Method and arrangement for optimizing an operating parameter of a combine

• US 9,179,599 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Bischoff, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/096,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 56/102.R, 56 102 A- 102 J, 701/33.7, 701/34.1, 701/50, 460/1, 460/105, 460/106
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

A method and device for optimizing a parameter of a combine harvester by driving the combine harvester over a field an approximately constant speed or constant throughput; determining and storing data pertaining to at least one sensor value for a parameter of the processing procedure and to the associated position of the combine harvester in a processing unit; transmitting the position data to a manual apparatus provided with a camera and with a position determination device; moving the manual apparatus to the position, and recording an image of the field ground with a camera; processing the image in order to determine a property of the image; determining a calibration value by the processing unit using the sensor value and the property; and displaying and/or automatic setting of an operating value of the combine harvester by the processing unit using current sensor values and the calibration value.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing an operating parameter of a combine harvester (10) comprising these steps:

(a) driving the combine harvester (10) over a field at at least an approximately constant speed or constant throughput, at least until a processing procedure of the combine harvester (10) has stabilized;

(b) determining and storing in a processing unit (80) data pertaining to at least one sensor value for a parameter of the processing procedure in the combine harvester (10) provided by a first sensor (76, 78), and data pertaining to an associated position of the combine harvester (10);

(c) transmitting the data pertaining to the associated position to a manual apparatus (88), wherein said manual apparatus is provided with a camera (96) and with a position determination device (94);

(d) moving the manual apparatus (88) to the associated position, and recording an image of a field ground with the camera (96);

(e) processing the image in order to determine a property of the image;

(f) determining a calibration value by the processing unit (80) using the at least one sensor value and the property of the image; and

(g) determining and then displaying or automatically setting an operating value of the combine harvester (10) by the processing unit (80) using current sensor values of the first sensor (76, 78) and the calibration value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps (a) to (f) are each repeated at different speeds or different throughputs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor value relates to grain losses or throughput of the combine harvester (10), and the property of the image is a number of lost grains on a certain area of the field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (e) occurs in the manual apparatus (88) or in the processing unit (80).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (e) occurs completely automatically or taking into consideration operator inputs.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, in step (e), an operator can mark relevant image portions of the image on a touch-sensitive display (92) of the manual apparatus or of the processing unit, and a number of markings is counted.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step (g), measured values of an additional sensor (100) are taken into consideration for a determination of environmental variables, and learned or predetermined effects of an environmental variable on the sensor values are taken into consideration.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in steps (b) and (g), additional values that influence a determination of the at least one sensor value for the parameter of the processing procedure in the combine harvester (10) are determined by additional sensor means and stored, and wherein these additional values are taken into consideration in step (f) or (g) in a compensating manner for the data pertaining to at least one sensor value, considering values provided by the additional sensor means at a later time, wherein permanently stored relationships or relationships learned during operation of the combine are taken into consideration.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the additional values relate to an inclination of the combine harvester (10) in the forward direction or lateral direction, to work parameters of a cleaning device (46), to flow rates of grain or chaff, to grain moisture or to a conveyance rate of non-grain components in an elevator between a grain auger (48) and a grain tank (50).

10. A combine harvester (10) comprising means for performing the steps of claim 1.