurements directed to the working machine when it is controlled by the driver. Characteristic values relating to the performance of the determined work cycles are collected on the basis of the continuous measurements for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the work or for comparison.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the productivity of a working machine and its driver in a real or virtual operating environment, said working machine being controlled by means of a control system to perform work, comprising the steps of:

determining the work cycles relating to the work performed by the working machine by means of continuous measurements directed to the working machine when it is controlled by the driver; and

collecting characteristic values relating to the performance of the determined work cycles on the basis of said continuous measurements for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the work or for comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of presenting, as a characteristic value, one or more time values of one or more work cycles in the form of an illustrative graphic presentation to the driver.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the working machine comprises a display module connected to the control system, and the method comprises the step of the displaying of said representation by means of said display module.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the working machine comprises a control bus connected to the control system, and said measurement relates to signals transmitted in said control bus.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the working machine is a forestry machine selected from the group consisting of a harvester and a forwarder.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual operating environment is a working machine simulator, whose operation corresponds to the driving of the working machine in a real operating environment.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying said work cycles by mathematical methods from measurements obtained from the working machine.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of modelling the working method of the driver of the working machine by mathematical methods from measurements obtained from the working machine.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the performing of the work cycles with a reference, given limits, or the actions of an experienced driver, and giving feedback from the comparisons to the driver of the working machine.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of continuously monitoring the performing of the work cycles, classified according to the size class of a tree trunk to be processed.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the fuel consumption of the working machine by continuously monitoring at least the quantity of fuel consumed by the machine for processing a tree trunk in different work cycles.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the operation of a boom system of the working machine.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of analyzing the work cycles by mathematical methods and determining, for performing the work, those work cycles, in which a quick improvement in the productivity can be achieved, and performing said analysis individually for the driver of the working machine.

14. A computer program comprising program code means that are configured to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1 when said computer program is run in a control computer.

15. The computer program according to claim 14, wherein said control computer is a central processing unit of a control system of a forest machine.

16. A computer software product comprising program code means stored in computer-readable media, wherein the program code means are configured to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1 when said computer program is run in a control computer.

18. A system for evaluating the productivity of a working machine and its driver in a real or virtual operating environment, comprising a control system arranged to control said working machine and its different functions, wherein the control system is configured to determine the work cycles relating to the work performed by the working machine by means of continuous measurements directed to the working machine when it is controlled by the driver, and to collect characteristic values relating to the performance of the determined work cycles on the basis of said continuous measurements for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the work or for comparison.

17. The computer software product according to claim 18, wherein said control computer is a central processing unit of a control system of a forest machine.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the system also comprises a control bus connected to the control system and configured to operate under the control of the control system, said measurement being directed to a signal transmitted in said control bus.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the control system is configured to present, as a characteristic value, a common or detailed variation or duration in time of one or more work cycles in the form of an illustrative graphic presentation to the driver.