SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FOREST MACHINE

• US 20100065155A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company, John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company), John Deere Forestry Ov
• Original Assignee: John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Peltomae, Arto, Lehmusvaara, Kari, Käppi, Timo, Putkonen, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 144/356
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/00 Lifting or adjusting devices or arrangements for agricultural machines or implements lifting mechanisms for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/24; adjusting devices for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/28; constructional features of lifting devices per se B66F
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0035 Measuring of dimensions of trees
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/08 Registering or indicating the production of the machine either with or without registering working or idle time

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring the performance of a subsystem of a forest machine. The method comprises the steps of: collecting data relating to the function of said subsystem or the performing of said function; determining one or more characteristic values to describe the performance continually according to data; and monitoring the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time, wherein, for example, the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time is displayed in the form of a graphic presentation to the user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the performance of a subsystem or function of a forest machine, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting data relating to the function of said subsystem or the performing of said function,

determining one or more characteristic values to describe the performance continually according to data, and

monitoring the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising displaying the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time in the form of an illustrative graphic presentation to the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forest machine comprises a control system and a display module connected to the same, and the displaying comprises displaying said representation by said display module.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forest machine comprises a control system and a control bus connected to the same, and said data comprises messages and measurements to be transmitted in said control bus.

5. The method according to any of the claim 1, comprising classifying said data to compensate for the conditions of said function.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising determining a partial characteristic value for each classification, and determining said one or more characteristic values by computation for monitoring the performance of the function.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the sawing function of the forest machine by monitoring the speed of the sawing function, classified according to the trunk diameter, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the feeding function of the forest machine by monitoring the speed or acceleration of the feeding function, classified according to the trunk diameter, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the stem holding function of the harvester head of the forest machine by monitoring continually the size class of the trunk to be processed, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the output function of a harvester head of the forest machine by monitoring continually the durations of work cycles to be processed, classified according to the size class of the trunk, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the function of a drive transmission of the forest machine by monitoring continually at least a target rotation speed of a hydraulic motor of the drive transmission compared to the real rotation speed, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the fuel consumption of the forest machine by monitoring continually the quantity of fuel consumed for the processing of a trunk, classified according to the size class of the trunk, and determining a characteristic value for that function.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the function of a crane system of the forest machine by monitoring at least the operating times of the joints of the crane system, work cycle by work cycle.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising carrying out a computation in real time to process data, determining a characteristic value for the function to find out the performance, and storing the characteristic values to display the performance history to the user.

15. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining the characteristic value of said constituent function on the basis of the characteristic values of one or more functions.

18. A computer software product comprising a computer-readable medium and program code means stored in the computer-readable medium, wherein the computer software product is arranged to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1, when said computer software product is run in a control computer.

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

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

20. A system for monitoring the performance of a subsystem or a function of a forest machine, comprising:

a control system arranged to control said subsystem or said function,

wherein;

the control system is arranged to collect data relating to the performing of the function of said subsystem or said function,

the control system is arranged to determine continually one or more characteristic values to describe the performance on the basis of data, and

the control system is arranged to store said one or more characteristic values to compare its variation in time.

21. The system according to claim 20, comprising a control bus arranged to operate under the control of the control system and to transmit said data relating to the performance.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the control system is arranged to display the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time in the form of an illustrative graphical representation to the user.

23. The system according to claim 22, comprising a display module related to the control system, for displaying said representation.

24. The system according to 21, wherein said forest machine is a harvester and said control bus is a CAN bus.

25. The system according to claim 20, wherein the control system is arranged to classify said data to compensate for the conditions of said function.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the control system is arranged to determine a partial characteristic value for each classification, and to determine said one or more characteristic values by computation for monitoring the performance of the function.

27. The system according to claim 20, wherein the control system is arranged to determine the characteristic value of said subsystem on the basis of the characteristic values of one or more functions.