AUTOMATIC IMPLEMENT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150073618A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Wehle, Andreas, UPCHURCH, BRUCE L., Pfeil, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 71/00 Construction or arrangement of setting or adjusting mechanisms, of implement or tool drive or of power take-off; Means for protecting parts against dust, or the like; Adapting machine elements to or for agricultural purposes adjusting mechanisms in general G05G
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/308 Industrial vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02 operating on the steering mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0043 Signal treatments, identification of variables or parameters, parameter estimation or state estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/00 Tractor-trailer combinations; Road trains traction couplings other than fifth wheel coupling B60D ; tracked vehicles comprising at least two articulated parts B62D55/0655

Abstract

An identification system is provided for a vehicle-implement system wherein a selected one of a plurality of different implements is coupled to the vehicle. Each of the plurality of implements has a unique corresponding component or actuator. A component sensor senses a condition of the component, such as the position of the piston of a hydraulic cylinder. The sensor generates a sensor signal which has a signal characteristic (such as a frequency) which has a plurality of values. each frequency value is unique to a corresponding one of the components. A signal processing unit receives the sensor signal and identifies the selected implement as a function of the value of the characteristic of the sensor signal.

Claims

1. In a vehicle-component system wherein a selected one of a plurality of different components is coupled to a vehicle, an identification system comprising:

a sensor sensing a condition of the selected component, the sensor generating a sensor signal, the sensor signal having a signal characteristic which has a unique value related to the selected component; and

a signal processing unit receiving the sensor signal from the sensor, the signal processing unit identifying the selected component as a function of the value.

2. The identification system of claim 1, wherein:

the component comprises a hydraulic cylinder mounted on an implement.

3. The identification system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of components comprises a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, each of the cylinders having a different stroke length; and

the signal characteristic has a plurality of different values, each value relating to a corresponding one of the different stroke lengths.

4. The identification system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal characteristic comprises a frequency of the sensor signal.

5. The identification system of claim 2, wherein:

the hydraulic cylinder includes a piston which is movable within a housing; and

the sensor senses a position of the piston relative to the housing.

6. In a vehicle-implement system wherein a selected one of a plurality of different implements is coupled to the vehicle, each of the plurality of implements having a unique corresponding actuator, an identification system comprising:

an actuator sensor for sensing a condition of the actuator, the sensor generating a sensor signal, the sensor signal having a signal characteristic having a value which is unique to the actuator; and

a signal processing unit receiving the sensor signal from the sensor, the signal processing unit identifying the selected implement as a function of the value of the characteristic.

7. The identification system of claim 6, wherein:

the actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder mounted on an implement.

8. The identification system of claim 7, wherein:

the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston movable in a housing; and

the condition comprises a position of the piston relative to the housing.

9. The identification system of claim 6, wherein:

the signal characteristic comprises a frequency of the sensor signal.

10. The identification system of claim 6, wherein:

the sensor signal is a pulse-width-modulated signal have a frequency and a duty cycle; and

the signal characteristic comprises the frequency of the sensor signal.

11. In a vehicle-implement system wherein a selected one of a plurality of different implements is coupled to the vehicle, each of the plurality of implements having a unique corresponding component, an identification system comprising:

a component sensor for sensing a condition of the component, the sensor generating a sensor signal, the sensor signal having a signal characteristic having a value which is unique to the component; and

a signal processing unit receiving the sensor signal from the sensor, the signal processing unit identifying the selected implement as a function of the value of the characteristic.

12. The identification system of claim 11, wherein:

the component comprises a hydraulic cylinder mounted on the implement.

13. The identification system of claim 12, wherein:

the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston movable in a housing; and

the condition comprises a position of the piston relative to the housing.

14. The identification system of claim 11, wherein:

the signal characteristic comprises a frequency of the sensor signal.