Combine operation with operating data register

• US 5,666,793 A
• Filed: 09/05/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Claas Ohg Beschrankt Haftende Offene Handelsgesellschaft
• Original Assignee: Claas Ohg Beschrankt Haftende Offene Handelsgesellschaft
• Inventors: Bottinger, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US08/523,333
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.2 R, 56/DIG. 15, 56/DIG. 2, 56/14.6, 56/10.2 A, 56/10.2 B, 56/10.2 C, 56/10.2 D, 460/1, 460/149, 460/150, 364/488
• US Class Current: 56/10.20R
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/15 Condition responsive

Abstract

A method for operating a combine which, for optimizing the harvesting output, is continuously externally controlled by an operator via a control processor (ST) containing set-point and/or limit operating data and is internally controlled by means of continuous measuring and evaluation of actual operating data (VI, SBI, SHI), in particular traveling data, wherein the absolute and/or relative location coordinates (X, Y) of the combine are continuously detected and, assigned to them, the respective area-specific yield measuring data (EM) are stored, in particular in the form of a yield data register (EK) to be used as a historical data register (HK), wherein the control processor (ST) of the combine has access to a historical data register (HK) and addresses them, in each case prior to the actual coordinates, with the respective location coordinates (X, Y) of the combine, linked with its respective travel data (VI, SBI, SHI) and historical data (DH) stored there, reads them and from them determines fresh set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS) and actually specifies them.

Claims

1. A method for an operator to operate a combine to optimize harvesting output, comprising the steps of:

providing a control processor (ST) containing set-point and limit operating data;

providing means for continuous measuring and evaluation of actual operating data (VI, SBI, SHI);

continuously detecting location coordinates (X, Y) of the combine and assigning the location coordinates (X, Y) to respective area-specific yield measuring data (EM);

storing the area-specific yield measuring data in a yield data register (EK) to be used as a historical data register (HK);

prior to arrival of the combine at an actual location having actual location coordinates, providing the control processor (ST) of the combine with access to the historical data register (HK) and historical data (DH) stored therein, with the respective location coordinates (X, Y) of the combine, and with the actual operating data (VI, SBI, SHI); and

determining and specifying fresh set-point limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS).

2. A The method in accordance with claim 1, including steps of

continuously measuring an actual traveling speed (VI), an actual cutting width (SBI) and an actual yield amount (EMI) as the actual operating data and

registering therefrom respectively the area-specific measured yield data (EM) in relation to previous coordinates, determined from current coordinates (X, Y;

KS, KE), and the actual traveling speed (VI) in connection with a crop passage time (DT) and

at a same location with same-location coordinates (XW, YW;

KSW, KEW) reading out from the historical register (HK) respectively the historical data (DH) regarding future coordinates (XK1, YK1;

KS1) of the combine, which it will have reached by means of the respective traveling speed after a setting time constant (EZ1) of a respective associated machine load regulating operation, and

determining therefrom the set-point speed (VS) and the set-point cutting width (SBS) and the set-point cutting height (SHS) such that as like as possible a machine load occurs when traveling through the future coordinates (XK1, YK1;

KS1) and an overload or machine damage are avoided.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, including steps of measuring and registering current harvest losses (EVI) area-specifically in respect to the true coordinates (XW, XY;

KSW, KEW) and

determining therefrom during subsequent harvesting at the same location (XW, YW), the set-point speed (VS) and the set-point cutting width (SBS) and the set-point cutting height (SHS) in respect the future coordinates (XK1, YK1;

KS1, KE1) such that as small as possible an area-specific harvest loss occurs after traveling through the future coordinates (XK1, YK1;

KS1, KE1).

4. The method in accordance with claim 2, including a step of

area-specifically registering, as actual operating data, a measured actual machine load (MLI) relative to the true coordinates (XW, XY;

KSW, KEW), determined from the current coordinates (X, Y;

KS, KE) and the actual traveling speed (VI) in connection with a crop passage time (ET) up to the load measurement, and

reading therefrom subsequently at the same location with the coordinates (XW, XY;

KSW, KEW), the respective historical data (DH) relating to future coordinates (XK1, YK1) of the combine, which it will have reached by means of the respective traveling speed (VI) in accordance with a setting time constant (EZ1) of a respective machine load regulating operation, and

the set-point speed (VS) and the set-point cutting width (SBS) and the set-point cutting height (SHS) are determined therefrom in such as way that a closely similar machine load occurs when traveling through the future coordinates (XK1, YK1;

KS1, KE1).

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

linking the registered historical data (DH) with year-specific data of a respective crop or respective effects of the weather, prior to their evaluation with specified starting set-point operating data.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

evaluating the registered data (DH) of one or several harvest lanes (E1, E2) which adjoin the harvest lane (E3) to be harvested, by a coordinate extrapolation of the current path coordinates (KS;

X, Y) of the combine on the adjoining coordinates (K3S, E3;

XB1, YB1;

XB2, YB2) and

directly utilizing the registered data for determining the set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS).

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, including a step of

evaluating the registered data (DH) of the respectively adjoining harvest lanes (E1, E2) relating to the current coordinates (KS, E3;

X, Y) of the combine, offsets (V1, V2) in respectively an area located ahead or behind occurring in or opposite a direction (SR) of the lanes (E1, E2) from respectively like changes of the data (DH) in accordance with the offsets (V1, V2) being extrapolated on the current coordinates (KS, E3;

X, Y), for determining the set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS).

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

directly supplying the set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS) determined from the registered data (DH) respectively to a set-point input of an associated regulator.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, including a step of

displaying respectively specifically formed set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS) next to the respective associated actual operating values (VI, SHI, SBI) and respective set-point and limit values (S11, S12) specified by the operator on the control station display screen (V).

10. The method in accordance with claim 6, including a step of

determining the relative location coordinates as direction oriented path coordinates (KE, KS) in relation to corresponding lane starting positions (EA1, EA2, EA3) in the individual harvest lanes (E1, E2, E3) by means of a continuous travel measurement from actual measured path data (WI).

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of determining the absolute location coordinates (X, Y) of the combine by a satellite radio locating device (GPS, DGPS) and

performing continuous travel measurements and a transformation into direction of travel oriented path coordinates (KS, KE) and vice versa when the registration data are read in or stored.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

continuously monitoring the data to be registered to determine whether at least one part of last stored, associated data exceeds a specified relative or absolute amount in either direction, and

thereafter storing the respective data with their true coordinates (KEW, KSW;

XW, YW).

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

respectively supplying the set-point operating values (VS, SBS, SHS) determined from the registered data (DH) in the form of an overriding control loop to the operating controllers of the combine, which operate as subordinate controllers.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, including a step of

performing the location determination and the register data processing and provision by means of a stationary processor (PR) and a locating device (GPS) on the combine, and

continuously transmitting the respective location coordinates (X, Y) are transmitted by the locating device to the stationary processor (PR) and the respectively determined historical data (DH) by radio to the combine.

15. The device for executing the methods in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 13, including a step of

providing locating means (GPS), speed measuring means and a register memory (HK), whose store operating data (DH) are processed by means of the control processor (ST), containing a program in accordance with the method, into set-point and limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS), which are supplied to operating controllers and shown on a display screen (V).

16. A device for executing the method in accordance with claim 14, including a stationary processor (PR) which includes means to access a register memory (HK) and contains a program which processes the register data (DH) and contains a radio transmitter (F1), which communicates with another radio transmitter (F2) installed in a combine, and continuously receives from it the cutting communicates with another radio transmitter (F2) installed in a combine, and continuously receives from it the cutting widths and speed and path measurement data (SBI, VI, WI) as well as the location coordinates, from a location determination device (GPS) and transmits the historical data (HD) and the determined set-point and limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS) to the combine for forwarding to the control and regulating device (ST) of the combine.

17. The method in accordance with claim 1, including a step of

visually showing the set-point or limit operating data (VS, SBS, SHS) determined from the registered data (DH) on a control station display screen (V) or display.