Communication system for exchanging data

• US 8,145,378 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: SCHLINGMANN, Norbert, Laing, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/475,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 35, 701/50, 370/401, 370/402, 370/464, 370/466
• US Class Current: 701/32.7
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25032 CAN, canbus, controller area network bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90

Abstract

A communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators provides the data exchange between stationary and/or mobile units and/or within a stationary or mobile unit, and has a communication network via which the data exchange takes place connects various communication media to one another, and at least one communication manager assigned to the communication network, so that the at least one communication manager identifies the communication route of a data record between the particular data generator and the associated data recipient independently of the communication medium.

Claims

1. A communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators, comprising

a communication network via which a data exchange takes place between stationary and/or mobile units and/or within a stationary or mobile unit, said communication network connecting various communication media to one another;

at least one communication manager assigned to said communication network and identifying a communication route of a data record between a particular data generator and an associated data recipient independently of a communication medium;

a mobile unit configured as an agricultural working machine including a CAN bus system, wherein said communication manager is assigned to said mobile unit and controls the data exchange between data generators and data recipients within said CAN bus system and between said CAN bus system and external data generators and data recipients; and

at least one control device including a software and hardware module which is directly connected to the CAN bus system via a first communication interface, said control device including at least one further communication interface that includes a communication manager which makes it possible for data to be exchanged between said CAN bus system and a software module of said software and hardware module of said control device in a protocol standard, as a bypass of said first communication interface.

2. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 1, wherein said communication manager is configured so that the data record containing information about the data generator, the data recipient, and the communication medium is readable by said communication manager, and said communication manager transmits the data record to a correct data recipient in an associated communication medium based on an information that was identified by said data generator.

3. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 1, wherein said data generator and said communication manager are configured so that said data generator becomes a data recipient, and so that the data recipient becomes the data generator on a communication route of a particular data record using said communication manager.

4. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and said data generators as defined in claim 1, further comprising a data processing device, which as the data generator defines a “

requests”

data record and transmits it to said communication manager via said communication network, and a further processing device with a network node via which said communication manager transmits the “

requests”

data record and which functions as the data recipient, wherein a “

response”

data record is generated in said further data processing device, while said further data processing device as said data generator transmits the “

response”

data record that was generated to the communication manager via the communication network, and the communication manager transmits a “

response”

data record to said first data processing device which now functions as the data recipient.

5. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 4, further comprising a control device, internal communication routes within said control device, external communication routes forming communication routes outside of said control device, so that the “

requests”

data record and the “

response”

data record in said communication network are transmitted along routes selected from the group consisting of the external communicating routes, internal communicating routes, and both.

6. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 5, wherein said internal and external communication routes are configured so that several data recipients that generate a “

response”

data record are reachable via a combination of said internal and external communication routes.

7. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 4, wherein the communication manager is configured so that the “

requests”

data record is transmitted using said communication manager to one or more data recipients, and the one or more data recipients generate a “

response”

data record.

8. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 1, further comprising a device selected from the group consisting of a control device, at least one control and input device, at least one diagnostic system, and a combination thereof and configured so that said data generators and data recipients which are assigned to said agricultural working machine and which are integrated in their CAN bus system are formed by said control devices, and wherein external data generators and data recipients are integratable in said CAN bus system.

9. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 8, wherein said external data generators and data recipients formed as external diagnostic systems are integratable in said CAN bus system.

10. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 1, wherein said software and hardware module of said control device includes a device selected from the group consisting of an electronic control unit, an on-board diagnostics and calibration module, a teleservice module, and a combination thereof, and said communication manager enables the data exchange between them via internal communication routes and between them and further control devices and diagnostic modules on external communication routes.

11. The communication system for exchanging data between data recipients and data generators as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electronic control unit in which control and regulating characteristic curves for the control device are stored in an editable manner, and malfunction information that relates to said control device is callable up from said electronic control unit;

an on-board diagnostic and calibration module, so that using the on-board diagnostic and calibration module it is possible to request a malfunction information to calibrate the control devices and to change the control and regulating characteristic curves which are stored in said electronic control unit and so that data from one or more control devices are callable up using a teleservice module which submits the request automatically.