Operating terminal of an agricultural machine with hypervisor software

• US 10,274,937 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AgBRAIN - Agritechnical Basic Research for Advanced Innovation GmbH
• Original Assignee: AgBRAIN - Agritechnical Basic Research for Advanced Innovation GmbH
• Inventors: Ahlers, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wai, Eric C
• Application Number:
  US15/115,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: A01B 76/00 Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4155 characterised by programme execution, i.e. part programme or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a programme
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45017 Agriculture machine, tractor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating terminal (2) of an agricultural machine. The aim of the invention is to further develop the operating terminal. This is achieved in that hypervisor software (6) is installed onto the operating terminal (2), said software abstracting guest systems connected to the hypervisor software and the application software contained in the guest systems from the computer hardware (4). The software also regulates the communication between the guest systems and attributes computing time of the computer hardware (4) to the guest systems. The hypervisor software (6) is configured to have a system architecture consisting of the guest systems G₂ to Gn as the basis for the application software of the manufacturer of the operating terminal and/or driver for interfaces which are not to be provided to other partitions, Gx as the basis for security-critical application software, G^y as the basis for other interfaces of drivers which are to allow the remaining guest systems, with the exception of the guest system Gx, access to different computer hardware and software interfaces, and G₁ for retrofitting and installing an additional complete guest system including the application software contained therein.

Claims

1. Operating terminal (2) of an agricultural machine with a computer hardware (4) and a computer software for operating the electrical and/or electronic functions of the connected agricultural machine, characterized in that on the operating terminal (2) a hypervisor software (6) is installed that abstracts guest systems connected thereto and the application software contained therein from the computer hardware (4), controls the communication between the guest systems, and allocates computing time of the computer hardware (4) to the guest systems, wherein the hypervisor software (6) comprises a system architecture configured for the guest systems including:

first guest systems (G₂ to G_n) as a basis for the application software of the manufacturer of the operating terminal and/or drivers for interfaces that are not to be made available to other partitions,

a second guest system (G_X) as a basis for safety-critical application software,

a third guest system (G_Y) as a basis for additional interface drivers which is to enable the guest systems, with the exception of the second guest system (G_X), to access different computer hardware and software interfaces, and

a fourth guest system (G₁) configured for retrofitting and retro-installation, wherein the fourth guest system (G₁) is an additional complete guest system including the application software contained therein.

2. Operating terminal (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the system architecture of the hypervisor software (6) is configured for several of said fourth guest system (G_1-1-G_1-n).

3. Operating terminal (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the application software of the fourth guest system (G₁) has an indirect access to the safety-critical functions of the hardware (4) only via the hypervisor (6) and the second guest system (G_X).

4. Operating terminal (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the application software of the fourth guest system (G₁) has an indirect access to safety-uncritical interface drivers of the hardware (4) only via the hypervisor (6) and the third guest system (G_Y).

5. Operating terminal (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fourth guest system (G₁) is a control program for controlling an agricultural device.