System for measuring the performance of a forest machine

• US 8,521,353 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company, John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company), John Deere Forestry Ov
• Original Assignee: John Deere Forestry Oy (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Putkonen, Aki, Lehmusvaara, Kari, Reltomaa, Arto, Kppi, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/921,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/50, 144/335, 144/223, 144/336, 144/34.1, 703/2, 198/570, 193/25.E
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/00 Lifting or adjusting devices or arrangements for agricultural machines or implements lifting mechanisms for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/24; adjusting devices for the cutter-bar of a mower A01D34/28; constructional features of lifting devices per se B66F
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0035 Measuring of dimensions of trees
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/08 Registering or indicating the production of the machine either with or without registering working or idle time

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring the performance of a subsystem of a forest machine. The method comprises the steps of: collecting data relating to the function of said subsystem or the performing of said function; determining one or more characteristic values to describe the performance continually according to data; and monitoring the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time, wherein, for example, the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time is displayed in the form of a graphic presentation to the user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the performance of a subsystem or function of a forest machine, comprising the steps of:

performing processing of several tree trunks by a harvester head connected to the forest machine, and

in the forest machine;

taking measurements during the processing of each trunk to find out a trunk size class specific to the trunk being processed,

collecting, during the processing of said trunk, measurement data associated with said trunk and relating to operation of a subsystem or performing of a function,

continually collecting said measurement data for several trunks during the processing of said several trunks,

making a division of said collected measurement data into several trunk size classes to compensate for processing conditions, wherein the division is based on the trunk size class of the trunk said collected measurement data is associated with,

computing at least one characteristic value for said several trunks, wherein the computation takes place on the basis of the measurement data divided into the trunk size classes, to describe the performance of said subsystem or function,

repeatedly computing the characteristic value, and

storing the time history of the computed characteristic value in the form of a performance history of the forest machine.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising displaying the time history in the form of an illustrative graphic presentation to the user, wherein the time history shows the variation in time of the computed characteristic value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forest machine comprises a control system and a display module connected to the same, and the displaying comprises displaying said illustrative graphic representation by said display module.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forest machine comprises a control system and a control bus connected to the same, and said measurement data comprises messages and measurements to be transmitted in said control bus.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising computing a characteristic value describing total performance, wherein the computing takes place on the basis of computed characteristic values of several different subsystems or functions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computed characteristic value is an index value, the method comprising determining a separate index value for each trunk size class and computing a final index value based on the separate index values, for monitoring the performance of the function.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring a sawing function of the forest machine by monitoring speed of the sawing function and computing the characteristic value for the sawing function.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring a feeding function of the forest machine by monitoring speed or acceleration of the feeding function and computing the characteristic value for the feeding function.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring a stem holding function of the harvester head of the forest machine by monitoring continually the trunk size class, and computing the characteristic value for the stem holding function.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring the output function of a harvester head of the forest machine by monitoring continually durations of work cycles to be processed and computing the characteristic value for the output function.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising computing the characteristic value as an average for said several trunks.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring fuel consumption of the forest machine by monitoring continually the quantity of fuel consumed for the processing of a trunk and computing the characteristic value for that function.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising monitoring operation of a crane system of the forest machine by monitoring operating times of joints of the crane system, work cycle by work cycle.

14. The method according to claim 1, comprising carrying out the computation in real time to process the measurement data, computing the characteristic value for the function to find out the performance, and storing the characteristic value to display the performance history to the user.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trunk size class for each trunk is based on a diameter of that trunk, or a total volume of that trunk, or a remaining volume of that trunk.

16. A computer software product comprising a computer-readable medium and program code means stored in the computer-readable medium, wherein the computer software product is arranged to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1, when said computer program is run in a control computer.

17. The computer software product according to claim 16, wherein said control computer is the central processing unit of the control system of a forest machine.

18. A system for monitoring the performance of a subsystem or a function of a forest machine, comprising:

a control system arranged to control said subsystem or said function,

wherein;

the control system is arranged to control processing of several trunk by a harvester head connected to the forest machine,

the control system is arranged to take measurements during the processing of each trunk to find out a trunk size class specific to the trunk being processed,

the control system is arranged to collect, during the processing of said trunk, measurement data associated with said trunk and relating to operation of said subsystem or performing of said function,

the control system is arranged to continually collect said measurement data for several trunks during the processing of said several trunks,

the control system is arranged to make a division of said collected measurement data into several trunk size classes to compensate for processing conditions, wherein the division is based on the trunk size class of the trunk said collected measurement data is associated with,

the control system is arranged to compute at least one characteristic value for said several trunks, wherein the computation takes place on the basis of the measurement data divided into the trunk size classes, to describe the performance of said subsystem or function,

the control system is arranged to repeatedly compute the characteristic value, and

the control system is arranged to store the time history of the computed characteristic value in the form of a performance history of the forest machine.

19. The system according to claim 18, comprising a control bus arranged to operate under the control of the control system and to transmit said measurement data relating to the performance.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the control system is arranged to display the time history in the form of an illustrative graphical representation to the user, and the time history shows the variation in time of the computed characteristic value.

21. The system according to claim 20, comprising a display module related to the control system, for displaying said illustrative graphical representation.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said forest machine is a harvester and said control bus is a CAN bus.

23. The system according claim 18, wherein the control system is arranged to compute the characteristic value as an average for said several trunks.

24. The system according to claim 18, wherein the computed characteristic value is an index value, and the control system is arranged to determine a separate index value for each trunk size class and to compute a final index value based on the separate index values, for monitoring the performance of the function.

25. The system according to claim 18, wherein the control system is arranged to compute a characteristic value describing total performance, based on computed characteristic values of several different subsystems or functions.