USER INTERFACE PERFORMANCE GRAPH FOR OPERATION OF A MOBILE MACHINE

• US 20150293507A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Gilmore, Brian J., Burns, Aaron J., Hunt, Timothy S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,426,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/158 Harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means

Abstract

A machine control system receives sensor signals indicative of sensed variables and calculates performance metrics based upon the sensed variables. The machine control system displays the performance metrics on a time continuous user interface display.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a sensor signal indicative of a sensed variable on a mobile machine;

determining a metric value for a metric based on the sensor signal; and

displaying a time continuous display indicative of the metric value.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

receiving a user calibration input;

in response to the user calibration input, determining a metric tolerance based on the metric value; and

displaying the metric tolerance along with the time continuous display.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the metric tolerance comprises:

determining a metric tolerance window around the metric value when the user calibration input is received.

4. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

identifying an action condition based on a relationship between the metric value and the metric tolerance; and

generating an action signal in response to identifying the action condition.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein identifying the action condition comprises:

identifying the action condition when the metric value moves outside the metric tolerance.

6. The method of claim 4 and further comprising:

displaying on the time continuous display an indication of where, along a timeline, the action signal is generated.

7. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

displaying, on the time continuous display, an action identifier identifying an action taken in response to the action signal.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the action signal comprises:

generating a control signal to automatically control a controlled system on the mobile machine; and

controlling the controlled system with the control signal.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the action signal comprises:

determining recommendations based on the action condition; and

displaying the recommendations.

10. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

receiving a user interaction with the time continuous display; and

modifying the time continuous display based on the user interaction.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving a user interaction comprises receiving a drill input, and wherein modifying the time continuous display comprises:

displaying a more detailed display indicative of more detailed information corresponding to the metric value on the time continuous display.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the metric comprises a performance metric derived from a plurality of sensed variables and wherein displaying a more detailed display comprises:

displaying a time continuous display for each of the plurality of sensed variables.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein displaying a more detailed display comprises:

displaying a video image corresponding to the sensed variable.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving a user interaction comprises receiving one of a pan input and a scroll input and wherein modifying the time continuous display comprises:

panning the time continuous display horizontally along a timeline in response to the pan input; and

scrolling the time continuous display vertically to show an additional time continuous display for additional metrics in response to the scroll input.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving a user interaction comprises receiving a zoom input and wherein modifying the time continuous display comprises:

changing a time scale of a timeline in the time continuous display.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a sensor signal comprises receiving a plurality of sensor signals indicative of a plurality of sensed variables, wherein determining a metric value comprises determining a plurality of performance metric values indicative of a plurality of performance metrics and wherein displaying a time continuous display comprises:

simultaneously displaying a plurality of strip charts, each indicative of one of the performance metrics.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of performance metrics comprise a productivity performance metric, a product quality performance metric and a product loss performance metric and wherein displaying a plurality of strip charts comprises:

displaying a strip chart for each of the productivity performance metric, the product quality performance metric and the product loss performance metric.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the time continuous display comprises:

determining the metric value at a plurality of discrete points in time; and

displaying the metric value determined at the plurality of discrete points in time plotted along a timeline.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein displaying the metric value determined at the plurality of discrete points in time comprises:

displaying a histogram display.

20. A computing system, comprising:

a user interface component that receives a plurality of sensor signals indicative of sensed variables on a mobile machine and that determines a metric value for each of a plurality of metrics based on the sensor signals; and

a display device that displays a time continuous display for each of the plurality of metrics.

21. The computing system of claim 20 and further comprising:

a controlled system; and

a control system that generates control signals to control the controlled system based on the metric values.

22. The computing system of claim 21 wherein the display device displays an indication on the time continuous display indicative of the control signals making an adjustment to the controlled system, and an indication of the adjustment.

23. The computing system of claim 22 wherein the user interface component receives a user interaction input indicative of a user interacting with the time continuous display and modifies the time continuous display based on the user interaction input.

24. The computing system of claim 23 wherein the user interface component modifies the time continuous display to show a more detailed display including detailed information corresponding to the time continuous display based on the user interaction input.

25. A control system for a mobile machine, comprising:

a plurality of sensors each sensing a variable on the mobile machine and providing a sensor signal indicative of the sensed variable;

a control unit configured to calculate a performance metric based on the sensor signals; and

a user interface component configured to generate a display of metric values of the performance metric plotted along a timeline in quasi real time.

26. The control system of claim 25 wherein the control unit determines when any of the metric values deviates from a tolerance window and generates an action signal.

27. The control system of claim 26 wherein the user interface component displays an action indicator on the display indicative of the action signal.

28. The control system of claim 26 wherein the user interface component generates a user interface alert in response to the action signal.