Method and apparatus in connection with forestry machine

• US 9,747,731 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2010
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ponsse Oyj
• Original Assignee: Ponsse Oyj
• Inventors: Havimki, Esko, Savuoja, Jani, Ranta, Niko
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US13/512,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 701 50, 701480, 701521, 701534, 37340, 37399, 37406, 37413-419, 56 102 A- 102 G
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An apparatus comprising means for collecting data measured from operation and/or a state of a forestry machine and/or describing an environment thereof, which date may consist of one or more parameters, means for processing the collected data, and means for influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine or for conveying feedback or an instruction or a prompt to a driver to change his or her control.

Claims

1. A method in connection with working with a forestry machine, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

collecting in a control unit of the forestry machine, data describing operation of the forestry machine, said data comprising one or more parameters comprising at least a measured temporary fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at a logging site, and a parameter describing an operational state of the forestry machine;

processing in the control unit of the forestry machine, the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site;

influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine, the operation of the forestry machine being implemented by a hydraulic system of the forestry machine, so as to reach a lower fuel consumption and/or higher productivity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

assessing, on the basis of the collected data, quality of control operations carried out by the driver of the forestry machine;

influencing the one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine to correspond with the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

assessing, on the basis of the collected data, the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver of the forestry machine;

offering the driver automatic adaptation of the control operations in order to improve the quality;

adapting the driver'"'"'s control operations if the driver accepts the automatic adaptation of control.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

assessing, on the basis of the collected data, the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver of the forest machine;

influencing the control of the forest machine by forcedly controlling the machine in regard to one or more control operations contrary to the control operations carried out by the driver if the quality does not meet a predetermined criterion.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

assessing the driver'"'"'s state of alertness by comparing a value of one or more parameters with previous values of the parameters;

influencing the one or more control parameters controlling the operation of the forest machine to correspond with the driver'"'"'s state of alertness.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a work phase or a work performance currently being carried out on the basis of the collected data describing the operation and/or the state and/or the environment of the forestry machine or its driver; and

presenting or conveying to the driver information, feedback or guidance and/or other data concerning particularly the work phase or performance in question.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein collecting data describing operation and/or a state and/or an environment of the forestry machine comprises measuring temporary fuel consumption of the machine;

wherein processing the collected data comprises identifying a reason for high fuel consumption,

wherein influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine comprises influencing said parameters to reduce fuel consumption, and

wherein conveying feedback or an instruction or a prompt to a driver to change his or her control comprises guiding the driver so that a lower fuel consumption or higher productivity is achieved.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein conveying feedback to the driver comprises presenting fuel consumption visually to the driver.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data including data describing operation and/or a state of the forestry machine and data describing an environment of the forestry machine.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing in the control unit of the forestry machine, the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site further comprises the steps of

analysing current operations of the forestry machine, and

locating and indicating a hardware part or an operation which causes an increase in hydraulic demand.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting to the driver a value of one or more parameters and/or a derived quantity generated therefrom.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting to the driver an estimation of optimality of the operation of the forestry machine and/or the control carried out by the driver.

13. A computer program product, comprising computer program code instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer program code instructions are configured to execute the steps of:

collecting in a control unit of the forestry machine, data describing operation and/or a state and/or an environment of the forestry machine, said data comprising one or more parameters comprising at least a measured temporary fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at a logging site, and a parameter describing an operational state of the forestry machine;

processing in the control unit of the forestry machine, the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site;

influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine, the operation of the forestry machine being implemented by a hydraulic system of the forestry machine, so as to reach a lower fuel consumption and/or higher productivity.

14. An apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises

a control unit of a forestry machine configured to

collect data measured from operation and/or a state of a forestry machine and/or describing an environment thereof, said data comprising one or more parameters comprising at least one measured temporary fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at a logging site, and a parameter describing an operational state of the forestry machine;

and

process the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site; and

means for influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine, the operation of the forestry machine being implemented by a hydraulic system of the forestry machine, so as to reach a lower fuel consumption and/or higher productivity.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for assessing the driver'"'"'s state of alertness by comparing a value of one or more parameters with previous values of the parameters; and

means for influencing the one or more control parameters controlling the operation of the forest machine to correspond with the driver'"'"'s state of alertness.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for identifying a work phase or a work performance currently being carried out on the basis of the collected data describing the operation and/or the state and/or the environment of the forestry machine or its driver; and

means for presenting or conveying to the driver information, feedback or guidance and/or other data concerning particularly the work phase or performance in question.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for presenting to the driver a value of one or more measurement parameters and/or a derived quantity generated therefrom; and

means for presenting to the driver an estimation of optimality of the operation of the forestry machine and/or the control carried out by the driver.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said collected data includes temporary fuel consumption of the machine,

wherein the control unit is configured to identify a reason for high fuel consumption,

wherein said means for influencing is configured to influence said parameters to reduce fuel consumption, and

wherein said means for conveying feedback or an instruction or a prompt to a driver to change his or her control is configured to guide the driver so that a lower fuel consumption or higher productivity is achieved.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the means for conveying feedback to the driver comprises means for presenting fuel consumption visually to the driver.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for assessing, on the basis of the measured parameters, quality of control operations carried out by the driver of the forestry machine; and

means for influencing the one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine to correspond with the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for identifying a work phase or a work performance currently being carried out on the basis of the collected data describing the operation and/or the state and/or the environment of the forestry machine or its driver; and

means for presenting or conveying to the driver information, feedback or guidance and/or other data concerning particularly the work phase or performance in question.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for assessing, on the basis of the measured parameters, the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver of the forestry machine;

means for offering the driver automatic adaptation of the control operations in order to improve the quality;

means for adapting the driver'"'"'s control operations if the driver accepts the automatic adaptation of control.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for identifying a work phase or a work performance currently being carried out on the basis of the collected data describing the operation and/or the state and/or the environment of the forestry machine or its driver; and

means for presenting or conveying to the driver information, feedback or guidance and/or other data concerning particularly the work phase or performance in question.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for assessing, on the basis of the measured control parameters, the quality of the control operations carried out by the driver of the forest machine; and

means for influencing the control of the forest machine by forcedly controlling the machine in regard to one or more control operations contrary to the control operations carried out by the driver if the quality does not meet a predetermined criterion.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the apparatus comprises:

means for identifying a work phase or a work performance currently being carried out on the basis of the collected data describing the operation and/or the state and/or the environment of the forestry machine or its driver; and

means for presenting or conveying to the driver information, feedback or guidance and/or other data concerning particularly the work phase or performance in question.

26. A forestry machine, wherein the forestry machine comprises an apparatus according to claim 14.

27. A method in connection with working with a forestry machine, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

collecting in a control unit of the forestry machine, data describing operation and/or a state and/or an environment of the forestry machine, said data comprising one or more parameters comprising at least a measured temporary fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at a logging site, and a parameter describing an operational state of the forestry machine;

processing in the control unit of the forestry machine, the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site;

influencing, on the basis of the processed data, one or more parameters controlling the operation of the forestry machine, the operation of the forestry machine being implemented by a hydraulic system of the forestry machine, so as to reach a lower fuel consumption and/or higher productivity.

28. A method in connection with working with a forestry machine, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

collecting in a control unit of the forestry machine, data describing operation and/or a state and/or an environment of the forestry machine, said data comprising one or more parameters comprising at least a measured temporary fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at a logging site, and a parameter describing an operational state of the forestry machine;

processing in the control unit of the forestry machine, the collected data to detect high fuel consumption related to specific work task or to operation at the logging site;

conveying feedback about fuel consumption of the hydraulic system of the forestry machine to a driver and guiding the driver to change his or her control, so as to reach a lower fuel consumption and/or higher productivity.