Agricultural machine, especially combine harvester, with multi-processor guide system

• US 5,978,720 A
• Filed: 02/01/1996
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Claas Ohg
• Original Assignee: Claas Ohg
• Inventors: Behnke, Willie, Diekhans, Norbert, Hieronymus, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/500,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/31, 701/32, 701/33, 701/34, 701/36, 701/49, 701/50, 56/10.2 R, 56/10.4, 56/10.2 C, 56/10.2 D, 56/10.2 E, 56/10.2 F, 56/10.2 G, 56/10.2 H, 56/10.8, 340/462, 340/679, 340/684, 340/438, 340/457, 340/457.4, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.05, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 702/119, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/185, 345/115, 345/116, 345/117, 345/133, 345/140, 345/145, 345/146, 345/161, 345/168
• US Class Current: 701/29
• 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: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

An agricultural machine, especially a combine harvester and thresher, which consists of component devices (1-N) with associated microprocessors (M1-MN), of which at least one is a control station processor (M1) with a control keypad (TA) and a screen (V), which microprocessors are connected to measurement, actuation members of the respective component devices (1-N) and regarding this, process data that appears in the component device (1-N) in a controlling or regulating manner, or in a manner which displays it, wherein these microprocessors (M1-MN) are connected syndetically to a standard communications bus (B) via conventional interface circuits (SS) and via these circuits, continuously transmit operating data with an identifier, which is specific to the operating data, wherein in the individual microprocessors (M1-MN), the identifiers of these kinds of operating data, which are to be received, are stored in a table as a one in a bit configuration and are accessed with the identifier at the bit positions of the table, and whenever a one is stored there, the identifier with the affiliated operating data transmitted is taken.

Claims

1. In an agricultural machine including:

a control station processor;

a control input device coupled to the control station processor;

a display screen driven by the control station processor;

a plurality of component devices outputting raw data for measurement, actuation, or display, each component device being coupled to a respective microprocessor, to process the raw data from the component device into actual operating data of a corresponding operating data type;

a communications bus coupled to the control station processor and connected syndetically via interface circuits to the microprocessors;

the interface circuits continually transmitting onto the bus, according to a protocol, the operating data and a respective identifier specific to the operating data thereof;

the improvement wherein;

each of the microprocessors includes a respective access key marker field, accessed from the bus by the identifier, wherein are stored access key markers corresponding respectively to the operating data types, such that, whenever an access key marker corresponding to one operating data type is in the access key marker field of one of the microprocessors, that one of the microprocessors receives, stores, and processes the transmitted operating data labeled by the identifier;

wherein

the control station processor includes a pre-selected dialogue state which is activated by operation of the control input device; and

wherein

depending on the dialogue state, operating data continually received in the control station processor, depending respectively on the identifier thereof, is

(1) transformed into analog pictograms, numeric depictions or textual depictions,

(2) respectively adjusted for updating and

(3) stored in at least one display field of a screen mask, which is associated with the respective pre-selected dialogue state;

whereby a continually updated display memory content is depicted on the screen.

2. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a keypad.

3. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a multi-position switch.

4. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein

the key marker field comprises a two-dimensional table in which the key markers of the operating data types to be received are stored with value binary one, and wherein

the table is respectively addressed with a first identifier section of the identifier and a remaining second identifier section;

the second identifier section, binarily enciphered with a read-out table line content, is AND-combined to the correct place in bit-type configuration, and whenever a coincidence has been determined, the identifier and the transmitted operational data affiliated therewith is accepted, stored, and processed.

5. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein

the first identifier section includes eight bits and the second identifier section includes three bits, and the table contains 256 addressable 8-bit words, and wherein

the individual bit positions occupied with a binary one each represent one of the operating key markers of a relevant operating message type to be received.

6. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein

the identifier includes a section of 3 bits having binary values are associated with various processing priorities of the affiliated messages and serve as program control criteria for priority handling.

7. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein

the control station processor drives the screen via a display memory a screen content of which is divided into screen areas which are menu-driven by the input device and are periodically loaded with selected operating data, supplied as pictograms, numerical data, or textual data.

8. The agricultural machine according to claim 7, wherein the screen areas number eight, and wherein

a first screen area always shows the current time and date,

an eighth screen includes a main menu bar of pictograms, an activated main menu pictogram of which is embodied in solid form,

a second screen and a third screen include largest screen areas and, when a threshing unit is switched on in a driving state and in a harvesting state, the second screen continuously displays a driving speed numerically and as a pictogram, and the third screen when in the driving state displays the engine load, shown numerically and as a pictogram, and when in the harvesting state optionally shows a shaker loss display pictogram and a sieve loss pictogram, and

a remaining four smaller display fields display operating data of a cutting unit, combine harvester and thresher.

9. The agricultural machine according to claim 8, wherein

in each of the four smaller display fields a selected working width is symbolized in bar graph form,

actual cutting heights with up to four selectable, actually adjusted set point values of the cutting height are shown in a semicircular scale and

specified and actual rpm of a threshing drum and fan are shown.

10. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein whenever the control station processor has received an alarm indicator, a part of a display, number, or text which corresponds to a kind of the alarm message, is overridingly entered into an associated one of the display areas, an alarm indicator is deleted, and an acoustic alarm signal is switched on until a confirmation key is actuated, whereupon a bulletin indicator is emplaced and the alarm message is removed from the display area.

11. The agricultural machine according to claim 10, wherein whenever there is no alarm, but there is a bulletin indicator of an overriding bulletin in the control station processor, then by means of a message reception, or after an alarm deletion, the part of a display, number, or text, which corresponds to the kind of bulletin, is overridingly entered into an associated one of the display areas, the bulletin indicator is deleted, and a short, acoustic signal is given.

12. The agricultural machine according to claim 11, wherein whenever there is neither an alarm nor a bulletin indicator, but there is a general message, which is to be associated with the respective types of pictogram or numeric data entered, the message content is entered in an updated form.

13. The agricultural machine according to claim 2, wherein the keypad comprises means for menu control and includes seven keys further including an actuation key, two cursor keys, a help key, an escape key, and a rocker key, for increasing and reducing respective values selected according to the menu;

wherein key actuations of the seven keys are construed as a function of the display content of the display fields, and the values shown there are stored as the operating data and are sent out to the microprocessors provided with corresponding indicators.

14. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein four operating buttons are disposed for gripping by fingers of a driver on a handle of a control stick, a respective first inclination of the stick controlling a speed of the agricultural machine and a respective second inclination of the stick steering the agricultural machine.

15. The agricultural machine according to claim 14, wherein the control stick and the keypad are disposed in a grasping region right hand of the driver, the keypad being disposed thereon for gripping, adjoining the screen on a side thereof.

16. The agricultural machine according to claim 14, wherein the operating buttons include a cutting unit raising button, a cutting height selection button to lower the cutting unit to a selected cutting height, and an automatic contour system selection button;

actuating signals from the cutting height selection button or the automatic contour system selection button being evaluated such that upon a short actuation thereof a higher or lower stored set-point value of a cutting unit height adjusting device is specified and upon a longer actuation a set-point value is specified and, further, an automatic pitch regulating system is switched off or on by corresponding messages transmitted to a cutting unit microprocessor which includes corresponding regulating programs, cutting unit adjusting means, sensor means, and adjusting means.

17. The agricultural machine according to claim 18, wherein whenever an actuation of the cutting unit raising button, the cutting height selection button, or the automatic contour system selection button has lasted longer than a specified minimum time, a respective set-point value activated in the cutting unit microprocessor is continuously incremented of decremented in accordance with the respective key by means of corresponding messages, whereby, a cutting unit height adjustment takes place and an actual state is constantly determined and transmitted back to the control station processor, is displayed on the screen, and is assigned as a new set-point value when the respective key is released.

18. The agricultural machine according to claim 3, wherein

the multi-position switch adjoins the control station processor on an input side thereof, and, periodically controlled by an operating program of the control station processor, respective switch positions thereof are taken over by the control station processor;

wherein

parts of the operating program, which are associated with the respective positions of the multi-position switch, are triggered by the control station processor, wherein in one position of the multi-position switch, the control station processor prepares a menu operation in a harvesting or driving state and in other positions of the multi-position switch the control station processor adjusts a set-point value of an affiliated adjustable unit, which is raised or lowered respectively by means of alternative actuations of a rocker key, wherein

a set-point value display is overridingly carried out in one of the display fields and wherein the switch position is displayed in a pictogram field on one of the pictogram bars, which represent the various switch positions and which are disposed in one of the display fields on the screen.

19. The agricultural machine according to claim 18, wherein as a result of each set-point value change, a function monitoring of an affiliated actuating means is carried out and an override thereof produces and stores an alarm bulletin on an associated display field.

20. The agricultural machine according to claim 18, wherein in an adjusted state a particular established set-point value is symbolized in a bar graph and numerically represented in an affiliated one of the display fields, and the bar graph includes a range between respective permissible upper and lower limit values of the set-point value.

21. The agricultural machine defined by claim 20, wherein in the adjusted state is a pictogram and is associated with a respective actuating member to be adjusted as a function of the set-point value, the adjusted state is entered in the affiliated display field, and the pictogram is represented normally when there is an override and otherwise is represented in an inverted depiction.

22. The agricultural machine according to claim 18, wherein in the harvesting or driving state, upon a transition in one of the adjusting states, the respective cursor position remains stored in memory and upon a return to the harvesting or driving state, the cursor position is produced again, displayed, and evaluated.

23. The agricultural machine according to claim 18, wherein set-point state specifications to be adjusted with the multi-position switch include at least one of set-point threshing drum rpm, set-point fan rpm, set-point spacing of the concave, set-point sensitivity of each sieve loss sensor, set-point reel rpm, set-point lower sieve width, set-point upper sieve width, or set-point slat elevator rpm.

24. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein an rpm-monitoring microprocessor monitors rpm by continuously receiving an engine rpm as well as the rpm values of V-belt driven units, threshing drum, fan, chopper, slat elevator, shaker, elevator, and tailings elevator from affiliated sensors and compares rpm ratios thereof to the engine rpm via menu-driven, learned rpm ratios, which are determined as a function of a drive, and when a specified slippage tolerance limit is exceeded, transmits an alarm to the control station processor for output therefrom, which, after an acknowledgment of the alarm, sends out a message to the rpm monitoring microprocessor to increase the slippage tolerance limit, and stores a corresponding maintenance bulletin, which is output later in a menu-driven manner.

25. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein calibration values, compensation values, and limit values, which are associated with the various types of grain and are reserved for normal conditions, are transmitted in a menu-driven manner to a yield and loss measuring microprocessor by the control station processor, can be displayed by the operator in a menu-driven manner and can then be changed or specified once more, and these transmitted values are used for evaluating the loss and harvesting capacity measurement values, and wherein the results are transmitted to the control station processor where they are entered, pictorially supplied in the harvesting display field and are stored for later output to a data carrier or printer.

26. The agricultural machine according to claim 25, wherein the results are output as a harvesting cadastre.

27. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein the machine comprises a combine harvester.

28. The agricultural machine according to claim 1, wherein the machine comprises a thresher.