Reflex locating device

• US 5,715,666 A
• Filed: 03/08/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Class KgaA
• Original Assignee: CLAAS KGaA mbH
• Inventors: Diekhans, Norbert, Huster, Jochen, Homburg, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US08/613,045
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 56/10.2 F, 56/10.2 R, 56/DIG. 15, 56/10.8, 56/16.4-16.6, 56/10.2 A, 364/424.07, 460/1, 172/2, 172/4, 172/4.5, 172/7
• US Class Current: 56/10.20F
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/001 Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1278 for automatic steering

Abstract

A reflex locating device on an agricultural machine or the like, in particular a harvested material edge locating device, has a transmitter and a receiver with a locating beam region oriented on the agricultural machine so that it is slightly inclined toward the ground and, when the grain edge side position is correct, detects a part of the standing grain in front of the harvesting mechanism and detects with a remaining part the stubble field. The locating device for this purpose is arranged at a distance above the grain, and the locating beam region is oriented substantially perpendicular to the harvesting mechanism and detects inclinedly from above partially the grain field and partially the stubble field.

Claims

1. A combination of an agricultural machine with a reflex locating device, the combination comprising an agricultural machine including a harvesting mechanism, steerable wheels, an electrically controlled steering hydraulic system for steering said steerable wheels, and a regulating device actuating said electrically controlled steering hydraulic system;

and a reflex locating device including a transmitter and a receiver operating with a locating beam region and arranged on said agricultural machine so that the locating beam region is somewhat inclined to the ground and detects a grain field, said locating device being arranged on said agricultural machine so as to be located above grain and said locating beam region being oriented substantially perpendicular to said harvesting mechanism and is operative so that when a side position of a grain edge is correct said locating device detects forwardly of said harvesting mechanism inclinedly from above a standing grain of a field with one partial beam region and also detects a stubble field with a remaining partial beam region, said locating device producing locating signals and supplying the locating signals to said regulating device such that a corresponding locating signal deviation from a predetermined locating criteria in form of a predetermined side distance of a harvested material edge from a lateral harvesting mechanism edge is minimized.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating device is formed so that the locating beam region is composed of at least two narrowly bundled partial locating beams which are oriented relative to one another so that when the grain edge side position is correct, a first one of the partial locating beams is directed toward the grain field and a second one of the partial locating beams is directed toward the stubble field, and a position in time and a distance in time of both associated locating signals which are echo signals are evaluated so that a steering in the grain field is performed when both echo locating signals occur together in time or closely adjacent and relatively late, and a steering from the grain field is performed when both echo locating signals occur together in time or closely adjacent relatively late, and a straight steering is performed when a relatively earlier and a relatively later echo locating signal occur.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that the two narrowly bundled partial locating beams are laterally spaced from one another.

4. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that the two narrowly bundled partial locating beams are divergent relative to one another.

5. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that both partial locating beams are differently inclined relative to a horizontal body a vertical angle of 1°

to 5°

, and when both echo locating signals occur not separately produce a disturbance message.

6. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device includes two partial locating devices, said partial locating devices being formed so that both partial locating beams are inclined in verticals relative to one another so and said partial locating devices are arranged as to their relative height so that when said harvesting mechanism is oriented normally and when the grain edge side distance is normal, both locating signals occur at predetermined echo times in a same predetermined echo time, and an occurrence of an earlier and a later locating signal during the harvesting operation is supplied to said regulating device as a regulating criterium.

7. A combination as defined in claim 6;

and further comprising adjusting means for preadjusting of a relative height of said partial locating devices.

8. A combination as defined in claim 6;

and further comprising means for adjusting a relative inclination of said partial locating devices.

9. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that said partial locating beams are inclined downwardly by at least 15% and so as to touch the grain field at a distance of 3-6 m and to touch the stubble field at a distance of 6-12 m.

10. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that the partial locating beams diverge horizontally by substantially 3°

.

11. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device is formed so that the partial locating beams are laser beams.

12. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said locating device includes a laser scanner which periodically emits the partial locating beams and receives reflection locating signals for evaluation, and a control device recording a scanner angular position as a locating signal to determine a scanner angular position value and to supply it normalized to said regulating device, so that the reflex locating signals indicate a passage through the harvested material edge by a time position change.

13. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating device includes a transmitter and a receiver provided with focusing means so that the locating beam region detects a spatial angle with a half value width of 5°

-10°

, and in the case of a correct orientation of said harvesting mechanism and one halved locating beam partial region falls on relatively close spikes of the grain field while another halved locating beam partial region falls on the remove stubble field.

14. A combination as defined in claim 13, wherein said locating device being formed so that it is arranged 100 mm-500 mm above the spikes and inclined relative to a horizontal so as to be oriented toward the harvested material edge.

15. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said locating device is height adjustable.

16. A combination as defined in claim 14, wherein said locating device is inclined relative to the horizontal by 15°

-25°

.

17. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating device is arranged so that the locating beam region covers a forward distance in front of the harvested material edge so that a locating signal deviation from a comparison value provided as a locating criterium partially represents a harvested material edge side offset and partially represents a traveling direction angle relative to the harvested material edge.

18. A combination as defined in claim 17, wherein said steerable wheels are rear steerable wheels, said agricultural machine further including front wheels, said locating device being formed so that the forward distance substantially corresponds to a distance from said steerable rear wheels to said front wheels of said agricultural machine, said regulating device receiving a wheel adjustment angle signal from said rear wheels as a further actual signal.

19. A combination as defined in claim 18, wherein said locating device is formed so that a normalized locating signal and the wheel adjustment angle signal are supplied digitalized and addressed to a two-dimensional characteristic field which supplies a steering control value sot hat said steering hydraulic system produces a right steering and a left steering signal.

20. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating system is formed so that an earlier part of the locating signal is detected which is caused by the grain field, further processed and compared with a comparison value which corresponds to a half maximum value which occurs in the case of the locating beam region completely oriented in the grain field, and a deviation from the comparison value is further evaluated as a normalized locating signal in said regulating device.

21. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating system is formed so that an earlier part of the locating signal is detected which is caused by the grain field, amplitude evaluated and compared with a comparison value which corresponds to a half maximum value which occurs in the case of the locating beam region completely oriented in the grain field, and a deviation from the comparison value is further evaluated as a normalized locating signal in said regulating device.

22. A combination as defined in claim 20, wherein said locating device is formed so that the processing includes an amplitude evaluation.

23. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locating device is formed so that an earlier part of the locating signal is detected which is caused by the grain field and separately a later part of the locating signal is detected which is caused by the stubble field, and the signal parts are integrated and then a quotient is formed which is normalized relative to a predetermined comparison value and is further evaluated as a normalized locating signal in said regulating device.

24. An agricultural machine with a reflex locating device as defined in claim 20, wherein said locating device is formed so that the comparison value as well as time limits of both parts of the locating signal for different harvested material types and different height and inclination adjustments are stored and selectable.

25. An agricultural machine with a reflex locating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is an ultrasonic transmitter.

26. An agricultural machine with a reflex locating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is a microwave transmitter.