Automatic grain transfer control system based on real time modeling of a fill level profile for regions of the receiving container

• US 8,380,401 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Pighi, Osman, Paquet, Bert J. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US12/797,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 56/166, 460/6
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1217 Unloading mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/087 with controllable discharge spout

Abstract

A grain transfer control system for automatically controlling relative positions of an unloading system discharge nozzle of a work machine and a receiving container based on a real time model of a fill level profile for regions of the receiving container, the profile being modeled using known or estimated rates of flow of grain and positions of the nozzle relative to regions of the receiving container as a function of time, the system adjusting the relative positions of the nozzle and the receiving container to effect a generally even fill of the receiving container.

Claims

1. A grain transfer system for automatically controlling the transfer of grain from a grain tank of a work machine to a receiving container while the work machine and the receiving container are situated in generally side by side relative positions, the work machine including an unloading system including an unloading tube having a discharge nozzle, the unloading system configured and operable for directing a flow of grain from the grain tank to the receiving container through the discharge nozzle at a known flow rate, comprising:

a sensing system including a reading device mounted near or on the nozzle and a first data device disposed in or in predetermined relation to a first region of the receiving container through an nth data device disposed in or in predetermined relation to an nth region of the receiving container, respectively, the first data device including at least information representative of a location of the first region of the receiving container and the nth data device including at least information representative of a location of the nth region of the receiving container, respectively, the reading device configured to electrically communicate with the first data device through the nth data device in order to at least acquire location information for the first through nth data devices, wherein based on the acquired location information from the first through nth data devices, the sensing system configured to determine positions of the nozzle relative to the first region through the nth region as a function of time;

a modeling system including a processor configured to communicate with sensing system and to model a real time fill level profile for at least one region of the receiving container as a function of the positions of the nozzle as a function of time and the known flow rates of grain;

a display system configured to display information representative of the fill level profile in real time for at least an operator of the work machine; and

a controller in communication with the modeling system and configured to automatically provide a control indication for adjusting the position of the nozzle based on at least one of the location information and the real time fill level profiles of the first region through the nth region for directing the flow of grain to each of the n regions, respectively, for achieving a generally even fill of the receiving container.

2. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first data device through the nth data device further includes information representative of at least one of:

a total capacity of the receiving container;

date and time of harvesting;

field locations and conditions; and

information representative of the grain.

3. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein the reading device comprises a radio frequency transceiver and the first through the nth data devices comprise radio frequency transponders, the transceiver configured to operate for interrogating the first through the nth transponders and receiving the stored information from the first transponder through the nth transponder, respectively, the transponders configured to responsively output the information stored thereon when interrogated by the transceiver.

4. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein the modeling system is configured to automatically receive the known flow rates and the positions of the nozzle as a function of time and to model the fill level profile for at least one of the first region through the nth region based on the known flow rates during time intervals when the nozzle is directing the flow of grain to the first region through the nth region, respectively, and to update the fill level profile as the flow of grain is delivered to the receiving container.

5. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to provide the control indication to the operator of the work machine to enable adjusting the relative position of the work machine and the receiving container.

6. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically adjust the relative position of the work machine and the receiving container.

7. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein a receiving vehicle controls movement of the receiving container and the controller is further configured to automatically provide a control indication to at least one of an operator of the work machine and an operator of the receiving vehicle to enable adjusting the relative position of the work machine and the receiving container.

8. The grain transfer system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically control at least one of the work machine and the receiving vehicle to adjust the relative position of the work machine and the receiving vehicle.

9. The grain transfer system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically control the receiving vehicle to adjust the position thereof relative to the work machine.

10. The grain transfer system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically adjust the position of the nozzle relative to the first region through the nth region, respectively, to adjust the relative position of the work machine and the receiving vehicle, and to stop the flow of grain when the nozzle position would cause the flow of grain to be delivered outside the receiving container or to a region having a modeled fill level profile indicating that the region is full.

11. A grain transfer system for automatically controlling the transfer of grain from a grain tank of a mobile work machine to a receiving container of a mobile receiving vehicle while the work machine and the receiving vehicle are driven in a generally side by side relation, comprising:

an unloading system configured to direct a flow of grain from the grain tank along an unloading tube through a discharge nozzle, the unloading tube being extendible from the work machine to position the nozzle for delivering the flow of grain at a known rate to a first region of the receiving container when the work machine and the receiving vehicle are positioned at a first relative position through an nth region of the receiving container when the work machine and the receiving vehicle are positioned at an nth relative position, respectively;

a sensing system including a reading device mounted near or on the discharge nozzle in operative communication with a first data device configured to store and transmit information representative of a location of the first region and disposed in or in predetermined relation to the first region through an nth data device configured to operate for storing information representative of a location of the nth region and disposed in or in predetermined relation to the nth region, respectively, the reading device configured to automatically acquire data from the first data device through the nth data device, respectively, the sensing system configured to automatically determine location positions of the nozzle relative to the location of the first region through the location of the nth region, respectively, as a function of time;

a modeling system including a processor configured to communicate with the sensing system and to automatically model a real time fill level profile for at least one region of the receiving container as a function of the positions of the nozzle relative to the first region through the nth region, respectively, as a function of time and the known rate or rates of flow of grain;

a display system configured and operable to display the fill level profile for at least one of an operator of the work machine and an operator of the receiving vehicle; and

a controller configured and operable to automatically provide a control indication to at least one of the operator of the work machine and the operator of the receiving vehicle to enable adjusting the position of the nozzle based on at least one of the location position of the nozzle and the real time fill level profiles of the first region through the nth region, respectively, for directing the flow of grain to each of the n regions for a generally even fill of the receiving container.

12. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first data device through the nth data device further includes information representative of at least one of:

a total capacity of the receiving container;

date and time of harvesting;

field locations and conditions; and

information related to the grain.

13. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the reading device comprises a radio frequency transceiver and the first through the nth data devices comprise radio frequency transponders, respectively, the transceiver being configured to automatically interrogate the first through the nth transponders and to receive the stored information from the first transponder through the nth transponder, respectively, the transponders being configured to automatically responsively output the information stored thereon when interrogated by the transceiver.

14. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the modeling system is configured to automatically receive the known rate or rates of flow of grain and the positions of the nozzle as a function of time and to model the fill level profile for at least one of the first region through the nth region based on the rates of flow of grain during time intervals when the nozzle is directing the flow of grain to the first region through the nth regions, respectively, and to update the fill level profile during the unloading process.

15. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically control at least one of the work machine and the receiving vehicle for adjusting the relative position thereof.

16. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the operator of the work machine and the operator of the receiving vehicle controls the position of the unloading tube for adjusting the position of the nozzle relative to the first region through the nth region, respectively.

17. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to automatically adjust the position of the nozzle relative to the first region through the nth region, respectively.

18. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured or automatically stop the flow of grain when the nozzle position would cause the flow of grain to be delivered outside the receiving container or to a region having a modeled fill level profile indicating that the region is full.

19. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the operator of the work machine and the operator of the receiving vehicle can coordinate relative movement as a function of the fill level profile display of the first region through the nth region of the receiving container.

20. The grain transfer system of claim 11 wherein the system is configured to allow the operator of the work machine to control movement of the receiving vehicle for adjusting the relative position therebetween.