Agricultural machine simulator

• US 9,818,308 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Neu, Sebastian, Bergmann, Kai, Vonde, Marcel, Rehders, Olaf, Piontek, Michael, Broer, Jens, Mattich, Benjamin, Kettelhoit, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/336,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A simulator of an agricultural working machine has a computer unit coupled to a display unit and a control unit. The agricultural working machine to be simulated has adjustable working parts and control elements that implement adjustment of the working parts and a software module that is stored in the computer unit. The software module depicts a process model of crop-processing processes to be implemented by the agricultural working machine and depicts the machine behavior resulting from the crop-processing processes. The process model and the machine behavior are visualized in the display unit and can be edited by the control unit.

Claims

1. A simulator of an agricultural working machine, comprising

at least one computer unit coupled to a display unit and a control unit, where the agricultural working machine to be simulated comprises adjustable working parts and control elements that implement the adjustment of the working parts;

wherein a software module stored in the computer unit depicts a process model of crop-processing processes to be implemented by the agricultural working machine and machine behavior resulting from the crop-processing processes,

wherein the software module corresponds to an original software module actually used in the agricultural working machine,

wherein the process model and the agricultural working machine behavior are visualized in the display unit and are editable by the control unit,

wherein the display unit simulates a realistic user interface by providing a visualization of the control elements, the crop-processing processes and the agricultural working machine behavior whereby the visualized control elements and a steering wheel are animated to be operated as would be control elements and a steering wheel actually positioned in the agricultural working machine.

3. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein agricultural working machine to be simulated comprises a plurality of controllable working parts and wherein a control of the working parts is simulated by dedicated control units by at least one software module that simulates logical behavior of the control units.

4. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein the computer unit is a home PC and the software module embodying the simulator is available in a global data network, a cloud or both and, is activated by the home PC.

5. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 4, wherein the simulation of the machine behavior of the agricultural working machine is structured as an on-line learning platform.

6. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein the computer unit comprises software modules for simulating the process model, the machine behavior and the control units dedicated to the particular agricultural working machine.

7. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 6, wherein the software modules depict one or more of an electronic fieldwork information system, an electronic machine optimization system and an automated driving system, and wherein the software modules, the display unit and the stored process model or process models are linked to one another via a virtual CAN bus.

8. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein the display unit provides a realistic visualization of an electronic fieldwork information system, an electronic machine optimization system, an automated driving system and a user interface.

9. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 8, wherein the visualization of the realistic user interface comprises a steering wheel and control elements positioned in a driver'"'"'s cab of the agricultural working machine.

10. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 9, wherein the control elements comprise control elements dedicated to a machine console and display units positioned in a driver'"'"'s cab of the agricultural working machine.

11. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 9, wherein direction arrows are dedicated to the steering wheel and the control elements and wherein actuation of the direction arrows activates the steering wheel and the control elements.

12. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 11, wherein activation of the direction arrows simulates a steering motion or adjustment of a machine parameter and wherein activation of the control elements comprises a selection of a working menu, navigation in the selected working menu and a selection of adjustment values of the working parameters.

13. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 11, wherein activation of the direction arrows is induced by an actuation of a control unit dedicated to the computer unit or, in an event that the display unit is designed as a touchscreen monitor, by directly touching the touchscreen monitor.

14. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein the process model and the machine behavior derived therefrom depict real operating states of the agricultural working machine.

15. The simulator of an agricultural working machine according to claim 1, wherein the agricultural working machine to be simulated is selectable and wherein a particular software module to be activated and which relates to an electronic fieldwork information system, an electronic machine optimization system and an automated driving system correspond to original software modules actually used in the agricultural working machine.

2. A simulator of an agricultural working machine, comprising

at least one computer unit coupled to a display unit and a control unit, where the agricultural working machine to be simulated comprises adjustable working parts and control elements that implement the adjustment of the working parts;

wherein a software module stored in the computer unit depicts a process model of crop-processing processes to be implemented by the agricultural working machine and machine behavior resulting from the crop-processing processes,

wherein the software module corresponds to an original software module actually used in the agricultural working machine,

wherein the process model and the agricultural working machine behavior are visualized in the display unit and are editable by the control unit,

wherein the display unit simulates a realistic user interface by providing a visualization of the control elements, the crop-processing processes and the agricultural working machine behavior whereby the visualized control elements and a steering wheel are animated to be operated as would be control elements and a steering wheel actually positioned in the agricultural working machine, and

wherein the process model accounts for crop-specific parameters, machine-specific parameters and environment-specific parameters and, based on said parameters and on stored characteristic curves, families of characteristic curves or both, determines quality parameters of the agricultural working machine to be simulated and visualizes the quality parameters as the machine behavior in the display unit.