Abstract:
The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere &amp; Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere &amp; Company or otherwise.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention is directed to monitoring equipment for an agricultural machine, comprising a process computer located on the agricultural machine, a sensor sensing operational characteristics of the agricultural machine and submitting data containing an information about the sensed characteristics to the process computer, and a communication interface connected to the process computer which is arranged to send fault messages to a station remote from the agricultural machine.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    In the German journal BMT Baumaschine+Bautechnik 11-42 (1996), page 46 so-called tele service systems are described, allowing a remote diagnosis, service and control of machines. Thus, data concerning operational characteristics of a machine are sent wirelessly to a central service point, and data for adjusting or controlling the machine are sent back to the machine. Among others, these systems can be used on agricultural machines.  
           [0005]    British patent application GB 2 623 376 A describes a vehicle monitoring equipment comprising an assessment means, such as a computerized engine management system, for providing data concerning a predefined operational parameter of the vehicle. Data transmission means are connected to the data assessment means for transmitting such data over a radio link to data reception means remote from the vehicle, for example at a maintenance center. In case the monitoring equipment detects the development of a dangerous fault, it can cause its associated data transmission means to dial the number of the master diagnostics computer to notify personnel at the monitoring station of the fault. The master diagnostics computer sends regular requests to the vehicle, and the monitoring equipment of the latter gives a status report to the monitoring station.  
           [0006]    In case of a serious fault, the vehicle monitoring equipment of GB 2 263 376 A thus sends a fault message to the monitoring station. It is not disclosed how the monitoring equipment evaluates the fault, and what data is transmitted.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide improved monitoring equipment for an agricultural machine which is capable of sending fault messages to a remote station. The monitoring equipment permits fast identification of the error at the remote station. Further, notice should not only be given when faults of operative parts occur, but also when the performance of the agricultural machine is inefficient and/or falling outside predetermined thresholds.  
           [0008]    The present invention is provided with monitoring equipment comprising a process computer that is connected to at least one sensor measuring an operational characteristic of the agricultural machine. The process computer evaluates the data received from the sensor and checks whether the data indicates a fault in the agricultural machine. In this case, the data may be below and/or above predetermined thresholds. When such a fault or error occurs, the process computer submits a fault message to a remote station using a communications interface. The fault message contains information identifying the type of the fault.  
           [0009]    At the remote location, an identification of the error can thus be fast and easily determined. It is not necessary to process the data from the sensor at the remote location, avoiding a costly and time-consuming transmission of data from the sensor or sensors to the remote location for allowing an identification of the type of the error at the remote station. The monitoring equipment can be arranged to check operational characteristics of operative parts of the agricultural machine, for example parameters of the main engine, oil pressure, temperature and number of rotations. It can also watch operational parameters of any other part of the machine, as number of rotations of a crop processing means, the conveying speed of crop conveying means or, in case of a tractor or telescopic loader, a load of a lifting or towing means of the agricultural machine.  
           [0010]    In a preferred embodiment, a sensor of the monitoring equipment is capable of measuring a crop processing characteristic of the agricultural machine. An example is the amount of lost grain in a threshing and separating process, or the amount of processed crop. When the crop processing characteristics are outside predetermined thresholds, i.e. machine performance is poor, the monitoring equipment is arranged to submit a fault message to the remote station. Thus, it is possible to take measures to rectify the fault during harvesting. For example, it is possible to send a car with spare parts to the field on which the agricultural machine is working, if required.  
           [0011]    In another embodiment, the monitoring equipment submits a service interval fault to the remote location in the case that a predefined service interval is exceeded. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an agricultural combine and a remote service station.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a software routine run in the process computer of the combine checking for dangerous faults.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a fault message identifying a dangerous fault.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a software routine checking for incoming messages identifying a dangerous fault. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates an agricultural vehicle in the form of a self-propelled agricultural combine  10 . The combine  10  is supported on front and rear wheels  12  and  14 . The combine  10  is provided with an operator&#39;s cab  16  from which an operator controls the combine. A grain tank  18  is located behind the operators cab  16 . Grain located in the grain tank  18  can be directed to a grain cart or other transport mechanism by a discharge auger  20 . The grain tank  18  is supported on a frame  22 . The frame  22  encloses a threshing cylinder  24 , a threshing concave  26  and a beater  28  for threshing harvested crop material. Straw walkers  30  are located downstream from the beater  28  for receiving the threshed crop material. A grain pan  32  is located below the threshing concave  26  and straw walkers  30  for receiving grain and fines. The grain pan  32  directs the grain and fines to sieves  34 . The crop residue, i.e. straw, is conveyed over the straw walkers  30  into a rear hood of the combine  10  where it falls onto the ground and lighter components are blown by a blower  36  from the sieves  34  onto the ground. The cleaned grain is directed to the grain tank by an elevator, not shown. The crop is harvested from the field by a header, not shown, at the front of the combine  10  and is conveyed into the combine by a feederhouse  38 , past a stone trap  40  and to the threshing cylinder  24 . The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, is of a conventional combine having a transverse threshing cylinder and axially arranged straw walkers. However the present invention could also be used with other combine configurations including combines having a transverse threshing cylinder and one or more axially aligned rotors in place of the straw walkers, or combines having one or more axially aligned rotors in place of the transverse threshing cylinder and straw walkers.  
         [0017]    The combine  10  is provided with a process computer  42  connected to sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and  44 ″ detecting the status of at least one operative part of the combine  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, a first sensor  44  is located at the main engine  43  of the combine  10  and detects its operating characteristics, for example, the number of rotations and the oil pressure. A second sensor  44 ′ is located at the left side of the threshing cylinder  24  and measures the number of rotations the threshing cylinder  24  performs. A third sensor  44 ″ is located below the rear end of the straw shakers  30  and detects the amount of lost grain. Normally, a relatively high number of sensors  44  for detecting assigned operative parameters are provided on the combine  10 . These sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and  44 ″ are connected to the process computer  42  by a bus system, like a CAN-bus. The bus system allows for the quasi-simultaneous communication between the process computer  42  and the sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and  44 ″.  
         [0018]    The process computer  42  is further connected to a control system comprising at least one actuator  46  for moving operative elements of the combine  10 . In the described embodiment, the actuator  46  is arranged to adjust the position of the louvers or the sieves  34 . Such an actuator  46  is described in European patent application EP 1068793 A. In another embodiment of the invention, the control system can control the concave clearance or the propelling speed of the combine  10 .  
         [0019]    The process computer  42  is connected to a driver&#39;s information system comprising a display  48  in the operator&#39;s cab  16 . On the display  48 , information regarding the status of the operative parts of the combine  10  is given to the operator. The driver&#39;s information system  48  further comprises input means such that the driver can influence the operation of the combine  10 . He can thus input, for example, the number of rotations of the threshing cylinder  24  or override proposals given by the process computer  42 , which are displayed on the display  48 .  
         [0020]    The process computer  42  is additionally connected to a communication interface  50  allowing communication with external stations. This communication channel can make use of any wireless communication means, as a public telephone network. The communication interface  50  of the combine  10  is thus arranged to communicate wirelessly via a communication medium schematically indicated at  68  with a communication interface  66  of a service station  52  at a remote location.  
         [0021]    The service station  52  comprises a service computer  64  connected to the communication interface  64 . The service computer  64  does not have to be directly connected to the communication interface  66 . It can alternatively be part of a network and can communicate via the internet (or another network) with the communication interface  66 .  
         [0022]    The service computer  64  is also connected to three memories  56 ,  58  and  60 . The first memory  56  contains a database containing product data. The product data comprise information on nominal operative characteristics of the combine  10 . The second memory  58  contains a database containing machine data regarding the respective combine, such as manufacturing date. The third memory  60  contains a database containing maintenance data on the maintenance services already performed on the combine  10 .  
         [0023]    The service computer  64  is also provided with an interface  62  to external services. The interface  62  can thus be used for communicating with a communication assembly  70  of a owner, allowing the latter to countercheck whether his combine  10  was serviced in the intervals recommended by the manufacturer. The interface  62  can also set up a connection to a computer of the manufacturer, for updating the first memory  56 . The communication assembly  70  could alternatively communicate with the communication interface  66 , thus avoiding the interface  62 . In addition, the service computer  64  could be linked via a network (Internet, LAN, etc) to a computer of the machine owner, of a dealer, of a repair shop, or of a manufacturer.  
         [0024]    The communication assembly  70  can be a portable or stationary computer connected to a transmission and receiving device. The communication assembly  70  is also capable of displaying operational parameters of the combine  10  to the owner. The owner could also be able to influence operational parameters of the combine  10 .  
         [0025]    The service station  52  can be located at the office of a service center for agricultural machines, e.g. at a dealer&#39;s house, or at a subsidiary of the manufacturer of the combine. It can also be located in the office of a contractor or of a farmer.  
         [0026]    In FIG. 2, a software routine run in the process computer  42  of the combine  10  is illustrated. The routine is normally not run continuously, but in predefined intervals, e.g. at 100 millisecond intervals. The routine starts in step  100  and in subsequent step  102  it checks whether the values measured by the sensors  44 ,  44 ′ provided on the combine are within predefined ranges. These predefined ranges are the normal operational ranges, generally comprising a certain margin of error. When for example the oil pressure in the main engine  43  of the combine  10  watched by sensor  44  is beyond the predetermined range, the result of step  102  is “no”. In this case, step  108  follows in which the process computer  42  computes a fault information from the information delivered by sensor  44 . This fault information can correspond for example to the fact that the oil pressure is too high. It would also be possible to identify an operative element of the combine  10  causing the fault, when an appropriate sensor  44  is provided.  
         [0027]    When step  102  reveals no fault, step  104  is executed in which the process computer  42  checks whether performance parameters are outside a predetermined range. The performance parameters can be extracted from data provided by sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and  44 ″. They can be used to compute, for example, the amount of fuel burnt for harvesting a predefined area. Sensor  44 ″ allows a measurement of the percentage of grain lost in the threshing and separating process. When the performance parameter is outside the predetermined range, step  110  is executed in which fault information is computed from the data of the sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and/or  44 ″. It can contain an information on the affected parameter, or in a more sophisticated embodiment, which operative part of the combine is not working (or adjusted) properly. When step  104  reveals no fault, the routine ends at step  106 . It should be mentioned that it would be possible to send a fault message when a service interval was exceeded in an embodiment in which the information stored in the third memory  60  is provided on board the combine  10 .  
         [0028]    Both steps  108  and  110  are followed by step  112 , in which a fault message containing information about the identified error is sent to the communication interface  66  of the service station  52  by means of the communication interface  50  of the combine  10 . Corresponding information is displayed to the driver via the display  48  in the operator&#39;s cab  16 .  
         [0029]    A fault message is schematically indicated in FIG. 3. The message contains three blocks. A first data block  114  is a message identifier, identifying the message as a fault message. A second data block  116  of the message is containing the fault information computed in steps  108  or  110 . This fault information contains the type of fault, as engine fault or fault in the crop processing means of the combine, or a performance fault indicating that a performance of the combine  10  is below a predefined limit. A third data block  118  of the message is containing data measured by the sensors  44 ,  44 ′ and  44 ″, or information computed therefrom. The third data block also contains data identifying the combine  10  and its location.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a routine run in the service computer  64  for checking for incoming fault messages. This routine does not have to run continuously, but it would be sufficient when it is executed in predefined time intervals, at  1  second intervals. The routine starts in step  120 , which is followed by step  122 , in which a check is performed whether an external message has been received. These messages can be stored in a mailbox. When no message has been received, step  124  follows in which the routine ends.  
         [0031]    On the other hand, when a message was received in step  122 , step  126  is performed in which an investigation is performed whether the message is a fault message. This check is performed by checking whether the message identifier identifies the message as a fault message. When the result is “no”, step  128  is performed in which the message is processed normally. Thus, for example entries may be made in the first memory  56  when a message containing performance data of the combine  10  have been received, which may be a response to a request initiated by the service computer  64 , or requested by the owner via his communication means  70 . In case the result of step  126  is “yes”, step  132  is performed in which error data is extracted from the second data block  116  of the message. This data is displayed to an operator of the service computer  64 , such that the operator can initiate appropriate steps. The fault message can also be sent to the communication assembly  70  of the owner.  
         [0032]    The fault message thus allows the service computer  64  to check rapidly and easily which kind of fault has occurred and to propose appropriate measures to the service personnel. Not only when a fault occurs, but also when a predetermined performance threshold is exceeded, a message is sent from the agricultural implement to the service station  52 .  
         [0033]    Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.