Server system for administration of sequences for agricultural working machines

• US 9,483,804 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Klueber, Victor, Brill, Volker, Losch, Michael, Grevinga, Markus, Eggenhaus, Georg, Jeppe, Eckehard
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/274,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20140343803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A server system for the administration of sequences for agricultural working machines made up of parameterized process steps of working devices includes a server and database in which a sequence inventory of sequences is stored. Sequence identifiers are assigned to each of the sequences of the sequence inventory, which describe one or more process steps of the respective sequence. A network interface to a global communication network is included to receive connection requests from a client and establish a connection-oriented, bidirectional data channel between the server and the client. The server receives a selection criterion from the client via the data channel, determines a sequence from the sequence inventory on the basis of a comparison of the criterion with the sequence identifiers and transmits the determined sequence to the client via the data channel.

Claims

1. A server system for the administration of sequences for agricultural working machines, which sequences each comprise parameterized process steps of working devices of the agricultural working machines, comprising:

a server having a data base in which a sequence inventory of sequences is stored, wherein sequence identifiers are assigned to each of the sequences that describe one or more of the parameterized process steps of the respective sequence; and

a network interface to a global communication network receives connection requests from a client control devices provided on one of the agricultural working machines and establishes a connection-oriented, bidirectional data channel between the server and the client control devices;

wherein the server receives a selection criterion from the client control device on the one agricultural working machine via the data channel and determines a sequence of parameterized process steps of working devices of the one agricultural working machine from the sequence inventory based on a comparison of the selection criterion with the sequence identifiers of the sequence and transmits the determined sequence to the client control device via the data channel; and

wherein the client control device implements the sequence of the parameterized process steps received via the data channel to control the working devices of the one agricultural working machine.

2. The server system according to claim 1, wherein the sequence identifiers comprise one or more of the group consisting of a functional property such as working-device type or a working-device identification, a parameter setting of a working device, a sensor setting, a utilization-environment property such as sensor data, a working result such as a result metric, a participant identifier such as a personal identification, a client identification.

3. The server system according to claim 1, wherein the server receives an operator-generated sequence to which a sequence identifier is assigned from a client via the data channel and add the sequence to the sequence inventory.

4. The server system according to claim 1, wherein a course inventory of agricultural course data comprising a utilization-environment property, a work result or both, is stored in the data base, wherein a course identifier is respectively assigned to the course data such as a sequence of the sequence inventory and wherein the server receives a course criterion such as a participant identifier from the client via the data channel, determines course data from the course inventory on the basis of a comparison of the course criterion with the course identifier of the course inventory and transmits the determined course data to the client via the data channel.

5. The server system according to claim 1, wherein the selection criterion comprises one or more of the group consisting of a sequence identifier comprising functional property in the form of a working-device type or working-device identification, a parameter setting of a working device, a sensor setting, a utilization-environment property such as sensor data, a working result such as a result metric, a participant identifier such as a personal identification and a client identification.

6. The server system according to claim 5, wherein the server is designed to determine a menu of sequences from the sequence inventory on the basis of a comparison of the received selection criterion with sequence identifiers of the sequences of the sequence inventory on the basis of any of the group consisting of a comparison such as a commonality, a working-device type and a utilization-environment property, generate an overview of the menu and transmit the overview to the client via the data channel.

7. The server system according to claim 6, wherein the menu is sorted according to an order, wherein the order is based on a further sequence identifier such as a result metric and wherein the further sequence identifier is included in the selection criterion.

8. The server system according to claim 1, wherein the sequences are formatted according to a sequence syntax, wherein the sequence syntax permits functional dependencies between parameterized process steps, control structures within the respective sequence or both and wherein the server is designed to modify a sequence of the sequence inventory on the basis of the sequence identifiers assigned to the sequence such as on the basis of the result metrics, and on the basis of the course data assigned to the sequence, to modify a parameter set of a parameterized process step, to add a functional dependency between the parameter sets of parameterized process steps of the sequence or to add a control structure within the sequence.

9. The server system according to claim 1, wherein the server is designed to add a client entry in the data base, wherein this client entry comprises a participant identifier and a client selection criterion and is designed to transmit a notification to a client, which is assigned to the participant identifier via the network interface on the basis of a comparison of the client selection criterion with sequence identifiers of the sequences of the sequence inventory on the basis of a comparison of the client selection criteria with sequence identifiers of newly added or modified sequences of the sequence inventory.

10. The server system according to claim 9, wherein an authorized access time status is assigned to each participant identifier of the client entries and the selection criterion that is received comprises a participant identifier and wherein the server is designed to perform any of the group consisting of transmit the notification, determine the menu, sort the menu, transmit the course data that were determined, transmit the determined sequence, and add a user-defined sequence, also on the basis of the authorization status that is assigned to the participant identifier of the selection criterion that was received.

11. The server system according to claim 10, wherein the assigned authorization status can be full authorization, an authorized access time, or non-authorization (28) and wherein the server is designed to perform any of the group consisting of transmit the notification, determine the menu, sort the menu, transmit the determined course data, transmit the determined sequence, block the addition of a user-generated sequence in the event of non-authorization, change an authorized access time into non-authorization after expiration of a predetermined authorization time and change non-authorization or an authorized access time into full authorization upon receipt of a full-authorization notification assigned to the participant identifier to which the non-authorization or the authorized access time is assigned.

12. A control device for processing sequences for agricultural working machines, wherein the sequences each comprise a sequence of parameterized process steps of working devices of an agricultural working machine, wherein the control device comprises a client having a machine interface for controlling the working devices for implementing the process steps, a network interface to a global communication network, wherein the network interface is designed to establish a connection-oriented, bidirectional data channel between the client and a server, and a user interface for displaying and processing process steps and sequences, wherein the client is designed to transmit a selection criterion to the server via the data channel, receive a sequence from the server via the data channel and implement the received sequence by the machine interface.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the client is designed to store sequences and implemented process steps in a client memory, and the user interface is designed to display stored sequences and stored process steps and, on the basis of input by the operator, to generate an operator sequence from the stored sequences and the stored process steps, wherein the client is furthermore designed to transmit the operator sequence to the server via the data channel to assign a sequence identifier to the operator sequence, and transmit the operator sequence, with the sequence identifier to the server via the data channel.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the client is designed to generate a proposed sequence on the basis of implemented process steps and on the basis of implemented sequences such as repeatedly implemented process steps having identical parameter sets, to assign a sequence identifier to the proposed sequence and transmit the proposed sequence with the sequence identifier to the server via the data channel.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the selection criterion comprises a participant identifier and the client has a receiving interface and is designed to receive, via the receiving interface, a notification from the server and, based on the notification that is received, to establish the data channel to the server and receive a control sequence, which is assigned to the notification, from the server via the data channel.