Patent Application
20230035890
The present subject matter relates generally to harvesting implements for agricultural harvesters, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for remotely controlling the operation of a harvesting implement of an agricultural harvester, such as by controlling the operation of the harvesting implement from a location exterior of an operator's cab of the harvester.
A harvester is an agricultural machine that is used to harvest and process crops. For instance, a forage harvester may be used to cut and comminute silage crops, such as grass and corn. Similarly, a combine harvester may be used to harvest grain crops, such as wheat, oats, rye, barely, corn, soybeans, and flax or linseed. In general, the objective is to complete several processes, which traditionally were distinct, in one pass of the machine over a particular part of the field. In this regard, most harvesters are equipped with a detachable harvesting implement, such as a header, which cuts and collects the crop from the field and feeds it to the base harvester for further processing.
Conventionally, the operation of most harvesters requires substantial operational involvement and control by the operator. For example, with reference to the header of a combine, the operator is often required to adjust various operational parameters of the header. Typically, such adjustments must be made from the operator's cab (e.g., via the user interface provided within the cab). As such, when the operator is outside the cab (e.g., inspecting the header), the operator must climb back into the cab to adjust one or more header-related operational parameters. This process is often very time consuming for the operator, particularly when multiple header adjustments are required.
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for remotely controlling the operation of a harvesting implement of an agricultural harvester would be welcomed in the technology.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a system for controlling the operation of harvesting implements configured for use with agricultural harvesters. The system includes a harvesting implement configured to be supported relative to an agricultural harvester, and at least one user interface component supported on the harvesting implement. The user interface component(s) is configured to receive input commands associated with controlling an operation of the harvesting implement. The system also includes an implement-based controller supported on the harvesting implement and being communicatively coupled to the user interface element(s) such that the implement-based controller is configured to receive the input commands from the at least one user interface component.
In another aspect, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural harvester including a chassis, an operator's cab supported by the chassis, and a harvesting implement coupled to a front end of the chassis. The harvester also includes at least one user interface component supported relative to the chassis and being directly accessible by a user exterior of the operator's cab. The user interface component(s) is configured to receive input commands associated with controlling an operation of the harvesting implement. Additionally, the harvester includes a controller communicatively coupled to the user interface element(s) such that the controller is configured to receive the input commands from the user interface(s) component. The controller being further configured to control the operation of the harvesting implement based at least in part on the input commands.
In a further aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a method for controlling the operation of harvesting implements configured for use with agricultural harvesters. The method includes receiving, with an implement-based controller supported on a harvesting implement of an agricultural harvester, an input command transmitted via at least one user interface component supported on the harvesting implement, the input command associated with controlling an operation of the harvesting implement. The method also includes transmitting, with the implement-based controller, data associated with the input command to a vehicle-based controller supported by a chassis of the agricultural harvester, the harvesting implement being supported at a front end of the chassis of the agricultural harvester. Additionally, the method includes controlling, with the vehicle-based controller, the operation of the harvesting implement based at least in part on the input command.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
In general, the present subject matter is directed to systems and methods for remotely controlling the operation of a harvesting implement of an agricultural harvester. In several embodiments, one or more user interface components may be provided at a location exterior of the operator's cab of the harvester to allow a user or operator to provide input commands associated with controlling the operation of the harvesting implement while the operator is outside the cab. For instance, in one embodiment, the user interface component(s) may be directly supported on the harvesting implement (e.g., by being accessible along an outer wall or body of the harvesting implement) to allow the operator to provide input commands for controlling the operation of the harvesting implement. In addition to the implement-based user interface component(s) (or as an alternative thereto), one or more vehicle-based user interface components may be supported by the chassis of the harvester at any other suitable location exterior of the cab, such as at a location along the exterior of the harvester vehicle. The user interface component(s) (whether implement-based or vehicle-based) may be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to a controller configured to control the operation of one or more implement-based components in response to the input command provided by the operator. For instance, in one embodiment, the controller may, in response to the input command, be configured to control the operation of an actuator that, in turn, controls the movement or positioning of one or more components of the harvesting implement.
Referring now to the drawings,
Moreover, as shown in
In some embodiments, the header 32 includes a reel 40 rotatably coupled to a reel frame 40A which is, in turn, rotatably coupled to a frame of the header 32. The reel 40 is generally configured to contact crop material before a cutter bar 42 of the header 32. For instance, the reel 40 may include tines and/or the like such that, when crop materials contact the reel 40, the crop materials may be oriented into a substantially uniform direction and guided toward the cutter bar 42. The vertical positioning of the reel 40 (e.g., relative to the ground and/or chassis 14) may be adjusted by a reel actuator 41 coupled between the reel frame 40A and the feeder 34. For instance, the reel actuator 41 may be a cylinder which is extendable and retractable to adjust a vertical position of the reel 40. Additionally, the vertical positioning of the cutter bar 42 (e.g., relative to the ground and/or chassis 14) may be adjusted by a cutter bar actuator 43 supported by the header 32. For instance, the cutter bar actuator 43 may be a cylinder which is extendable and retractable to adjust a vertical position of the cutter bar 42.
As the harvester 10 is propelled forwardly over a field with standing crop, the crop material is directed towards the cutter bar 42 by the reel 40 and subsequently severed from the stubble by the cutter bar 42 at the front of the header 32 and delivered by a header auger 44 to the front end 36 of the feeder 34, which supplies the cut crop to the threshing and separating assembly 24. As is generally understood, the threshing and separating assembly 24 may include a cylindrical chamber 46 in which the rotor 12 is rotated to thresh and separate the crop received therein. That is, the crop is rubbed and beaten between the rotor 12 and the inner surfaces of the chamber 46, whereby the grain, seed, or the like, is loosened and separated from the straw.
Crop material which has been separated by the threshing and separating assembly 24 falls onto a series of pans 48 and associated sieves 50, with the separated crop material being spread out via oscillation of the pans 48 and/or sieves 50 and eventually falling through apertures defined in the sieves 50. Additionally, a cleaning fan 52 may be positioned adjacent to one or more of the sieves 50 to provide an air flow through the sieves 50 that removes chaff and other impurities from the crop material. For instance, the fan 52 may blow the impurities off of the crop material for discharge from the harvester 10 through the outlet of a straw hood 54 positioned at the back end of the harvester 10.
The cleaned crop material passing through the sieves 50 may then fall into a trough of an auger 56, which may be configured to transfer the crop material to an elevator 58 for delivery to the associated holding tank 28. Additionally, a pair of tank augers 60 at the bottom of the holding tank 28 may be used to urge the cleaned crop material sideways to an unloading tube 62 for discharge from the harvester 10.
Moreover, in several embodiments, the harvester 10 may also include a header height control system 70 which is configured to adjust a height of the header 32 relative to the ground surface 19 so as to maintain the desired cutting height between the header 32 and the ground surface 19. The system 70 may include a height actuator 72 configured to adjust the height or vertical positioning of the header 32 relative to the ground. For example, in some embodiments, the height actuator 72 may be coupled between the feeder 34 and the frame 14 such that the height actuator 72 may pivot the feeder 34 to raise and lower the header 32 relative to the ground 19. In addition, the header height control system 70 may include a tilt actuator(s) 74 coupled between the header 32 and the feeder 34 to allow the header 32 to be tilted relative to the ground surface 19 or pivoted laterally or side-to-side relative to the feeder 34. The height and tilt actuators 72, 74 may, for example, correspond to cylinders that are extendable and retractable to adjust the vertical positioning and tilt of the header 32.
Additionally, in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, the harvester 10 may also include or be associated with a system 100 for remotely controlling the operation of a harvesting implement, such as the header 32 shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
As particularly shown in
In other embodiments, the user interface component(s) 102 may correspond to a communications-type component(s) configured to receive input commands from a control device 130 separate from the header, such as a remote control device. For instance, as shown in
In such embodiments, the separate control device 130 may correspond to any suitable portable or handheld device configured to be communicatively coupled to the communications port 122 via the wired connection (e.g., as shown in
Referring still to
In general, the implement-based controller 140 may correspond to any suitable processor-based device(s), such as a computing device or any combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the implement-based controller 140 may include one or more processor(s) and associated memory device(s) configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. The memory device(s) may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s), configure the implement-based controller 140 to perform various computer-implemented functions.
In one embodiment, the implement-based controller 140 may be configured to receive the input commands transmitted from the user interface component(s) 120 and relay the input commands (or related instructions or control requests) to a separate controller for execution of the associated control action. For instance, as will be described below with reference to
It should be appreciated that, although the different system embodiments shown in
Referring now to
As described above, the system 100 may, in several embodiments, include one or more implement-based user interface components 102 for receiving input commands associated with controlling the operation of the header 32 and an implement-based controller 140 communicatively coupled to the user interface component(s) 102, with both the user interface component(s) 102 and the implement-based controller 140 being supported on the header 32. For instance, the user interface component(s) 102 may include one or more user-manipulable interface elements supported directly on the header 32 (e.g., the interface elements 120 shown in
The input commands received at the user interface component(s) 102 may then be transmitted to the implement-based controller 140 for subsequent processing and/or transmission. For instance, in one embodiment, the implement-based controller 140 may be configured to transmit control signals for controlling one or more of the implement-related components 160 of the harvester 10 in accordance with the input command(s) provided by the operator, such as by directly or indirectly controlling the operation of reel actuator 41, the cutter bar actuator 43, the gauge wheel actuator, height actuator 72, tilt actuator 74, and/or any other suitable component(s) based on the input command. For instance, if the operator provides an input command associated with raising or lowering the reel 40 or the cutter bar 42, the implement-based controller 140 may be configured to transmit suitable control signals to directly or indirectly control the operation of the associated actuator (e.g., when the actuator is a fluid-driven actuator, by controlling the operation of one or more control valves configured to regulate the flow of fluid supplied to the actuator).
In other embodiments, as indicated above, the implement-based controller 140 may be configured to relay the input commands provided by the operator (or related instructions or control requests) to a separate vehicle-based controller of the harvester 10, which, in turn, may be configured to control the operation of the associated header component(s) in response to the operator-selected input command. For instance, as shown in
It should be appreciated that the vehicle-based controller 150 may generally correspond to any suitable processor-based device(s), such as a computing device or any combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the vehicle-based controller 150 may include one or more processor(s) and associated memory device(s) configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. The memory device(s) may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s), configure the vehicle-based controller 150 to perform various computer-implemented functions.
As indicated above with reference to
In several embodiments, the vehicle-based user interface component(s) 104 may be communicatively coupled to the vehicle-based controller 150 (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection). Thus, in one embodiment, when the operator is interfacing with the vehicle-based user interface component(s) 104 to provide input commands associated with controlling the operation of the header 32, the vehicle-based controller 150 may be configured to receive the input commands from the user interface component(s) 104 and subsequently control one or more of the implement-related components in accordance with the input commands, such as by directly or indirectly controlling the operation of reel actuator 41, the cutter bar actuator 43, the gauge wheel actuator, height actuator 72, tilt actuator 74, and/or any other suitable header-related component(s) based on the input commands. Alternatively, the vehicle-based controller 150 may be configured to relay the input commands provided by the operator (or related instructions or control requests) to the implement-based controller 140, which, in turn, may be configured to control the operation of the associated header component(s) in response to the operator-selected input command.
Referring now to
As shown in
Additionally, at (204), the method 200 may include transmitting, with the implement-based controller, data associated with the input command to a vehicle-based controller supported by a chassis of the agricultural harvester. For instance, as described above, the implement-based controller 140 may, in some embodiments, be configured to transmit the input command (or related instructions or control requests) to a separate vehicle-based controller 150 of the harvester 10
Moreover, at (206), the method 200 may include controlling, with the vehicle-based controller, the operation of the harvesting implement based at least in part on the input command. Specifically, as described above, the vehicle-based controller 150 may, in some embodiments, be configured to control the operation of one or more implement-related component based on the input command, such as by directly or indirectly controlling the operation of reel actuator 41, the cutter bar actuator 43, the gauge wheel actuator, height actuator 72, tilt actuator 74, and/or any other suitable component(s) based on the input command.
It is to be understood that the steps of the method 200 are performed by a controller(s) (e.g., the implement-based controller 140 and/or the vehicle-based controller 150) upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the controller(s) described herein, such as the method 200, is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The controller(s) loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the controller(s), the controller(s) may perform any of the functionality of the controller(s) described herein, including any steps of the method 200 described herein.
The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as machine code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
