Method and Arrangement for Optimizing an Operating Parameter of a Combine

• US 20140171161A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: BISCHOFF, LUTZ
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 460/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

A method and device for optimizing a parameter of a combine harvester by driving the combine harvester over a field an approximately constant speed or constant throughput; determining and storing data pertaining to at least one sensor value for a parameter of the processing procedure and to the associated position of the combine harvester in a processing unit; transmitting the position data to a manual apparatus provided with a camera and with a position determination device; moving the manual apparatus to the position, and recording an image of the field ground with a camera; processing the image in order to determine a property of the image; determining a calibration value by the processing unit using the sensor value and the property; and displaying and/or automatic setting of an operating value of the combine harvester by the processing unit using current sensor values and the calibration value.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing an operating parameter of a combine harvester (10) comprising these steps:

(a) driving the combine harvester (10) over a field at at least an approximately constant speed and/or constant throughput, at least until a processing procedure of the combine harvester (10) has stabilized;

(b) determining and storing data pertaining to at least one sensor value for a parameter of the processing procedure in the combine harvester (10) and to the associated position of the combine harvester (10) in a processing unit (80);

(c) transmitting the data pertaining to the associated position to a manual apparatus (88) provided with a camera (96) and with a position determination device (94);

(d) moving the manual apparatus (88) to the associated position, and recording an image of a field ground with a camera (96);

(e) processing the image in order to determine a property of the image;

(f) determining a calibration value by the processing unit (80) using the at least one sensor value and the property;

(g) and determining and displaying and/or automatic setting of an operating value of the combine harvester (10) by the processing unit (80) using current sensor values and the calibration value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps (a) to (f) are each repeated at different speeds or different throughputs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor value relates to grain losses and/or throughput of the combine harvester (10), and the property of the image is a number of lost grains on a certain area of the field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (e) occurs in the manual apparatus (88) or in the processing unit (80).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (e) occurs completely automatically or taking into consideration operator inputs.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, in step (e), an operator can mark relevant image portions (in particular lost grains) on a touch-sensitive display (92) of the manual apparatus or of the processing unit, and a number of markings is counted.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (g), measured values of an additional sensor (100) are taken into consideration for a determination of environmental variables, and learned or predetermined effects of an environmental variable on the sensor values are taken into consideration.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in steps (b) and (g), additional values that influence a determination of the at least one sensor value for the parameter of the processing procedure in the combine harvester (10) are determined by sensor means and stored, and wherein these values are taken into consideration in step (f) and/or (g), taking into consideration the corresponding, at a time that currently determined values for compensation are resorted to for a purpose of which, during operation of the combine harvester (10), learned or permanently stored relationships between these values and the sensor values.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the values relate to an inclination of the combine harvester (10) in the forward and/or lateral direction, to work parameters of a cleaning device (46), to flow rates of grain and/or chaff, to grain moisture and/or to a conveyance rate of non-grain components in an elevator between a grain auger (48) and a grain tank (50).

10. An arrangement for optimizing an operating parameter of a combine harvester (10), with a combine harvester (10), comprising a sensor (76, 78) for determining a parameter of the processing procedure in the combine harvester (10), a position determination device (82) for determining a position of the combine harvester (10), a processing unit (80) connected to the sensor (76, 78) and the position determination device (82), as well as a transmission and receiving device (84), and with a manual apparatus (88), which comprises a transmission and receiving device (98), a position determination device (94), and a camera (96), wherein the combine harvester (10) and the manual apparatus (88) can be operated in order to carry out a method according to claim 1.