REMOTE-CONTROLLED MATERIAL-CONVEYING SYSTEM

• US 20150225188A1
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AG Growth International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AG Growth International Incorporated
• Inventors: Manning, Chris, Wilcox, Brian, Belluk, Brent, Strydhorst, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 10,556,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/005 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 67/02 Loading or unloading land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/00 Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with loading or unloading by means incorporated in, or operatively associated with, conveyors B65G47/00; preventing fire A62C3/00; in vehicles, see the relevant subclasses, e.g., B60P1/58, B61D7/32, B62D33/00, B63B25/00, B64D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

A material-conveying system has a material-conveying apparatus for conveying material, an electronic control unit, a user interface control panel mounted to the apparatus and interfaced with the electronic control unit to receive user input commands to control the apparatus, a power unit mechanically coupled to the apparatus for powering the apparatus, a data bus communicatively connected between the power unit and the control unit, a portable remote control device for wirelessly transmitting command signals for remotely controlling a power output of the power unit to the apparatus, a wireless receive at the apparatus for receiving the command signals to the electronic control unit that controls the power output of the power unit. The portable remote control device is also configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a gate controller of a material-unloading gate of a material container.

Claims

1. A material-conveying system comprising:

a material-conveying apparatus for conveying material;

an electronic control unit at the apparatus;

a user interface control panel interfaced with the electronic control unit to receive user input commands to control the apparatus;

a power unit mechanically coupled to the apparatus for powering the apparatus;

a data bus communicatively connected between the power unit and the control unit;

a portable remote control device for wirelessly transmitting command signals for remotely controlling a power output of the power unit to the apparatus;

a wireless receiver at the apparatus for receiving the command signals from the portable remote control device and for transmitting the command signals to the electronic control unit that controls the power output of the power unit; and

wherein the portable remote control device is configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a gate controller of a material-unloading gate of a material container.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device is also configured to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a tarp actuator.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device is also configured to wirelessly receive a signal from a bin fill sensor at a material-containing bin.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device is also configured to wirelessly receive a signal from a body-sensing bin sensor at a material-containing bin.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device is also configured to wirelessly control a bin sweep inside a material-containing bin.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising a material-displacement sensor for sensing displacement of material and for sending a material-displacement signal to the electronic control unit to automatically control the power output to the material-conveying apparatus.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device comprises an emergency stop user input device for shutting off the power output to the apparatus and for stopping a bin sweep in a bin.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising a body-detecting safety sensor for detecting a body near a driveshaft of the power unit or near the material-conveying apparatus, the safety sensor sending a shutdown signal to the electronic control unit to shut off the power output to the apparatus.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the power unit is a power takeoff (PTO) of a tractor and the apparatus is a grain auger and wherein the data bus is an ISOBUS-compatible data bus.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device further comprises a user input device for causing a power swing auger to swing left or to swing right relative to the apparatus into which the power swing auger is transferring the material.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device further comprises a user input device for operating a work light.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic control unit receives signals from a bin level sensor, a PTO light curtain sensor and a bin thermal monitor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable remote control device is a wireless communications device comprising a memory for storing a system-controlling application and a processor for executing the application to display graphical representations of system controls on a display of the wireless communications device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the application also causes the wireless communications device to display operating information based on performance data received from the electronic control unit.

15. A portable remote control device for remotely controlling a material-conveying system having a material-conveying apparatus driven by a power unit, the portable remote control device comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a power control command;

a radiofrequency transceiver that transmits, in response to receiving the power control command, a power control signal representing the power control command to a wireless receiver connected to an electronic control unit at the material-conveying apparatus that transmits the power control signal via a data bus to the power unit to thereby operate the material-conveying apparatus In response to the power control command;

the user interface being also configured to receive a gate control command; and

the radiofrequency transceiver transmitting, in response to receiving the gate control command, a gate control signal representing the gate control command to a gate controller of a material-unloading gate of a material container for operating the gate in response to the gate control command.

16. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the user interface is configured to receive a tarp control command and wherein the transceiver wirelessly transmits, in response to receiving, the tarp control command, a tarp control signal to a tarp actuator.

17. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the radiofrequency transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive a signal from a bin fill sensor at a material-containing bin.

18. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the radiofrequency transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive a signal from a body-sensing bin sensor at a material-containing bin.

19. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the user interface comprises an emergency stop user input device for shutting off the power output to the apparatus and for stopping a bin sweep in a material-containing bin.

20. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the user interface comprises a user input device for causing a power swing auger to swing left or swing right relative to the apparatus.

21. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the user interface comprises a user Input device for operating a work light.

22. The portable remote control device of claim 15 wherein the user interface is a touch-screen display of a wireless communications device and the radiofrequency transceiver is a short-range wireless transceiver of the wireless communications device.

23. The portable remote control device of claim 22 further comprising a processor that cooperates with the display to present graphical representations of controls on the display of the wireless communications device.

24. The portable remote control device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to display operating information based on performance data received from the electronic control unit.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions in code which when stored in a memory and executed by a processor of a wireless communications device cause the wireless communications device to:

present a user interface configured to receive a power control command;

transmit using a radio-frequency transceiver, in response to receiving the power control command, a power control signal representing the power control command to a wireless receiver connected to an electronic control unit at the material-conveying apparatus that transmits the power control signal via a data bus to the power unit to thereby operate the material-conveying apparatus in response to the power control command;

receive a gate control command via the user interface; and

transmit, using the radiofrequency transceiver, in response to receiving the gate control command, a gate control signal representing the gate control command to a gate controller of a material-unloading gate of a material container for operating the gate in response to the gate control command.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that configures the device to receive a tarp control command and to cause the transceiver to wirelessly transmit, in response to receiving the tarp control command, a tarp control signal to a tarp actuator.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that configures the device to wirelessly receive a signal from a bin fill sensor at a material-containing bin.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that configures the device to wirelessly receive a signal from a body-sensing bin sensor at a material-containing bin.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that causes the user interface to display an emergency stop user interface element for shutting off the power output to the apparatus and for stopping a bin sweep in a material-containing bin.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that causes the user interface to display a power swing user interface element for causing a power swing auger to swing left or swing right relative to the apparatus.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that causes the user interface to display a work tight user interface element for operating a work light.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code that causes the device to present graphical representations of controls on the display of the wireless communications device.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 comprising code that causes the device to display operating information based on performance data received from the electronic control unit.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 comprising code to display a real-time video feed from a digital camera mounted on the material-conveying apparatus.