WIRELESS HARVESTING HEADER CONNECTION

• US 20170110908A1
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Reed, Daniel, Moyer, Terry S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,236,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/026 of the automotive vehicle type, e.g. including driver accommodation A01B51/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 59/002 Details, component parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 59/06 for machines mounted on tractors
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 76/00 Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/24 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An agricultural machine and attachment combination has a wireless attachment connection for transmitting electronic information, commands, and electric power between the agricultural machine and attachment. An agricultural machine side control system having a wireless interface is connected to the agricultural machine and an attachment side control system having a wireless interface is connected to the attachment. Each interface has at least one inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one inductively coupled communication transmitter. The transmitters and receivers cooperate to transmit electronic information and commands between the agricultural machine side control system and the attachment side control system. A primary coil is connected to the agricultural machine for transmitting power to the attachment. A secondary coil is connected to the attachment for receiving power from the agricultural machine. The primary coil and the secondary coil cooperate to transmit power from the agricultural machine to the attachment using inductance.

Claims

1. An agricultural machine and attachment combination having a wireless attachment connection for transmitting electronic information, commands, and electric power between the agricultural machine and the attachment, the wireless attachment connection comprising:

an agricultural machine side control system connected to the agricultural machine and an attachment side control system connected to the attachment;

an agricultural machine side interface connected to said agricultural machine side control system having at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter;

an attachment side interface connected to said attachment side control system having at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter;

said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver cooperating to transmit electronic information and commands from said agricultural machine side control system to said attachment side control system;

said attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver cooperating to transmit electronic information from said attachment side control system to said agricultural machine side control system;

a primary coil connected to the agricultural machine for transmitting power to the attachment; and

a secondary coil connected to the attachment for receiving power from the agricultural machine, said primary coil and said secondary coil cooperating to transmit power from the agricultural machine to the attachment using inductance.

2. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, wherein:

said primary coil being in the form of one of a paddle, a port, and a flat plate; and

said secondary coil being in the form of one of a port, a paddle, and a flat plate.

3. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, further comprising:

a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) converter connected to the agricultural machine and to said primary coil, said DC to AC converter operable to convert DC power provided by the agricultural machine to AC power to operate said primary coil;

an AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator connected to the attachment and to said secondary coil, said AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator operable to convert AC power received by said secondary coil to DC power for use by said attachment side control system.

4. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, wherein:

said agricultural machine side control system being connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side input having an analogue to digital converter;

said agricultural machine side control system being further connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side output having a digital to analogue converter;

said attachment side control system being connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side input having an analogue to digital converter; and

said attachment side control system being further connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side output having a digital to analogue converters.

5. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 4, wherein:

at least one of said analogue to digital converters of said at least one agricultural machine side input being further provided with a load resistor for detecting when at least one of a coil, actuator, and motor used in the attachment may be activated.

6. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless attachment connection being operable to communicate electronic information and commands between said agricultural machine side control system and said attachment side control system, including at least one of a commanded attachment height, a current attachment height, row guidance, a commanded reel position, a current reel position, a commanded flotation pressure, a current flotation pressure, an attachment type, an attachment model, an attachment serial number, and current attachment hours.

7. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 6, wherein:

said attachment model and said attachment serial number being stored in Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) storage in said attachment side control system.

8. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless attachment connection being operable to communicate software drivers between said agricultural machine side control system and said attachment side control system for operating at least one of a coil, actuator, and motor used in said attachment.

9. The agricultural machine and attachment combination of claim 1, wherein:

said agricultural machine side control system having an agricultural machine side network transceiver; and

said attachment side control system having an attachment side network transceiver.

10. A wireless attachment connection for transmitting electronic information, commands, and power between an agricultural machine and an attachment, the wireless attachment connection comprising:

an agricultural machine side control system connected to the agricultural machine and an attachment side control system connected to the attachment;

an agricultural machine side interface connected to said agricultural machine side control system having at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter;

an attachment side interface connected to said attachment side control system having at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter;

said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver cooperating to transmit electronic information and commands from said agricultural machine side control system to said attachment side control system;

said attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver cooperating to transmit electronic information from said attachment side control system to said agricultural machine side control system;

a primary coil connected to the agricultural machine for transmitting power to the attachment; and

a secondary coil connected to the attachment for receiving power from the agricultural machine, said primary coil and said secondary coil cooperating to transmit power from the agricultural machine to the attachment using inductance.

11. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, wherein:

said primary coil being in the form of one of a paddle, a port, and a flat plate; and

said secondary coil being in the form of one of a port, a paddle, and a flat plate.

12. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, further comprising:

direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) converter connected to the agricultural machine and to said primary coil, said DC to AC converter operable to convert DC power provided by the agricultural machine to AC power to operate said primary coil;

an AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator connected to the attachment and to said secondary coil, said AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator operable to convert AC power received by said secondary coil to DC power for use by said attachment side control system.

13. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, wherein:

said agricultural machine side control system being connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side input having an analogue to digital converter;

said agricultural machine side control system being further connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side output having a digital to analogue converter;

said attachment side control system being connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side input having an analogue to digital converter; and

said attachment side control system being further connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side output having a digital to analogue converters.

14. The wireless attachment connection of claim 13, wherein:

at least one of said analogue to digital converters of said at least one agricultural machine side input being further provided with a load resistor for detecting when at least one of a coil, actuator, and motor used in the attachment may be activated.

15. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, wherein:

said wireless attachment connection being operable to communicate electronic information and commands between said agricultural machine side control system and said attachment side control system, including at least one of a commanded attachment height, a current attachment height, row guidance, a commanded reel position, a current reel position, a commanded flotation pressure, a current flotation pressure, an attachment type, an attachment model, an attachment serial number, and current attachment hours.

16. The wireless attachment connection of claim 15, wherein:

said attachment model and said attachment serial number being stored in Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) storage in said attachment side control system.

17. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, wherein:

said wireless attachment connection being operable to communicate software drivers between said agricultural machine side control system and said attachment side control system for operating at least one of a coil, actuator, and motor used in said attachment.

18. The wireless attachment connection of claim 10, wherein:

said agricultural machine side control system having an agricultural machine side network transceiver; and

said attachment side control system having an attachment side network transceiver.

19. A method of transmitting electronic information, commands, and electric power between an agricultural machine and an attachment, comprising the steps of:

providing an agricultural machine side control system connected to the agricultural machine and an attachment side control system connected to the attachment;

providing a wireless attachment connection having an agricultural machine side interface connected to said agricultural machine side control system, said agricultural machine side interface having at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter, said wireless attachment connection further having an attachment side interface connected to said attachment side control system, said attachment side interface having at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver and at least one attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter;

using said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said attachment side inductively coupled communication receiver to transmit electronic information and commands from said agricultural machine side control system to said attachment side control system;

using said attachment side inductively coupled communication transmitter and said agricultural machine side inductively coupled communication receiver to transmit electronic information from said attachment side control system to said agricultural machine side control system;

said electronic information and commands including at least one of a commanded attachment height, a current attachment height, row guidance, a commanded reel position, a current reel position, a commanded flotation pressure, a current flotation pressure, an attachment type, an attachment model, an attachment serial number, current attachment hours, and software drivers;

providing a primary coil connected to the agricultural machine;

providing a secondary coil connected to the attachment; and

using said primary coil and said secondary coil to transmit power between the agricultural machine and the attachment by way of inductance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) converter is connected to the agricultural machine and to said primary coil, said DC to AC converter operable to convert DC power provided by the agricultural machine to AC power to operate said primary coil;

an AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator is connected to the attachment and to said secondary coil, said AC to DC rectifier converter and voltage regulator operable to convert AC power received by said secondary coil to DC power for use by said attachment side control system;

said agricultural machine side control system being connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side input having an analogue to digital converter;

said agricultural machine side control system being further connected to the agricultural machine using at least one agricultural machine side output having a digital to analogue converter;

said attachment side control system being connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side input having an analogue to digital converter; and

said attachment side control system being further connected to the attachment using at least one attachment side output having a digital to analogue converter.